Maria Elvira Zuñiga Hansen is a Civil Engineer and Biochemist of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso; she has a Ph. D degree of the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. She is a full professor at the Faculty of Biochemical Engineering of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (PUCV) and participates actively in three postgraduate programs: the Doctorate in Biotechnology PUCV-UTFSM; and the programs of Master and Doctorate in Sciences of Engineering, with mention in Biochemical Engineering, PUCV.
Since 2007, she has been Director of the Regional Center for Food and Health Studies (CREAS) in Valparaiso, whose main job is the technological transfer to the productive sector and has as founding partners three regional universities and a research center.
Her research lines are mainly the application and industrial use of enzymes, production, extraction and use of bioactive, revaluation of agroindustrial residues and extraction of intracellular metabolites. Her areas of interest focus on the processes for obtaining bioactive products, nutraceuticals and / or functional foods, with innovative emphasis. She participates as a member in various advisory councils and directories, including membership of the Engineering Sciences Committee of the National Accreditation Council of graduate programs of Chile.
In 2009 was chosen by the regional newspaper "El Observador” Woman of the Year. In the year 2012 she was distinguished by the PUCV for her trajectory as Outstanding Researcher in the last 10 years.
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