Yadira joined the School of Chemical Engineering in 2013 after earning her doctorate degree in Food Science from the University of Leeds in 2011.
Yadira previously earned a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico in 2004 where she also carried out scientific research work in the field of Environmental Sciences. In order to follow her passion for foods and her desire to study abroad, she then pursued her Master’s degree in Food Science in the UK also at Leeds University where she would later complete her PhD studies.
Her PhD research focused on gaining an understanding of the role of food oral processing in the perception of food texture and the development of measurement methods (physical and physiological) capable of predicting mouth-feel attributes. Her research applied surface electromyography technique for the evaluation of sensory properties, particularly of food stickiness, during oral processing as a means to provide information that cannot be measured with standard sensory or physical tests. Her work resulted in an invitation to collaborate in a research project for Leatherhead Food Research Ltd in 2011, investigating texture and formulation of confectionery products in relation to consumer sensory perception.