Bio
Panagiotis Kandylis, Associate Professor in Food Technology and Quality, holds a PhD from the University of Patras on the use of immobilized microbial cells in winemaking, along with MSc degrees in Food Biotechnology, Environmental Analysis, Physical Sciences, and a Diploma in Oenology. His research focuses on wine and beer science, low-alcohol and innovative fermented beverages, functional foods and probiotics, antioxidant properties of foods, native microbial strains, food by-product valorization, food fermentation technology, food quality and sensory evaluation of foods. He has participated in several national, European, and privately funded research projects. He serves as a reviewer and Editorial Board Member of several international journals and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and patents in the field of food and beverage science and technology.

Bio
Dimitra Dimitrellou, Assistant Professor in Dairy Science and Technology, holds Bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry and Food Technology, an MSc in Food Biotechnology, an MSc in Environmental Analysis, an MA in Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning, a PhD in Chemistry, and a Diploma in Oenology. Her research focuses on milk and dairy technology, including cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and fermented milk products; the development of novel dairy products with enhanced properties; probiotics and prebiotics in dairy matrices; the evaluation of traditional dairy products; and whey valorization. Her broader research interests also include bread, fermented alcoholic beverages, meat products, and the valorization of food industry by-products. She has participated in and coordinated several research projects and is the author or co-author of numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and patents. She serves as a reviewer member of the Editorial Board for a wide range of international journals in the field of Dairy Science and Food Science in general.

Bio
Dr Poonam Singh Nigam is a distinguished academic and researcher at Ulster University, UK, where she has been contributing to teaching and research since 1990. She has served as Director of Postgraduate Programs in Biotechnology (Research) and led a Transnational Education Dual-degree Program in Food Biotechnology in collaboration with two European universities for over 15 years. A Chartered Biologist and Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology UK, she was conferred the prestigious Distinguished Scientist 2025 and Fellow 2014 awards by the International Forum on Industrial Bioprocesses, Doctor of Science (DSc) in Microbial Biotechnology by a UK University in recognition of her outstanding research contributions. Dr Nigam’s expertise spans Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, with remarkable research impact reflected in over 45,067 citations, an h-index of 78, and an i10-index of 204. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy UK and a Fellow of the Centre for Higher Education Research and Practice UK, the Academy of Microbiological Sciences India, and the Biotechnology Research Society of India. She was also awarded a bursary by the Association of Commonwealth Universities to represent the UK at the British Council’s Going Global event in Kuala Lumpur and visit leading universities across Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.

Bio
Dr. Evangelos Kokkinomagoulos is a senior researcher at the Department of Food Science and Technology, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He holds a PhD degree from the same department, with doctoral research focused on the utilization of vitivinicultural by-products. His work centers on sustainable food bioprocessing, the valorization of agro-industrial by-products, and innovation in oenological and food fermentation technologies. Through his research, he explores how food and beverage by-products can be transformed into value-added, functional ingredients within a circular economy framework.

Bio
Mrs. Eleni Sakantani is Special Technical Laboratory Staff at the Department of Food Science & Technology of the Ionian University. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Technologies from TEI Messolonghi and an MSc in Food, Nutrition and Microbiome from the Democritus University of Thrace, and she is currently a PhD candidate at Ionian University. Prior to her current appointment, she worked as an agronomist technologist at the Directorate of Rural Development of Kefalonia & Ithaca and at the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Kefalonia & Ithaca and served as a laboratory associate at the TEI of Epirus and the TEI of the Ionian Islands. Her research interests focus on the technology and quality of foods of animal origin. She has authored peer-reviewed publications and has participated in numerous international and national scientific conferences. She has contributed to several research projects as a member of research teams in the field of food science and technology.

Bio
Dr. Anastasios Nikolaou is currently an Appointed Lecturer and a Post-doctoral Researcher at the Democritus University of Thrace (Greece). He holds a Degree in Molecular Biology & Genetics (2011), a Master of Science Degree in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (2013) and a PhD in Food Biotechnology (2019). He has authored 35 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 1 book chapter, and has published >35 abstracts in international conference proceedings. He has been awarded 4 research scholarships and has participated, as a research associate, in 15 research projects [funded from EU, National Grants (Generally Secretary of Research and Technology, Greece) and the Food/Agriculture Industry]. His research interests include (among others): Food Microbiology, Applied & Molecular Microbiology, Functional Foods, and High-added-value Products.