Konstantina Eleni Christofilea is a PhD student in the Department of Engineering, King’s College London.

She completed a BSc in Food Science and Nutrition at the University of the Aegean and an MSc in Food Innovation at the University of Greenwich, where she worked as a research assistant at the Medway Food Innovation Centre (MFIC), focusing on innovative extraction technologies for plant proteins and the valorisation of food by-products. This work established her interest in how processing route shapes the functional properties of plant protein ingredients.

Currently, she is a postgraduate researcher in the Department of Engineering at King’s College London, based in the Green Tribology Lab, under the supervision of Dr Sorin-Cristian Vlădescu and Dr Guy Carpenter.

Her research focuses on the oral lubrication performance of plant-derived proteins and biopolymers, investigating how extraction methods, molecular structure, and interactions with salivary components influence their tribological behaviour. By linking protein structure and functionality to salivary interactions and frictional behaviour, her research aims to establish mechanistic relationships between the physicochemical properties of plant-based biopolymers and the lubrication mechanisms underlying food texture and mouthfeel.

Research Interests

• Salivary Mucin Glycoproteins and Oral Tribology
• Surface Science
• Food Colloids and Biopolymers
• Protein–Polysaccharide Interactions
• Food-Saliva Interactions
• Green Extraction Technologies
• Valorisation of Food By-Products

Thesis Title

Development of plant-derived polymers to enhance taste and lubrication in plant-based foods

Supervisor Team

First Supervisor: Dr Sorin-Cristian Vlădescu

Second Supervisor: Professor Guy Carpenter

Research Groups

• Green Tribology Lab
• Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions (CHMI)
• Flavoursome Cost Action