Dra. Nailin Carvajal-Mena
About me
Nailin Carvajal Mena (November 22, 1991) is a Chemical Engineer from the Central University “Martha Abreu” of Las Villas, Cuba (2009–2014), and holds a Ph.D. in Food Engineering from the University of Bío-Bío, Chile (2018–2023). Her scientific career has focused on the development of innovative food matrices, emerging processing technologies, biopolymers, emulsions, and materials for 3D and 4D food printing, with particular emphasis on the valorization of agro-industrial by-products. She has participated as a researcher and co-investigator in several FONDEF, FONDECYT, CORFO, and regional projects related to functional foods, clean technologies, and sustainability. Her scientific output includes articles published in indexed journals such as LWT, Food Research International, Food Chemistry, Gels, CyTA, and the Journal of Food Engineering, as well as numerous presentations at international conferences (EFFoST, IUFoST, CIBIA, SOCHINUT, and INOFOOD). She has served as a professor and researcher in Cuba, Mexico, Chile, and the United States, including at the Central University “Martha Abreu,” the Technological Institute of Celaya, the University of Bío-Bío, and Delgado Community College. She also works as a scientific reviewer for journals published by Elsevier, MDPI, and Springer. Her distinctions include the ANID Doctoral Scholarship, the CONACYT Scholarship, recognition as the Best Graduate of the Ph.D. in Food Engineering Program (2023), and several academic awards throughout her training. She is fluent in Spanish and English and has solid continuing education in areas such as advanced thermodynamics, transport operations, dynamic modeling, process control, biotechnology, reactor design, statistical methods, and applied microbiology.
PERSONAL BACKGROUND
Full Name : Nailin Carvajal Mena
Residency : Chile
Date of Birth : November 22nd, 1991
Address : Gerónimo Michaely 195, Chillán, Región de Ñuble, Chile.
Contact Telephone Number: +1 504 237 7044
EDUCATION
2018-2023: Ph.D. in Food Engineering. Faculty of Food Engineering. Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile.
2009-2014: Chemical Engineering. Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Pharmacy. Universidad Central “Martha Abreu” de Las Villas, Cuba.
RESEARCH
2013-2016 Undergraduate thesis (2013-2014). Co-investigator (2014-2016). “Obtaining beverages and other food products from two sorghum varieties”. Universidad Central “Martha Abreu” de Las Villas, Cuba.
2018-2019 Project assistant in scientific and technical activities. FONDEF VIU18E0104 Project. “Development of a curcumin-based high biological value functional beverage by cold pasteurization”.
2020-2021 Project assistant in scientific and technical activities. CORFO Project 20INI-144991. “Development of an emulsified prototype for seeding water in dry land in the Ñuble Region”.
2020-2023 PhD student FONDECYT: "Optimization of physical properties of fish by-products as a food matrix for 3D printing" supervised by Dr. Gipsy Tabilo Munizaga, Department of Food Engineering, Universidad del Bío-Bío.
2023-2024 Co-Investigator: “Program of integrated interventions in healthy eating, physical activity and community environment in the Ñuble Region”. Department of Food Engineering, Universidad del Bío-Bío.
2023-2024 Co-Investigator: “Effect of the application of emerging clean technologies on the physicochemical, techno-functional and nutritional properties of modified wheat flour”. Department of Food Engineering, Universidad del Bío-Bío.
2023-2024 Co-Investigator: “Valorization of Agro-Industrial Waste from Industrial Rice Processing: A Study on the Production of Food Nanofibers Using Clean Technologies as a Strategy for the Development of a New Functional Food Additive”. Department of Food Engineering, Universidad del Bío-Bío.
PUBLICATIONS
• Nieblas Morfa, C., Gallardo Aguilar, I., Rodríguez Rodríguez, L., Carvajal Mena, N., González Chávez, J. F., & Pérez Pentón, M. (2016). Obtaining beverages and other food products from two sorghum varieties. Centro Azúcar, 43(3), 66-78.
• Carvajal-Mena, N., Tabilo-Munizaga, G., Pérez-Won, M., & Lemus-Mondaca, R. (2022). Valorization of salmon industry by-products: Evaluation of salmon skin gelatin as a biomaterial suitable for 3D food printing. LWT, 155, 112931.
