Fitxa persona

. Prof. Maria C. Pina-Pérez started her scientific career (2005), in the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC). Today, her research lines are mainly focused on (i) novel technologies for food processing, (ii) quantitative microbiological risk assessment, (iii) natural antimicrobials exploitation and valorization from agri-food by-products, (iv) study of bacterial sub-lethal damage generated by minimal processing, and (v) novel food in formulation of complex matrices for future. To date, Prof. M.C. Pina-Pérez is among scarce scientists in Europe with demonstrated background in a wide range of thermal and non-thermal processing technologies, for both, food safety and food quality guarantee (sterilization and pasteurization by heat, parboiling, extrusion, High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP), Pulsed Electric Fields (PEFs), Microwave, and Cold Plasma (CP)). During her scientific career (2005-2023), she has been granted with 2 pre-doctoral scientific fellows (GVA and JAE-CSIC), 2 postdoctoral public grants (Juan de la Cierva -Incorporación, MINECO; Jose Castillejo, MECD), 1 industrial-research contract in EBROFOODS, and 1 EU funded project MSCA - H2020. She has participated in 20 research projects funded in competitive public calls (6 regional, 8 national, 1 CDTI, 1 INNPACTO, and 2 EU funded projects) + 2 collaborative projects with private companies. Among those, she has been principal researcher in three of them (1 regional, 1 national and 1 H2020 EU) (rising to 300.000 ¿ budget). She has completed 2 highly-specialized formative actions abroad in mathematical modelling (2007, UK), and in Food extrusion - Meat analogues R&D (2018, Switzerland). As postdoctoral researcher she has developed a competitive stay at WUR (Wageningen-Food Valley) (2017) to work in Immunology and Food allergy. She carried out her PhD (2008-2011) (JAE-Predoc, CSIC) processing Infant products by HHP and PEFs, being the first researcher at international level, working on non-thermal inactivation of Cronobacter sakazakii, causative agent of necrotizing enterocolitis in premature infant (Special THesis award, 2013, UPV-Biotechnology). Her leadership and independent scientific/technological capability was consolidated by a competitive position in the EBROFOODS international company (2013-2016), leading the optimization of parboiling, extrusion, and sterilization treatments, to develop nutritionally/ technologically improved ingredients (reduced α-galactosides; reduced glycaemic index; reduced allergenicity; increased protein digestibility; prebiotic potential) target to specific sectors, infant, elderly, vegan, allergenic people. She has participated in private research projects with external companies (Kellog´s, Kraft-Heinz) and EBRO-brands (Riviana Foods Inc., Garofalo). Prof. Pina-Pérez joined the Advanced Food Microbiology Center (2016) at Universitat Politècnica de València (CAMA-UPV), focusing her activity in the study of Helicobacter pylori (unique bio-carcinogenic agent) risk analysis in food by molecular and mathematical modelling techniques, evaluating in vitro and in vivo the potential of algae bioactives to develop alternatives to drug therapies. During the period 2018-2019, Prof. Pina-Pérez has been leading a H2020 MSCA project - CAPSALIPHARM Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) processing food and pharmaceutical powders - working at laboratory of Natural Products, in institute of Life Technologies, HES.SO Valais-Wallis University, focused on the implementation of CAP at industrial level in consortium with Nestlé (Switzerland). Currrently, she is leading a competitive MICINN project 'Retos Investigación' PID2020-116318RA-C33 under the concept: Microbial sublethal damage assessment after treatment by Cold Plasma and Nanoemulsified natural antimicrobials: In vitro and In vivo approach. (2021-2024) The research activity of Prof. Pina-Pérez has resulted in 53 SCI published articles (H-indez=21), 42 of them published in the first quartile (20 in the first Decile), and 17 book chapters (12 of them in CRC Press, Woodhead Publishing, AAP, Wiley) being personally invited by the editor to contribute in 5 of them. Among her scientific production, the applicant is having a privileged position of authorship being first, second and/ or corresponding author in 80 % of published articles. Prof. Pina-Perez shares 50 communications in scientific congresses (40 international/10 national), 10 as oral presentations including 4 as invited plenary speaker. She accounts also with 16 conference proceedings (+3 non-SCI articles). She is co-author of a patent in PEF pasteurization of a new rich in polyphenols beverage target to infant sector. Since 2019, she is joined to Universitat de València as full professor..