Padma Ishwarya S

Dr Padma Ishwarya S. is a Senior Scientist at the Good Food Institute India (GFI India) and Visiting Faculty at the University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bengaluru. She works at the intersection of food science, alternative proteins, food engineering and sustainable food systems, focused on translating scientific knowledge into research and innovation opportunities.

She holds a PhD and M.Sc. in Food Technology from CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, and a B.Tech. in Food Technology from A.C. College of Technology, Anna University, Chennai. Her professional experience spans research, academia and the food industry, including as a Postdoctoral Fellow at IIT Madras and CSIR-NIIST, and as Quality Assurance Officer and Finished Product Coordinator at Nestlé India.

Her research interests include plant-based alternative proteins, food soft matter, food structure-function relationships, food processing, encapsulation, and valorisation of food-industry by-products. She has 25 journal publications, 4 books, 12 published book chapters, an Indian patent, and several research and technical resources.

Dr Padma Ishwarya S a food scientist working at the interface of science, technology, innovation and sustainable food systems. Her professional journey has spanned academic research, postdoctoral science, the food industry and, currently, science and technology development in the alternative-protein sector.

Her research experience began with food engineering and the study of structure development in complex food systems, particularly the evolution and coalescence of bubbles during bread-making. This led to my work on food soft matter, including foams, emulsions and gels, as well as food drying, encapsulation and process engineering. During my postdoctoral research at CSIR-NIIST, She investigated the foaming and emulsifying functionality of compounds recovered from spent coffee grounds, exploring opportunities for valorisation of food-industry by-products. At IIT Madras, she further worked on soft materials and novel approaches for food-quality assessment.

Her current work at the Good Food Institute India focuses on advancing the scientific and technological foundations for plant-based alternative proteins in India. she is particularly interested in how indigenous crops, food processing, protein functionality, nutrition and food structure can be brought together to develop affordable, nutritious and desirable foods.

As Visiting Faculty at TDU, I hope to contribute to interdisciplinary research, mentoring and knowledge exchange at the interface of food, health, sustainability and technology, while creating opportunities for students and researchers to engage with emerging challenges in the food system.