• Carvajal-Mena, N., Medina-Correa, R., Quintana, R., Shene, C., & Leiva-Vega, J. (2022). Effect of a turmeric-based fertilizer on tomato production at green-house level. Agro sur, 50(3), 1-13.
• Carvajal-Mena, N., Tabilo-Munizaga, G., Pérez-Won, M., Herrera-Lavados, C., Lemus-Mondaca, R., & Moreno-Osorio, L. (2023). Evaluation of physicochemical properties of starch-protein gels: Printability and postprocessing. LWT, 114797.
• Cochachin-Carrera, B., Moreno-Cuevas, J., & Carvajal-Mena, N. (2023). Effects of concentration by block freezing and vacuum evaporation on the physicochemical properties and digestibility of whey. CyTA-Journal of Food, 21(1), 313-320.
• Herrera-Lavados, C., Tabilo-Munizaga, G., Rivera-Tobar, D., Carvajal-Mena, N., Palma-Acevedo, A., Moreno-Osorio, L., & Pérez-Won, M. (2023). Development of bean-based emulgels for 3D printing applications: Feasibility for dysphagia diets. Journal of Food Engineering, 358, 111687.
• Carvajal-Mena, N., Tabilo-Munizaga, G., Saldaña, M. D., Pérez-Won, M., Herrera-Lavados, C., Lemus-Mondaca, R., & Moreno-Osorio, L. (2023). Three-Dimensional Printing Parameter Optimization for Salmon Gelatin Gels Using Artificial Neural Networks and Response Surface Methodology: Influence on Physicochemical and Digestibility Properties. Gels, 9(9), 766.
• Orellana-Palma, P., Macias-Bu, L., Carvajal-Mena, N., Petzold, G., & Guerra-Valle, M. (2023). Encapsulation of Concentrated Solution Obtained by Block Freeze Concentration in Calcium Alginate and Corn Starch Calcium Alginate Hydrogel Beads. Gels, 9(5), 374.
• Carvajal-Mena, N., Tabilo-Munizaga, G., Pérez-Won, M., Herrera-Lavados, C., & Moreno-Osorio, L. (2024). Influence of starch-protein interactions on the digestibility and chemical properties of a 3D-printed food matrix based on salmon by-product proteins. Food Research International, 179, 114035.
• Herrera-Lavados, C., Tabilo-Munizaga, G., Carvajal-Mena, N., Jara-Quijada, E., Martínez-Oyanedel, J., & Pérez-Won, M. (2025). Obtaining bioactive peptides by enhancing enzymatic hydrolysis of salmon by-product proteins through pulsed electric fields (PEF). Food Research International, 208, 116103.
• Larrea-Wachtendorff, D., Benítez-Correa, E., Carvajal-Mena, N., Silva-Ferrer, D., & Tabilo-Munizaga, G. (2025). Modification of Wheat Flour by Pulsed Electric Fields and Ultrasound Treatment: Effect on Physicochemical Properties and In Vitro Digestibility. Food and Bioprocess Technology. (Accepted)
• Palma-Acevedo A., Carvajal-Mena N., Tabilo-Munizaga G., Pillat S., Praveen C., Saneii P. & Pérez-Won M. (2025). Feasibility and Shelf-Life Evaluation of 4D Printed Protein Gel-Emulsions irradiated with eBeam. Food Chemistry. (Sent)
PEER REVIEWER FOR SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS
• Journal published by Elsevier: LWT-Food Science and Technology, Food Research International and Food Chemistry.
• Journal published by MDPI: Gels, Food and Polymers.
• Journal published by Springer: Food Biophysics and Food and Bioprocess Technology.
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PRESENTATIONS AT CONFERENCES, SEMINARS
• VII CUMBRE - VI EXPO INTERNACIONAL Y II MUESTRA DE POSTERS “INOFOOD 2022”. Title: 3D printing process for food design using animal and plant proteins. Santiago de Chile, Chile. November 21-22, 2022.
