Enzymes in Production of Bioactive Peptides and their Functions

Prof Chibuike Udenigwe is a Professor at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Prior to his current role, he has held academic positions as a Full Professor and the University Research Chair in Food Properties and Nutrient Bioavailability at the University of Ottawa, and pervious positions at Dalhousie University, both in Canada. He received his BSc Honours in Biochemistry at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, an MSc in Chemistry and PhD in Food and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Canada and was a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Postdoctoral Fellow in Food Science at the University of Guelph, Canada.

His research in food function and health takes the chemical sciences approach in exploring various fundamental and applied aspects of proteins, including sustainable processing and production systems, bioactive peptides, food matrix interactions, digestion kinetics, bioaccessibility and bioavailability, colloidal systems for delivery functions, novel biomaterials (hydrogels & bioplastics), and nutritional quality. His research goal is to transform sustainable proteins into value-added products that foster a healthy society and create bio-based solutions to food systems challenges.

Dr Sophie Selby-Pham is a Lecturer in Food Science at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Dr Selby-Pham’s research focuses on the health-promoting properties of bioactive compounds, including polyphenols and peptides. Her work spans bioavailability, absorption modelling, and functional food development, with applications in chronic disease prevention and wellbeing. She has published extensively on the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of phytochemicals and has contributed to the development of predictive models for antioxidant capacity and intestinal absorption.