MSc by Research in Digestion and Delivery

University of Leeds

An MSc or MA by Research is a more independent level of study where you’re assessed and awarded based on your research activity. Studying for an MA or MSc by Research can be an excellent and challenging opportunity to develop your intellectual skills and your academic interest in a particular field. The Masters by Research is a 12 month research project (24 months part-time). It is distinct from our taught Masters programmes and involves planning, implementing and writing up a research project. You will be supervised by two members of academic staff and will be encouraged to submit your work for publication at the end of the course.We are using cutting edge approaches to understand how the different structures of the food we eat can alter nutrient release during digestion and how the timing and amount of specific compounds can influence health. In response to the obesity epidemic in the UK, where two thirds of adults and a quarter of children under 10 are now overweight or obese, our research is discovering ways to structure food to have a lower glycemic response or boost protein metabolism, while ensuring the food is just as acceptable to the consumer. Our perception of texture and taste and the effect of oral processing on the release of nutrients, flavours and aromas are key to our enjoyment of food. We are using a range of methods to explain the effect of lubrication (tribology) on oral processing and perception. Part of our research focusses on understanding the mechanisms of oral release and breakdown in relation to food physics and multi-scale structural re-organisation. With in-depth quantitative understanding of oral processing, we believe we can provide the foundation for designing tailored food, for example, for people with special oral processing needs.