Jelena Zagorska | Sustainable Agriculture | Research Excellence Award

Published on by Plant Scientist

Dr. Jelena Zagorska | Sustainable Agriculture | Research Excellence Award

Latvia university of Life Sciences and Technologies | Latvia

Dr. Jelena Zagorska is a Dr.sc.ing. and Associate Professor at the Latvia University of Life Science and Technology (LBTU), where she has served as a leading researcher since 2016, following previous roles as Assistant Professor and Lecturer. She holds a Doctoral degree in Engineering Sciences (Food Science), a Master’s degree in Sociology, and a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science from Latvia University of Agriculture. Her research focuses on dairy science, plant-based functional foods, sustainable food biotechnology, valorization of by-products, fermentation technologies, and lactobionic acid applications. Dr. Zagorska has led multiple national and international research initiatives, including projects funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the Ministry of Agriculture of Latvia, and Norwegian collaborations promoting innovative food solutions. She has published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, and international journals, along with a patent related to legume flour applications in sausage production. Her scholarly impact includes a Google Scholar h-index of 13, Scopus h-index of 8. She contributes to the scientific community as a reviewer and invited editor for journals such as Rural Sustainability Research and Dairy. Dr. Zagorska remains dedicated to advancing sustainable food systems through innovative research and academic leadership.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Illarionova, V., Ciprovica, I., Kruma, Z., Tomsone, L., Feldmane, J., & Zagorska, J. (2025). Impact of fermentation patterns on functional properties of legume-based spreads.

Tlevlessova, D., Ospanov, A., Zagorska, J., Makeeva, R., Nurmukhanbetova, D., & Mambeshova, A. (2024). Development of curd for children from sheep milk with berries: Improvement of nutritional and functional properties. Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies.

Zagorska, J., Ruska, D., Radenkovs, V., Juhnevica-Radenkova, K., Kince, T., Galoburda, R., & Gramatina, I. (2024). The impact of biotechnologically produced lactobionic acid on laying hens’ productivity and egg quality during early laying period. Animals.

Rakhmatulina, A., Dikhanbayeva, F., Tlevlessova, D., Zagorska, J., Aralbayev, N., Majore, K., & Yessenova, A. (2024). Advancements in camel milk drying technology: A comprehensive review of methods, chemical composition, and nutritional preservation. Dairy.

Riekstiņa-Dolģe, R., & Zagorska, J. (2022). Siera tirdzniecības nosaukums un tā interpretācija: Tilzītes pret Krievijas. Akadēmiskā Dzīve,

Ginés Benito Martínez Hernández | plant science | Excellence in Research award

Published on by Plant Scientist

Prof. Dr. Ginés Benito Martínez Hernández | plant science | Excellence in Research award

Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena | Spain

Ginés Benito Martínez Hernández is a Senior Lecturer at the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT), where he also serves in the Agricultural Engineering Department. He earned a PhD in Advanced Techniques in Agricultural and Food Research and Development from UPCT in 2012, following his MSc and technical engineering degree in food and agricultural industries. He has completed advanced international training in postharvest technology and food microbiology through programs in the USA, Italy, and the Netherlands. His research focuses on nanotechnology-driven solutions for food preservation, including active packaging, nanoencapsulation of plant bioactive compounds, natural antioxidants, food safety, and shelf-life improvement. Dr. Martínez Hernández has authored 105 scientific publications, including 88 JCR-indexed papers—70 in Q1 journals—along with book chapters and Acta Horticulturae contributions. His works have received 3360 citations from 105 documents, with an h-index of 34, demonstrating his strong scientific influence. He holds multiple patents and has led and contributed to numerous European, national, and industry-funded research projects. As a mentor, he has supervised PhD and postgraduate students who now contribute to research and innovation sectors. His work bridges academic excellence, industrial collaboration, and societal benefit through safer, high-quality, and more sustainable food systems.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Martínez-Hernández, G. B., Navarro-Martínez, A., & López-Gómez, A. (2025). Carnauba wax enriched with encapsulated plant essential oils into native β-cyclodextrins as an innovative wax coating on citrus fruits. Industrial Crops and Products.

Tortosa-Díaz, L., Saura-Martínez, J., Taboada-Rodríguez, A., Martínez-Hernández, G. B., López-Gómez, A., & Marín-Iniesta, F. (2025). Influence of industrial processing of artichoke and by-products on the bioactive and nutritional compounds. Food Engineering Reviews.

Tortosa-Díaz, L., Martínez-Hernández, G. B., López-Avilés, F. J., Juárez-Marín, M., Saura-Martínez, J., & Marín-Iniesta, F. (2025). New artichoke flours with high content of bioactive compounds. Applied Sciences.

Tortosa-Díaz, L., Martínez-Hernández, G. B., López-Avilés, F. J., Juárez-Marín, M., Saura-Martínez, J., & Marín-Iniesta, F. (2025). New artichoke flours with high content of bioactive products.

Nieto, G., Martínez-Zamora, L., Peñalver, R., Marín-Iniesta, F., Taboada-Rodríguez, A., López-Gómez, A., & Martínez-Hernández, G. B. (2024). Applications of plant bioactive compounds as replacers of synthetic additives in the food industry. Foods,