Chathurika Samarakoon Mudiyanselage

Chathurika Samarakoon is a Food Technologist and a PhD candidate in the Department of Food Science at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), with her doctoral research conducted in partnership with AgResearch Ltd. She is also a Principal Lecturer and Programme Coordinator at Wintec, where she teaches and supervises students in food technology and applied sciences, and coordinates the New Zealand Diploma in Applied Science Level 5 and Level 6 programmes.

Chathurika has extensive experience in collaborative projects between academia and industry, focusing on product development, quality assurance, and food safety. She is a professional member of NZIFST and currently serves as an executive committee member. Her research interests include food quality, safety, and innovative applications of food science and technology to enhance product development and sustainability.

Her doctoral research explores the fresh-cooked quality signature of ready meal ingredients and examines the changes to the fresh-cooked quality during refrigerated storage and the reheating process.