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Dr Amy Logan

Principal Research Scientist & Food Quality Group Leader

https://people.csiro.au/L/A/Amy-Logan

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Contact details:

PRIVATE BAG 16
WERRIBEE VIC 3030 AUSTRALIA

Biography

Amy Logan is a lipid chemist by training, with many years experience understanding the structure-function relationship of food systems that includes the influence of composition and processing on the micro- and nanostructure of soft materials and how this effects product behaviour, e.g. stability, texture and sensory.

She is a Senior Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society (2016- ), and often asked to peer review articles for key journals including the International Dairy Journal, Food Hydrocolloids & Food Research International.
Amongst other publications and achievements, she is a co-editor of the title 'Lipid Oxidation, Challenges in Food Systems' (2013, AOCS Press), and first author for a recent book chapter on "Analytical Methods" for dairy lipid analysis in 'Advanced Dairy Chemistry 2. Lipids' (2020, Springer Academic).

She is the Impact Area Lead for the Healthy Foods portfolio of research within the CSIRO Agriculture and Food Business Unit (Sept 2020- ). The portfolio delivers novel ingredients and production systems for healthier consumers, while enhancing the prosperity of the agriculture and food sectors with reduced environmental impacts.

Her research interests include:

Material Science (structure-function)
- The development of structured foods for the delivery of personalised nutrition, specific to a person’s individual needs (physiological needs, lifestyle requirements, genetics);
- Additive manufacturing of foods (including 3D printing) to prepare structured foods on-demand;
- Texture modified foods for differing market segments, including the elderly (with a focus on dysphagia and sarcopenia);
- The effect of food structure on digestion kinetics; and
- in-vitro and in-silico (digital) models to measure digestion through the gastrointestinal tract including biophysics of the mouth/chewing.

Dairy chemistry and physical analysis
- The examination of milk fat globule-protein and protein-protein interactions within dairy systems;
- The influence of composition, processing and microstructure on soft material function/behaviour, rheology, sensory and digestibility (including applications in yoghurt and cheese production);
- Techniques to separate milk fat globules and the effect of globule size on dairy product functionality;
- Milk fat crystallisation behaviour and structuring; and
- Polar lipid-cholesterol interactions within self-assembled membrane structures.

Lipid and emulsion chemistry
- The examination of lipid composition (polar and non-polar components);
- Oil quality and oxidation;
- Emulsion physical and oxidative stability;
- Lipid thermal behaviour in bulk and emulsion systems; and
- oil-water partitioning of minor components.

ResearchGate profile:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amy-Logan/publications

Other Interests

Amy enjoys working with students and early career researchers, and supervised a number of Postdoctoral Fellows, PhD candidates, and Masters internships from Universities around the world, including: University College Cork (Ireland), Wageningen University (The Netherlands), The University of Helsinki (Finland), The University of Boudreaux, ENSCBP (France), The University of Melbourne (Australia) and RMIT University (Australia).

Current Roles

  • Impact Area Lead
    Healthy Foods

Academic Qualifications

  • 2001

    Bachelor of Applied Science (Applied Chemistry), Honours First Class
    RMIT University

  • 2006

    The University of Melbourne, School of Agriculture and Food Systems, PhD
    The University of Melbourne

Professional Experiences

  • 2016-present

    Senior Associate Editor
    Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society

  • 2013-2023

    Section Award for Scientific Excellence - Chair
    Australasian Section of the American Oil Chemists' Society

  • 2017-2018

    Agriculture and Food Working Group
    Australia China Business Council - Victoria

  • 2011-2015

    ISO Edible Oils Working Group (ISO/TC 034)
    Standards Australia

  • 2006-2007

    Innovation Portfolio Manager
    The Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation

Achievements and Awards

  • 2024-2024

    Nuffield Fellow
    Nuffield Australia

  • 2008-2009

    Victorian Fellowship Award
    Australian State Government

  • 2008-2008

    FEAST-France Fellowship
    Australian-French Association for Science and Technology (AFAS)