Process and Chemical Engineering

Dr. Maria de Sousa Gallagher's IRIS profile

Biography

Dr. Maria J. de Sousa Gallagher received a “Licenciatura” (5 years BEng degree) in Food Engineering in 1990 from the College of Biotechnology, Catholic University of Portugal. She was awarded a MSc. Scholarship from the CIÊNCIA-JNICT program (1990-1992) to study at University College Cork (UCC), Cork, Ireland for her MSc in Food Science and Technology. She was then awarded a Ph.D. Scholarship from program PRAXIS XXI (1993-1997) for her PhD in Biotechnology/Food Processing Engineering at the College of Biotechnology, Catholic University of Portugal. From 1998 to 2001, Dr. Sousa-Gallagher held a postdoctoral position working in EU and National funded projects in the Department of Food Science, Food Technology and Nutrition, UCC. Dr. Sousa-Gallagher’s research had focused mainly on biochemistry of dairy products (i.e., proteolysis during cheese ripening, rennet substitutes from plant origin, specificity of proteinases on milk caseins of different species, biochemical pathways for the production of flavour compounds and surface starter cultures for the ripening of smear cheeses) and she has published extensively in these fields.

Since September 2001, Dr. de Sousa Gallagher has been working as Lecturer and Researcher at the department of Process & Chemical Engineering.  Current areas of research interest include packaging and shelf life estimation, mathematical modelling of biochemical processes, engineering aspects in food distribution and biopharmaceutical engineering. Dr. Sousa-Gallagher’s research work involves collaborative projects with the Food Industry. Projects have been funded by European commission (INCO, CRAFT and ALFA programmes), Department of Agricultural, Food and Rural Development (FIRM) and Enterprise Ireland (IP and PC). The output of the research work aligns with the research strategies of UCC by increasing the quality and quantity of research publications, expanding graduate education, strengthening national research collaborations, and enhancing the commercialisation of research.

Dr. de Sousa Gallagher also has research interests in the area of teaching and learning and she obtained a Postgraduate Certificate (2007) and Postgraduate Diploma (2008) in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

Selected Publications

Selected Chapter in Books

·     Mahajan, P.V., Oliveira, F.A.R. and Sousa-Gallagher, M.J. (2009). Packaging design system for fresh produce: An engineering approach, The Wiley Encyclopaedia of Packaging Technology, 3rd Edition, Kit L. Yam (Ed.), Wiley., US.

·     Torrieri, E, Mahajan, P.V., Cavella, S., Gallagher, M., Oliveira, F.A.R., and Masi, P. (2009). Mathematical modelling of MAP: An Engineering approach to design packaging systems for fresh-cut produce. In: Advances in Modeling Agricultural Systems P. Papajorgji (ed.), Springer US. Pp: 455-484.

·     Mahajan, P.V., Oliveira, F.A.R., Fonseca, S.C., Sousa, M.J. and Cunha, L.M. (2006). An Interactive Design of MA-Packaging For Fresh Produce, In: Handbook of Food Science, Technology, and Engineering, Volume 3, Chapter 119, pp 1-16, Y. H. Hui (ed.), CRC Taylor & Francis, New York.

Selected Peer Reviewed International Papers

·     Yan, Z., Sousa-Gallagher, M.J. and Oliveira, F.A.R. (2008). Identification of critical quality parameters and optimal environment conditions of dried banana during storage. J. Food Engineering, 85, 168-172. (0; 1.848)

·     Yan, Z., Sousa-Gallagher, M.J. and Oliveira, F.A.R. (2008). Mathematical modelling of the kinetic of quality deterioration of intermediate moisture content banana during storage J. Food Engineering, 84, 359-367. (0; 1.848)

·     Poveda, J.M., Sousa, M.J., Cabezas, L. and McSweeney, P. L. H. (2003) Preliminary Observations on proteolysis in Manchego cheese made with a defined-strain starter culture and adjunct starter (Lactobacillus plantarum) or a commercial starter. Int. Dairy J., 13, 169-178. (26; 2.198)

·     Sousa, M.J. and Malcata, F.X. (2002) Advances in the role of a plant coagulant (Cynara cardunculus) in vitro and during ripening of cheeses from several milk species. Lait, 82, 151-170. (11; 2.006)

·     Sousa, M.J. and McSweeney, P.L.H. (2001) Advances in the study of proteolysis during cheese ripening. Int. Dairy J., 11, 327-345. (100; 2.198)

·     McSweeney, P.L.H. and Sousa, M.J. (2000) Biochemical pathways for the production of flavour compounds in cheeses during ripening. A Review. Lait, 80, 293-324. (209; 2.006)

·     Sousa, M.J. and Malcata, F.X. (1997) Comparison of plant and animal rennets in terms of microbiological, chemical and characteristics of ovine cheese. J. Agric. Food Chem., 45, 74-81. (43; 2.532)

Note: Sum of the times cited: 574; Average citations per item: 19.79; h-index: 12

Indices of the ISI regarding citations are given at the end of references on the brackets (total number of citations as of September 2008 and the impact factor of the journal for 2007)

Selected Presentations in International Conferences

·     Macedo, I.S.M, Sousa-Gallagher, M.J. and Byrne, E.P. (2009) Identification of critical quality parameters and most influential environment conditions of granola breakfast cereal during storage. World Congress of Chemical Engineering, Montreal, Canada, August 23-27^th (accepted).

·     Cerqueira, M.A., Sousa-Gallagher, M.J., Macedo, I.S.M., Rodruigues-Aguilera, R., Souza, B.W.S., Teixeira, J.A., Vicente, A.A. (2009). Effect of galactomannan edible coating and storage temperature on gas exchange and shelf-life of “Regional” cheese. Annual Meeting and Food Expo, Anaheim/OC (Ca), USA, June 6-9^th (accepted).

·     Mahajan, P.V., Sousa-Gallagher, M.J., Yuan, B., Patel, H.A., Oliveira, J.C. (2009). Development of web-based software for MAP design. Oral Presentation in 10^th Controlled & Modified Atmosphere Research Conference (CAMA2009), Antalya, Turkey, April 4- 7^th, in Program and Abstracts.

·     Sousa-Gallagher, M.J., Mahajan, P.V., Yan, Z., & Oliveira, F.A.R. (2008). Engineering packaging design and shelf life modelling, Invited Oral Presentation, in: “Shelf Life International Meeting – SLIM”, Ischia, Naples, Italy, June 25-27^th. 

·     Sousa-Gallagher M.J., Yan, Z., and Oliveira, F.A.R. (2006). Engineering Packaging Design of Intermediate Moisture Content Banana, Invited Oral Presentation, in “Food Science & Food Biotechnology in Developing Countries”, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, October 16-18^th.

·     Yan, Z., Sousa-Gallagher, M.J. and Oliveira, F.A.R. (2006). Development of a shelf life predictive model for dried products accounting for the resistance of the product to moisture uptake, Presentation in: Annual IFT Meeting, Orlando, USA, 24-28^th June in Program and Abstracts, 003B-16, pp 16.

·     Castelló, M.L., Sousa, M.J., Chiralt, A., Oliveira F.A.R. (2003). Analysis of the Effect of Osmotic Dehydration on the Respiration Rate in Fresh and Dehydrated Granny Smith Apple Slices, Invited Oral Presentation, 12^th World Congress of Food Science & Technology, Chicago, Illinois, USA, July 16-19^th.