International Journal of Dairy Technology

Dr Fatma Ali

Department of Animal and Food Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

Dr Fatma Ali is a food scientist specializing in dairy science and sustainable food innovations. She earned her Ph.D. in Food Engineering from Tianjin University of Science and Technology, China, where she focused on milk structure and the impact of thermal and non-thermal processing technologies. Her expertise extends to cheese production, food fraud detection, and the valorization of food industry side streams. Currently, she is a Senior Researcher at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), working on innovative solutions for dairy sustainability. Dr Ali has published widely and is passionate about advancing dairy science and technology.

Dr Jihéne Jabri

National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet, The University of Manouba, Tunisia

Jihéne Jabri obtained her PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Tunis El Manar, Tunisia. Her doctoral research, conducted at the National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet in Tunisia, focused on the effects of fibrolytic enzyme supplementation on the digestive and metabolic use of agricultural by-products in ruminants. Her research explores sustainable feeding strategies, optimizing feed formulations for ruminants, and improving nutrient utilization in dairy animals through enzymatic and natural food additive-based approaches. She has also investigated the metabolic impact of dietary modifications on ruminant performance, milk composition, and quality, with a focus on enhancing production while reducing environmental impact. In addition to her research, Dr. Jabri has served as a higher education assistant, preparing and delivering courses in food science; metabolism and bioenergetics; normalization and standardization; food standards, legislation, and traceability; metabolic biochemistry and animal nutrition.

Dr Lokesh Kumar

Department of Wine, Food & Molecular Biosciences, Lincoln University, New Zealand

Dr. Lokesh Kumar is a Lecturer in the Department of Wine, Food, & Molecular Biosciences at Lincoln University, New Zealand. With a PhD from Lincoln University and an M.Tech in Food Engineering, Dr. Kumar specializes in food materials, structure and their function-focusing on interactions between dairy and plant proteins with other biopolymers. Post-PhD, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in wine chemistry, further broadening his expertise. His research interests encompass food rheology, texture, hydrocolloids, and microstructural characteristics of food components. Dr. Kumar's expertise includes food macromolecule interactions, functionalities of food hydrocolloids, cereal/dairy ingredients manufacturing, food structure and texture design, food rheology and tribology, and food digestion. His current research focuses on designing innovative protein–carbohydrate food systems by harnessing dairy or plant proteins in combination with other macromolecules, aiming to create soft food gels, texture-modifying agents, and stabilizers tailored for specific nutritional needs, including those associated with dysphagia, diabetes, and sarcopenia. Dr. Kumar holds various academic roles, including Academic Advisor for the MSc Food Innovation program and member of the Faculty Teaching Committee. He is actively involved in teaching and examining courses in Food Engineering, Advanced Food Processing, and Food Processing and Quality, in addition to supervising PhD and MSc students. He is also active in the academic community as a Review Editor for Frontiers in Nutrition and Frontiers in Food Science and Technology and serves as the National Delegate for the International Association for Cereal Science and Technology (ICC). As a member of professional bodies such as NZIFST and the Cereals and Grains Association, Dr. Kumar maintains strong engagement with both academic and industry circles. His research has been published in numerous prestigious journals, reflecting his commitment to advancing food science and education in the field.

Dr Hasitha Priyashantha

Swedish Dairy Farmers' Federation, Sweden

Dr. Hasitha Priyashantha is a leading early-career expert in dairy science, milk quality management, and sustainable livestock systems. He serves as the Milk Quality Expert at LRF (Swedish Dairy Farmers' Federation) and represents Sweden as the National Secretary to the International Dairy Federation (IDF).

He holds a PhD in Food Science from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden, where he focused on the impact of farming practices on milk quality and its link to product quality. He also holds two Erasmus MSc degrees from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and SLU, Sweden, as well as a BSc from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He conducted his undergraduate research project and internship in Dairy Science at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, further strengthening his expertise in dairy research and innovation.

With a strong academic and research background in dairy technology, animal-derived food safety, and sustainability in the livestock sector, Dr. Priyashantha’s work centers on milk quality assurance, dairy product processing technologies, quality of dairy products, data-driven dairy farm management, and feed safety contributing to his recognition as a leader in dairy excellence.

He is actively involved in international collaborations on sustainable food systems and climate adaptation in agriculture/livestock. His research has led to numerous publications on dairy innovation, value chains, composition and properties of cow and buffalo milk, and resilience of livestock sector. He is also a key organizer of the IDF Mastitis and Milking Technology Joint Conferences 2026 in Stockholm. Through his leadership in scientific research, policy development, and industry engagement, Dr. Priyashantha continues to advance innovations in dairy technology and sustainable food production globally.

Associate Professor Lei Yuan

College of Food Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, China

Lei Yuan is an Associate Professor in School of Food Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University in China. Dr Yuan conducted his research on dairy biofilms between Zhejiang University in China and University of Copenhagen in Denmark. His research interests, include microbiome and micro-ecosystem; microbial stress physiology and response; application of probiotics in the food industry, and novel technologies for pathogens control.