Welcome Alessandra!

Our new postdoc has just joined the team, bringing food science and gastronomy expertise to lead our R and D kitchen when it opens this summer! Read her bio below.

Alessandra earned her PhD in Gastronomy Sciences from the Basque Culinary Centre (Mondragon University), where her research explores filamentous fungi as an innovative platform for food development — with applications spanning the food industry and restaurant contexts. She has worked with food-tech startups such as Esencia Foods and NoMy Japan to develop mycelium-based products and alternative proteins, and has collaborated with Michelin-starred restaurants including Azurmendi, Culler de Pau, and Mugaritz.As a Postdoctoral Researcher at Hill-Maini Lab, Alessandra works at the crossroads of bioengineering and gastronomy, using Neurospora intermedia as a tool to transform food waste into, nutritious and delicious foods. Her work sits at the intersection of science, industry, and gastronomy — driven by a deep passion for finding solutions to real-world food challenges. Just as fungi spread through their mycelium, Alessandra is on a mission to spread  gastronomy across disciplines around the campus!