Background
Prof. Uri Lesmes is married to Sabrina, the proud father of three children and a scientist dedicated to the responsible development of healthier foods and oral formulations. He joined the Technion in 2010 after holding appointments as lecturer and post-doctoral fellow in the Dept. of food Science at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst and working with Prof. Julian D. McClements and Prof. Eric A. Decker. He gained his degrees from the Technion, his B.Sc. (cum laude) in 2004 and his PhD involving nano-encapsulation of nutrients in starch-based platforms in 2008. In 2005 he was also granted EU funding to investigate the prebiotic effects of thermally produced resistant starch on the human microbiome using colon fermentation systems in the Food Microbial Sciences Unit at the University of Reading (UK). Amongst his various prizes and awards, he was recognized in 2007 as one of the best PhD students in the field of Food Science and Technology by EFCE and EEFoST.
Research Interests
Innovative food Science and technology: In-Vitro models of the gastrointestinal tract, food personalization, foodomics, structure-function relationships of food ingredients, novel food ingredients. Impact of conventional and advanced food processing technologies on food’s digestive fate & safety. Development of specialty foods.
Food Chemistry and Biochemistry: Physicochemical basis of digestion and the basis of bio-accessibility and bio-availability of bioactive compounds. Prebiotics and antioxidants and their role in foods. Bioactive edible proteins, lipids and carbohydrates.
Food technology: Development of food-grade delivery systems, Micro- and nano-encapsulation. Food nano-sciences and nano-technology. Rational design and functionalization of food hydrocolloids, structured emulsions and interfaces.
| Year | Experience |
|---|---|
| 2008-2010 | Lecturer in Food Processing (FS561) and post-doctoral fellow, Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts – Amherst, MA, USA. |
| 2007-2008 | Senior teaching assistant, “Laboratory in analysis of foods and biological materials”, Faculty of Biotech. and Food Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. |
| 2005-2007 | Teaching assistant, “Laboratory in analysis of foods and biological materials” and “Principles of Food Engineering and Biotechnology 3”, Faculty of Biotech. and Food Engineering, Technion –Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. |
| 2005 | Visiting Scholar, Food Microbial Sciences Unit, Food Biosciences, Reading University,UK. |
| Year | Honors and Prizes |
|---|---|
| 2018 | The Technion award for excellence in teaching – top 12% |
| 2017
2016 |
The Technion award for excellence in teaching – top 4%
The Technion award for excellence in teaching – top 4% |
| 2014-2015 | The Technion award for excellence in teaching – top 12% |
| 2013 | The Technion award for excellence in teaching – top 12% |
| 2012 | The Technion award for excellence in teaching – top 4% |
| 2008 | Irwin and Joan Jacobs Fellowship, Technion Graduate School, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. |
| 2007 | Elected as one of the top 16 Food Engineering and Technology PhD students in Europe by The Section on Food of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) and the European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST). |
| 2007 | The Russell Berrie Scholarship for excellence in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. |
| 2006 | Howard and Anne Gottleib Fellowship, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. |
| 2005 | The George E. Klein Fellowship, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. |
| 2005 | Excellence scholarship, Food Manufacturers Association of Israel, Israel. |