University College Dublin

Amalia Scannell

Dr. Amalia Scannell is a Microbiologist with a strong background in food technology, new product development, sensory science and consumer studies. She has been actively involved in Food Research since 1994, and joined UCD in 2001. She is currently Module Coordinator, responsible for the delivery of four modules within the UCD Food Science Degree programme and the new Online Masters in Food and Nutrition, i.e. Food Diet and Health II (FDSC 20110) Sensory Analysis (FDSC 20040), Fermented Foods (FDSC 40010) and Fundamentals of Food Microbiology and Safety (FDSC 40520). In 2006 Dublin she was awarded a University of Nottingham Postgraduate Certificate in Sensory Science, and in July 2013, she was awarded IFST Certified Scientist certification. Dr Scannell is a longstanding member of IFST Professional Group for Sensory Analysis and a member of the IFST Scientific Advisory Committee, and has developed links with other sensory service providers and educational facilities in Ireland, the UK and France. She has been actively involved with sensory aspects of New Product Development (NPD) projects within the UCD Institute of Food and Health (IFH), and Food for Health Ireland (FHI). She has been involved in the supervision and training of 10 PhD Students and 2 MSc Students and has over 60 peer reviewed papers and conference proceedings. Her research encompasses Bio-preservation and Microbiological safety and New Product Development, but since 2008 has focussed on Sensory and Consumer Science and has concentrated on Consumer-led new product development initiatives. Consequently she has become highly skilled in quantitative sensory analysis and sensory science methodology; as well as in consumer behaviour analysis as determined through focus groups, questionnaires and means-end chain and conjoint analysis. Her current focus is the exploitation of social media as a means to gain insight to consumer behaviour.