PhD Studentship: Structured and patterned food products for improved flavour, sensation, and nutrition

Overview

This PhD studentship focuses on designing structured and patterned food products to control oral food processing and perception through the application of emerging metamaterial techniques. The project investigates how food texture, mouthfeel, and material properties relate to mastication, swallowing, digestion, and nutritional characteristics. The research involves studying the microstructure of the food bolus using optical microscopy while applying chewing-mimicking forces, creating multitexture products through 3D printing, and examining flavor release and nutrient properties via infrared spectroscopy and chromatography. Mastication models will be developed using finite element and analytical modeling. The student will spend significant time at Mondelēz’s R&D site and Innovation Lab located on the University of Reading campus.

What you get

The studentship provides coverage for tuition fees along with a stipend of £21,805 per annum for the 2026/7 academic year.

Key dates

The closing date for applications is 2026-12-08.