Alcina M. M. Bernardo currently holds an appointment as President of the Pedagogical Council of UCP-ESB. At present she is Associate Professor at the UCP-ESB, since 2017, and she is a member of CBQF, since its foundation. She was Coordinator of the M.Sc. course in Food Engineering of the College of Biotechnology, from 2006 to 2021. From 1999 to 2001, she held an appointment as Associate Sub-Director of the Extension of the College of Biotechnology in Caldas da Raínha (UCP-EESBCR).
She got her B.Sc. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Porto, Portugal, in 1985; her M.Sc., in 1986, and her Ph.D., in 1990, in Food Processing from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Industries Agricoles et Alimentaires of Massy - France. In 1985, she was hired by the College of Biotechnology of the Portuguese Catholic University (UCP-ESB), where she became Assistant Professor in 1990. In 1991, she attended a Postharvest Technology course at University of California in Davis - California, EUA, and she pursued a postdoctoral programme at University of Florida in Gainesville - Florida, USA.
She has served as National Delegate for EC COST 915 Action, as member of the respective Managing Committee, from 1996 to 2000, and as National Coordinator for EU CYTED XI.3 Action, from 1995 to 1998.
She is responsible for and professor of Sustainable Production of Plant based Products: Fruits & Vegetables to the european M.Sc. in Food Science, Technology and Business (BiFTec-FOOD4S); Food Technologies, Introduction to Bioprocess Engineering, Algebra, Mathematical Analysis and Mathematics (1st cycle at ESB). From 2006 to 2021, she was also in charge of the Food Engineering M.Sc. Students' Placement in Practical Training/Thesis. For 15 years, she was responsible for and professor of Fruits & Vegetables to the european M.Sc. in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition (SEFOTECH.NUT I and II) and to the european M.Sc. in Food Science, Technology and Business (BiFTec), which preceded BiFTec-FOOD4S.
She is co-author of more than 90 papers in refereed international journal and chapters in books, which have received to date more than 4000 citations listed by the ISI® web of knowledge and Elsevier SCOPUS®, with a h-index of 28. She is also co-author of more than 30 non-peered international journal and papers in national journals and technical publications.
She coordinated and contributes/has contributed to externally funded R&D projects. Furthermore, she supervises/has supervised several externally funded research fellowships, including successfully concluded Ph.D. and M.Sc. theses.
She has delivered invited lectures and volunteered presentations in professional meetings worldwide, has served in the organization or scientific committees of national and international symposia, and has acted as invited reviewer for numerous refereed international journals. At present, she is a Member of the Editorial Board of the scientific journal Foods and is/was Guest Editor of Special Issues for refereed journals. In 2006, she received a complimentary year's membership from the Society of Chemical Industry for serving as reviewer for the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
She carries out research in the area of ​​Food Science, Engineering and Technology, focused mainly on Fruit and Vegetables. Her research work is on Post-Harvest Technology and Dehydration of Food Products. The first topic includes the application and optimization of technologies for the preservation of fresh or fresh-cut fruit and vegetables — chemical treatments, edible coatings, vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging (including packaging design), controlled atmosphere storage — for the extension of the shelf life and preservation of the quality, according to physical, chemical and biochemical, microbiological and sensorial parameters; this includes exploring the potential of bioactive compounds from agro-food by-products, algae and microalgae, such as exopolisaccharides to produce edible coatings. The second topic contemplates the modeling and optimization of dehydration processes — osmotic dehydration, microwave drying, hot air drying, freeze drying — of mainly fruit and vegetable crops, but not only, in order to increase the efficiency of the process and the preservation of product quality, according to parameters defined above, as well as water activity.
Her research work was spotlighted in 2015 by Elsevier — "Spotlighting the research of 10 women scientists for #InternationalWomensDay" (Special issue features articles by researchers in Brazil, Mexico, Portugal, the UK and Malaysia; https://www.elsevier.com/connect/spotlighting-the-research-of-10-women-scientists-for-international-womens-day).