Dr. Sibele Santos Fernandes is a shining example of a woman excelling in STEM 🌟. As an accomplished academic and researcher, she has built a career on impactful, socially relevant, and environmentally sustainable research. From developing chia-based functional foods to pioneering biodegradable packaging materials, her work bridges the gap between laboratory science and real-world application 🧪🌱.
Her recognition as a professor, mentor, scientific author, and peer reviewer places her among the most influential female scientists in her domain. Her success, despite the gender imbalance in engineering and applied sciences, stands as a powerful testament to resilience, brilliance, and innovation 💪💡.
📘 Education & Experience
Dr. Sibele Santos Fernandes holds dual undergraduate degrees in Food Engineering (2013) and Chemical Engineering (2017) from FURG 🏛️. She completed her Master’s in Food Science and Technology (2016) and earned a PhD in the same field (2020), with a sandwich PhD stint at Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán in Mexico 🇲🇽. Her thesis focused on the nanoencapsulation of chia oil for food applications 🧪🥣. She has completed postdoctoral research at IF Goiano and FURG 🔬. Professionally, she has served as a substitute professor at UFMA and UNIPAMPA and is now a full-time Adjunct Professor at FURG 📘. She teaches in chemical, food, and biochemical engineering and is active in postgraduate education 👩🏫. Her career is marked by strong interdisciplinary engagement, hands-on teaching, and collaborative research. Her work blends scientific rigor with real-world applicability, fostering innovation in food sustainability and health 🌍🍞.
Professional Development 🚀📖
Dr. Sibele Fernandes has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to professional development 📈. She has completed more than 30 certified short courses on diverse subjects including food safety 🧫, environmental planning 🌱, nanobiotechnology 🧬, and pedagogy 🎓. Notably, she engaged in “Pedagogia Universitária” and “Planejamento Ambiental” to enhance her teaching methodologies 📖. She also took specialized training in laboratory management, HACCP systems, design thinking 💡, and entrepreneurial skills with SEBRAE 🇧🇷. Her international exposure includes attending conferences in Mexico 🇲🇽, Peru 🇵🇪, and Brazil, where she presented pioneering work on chia-based technologies. As a scientific referee for top journals like Food Chemistry, Starch, and Surfaces and Interfaces 📄, she stays at the forefront of academic excellence. Dr. Fernandes’ dedication to lifelong learning ensures she remains an innovator in food and chemical engineering fields 🔍🛠️, always aligning her growth with sustainability and educational impact 🌿.
Research Focus 🔍🤖
Dr. Sibele Santos Fernandes focuses her research on sustainable food engineering 🌍🥣 and biodegradable materials. Her work explores innovative uses of chia seeds 🌱—specifically chia mucilage and chia oil—in food development, fat substitution, and nanoencapsulation. She has developed edible films, oral disintegration systems, and gluten-free formulations enriched with functional ingredients 🍞🧪. Her research also dives into effluent treatment using biocoagulants 💧, valorization of agricultural by-products 🌾, and smart food packaging. With expertise spanning chemical engineering and food science 🔬, Dr. Fernandes integrates molecular-level innovations with industrial applications. She leads projects on chia-based nanoemulsions, active and intelligent packaging, and techno-functional plant polysaccharides 📦🧫. Her work contributes to advancing health-oriented food systems and environmentally friendly materials, making her a pioneer in Latin American agroindustrial biotechnologies 🌎💚. Dr. Fernandes is not just a researcher—she is a solutions architect for tomorrow’s food and environmental challenges.
Awards and Honors 🏆🎖️
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🥇 2024: “Efeito da luz sobre características bioativas de ora-pro-nóbis” – III Simpósio Sulamericano de Ciência de Alimentos
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🥈 2018: “Análise sensorial de pães sem glúten com proteína de soja e óleo de coco” – Universidade de Passo Fundo
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🥉 2018: “Characterization of chia mucilage films” – Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán
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🏅 2018: “Efeito da adição de farinha de soja e óleo de coco nas características de pão sem glúten” – UPF
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🏆 2018: “Evaluation of films from chia mucilage” – UFSC
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🎖️ 2015: “Substituição da gordura por mucilagem de chia em bolo” – Universidade de Passo Fundo
Publications & Citations 📚
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📘 Addition of chia seed mucilage for reduction of fat content in bread and cakes – 292 citations, 2017
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🍇 Bioactive compounds as ingredients of functional foods: polyphenols, carotenoids, peptides from animal and plant sources – 114 citations, 2019
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🌿 Yield and quality of chia oil extracted via different methods – 87 citations, 2019
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🥪 Development of Mayonnaise with Substitution of Oil or Egg Yolk by the Addition of Chia Mucilage – 87 citations, 2018
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🧴 Chia seeds to develop new biodegradable polymers for food packaging – 57 citations, 2020
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🌱 Selected plants producing mucilage as functional ingredients in plant-based foods – 35 citations, 2023
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🍞 Production of gluten free bread with flour and chia seeds (Salvia hispânica L) – 29 citations, 2021
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🎂 Development of cake mix with reduced fat and high practicality by adding chia mucilage – 26 citations, 2021
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🧫 Chia mucilage carrier systems: a review of emulsion, encapsulation, and film strategies – 25 citations, 2023
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🎨 Intelligent and active biodegradable biopolymeric films containing carotenoids – 23 citations, 2024
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🥗 Association between diet, health, and bioactive compounds in foods – 21 citations, 2019
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🧪 Production of carbonic anhydrase by marine and freshwater microalgae – 20 citations, 2016
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🥩 The techno-functionality of chia seed and its fractions as ingredients for meat analogs – 19 citations, 2024
🔍 Conclusion:
Dr. Sibele Santos Fernandes is not only an outstanding researcher but also a trailblazer for women in science and technology. Her interdisciplinary expertise, commitment to sustainability, and role as an educator and mentor position her as a deserving recipient of the Women Researcher Award. Honoring her would highlight the vital role of women in solving global food and environmental challenges—and inspire future generations of female scientists worldwide 👏🏆🌎.