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Biography
Professor Ian Fisk is an internationally recognised leader in flavour chemistry and food science innovation. He is Professor of Flavour Chemistry at the University of Nottingham and Director of the International Flavour Research Centre, which spans campuses in the UK and Australia.
From 2016 to 2024, he served as Director of Research for the School of Biosciences across Nottingham's UK and Malaysia campuses, leading a research culture that delivered a REF #1 ranking for research environment. He is also Director of the Nottingham-Adelaide Alliance, one of the largest bilateral university partnerships between the UK and Australia.
Professor Fisk's interdisciplinary work integrates machine learning, hyperspectral imaging, and real-time diagnostics to advance flavour chemistry, precision agriculture, and food innovation. He has received more than £34 million in research funding and supports strategic academic and industry partnerships worldwide.
He is passionate about inclusive academic leadership, student-centred teaching, and digital pedagogy, and has led major transformations in undergraduate and CPD delivery through flipped classrooms, industry collaboration, and AI-enhanced learning platforms.
Expertise Summary
Professor Fisk leads interdisciplinary research in flavour chemistry, food reformulation, and digital sensing technologies. He is Director of the International Flavour Research Centre and the Nottingham-Adelaide Alliance, and supports international advisory panels, industry bodies and governmental organisations on food science and agri-innovation.
He is available for media commentary or consultancy on topics including:
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Food flavour and sensory optimisation
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Sustainable reformulation (salt/sugar/fat reduction)
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AI and machine learning in flavour design
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Hyperspectral imaging in agriculture and processing
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UK-Australia research partnerships and international strategy
Teaching Summary
Professor Ian Fisk is actively involved in teaching and curriculum development at undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional levels, delivering highly applied and interdisciplinary modules across… read more
Research Summary
Professor Fisk's research explores the chemistry, technology, and science of flavour. His group uses cutting-edge techniques, including MSMS-NOSE, hyperspectral imaging, e-tongue, and machine… read more
Selected Publications
DINU, VLAD, BORAH, PALLAB KUMAR, MULEYA, MOLLY, SCOTT, DAVID J, LITHGO, RYAN, PATTEM, JACOB, HARDING, STEPHEN E, YAKUBOV, GLEB E and FISK, IAN D, 2022. Flavour compounds affect protein structure: The effect of methyl anthranilate on bovine serum albumin conformation. Food chemistry. 388, 133013 HESSEL, VOLKER, LIANG, SHU, TRAN, NAM NGHIEP, ESCRIBA-GELONCH, MARC, ZECKOVIC, OLIVIA, KNOWLING, MATTHEW, REBROV, EVGENY, THIS, HERVE, WESTRA, SETH, FISK, IAN, GILLIHAM, MATTHEW and BURGESS, ALEXANDRA, 2022. Eustress in Space: Opportunities for Plant Stressors Beyond the Earth Ecosystem FRONTIERS IN ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCES. 9, DINU, VLAD, BORAH, PALLAB KUMAR, MULEYA, MOLLY, SCOTT, DAVID J., LITHGO, RYAN, PATTEM, JACOB, HARDING, STEPHEN E., YAKUBOV, GLEB E. and FISK, IAN D., 2022. Flavour compounds affect protein structure: The effect of methyl anthranilate on bovine serum albumin conformation FOOD CHEMISTRY. 388,
FACTS is a university-based centre of excellence offering advanced food and flavour chemistry consultancy to the global food industry. Led by Professor Ian Fisk, FACTS combines world-class analytical capability with academic insight, supporting industry partners in innovation, reformulation, and quality assurance.
Designed for fast turnaround and confidentiality, FACTS bridges academic excellence and commercial needs across sectors such as bakery, dairy, beverages, and plant-based food.
Professor Ian Fisk is actively involved in teaching and curriculum development at undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional levels, delivering highly applied and interdisciplinary modules across flavour chemistry, food science, and food manufacturing.
He leads the University of Nottingham's flagship Food Flavour Training Course - a highly regarded one-week intensive programme aimed at scientists in the food, drink, and flavour industries, as well as students looking to strengthen their applied knowledge before entering the sector. This course can be taken either face-to-face or entirely online, and features a unique blend of:
- Live, interactive classes with leading academics and industry speakers
- Pre-recorded e-lectures, quizzes, and knowledge checkpoints
- Laboratory tours and introductions to state-of-the-art analytical equipment
- An optional hands-on practical at the Sutton Bonington flavour laboratories
Find out more and register for the upcoming course here: [course link]
Undergraduate and Postgraduate Modules
Introduction Food Flavour (UG)
This module introduces the chemistry, physics, and physiology of food flavour. Students gain experience with analytical techniques such as GC-MS, GC-O, APCI-MS, and HPLC-MS to understand dynamic flavour release and sensory response.
Food Flavour (PG/MSc)
An in-depth examination of flavour generation and perception. Topics include: biochemical origins of flavour, thermal generation mechanisms, flavour release during eating, sensor applications in the mouth and nose, flavour legislation, instrumental analysis, and flavour formulation. The module links foundational science with real-world product development.
Food Factory Operations (UG)
Covers principles of food factory design, safe production, labelling legislation, and automation. Students undertake a group new product development (NPD) project to apply theory in practice.
Factory Design and Operations for Food Production (PG/MSc)
Explores advanced topics in food factory layout, hygiene, engineering controls, automation, and risk management. The module culminates in a practical NPD showcase where students present novel food concepts developed during the course.
Current Research
Professor Fisk's research explores the chemistry, technology, and science of flavour. His group uses cutting-edge techniques, including MSMS-NOSE, hyperspectral imaging, e-tongue, and machine learning, to reformulate foods, enhance food quality, sustainability, and agricultural productivity. You may find more information about his research profile, publications and funding on his ORCID profile (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8448-3123)
Flavour is a combination of the aroma and taste of a food, and when you interchange food ingredients, reduce fat, sugar or salt, increase fibre or replace meat proteins with plant proteins, there are a series of highly complex flavour questions that need to be answered. For example, how do you develop foods that have reduced salt/fat/sugar and increased fibre without compromising the consumer experience? How do you ensure that nutritious plant based meat alternatives generate an equally appealing flavour during cooking and how do you ensure that when part of a complete meal they are a viable alternative for those who regularly consume meat?
These are some of the active challenges:
Aroma development and release: Aroma forms through complex reactions between different ingredients. Optimising flavour generation pathways allows a previously unprecedented level of flavour control, offering commercial advantage and a mechanistic explanation of flavour release. Through the use of model and semi-model foods, we explain the impact of food structure, food chemistry, and processing on aroma generation and release kinetics. This is achieved in real-time using bespoke high speed MS-NOSE2 technology to track volatile aroma compounds during processing and mastication.
Product reformulation and targeted design: We are researching ways to increase fibre and reduce salt/sugar/fat by reformulating to enhance taste intensity, thereby enabling natural routes to increase the health credentials of foods. This must be done whilst retaining the structure and eating experience, reducing fat and increasing fibre content. This requires a fundamental understanding at a molecular level of how these compounds bind to and are released from foods. By optimising the physics and chemistry of sodium-food bolus interaction we have shown that we can redesign food materials to achieve this goal.
Ultra-rapid digitisation of foods and flavour. We have shown that cutting edge imaging and flavour profiling tools can predict composition, processability, flavour generation potential, authenticity and adulteration. When used in combination with advanced statistical tools such as machine learning, these techniques offer an unprecedented level of insight into food products. The unique range of techniques including E-Nose, E-tongue and hyperspectral imaging can classify samples at high speed and in a broad range of research and commercial environments.