Professional Resume

Michael is associate professor in Food Sensory Innovation at University of Copenhagen.

As a scientist his main research drive is to understand what good food is, and how we enjoy it as part of our daily life. His research interest is particularly to understand how we come to appreciate novel foods such as insects, craft beer, plant-based proteins and novel fermented foods. With this we can create new and innovative foods that change the way the world eats in favour of diversity and sustainability.

As an educator he teaches future generations of food scientists to make healthy food more tasty and satisfying. This is carried out in the MSc program in Food Innovation and Health at University of Copenhagen.

Previously Michael has lead Nordic Food Lab (2012-2018), and has played a role in building up research in the cross-section between gastronomy and sensory science.

Michael works with Food Design Thinking, prototyping foods and ideas. Using our senses we create better products with an approach rooted in design theory, which assumes that interaction with food is to be understood and analysed at three different levels: 1. the immediate sensory level, 2. The functional level and 3. The reflective level.

Key competences

• Research project management and research leadership
• Entrepreneurship and leadership in research and education organisations
• Teaching, and its organisation at all university levels.
• Student supervision (current 1 PhD-students, 7 completed and current 37 completed MSc students
• Education curriculum development
• Development of new foods based on understanding human-food interactions
• Strong competencies in the analysis of relationships between instrumental (chemical and physical etc.) and sensory measurements.
• Development and adaptation of sensory methods for product development with practitioners (chefs, brewers, small scale producers).

English professional high level profficiency

French, basic level

German, basic level

Understands Norwegian and Swedish

Education:

2002               PhD, Sensory Science, KVL, Denmark

1998               MSc, Food Science and Technology (cand. techn. al.), KVL, Denmark

Longer term international study tours and stays

2004: EWHA Womans University, Seoul, South Korea. Professor exchange program ASEM-Duo fellowship

2001: University of Missouri, Columbia, USA. Experimental work for PhD-thesis in the laboratory of Professor Hildegarde Heymann. Resulting in joint peer reviewed publication in Food Quality and Preference

1997- 1998: University of California, Davis, USA. Courses in Sensory Science and experimental work for MS-thesis in the laboratory of Professor Michael O’Mahony. Additional experimental work in the laboratory of Professor Ann C. Noble. Resulting in joint peer reviewed publication in American Journal of Enology and Viticulture.

Formalized short term education and courses

2011 – 2012: Teaching Corps – Training in teaching entrepreneurship in higher education, Next Generation program organized by Copenhagen Business School.

2010 – 2011: Leadership course for Director of Studies, (UCPH, internal course)

2009: Writing course “capture the reader” The Danish Association of Masters and PhDs

2008: Project management (UCPH-LIFE, internal course), Implement

2005: Academic Writing, The Danish Association of Masters and PhDs

2004: Advanced Chemometric Methods – Multiway analysis, Post graduate course, KVL

Employment History

2007 - present: Associate Professor, Design and Consumer Behaviour / Sensory Science Group, University of Copenhagen

2012 - 2018: Director, Nordic Food Lab

2007 – 2013: Director of Studies, MSc programme in Gastronomy and Health, University of Copenhagen

2002 – 2006: Research Assistant Professor / Post Doc, Sensory Science Group, KVL

1999 – 2002: PhD-student, Sensory Science Group, KVL

1999 – 1999: Research assistant, Sensory Science Group, KVL

Teaching

2010 - present: Course responsible, teaching and organisation: Theme course in Food Innovation and Health (15 ECTS). M.Sc. course for Food Innovation and Health

2008 – 2011: Course responsible, teaching and organisation: Gastronomic food design and consumer preferences (7.5 ECTS). B.Sc. course for Food Science, UCPH-LIFE.

2009: Course responsible, teaching and organisation: Sensory analysis II (4 ECTS) B.Sc course for Gastronomic Sciences and Sensory Analysis (3 ECTS) 1-year Master program in Food Culture and Communications, University of Gastronomic Sciences, Italy.

2007: Course responsible, teaching and organisation: Bioactive compounds, sensation and appetite (7.5 ECTS) M.Sc. course for Gastronomy and Health.

1999 - 2006: Various teaching at sensory science courses at KVL.