Helen Onyeaka

Dr Helen Onyeaka is an industrial microbiologist with over 25 years of experience. Her career in microbiology to date has been varied with experience gained in industry as well as academia (both teaching and research).

Dr Onyeaka lectures and leads modules on various postgraduate and undergraduate courses in food microbiology, food safety and chemical engineering. She supervises PhD and MSc research projects related to industrial microbiology. She also plans and delivers training for continuous professional development, including courses for food safety inspection officers, the food industry and international trainees from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority.

Dr Onyeaka’s PhD researched the impact on individual microbial cells due to a changing microenvironment with regard to their physiology and metabolic pathway and suggested how this knowledge could be used to predict as well as optimize future process performance in the industry. She received the Bridon postgraduate and IChemE Biochemical Engineering award for this doctorate thesis.

Helen is married and a mother of three and enjoys travelling, reading and charity work.