Research Team

Name	Position	Email	Professional Experience
Dr. Ankit Paliwal	Assistant Professor in Food Science	ankit.paliwal@fnu.ac.fj	Ankit holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Food Technology from Amity University Uttar Pradesh, India, Masters of Technology (M.Tech) in Food Technology and Biochemical Engineering from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India, a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IGNOU, New Delhi, and a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Biotechnology from Madhav Institute of Technology and Science (MITS), Gwalior, Rajiv Gandhi Technical University, Bhopal, India. He has over 10 years of work experience in the field of new product development in the food industry.
Arti Pillay	Lecturer in Food Science	arti.pillay@fnu.ac.fj	Arti holds a Master’s in Public Health (Research) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health from Fiji National University, and a Bachelor of Sciences in Chemistry and Food and Nutrition Sciences from the University of the South Pacific. She has over 15 years of experience teaching food technology in academia and over 8 years of work experience in public health nutrition focusing on salt intake reduction in Fiji.
Asaeli Naika	Assistant Lecturer in Food Science	asaeli.naika@fnu.ac.fj	Asaeli holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Science (Biology) and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Food and Nutrition Sciences from the University of the South Pacific. With over 10 years of experience in public health nutrition and community training spanning food security, agriculture, food processing, disaster risk reduction, and climate resilience, he is currently a Higher Degree Research Candidate investigating traditional ecological knowledge and wild food plants. He also manages multi-stakeholder projects on food environments and consumer behaviour to improve nutrition across the life course, focusing on children, adolescents, and mothers. He advocates youth empowerment and youth-led food system transformation at national and regional forums.

Sponsor: UNDP

External Fund: $22,000

Project Duration: 2025 – 2026

News: will be updated soon

Publication: will be updated soon