Dr. Vahid Baeghbali joined the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) in 2022, bringing over a decade of combined industrial and academic expertise in research and development (R&D), production, quality control, industrial consultation, and research management.

His international experience includes serving as a Research Scholar at McGill University (Canada), and as a Research Associate and Lecturer at Shiraz University and Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (Iran). Currently, he holds the position of Senior Fellow in Food Innovation at the NRI, where he leads technical and operational activities at the Medway Food Innovation Centre. In this role, he integrates industrial insight with academic rigour to advance research, foster innovation, and facilitate knowledge exchange between academia and industry.

Dr. Baeghbali’s research portfolio includes the design and fabrication of patented pilot-scale food processing machinery, with a focus on modelling and optimisation. He is a Co-Investigator at the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, where he leads research and new product development initiatives in the field of alternative proteins. In addition to his academic and research roles, he provides technical consultation to food manufacturing companies, supporting innovation, process improvement, and product development across the sector.

• Food Engineering
• New Product Development
• Alternative proteins
• High moisture Extrusion
• Food 3D Printing
• Novel Extraction and Processing Technologies

• Advancing High Moisture Extrusion of Plant Protein blend for Next Generation Meat Analogue (2025) Funded by Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein
• Development of hybrid plant and algal protein meat alternative (2025) Funded by GKM Partnership Grant
• Sustainable plant protein concentrate production by dry fractionation (2024) Funded by ECR Network Seed Funding
• Dehydration of Viable Probiotic Cells Using Novel Drying Technologies (2021) funded by Iran National Science Foundation
• Extraction, Emulsification and Encapsulation of Herbal Essential Oils (2020) funded by Shiraz University Postdoctoral Research Award
• Modelling and Optimisation of Ultrasound and Infrared Assisted Conductive Hydro Dryer (2019) funded by Iran National Science Foundation

Programmes:

• PhD Food Science and Marketing
• MSc Food Innovation
• BSc Food Science and Nutrition

Courses:

• FOOD-1073: Alternative Proteins
• FOOD-1057: Food Processing and Preservation
• NUTR-1026: Food, Nutrition & Public Health

• Leading technical and operational activities at the Medway Food Innovation Centre
• Postgraduate supervision and academic tutoring
• Health and Safety Local Officer
• First Aider and Fire Warden

• 2025: Growing Kent and Medway Partnership for Development of hybrid plant and algal protein meat alternative
• 2024-2025 Greenwich Research and Innovation (GRI) RCIF award to purchase the LumiSizer Dispersion Analyser
• Recognised reviewer of Journal of Food Engineering (over 60 reviews), Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Applied Food Research
• Member of International Society of Food Engineering (ISFE) 
• 2018: Distinguished Student of Shiraz University School of Agriculture
• 2017: Iran Ministry of Science, Research and Technology scholarship for visiting research scholar
• 2017: Iran National Elite Foundation award for level 3 inventions
• 2016: Iran National Science Foundation award for US Patent application.
• 2016: Iran International Grand Prize final stage attendance award.
• 2015: Iran National Science Foundation award for Optimization of continuous Refractance Window dryer for drying of heat sensitive food stuff and herbs.

• Munialo, C. D., Baeghbali, V., & Acharya, P. (2025). Plant-based alternatives to meat products. Foods, 14(8), p 1396. (doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14081396)
• Baeghbali, V. and Niakousari, M., 2025. Hybrid CHD processes. In Conductive Hydro Drying of Foods (pp. 317-332). Academic Press. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-95602-4.00013-0)
• Baeghbali, V. and Boostani, S., (2024). Spray drying of dairy and soy proteins. In Spray Drying for the Food Industry (pp. 125-143). Woodhead Publishing. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-819799-8.00011-9)
• Hedayati, S., Baeghbali, V. and Jafari, S.M., (2023). Cooking equipment for the food industry. In High-Temperature Processing of Food Products (pp. 59-76). Woodhead Publishing. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-***************04-5)
• Baeghbali, V., Hedayati, S. and Jafari, S.M., (2023). Infrared processing equipment for the food industry. In Emerging Thermal Processes in the Food Industry (pp. 47-61). Woodhead Publishing. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822107-5.00009-X)
• Homayoonfal, M., Malekjani, N., Baeghbali, V., Ansarifar, E., Hedayati, S. and Jafari, S.M., (2022). Optimization of spray drying process parameters for the food bioactive ingredients. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, pp.1-41. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2022.2156976)
• Baeghbali, V., Hedayati, S. and Jafari, S.M., (2023). Storage vats, vessels, and tanks. In Transporting Operations of Food Materials Within Food Factories (pp. 15-30). Woodhead Publishing. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818585-8.00012-X)
• Lorenz, T., Iskandar, M.M., Baeghbali, V., Ngadi, M.O. and Kubow, S., (2022). 3D Food Printing Applications Related to Dysphagia: A Narrative Review. Foods, 11(12), p.1789. (doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11121789)
• Hemmati, F., Abbasi, A., Bedeltavana, A., Akbari, M., Baeghbali, V. and Mazloomi, S.M., (2022). Development of fortified probiotic dairy desserts with added date extract, whey protein, inulin, folic acid, vitamin D and calcium. Journal of Food Science and Technology, pp.1-11. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-022-05356-w)
• Hedayati, S., Baeghbali, V. and Jafari, S.M., (2022). Application of Releasing Active Packaging in Cereals and Cereal Based Products. In Releasing Systems in Active Food Packaging (pp. 403-425). Springer, Cham. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90299-5_14)
• Baeghbali, V., Ngadi, M. and Niakousari, M., (2020). Effects of ultrasound and infrared assisted conductive hydro-drying, freeze-drying and oven drying on physicochemical properties of okra slices. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 63, p.102313. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2020.102313)
• Baeghbali, V., Niakousari, M., Ngadi, M.O. and Hadi Eskandari, M., (2019). Combined ultrasound and infrared assisted conductive hydro-drying of apple slices. Drying Technology, 37(14), pp.1793-1805. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07373937.2018.1539745)
• Baeghbali, V. and Niakousari, M., (2018). Ultrasound and infrared assisted conductive hydro-dryer. U.S. Patent Application 15/789,742.
• Baeghbali, V., Niakousari, M. and Farahnaky, A., 2016. Refractance Window drying of pomegranate juice: Quality retention and energy efficiency. LWT-Food science and technology, 66, pp.34-40. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2015.10.017)