• XIV Congreso Nacional de las Ciencias del Suelo. Title: Cultivo de tomates usando cúrcuma como fertilizante natural. Valdivia, Chile. December 1-2, 2022.
• XXIII Congreso de Nutrición. SOCHINUT. Title: Effects of concentration by block freezing and vacuum evaporation on the physicochemical properties and digestibility of whey. Valdivia, Chile. October 5-8, 2022.
• XXI IUFoST World Congress of Food Science & Technology Future of Food: Innovation, Sustainability & Health. Title: Impact of starch-protein interactions on the digestibility of a 3D printed food matrix based on a salmon by-product protein isolate. Oral presentation. Singapore. November 31-3, 2022.
• CIBIA XIII Iberoamerican Congress of Food Engineering. Title: Evaluation of the 3d printing process of a food matrix based on salmon by-product proteins and corn starch. Oral presentation. Medellín, Colombia. March 15-18, 2022.
• 35th International EFFoST Conference Healthy Individuals, Resilient Communities, and Global Food Security. Title: Parameter optimization for 3D printing process of salmon gelatin: comparative study of response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANN). Poster presentation. Lausanne, Switzerland. November, 1-4, 2021
• XXIII Chilean Congress of Food Science and Technology. Title: Valorization of salmon industry by-products: evaluation of salmon skin gelatin as a suitable biomaterial for 3D food printing. Oral presentation. Virtual congress. October 20-22, 2021.
• 33rd EFFoST Internacional Conference Sustainable Food Systems – Performing by Connecting. Title: Optimization of the physicochemical properties of Coho salmon skin gelatin as a food matrix for 3D printing. Oral presentation. Rotterdam, The Netherlands. November 12-14, 2019.
• 18th Scientific Convention of Engineering and Architecture. Beer production using sorghum grain integrally. Havana, Cuba, 2016.
TEACHING AND WORK EXPERIENCE
2014 - 2017 Professor-Researcher of Chemical Engineering, Universidad Central Martha Abreu de Las Villas. Cuba.
2017 – 2018 Professor at ITSI-Instituto Tecnológico de Superación Integral de Celaya. Mexico.
2022 – 2024 Adjunct Professor and Research Assistant of Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chile.
2024 – 2025 Adjunct Professor of Delgado Community College, Estados Unidos.
AWARDS, DISTINCTIONS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
2019-2023: ANID Scholarship (DOCTORATE). Ministry of Science and Technology, Chile.
2017-2018: CONACYT Scholarship. Ministry of Science, Mexico.
2023: Best Graduate of the PhD in Food Engineering. Chile
2021: Second Place in the XXIII Chilean Congress of Food Science and Technology.
2014: Award for Best Academic Graduate of the Chemical Engineering Career. Cuba
2014: Award to the Most Integral Student of the Chemical Engineering Career. Cuba
2014: Award to the Most Integral Graduate of the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy.
COURSES, SEMINARS AND OTHERS
Postgraduate courses 2014-2016 (Cuba):
– Advanced Topics in Thermodynamics.(48h).
– Hydraulic networks and advances in mechanical separations. (60h)
– Diffusional Operations. (100h)
– Advances in Dynamic Modeling and Automatic Process Control. (60h)
– Reactor Analysis, Design and Scaling. (48h)
– Project Management. (192h)
– Application of complex process analysis in the intensification of chemical industry facilities under uncertainty conditions. (192h)
– Synthesis of chemical processes with advanced simulation techniques.(192h)
– Research Methodology. (60h)
– Life cycle analysis in industrial processes and products. (144h)
– Biotechnology. (144h)
– Environmental and industrial safety management systems. (144h)
– Energy and material efficient management and integration in the Chemical Process Industry.(144h)
– Statistical methods and design of experiments. (45h)
– Social Problems of Science and Technology.(45h)
– Diploma of Basic Pedagogical Training for University Professors.(720h)
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Postgraduate courses 2017–2018 (Mexico):
– Advanced Statistical Methods and Experimental Design
– Applied Biochemistry
– Applied Molecular Microbiology
– Mathematics Applied to Biochemical Engineering
LANGUAGES:
• Spanish and English