Biography
She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Human Nutrition Sciences from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (Mexico) in 2012 and a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Health from Wageningen University (Netherlands) in 2015, specializing in Molecular Nutrition and Toxicology. In 2020, she obtained a PhD in Agricultural, Forest, and Food Sciences from the University of Turin, with a dissertation on the microbiome of fermented cocoa.
From 2019 to 2022, she collaborated on the Master in Food Systems at the University of Turin as part of the EIT Food initiatives. Subsequently, she contributed to EIT Food’s Food Solutions programmes, participating in the development of training initiatives, food innovation education projects, and stakeholder engagement activities. She has also participated in national and European research projects. Since November 2026, she has been collaborating with the University of Gastronomic Sciences (UNISG) on a project funded by the Rockefeller Foundation.
Her research interests focus on the relationships between culture, nutrition, and eating behavior, with particular attention to cross-cultural differences in dietary habits, preferences, and food choices. She studies consumer behavior and the acceptance of innovative and sustainable foods, examining the role of individual factors such as food neophobia and disgust. A further area of interest is food education, specifically the development and evaluation of educational activities to promote healthier and more sustainable diets, taking into account diverse cultural and food contexts.
In her work, she integrates approaches from consumer and sensory and nutritional science, utilizing quantitative and multivariate statistical methods, including structural equation modeling, mixed-effects models, and factor analysis. She is the author and co-author of international scientific publications.
Institutional Positions
Teaching Activity
Main Interdisciplinary Research Area in UNISG
- Quality and Innovation
Specific Research Topics
- Culture and eating behaviour: The influence of cultural contexts, traditions, and dietary habits on consumer preferences and choices.
- Cross-cultural differences and dietary transitions: The study of cultural differences in the perception, acceptance, and consumption of food, with a particular focus on healthy and sustainable diets.
- Food education and health promotion: The development and evaluation of educational interventions and learning pathways to promote awareness, openness toward novel foods, and sustainable eating behaviours, fostering healthier, more mindful, and more sustainable dietary habits.
- Transformation of food systems and consumption: The role of culture, education, and consumer engagement in promoting healthier and more sustainable diets.