Dr. Saldaña is a Professor in Food/Bio-Engineering Processing in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at University of Alberta in Canada. She leads the Integrated Pressurized Processing of Food and Biomass (IPPFB) Laboratory, focusing on innovative processing technologies.

She has a PhD degree in Chemical Engineering with specialization in Process Engineering from State University of Campinas, Brazil. Before joining University of Alberta, Dr. Saldaña has done research in Germany, The Netherlands, and Japan. She is internationally recognized for her work on emerging green processing technologies, including supercritical carbon dioxide, subcritical water processing, ultrasound and high-pressure processing to treat food, biomass and agricultural residues to obtain high-value bioactive compounds, biopolymers and chemicals for use in nutraceutical, functional food and industrial applications. Her research includes extraction, fractionation, reaction and particle formation to develop novel processes to obtain desired high-value products and nutraceuticals such as unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, phenolics and proteins.

Prof. Saldaña has been a reviewer for national/international grant applications. She co-organized the 13th International Symposium on Supercritical Fluids held in Montreal in 2022. She was the chair and organizer for the Natural Health Product (NHP) Conference held in Edmonton in 2019. She has served in the NSERC RTI committee. Dr. Saldaña is a member of various associations such as CIFST, ISSF, IFT, NHPRS among others. She is currently Editor of the Journal of Food Engineering Reviews and Guest Editor of the Journal of Supercritical Fluids. 

Dr. Karamatollah Rezaei graduated in1999 from the University of Alberta with a Ph.D. degree in Food Science and Technology. His dissertation was related to the online extraction of canola oil and its enzymatic hydrolysis under supercritical carbon dioxide followed by characterization of the reaction products using supercritical fluid chromatography. After his graduation, he pursued similar studies at the University of Alberta as a post-doctoral fellow and then accepted another post-doctoral position at Iowa State University (Ames, IA) working on the utilization of soybean oil and changes in the lipid classes during the storage of several corn genotypes. In 2003, he joined the University of Tehran (Iran) as a faculty and worked for twenty years with major focus on the projects related to the extraction, characterization and utilization of oils from different sources, especially pomegranate seeds, wild almond, grape seeds and oils from several microalgal species and cyanobacteria. 

Starting in March 2022, he has been at the University of Alberta as a visiting professor involved in several research projects related to the hydrolysis of proteins from different sources under supercritical fluid environments. 

Dr. Jessie Zhengjie Liu joined Dr. Marleny Saldaña’s research group in 2019 and earned her Ph.D. in Bioresource and Food Engineering from the University of Alberta in 2024. She continues research in Dr. Saldaña's lab, collaborating closely with the Department of Surgery at the University of Alberta to advance scaffold applications in cartilage tissue engineering.

Her research focuses on valorizing agricultural and animal waste streams to fabricate polysaccharide- and protein peptide-based hydrogels and aerogels. She employs pressurized fluid technology, high-intensity ultrasound, and supercritical CO₂ drying to obtain value-added biomaterials for tissue engineering.

Dr. Liu has published 10 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact factor journals including: The Journal of Supercritical Fluids, Food Chemistry, Industrial Crops and Products, LWT, Bioactive Carbohydrates and Dietary Fibre, Food Packaging and Shelf Life

Her academic excellence has been recognized through five awards from the University of Alberta, the University of Minnesota, and the NSERC-CREATE CAPTURE Program. Dr. Liu aims to deepen her work in cell culture and tissue engineering to expand the biomedical utility of bioactive scaffolds. Beyond research, she enjoys watching hockey games, film, travel, painting, and piano. To know more about her, you are very welcome to connect her on LinkedIn via the link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessieliu-66b991226/

Kiran is a PhD student in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta. She obtained her Bachelor’s in Food Engineering at University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan .

Under the supervision of Dr. Marleny Saldaña, her research would investigate the role of Pressurized fluids for biomass processing. Passionate about food processing engineering, Kiran intends to utilize her expertise in redefining Food Engineering in Pakistan. Kiran enjoys playing spending quality time with friends, and traveling.

Umair is a Ph.D. candidate in Bioresource and Food Engineering in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta working under the supervision of Dr. Marleny D.A. Saldaña. His doctoral research focuses on "A Sustainable Biorefinery Approach: Value-added Compounds from Animal By-products after Extraction and Hydrolysis using Supercritical Fluids Assisted by Enzymes". Research work integrates supercritical fluid extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis to recover bioactive lipids, protein, peptides and amino acids from underutilized by-products. Research interests include sustainable food processing, protein hydrolysates, functional ingredients, and waste valorization for food and nutraceutical applications. 

Ana is a PhD student in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta. She obtained her Bachelor’s in Food and Biotechnology Engineering at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico.

Under the supervision of Dr. Marleny Saldaña, her research would investigate the utilization of Subcritical water for by-product processing. 

Ana enjoys food and admiring the beauty of nature.

I am currently a Master’s student at the University of Alberta, under the supervision of Dr. Wendy Wismer and Dr. Marleny D. Aranda Saldaña. My research focuses on 3D food printing and the role of umami in improving meals for individuals with dysphagia. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Alberta as well, where I developed a strong passion for sensory science and food technologies.

Outside of my academic work, I enjoy cooking, snowboarding, and spending quality time with my dog. I am deeply interested in the intersection of food innovation and health, and I am committed to finding practical solutions that enhance quality of life through food.

Miguel, a MSc student in in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta under Dr. Saldana's mentorship, focuses on essential oil extraction using supercritical CO2. His research combines supercritical CO2 processing and ultrasound processing, and modeling, to scale up essential oil extraction. Building on a Master’s foundation in Chemical Engineering from National University of Colombia, he brings a multidisciplinary approach to food/biomass processing. Outside the lab, he enjoys exploring nature, following scientific innovations, and spending time with loved ones.

Dr. Luís Eduardo Maggi is a seasoned researcher and educator specializing in biophysics, biomedical engineering, and health sciences. 

His academic pursuits encompass areas such as bioacoustics, biomedical transducers, and biophysical processes. Dr. Maggi has held teaching positions across various disciplines, including medicine, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, biology, nursing, and agronomy. He has also contributed to graduate programs in Health Sciences and Science Education.

He also held the position of Vice-Coordinator for the master’s Program in Health Sciences in the Western Amazon and Coordinator for Postgraduate Program in Biodiversity and Biotechnology DOCTORATE / BIONORTE NETWORK ACRE. 

Dr. Maggi is proficient in English and Portuguese, with a working knowledge of Spanish and French. His professional interests lie at the intersection of biophysics, biomedical instrumentation, and health technology innovation.

During her PhD studies, she was co-supervised by Dr. Luiza Meller da Silva from the Department of Food Science and Technology at Universidade Federal do Pará and Dr. Marleny D.A. Saldaña from the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science at University of Alberta. Her thesis was on the extraction of anthocyanins using ultrasound processing and eutectic solvents. Her research interest is on the development of green solvents for extraction of bioactives for the food industry. She received her bachelor at Universidade do Estado Pará.