The Food and Soft Materials Research Lab – Our Group Members

Khakhanang (Yim) has been working on the crystallization of fats in different systems, ie., oleogels, animal fats, and emulsions. She is studying the properties of the fat components of crème fillings including their thermal behaviour, microstructural characteristics, polymorphic transitions, rheological, and textural properties.

    Credentials

    Ph.D. Food Science
    (Silpakorn University, Thailand)

Danilo studies the stability of plant protein emulsions aiming to understand the interaction of protein-surfactants. He is interested in exploring the role of fat crystallization in the stabilization of plant protein emulsions. His interests also comprehend the impact of the protein-surfactant interaction and the fat crystallization in drug release.

    Credentials

    Ph.D. Food Science

    (University of Campinas – Brazil)

Goly is currently working on oil-in-water emulsion systems in terms of their shear resistance and robustness to temperature-cycling. The ultimate aim is to develop a non-dairy cream that mimics the functionality of UHT dairy cream. She is interested in understanding the relationship between surfactants and fat crystallization, intra-droplet fat crystal morphology and polymorphism, and the rheological properties of oil-water interfaces

   Credentials

    Ph.D. Food Science and Technology
    (Isfahan University of Technology – Iran)

Jessica is interested in understanding functional foods and developing foods with clean labels. She works on the effects of surfactant concentration on fat crystallization.

    Credentials

    M.Sc.  Human Health & Nutritional Science
    (University of Guelph)

Malek specializes in controlling the stability of Pickering emulsions by modifying the interfacially-bound particles in-situ. Malek's focus is on using secondary surfactants and studying how they interfact with particles at the oil-water interface. This involves the use of interfacial rheology and advances microsocpy techniques. 

    Credentials

    B.Sc. Chemistry
    (Toronto Metropolitan University)

 

Selvyn is developing novel methods of edible oil structuring to replace saturated and trans fats and minimize their deleterious effect on human health. He uses particle properties, their interaction with immiscible fluids, and  oleogelators (oil gelling agents) to give liquid oils a solid-like structure via combination of capillary suspensions and oleogel networks. Selvyn's focus is the characterization of the individual and combined interactions between the components of his system and how they contribute to overall rheology and microstructure. 

    Credentials

    M.Sc. Chemistry 2019

    (Toronto Metropolitan University)

Natália works with water-in-oil high internal phase emulsions, systems composed of over 74% v/v of water. She is currently focused on understanding how changing the composition of these emulsions may tune their functionality. Combining results, especially from rheology and microscopy, structure-function relationship may be elucidated.

Credentials

M.Sc. Food Science
(University of Campinas, Brazil)

Veronica is interested in tailoring the texture and rheology of water-in-oil emulsions by tuning the interfacial design of dispersed water droplets and their interaction with fat crystals. The aim is to control the structure formation and breakdown behaviour of these emulsions.

Credentials

 B.Sc. Chemistry
(Toronto Metropolitan University)

Shweta studies the formation of liquid crystals, and how parameters (such as concentration, and surfactant types) affect nucleation and crystallization at the oil/water interface versus in bulk. She works at improved rheology, stability, texture of emulsion and formation of different LC structures, such as lamellar, nematic and hexagonal.

Credentials

B.Sc. Materials and Nanosciences
(Waterloo University)

 

Raphaël explores food structuring using hydrocolloids. He designs functional food scaffolds and studies the microstructure governing the resulting mechanical properties. His work focuses on the development of soft-materials for use as meat analogs.

    Credentials

    M.Sc. Industrial engineering

    (Institut supérieur industriel agronomique de Huy, Belgium)

Robert "Jordan" is currently exploring the structuring of oil-based systems, using proteins as an oleogelator. He currently works on functionalizing protein isolates for their co-option as building blocks in polymeric, 3D networks capable of assimilating and embedding oil. The aim is to apply oleogelation to oil-based systems incorporating organic particles. 

Jordan is also the VP of Finance for the Molecular Science Graduate Course Union for the 2024-2025 academic year!

    Credentials

    B.Sc. Biology (Hons)

    (Toronto Metropolitan University)

Ricardo studies the breakdown of food microstructures. He uses in-vitro digestion models to investigate how food matrices impact their digestion kinetics. His goal is to make processed food healthier.

    Credentials

    B.Sc. Pharmacy

    (University of the Sacred Heart - UNISAGRADO, Brazil)

Armando recently completed his M.Sc. degree on the microdosimetric modelling of the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of antiproton annihilation.

    Credentials:

M.Sc. Medical Physics

    (Toronto Metropolitan University)

Quinton studies the interfacial behaviour of emulsifiers and fat crystals at the oil-water interface. His work is focused on the emulsifier-fat crystal layer that forms at the interface, namely the nucleation of fat crystals and their interactions with various emulsifiers. He works with interfacial rheology, interfacial tensiometry and microscopy.

Quinton also serves as the Vice President for the 2025-2025 Molecular Science Graduate Course Union!

    Credentials:

    B.Sc. Biomedical Sciences (Hons)

    (Toronto Metropolitan University)

Katia is currently measuring stability differences in particle-stabilized and shell-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions. Specifically she is interested in determining how polarity and surface charge affects the interfacial film morphology of these emulsions.

Katia also holds the position of Co-Vice President of Events on the 2023-2024 executive commitee for the Molecular Science Graduate Course Union!

    Credentials

    BA Biology and Psychology
    (Wilfrid Laurier University)

Mikhail recently joined our laboratory following the completion of his undergraduate degree. His previous experiences have seen him develop microfluidic devices for the development of emulsion droplets.

    Credentials

    B.Sc. Chemistry 
    (Toronto Metropolitan University)

Andrii is our lab technician, responsible for sample imaging using advanced techniques, including electron and RAMAN confocal microscopy.

In his native Ukraine, Andrii was a highly experienced product developer with a strong background in food chemistry and a track record of successfully developing and commercializing new food products. 

    Credentials
D.Sc Engineering, Food Science and Technology

(Kharkiv State University of Food Technology and Trade)

Lorenzo is working on the development and characterisation of bioaerogels from different precursors (i.e., proteins, polysaccharides and plant tissues). Bioaerogels present high porosity and internal surface area, representing groundbreaking functional materials for food applications. Thanks to these characteristics, Lorenzo is studying the application of bioaerogel to (i) structure large amounts of liquid oil leading to plastic materials with rheological properties comparable to those of commercial saturated fats, and with an improved nutritional profile; (ii) deliver bioactive compounds during food process, storage and digestion.

   Credentials

   M.Sc. Food Science and Technology
  (Università degli Studi di Udine - Italy)

Thea-Camile previously worked as an undergraduate volunteer. Currently, she is completing her undergraduate thesis, investigating the formation of protein capillary oleogles using insoluble pea protein aggregates

Thea also holds the position of Vice President of Community Development on the 2024 executive commitee for TMU's Association of Undergraduate Wom.en in Science!

Andrea works under Goly.

Pauline works under Raphael.

Sedra is currently completing her undergraduate thesis. Her work forcuses on understanding how different emulsifiers effects the crystallization of oil-fat blends.