Professor Anwesha Sarkar

Profile

Anwesha Sarkar is Professor of Colloids and Surfaces, she joined the University of Leeds in Septermber 2014. Prior to joining University of Leeds, she spent 4 years working in Nestle Global Research Centre, Lausanne & Nestle Headquarters, Vevey (Innovations) at Switzerland. Her international research trajectory spans from academic institutions to industries in India, New Zealand, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

Responsibilities

  • Innovation Lead
  • Theme Lead at EPSRC CDT Molecules to Product

Research interests

Prof. Sarkar's research lies at the crossroads of experimental colloid science and human health, with a specific focus on understanding the mechanisms and governing principles of multiphasic food colloidal structure-physiology interactions to solve grand health challenges. To understand those interactions at various length scales (nano-to-human scale), the experimental approaches span from use of mechanical measurements (tribology, rheology, nanotribology using atomic force microscopy), adsorption techniques (quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D)), imaging (confocal laser scanning microscopy, electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy), scattering (light, X-ray), electrophoresis, in vitro oral-gastrointestinal model with extension to in vivo human trials (sensory, satiety).

Prof. Sarkar is the Principal Investigator (PI) of the ERC (European Research Council) Starting Grant funded Project LUBSAT (2017-22) to discover oral lubrication at macro-to-nano scale and its effects of satisfaction and satiety. She is also the PI of the ERC Proof of Concept Project AQUALUB (2020-22) to fabricate salivary substitute with optimal lubrication properties for dry mouth patients. Prof. Sarkar is the editorial board member of journals, Food Hydrocolloids, and Journal of Texture Studies. Prof. Sarkar has been recognized by the Women of Achievement Roll of Honour 2018 at University of Leeds for her recent contributions to the field of colloid science and oral processing. She is the winner of the prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Food Group Junior Medal 2019 as a result of her research in designing novel food structures with targeted oral lubrication performance. Previously she was awarded Elsevier Young Scientist Award (2009) and Nestle Discovery award (2011) for her scientific researches. To date, Prof. Sarkar has published +80 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and is the co-inventor of 6 patents and she is regularly invited for giving keynote lectures at national and international conferences in food and soft matter areas.

For detailed information on the current research portfolio and recent research results, please visit Sarkar Lab. Currently, the research team led by her has 3 Postdoctoral Fellows and 6 PhD Students. Majority of the PhD Students and postdoctoral research fellows supervised in the past are scientists in leading food, pharmaceutical and allied soft matter industries in the UK and overseas.

Key Research Themes

  • Oral Processing and Tribology
  • Microstructure and Gastrointestinal Digestion
  • Edible delivery systems
<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

  • PhD in Food Technology - Colloidal digestion of emulsions, Massey University, New Zealand
  • MS in Food Technology - Protein extraction and characterization from food wastes, CFTRI, India
  • BTech in Dairy Technology, WBUAFSc, India

Professional memberships

  • Member of RCS (Royal Society of Chemistry)
  • Member of SCI (Society of Chemical Industry)
  • Member of ACS (American Chemical Society)
  • Theme Lead for Product Functionalisation and Performance in EPSRC Molecules to Product CDT
  • Key Academic Member of EPSRC Soft Matter for Formulation and Industrial Innovation (SOFI) CDT
  • Member of AOCS (American Oil Chemists' Society)
  • Member of IFT (Institute of Food Technologists)
  • Conference Chair of the 17th Food Colloids Conference at Leeds, UK

Student education

  • Colloids
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Oral Tribology
  • Oral Processing
  • Colloidal Digestion
  • Food Processing

Research groups and institutes

  • Food Colloids and Processing
  • Food Colloids and Soft Matter at Interfaces
  • Novel Food Design and Processing
  • Food safety, food security and global health
  • Digestion and Delivery
  • Obesity, Cancer and Metabolic Disease
  • Human Nutrition and Lifestyle Intervention
  • Functional Biopolymers for Food and Health

Current postgraduate researchers

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>