Dr. Salwa Karboune
Professor Salwa Karboune is a professor in the Department of Food Science and Agricultural chemistry at McGill University. She currently holds the position of the Associate Dean (Research) for the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the Scientific Director of RITA consortium. She obtained her graduate degree from the University of Marseille, France, in Food Biotechnology. Her main research expertise is in the design and development of new "green" approaches for the synthesis of novel functional food ingredients that can improve the quality and the functionality of food products. Her research program is based on a multidisciplinary approach combining food chemistry, enzyme technology and foodomics and focuses on carbohydrate/protein-based bioactive molecules. Such research is important as the structural and molecular roles of oligo/polysaccharides and proteins in biological systems are increasingly being recognized.
Her research work also contributes to the sustainability of the Agri-Food sector by developing innovative biocatalytic approaches to generating highly added value functional ingredients from food-processing by-products. She has also an interest in the development of integrated approaches to translate knowledge into practical applications and new food products. Her multidisciplinary research program has garnered national and international recognition through the sustained excellence of the research her group has conducted. Her research has attracted funding from CFI, NSERC, FRQNT, and MAPAQ. Since 2017, she has been the scientific director of The Consortium for Research, Innovation and Transformation (RITA) of Agrifood, an inclusive platform that establishes collaboration between research institutions and the food processing industry.
At the national and International level, she is a member of the CFI Science Advisory Board, CIFST’s Scientific Expert Council, INAF executive board, INITIA foundation board and IFT Higher Education Review board. In 2015-2016, she chaired the NSERC Scholarships and Fellowships Selection Committee for Plant and Animal Biology. She is currently a committee member of NSERC Research Tools and Instruments Selection Committee for Biological Systems and Functions. She also serves on editorial and advisory boards for journals in her field. The research of her group has been covered in media, such as McGill Reporter, CBC and Journal of Montreal.
Professor Karboune is passionate about science and active learning, and she is a strong supporter of hands-on projects. She successfully mentored teams of students to first place prizes at the prestigious IFT Food Product Development competitions.