People PhD Students XLI Cycle 2025-26Chiara Ghelfi

Chiara Ghelfi

PhD cycle: XLI

PhD project:

“Effects of obesity and exposure to a low-fat diet on fat sensitivity: a longitudinal study in adult women/FATASTE”

Supervisor

Prof.ssa Sara Spinelli – Prof. Erminio Monteleone

Email

chiara.ghelfi@unifi.it

Office address

Via Donizetti 6, 50144, Firenze (SensoryLab - Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forestry Sciences and Technologies (DAGRI))

Office phone

…

Profile

Chiara Ghelfi obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics (L/SNT3) in 2021 from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, graduating with 110/110. Her thesis was entitled “Effect of antibiotic stewardship on the growth of very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants: a comparison between two populations”. She completed her Master’s degree in Food Science (LM-61) at the University of Florence in 2024, with a final grade of 110/110 cum laude. Her Master’s thesis was entitled “Evaluation of the development of co-created dishes for oncology patients.”

Since 1 September 2024, she has been awarded a research fellowship on the project “Development of sustainable and healthy products for vulnerable populations” at the SensoryLab, DAGRI, University of Florence. Since 1 November 2025, she has been a PhD student of the 41st cycle in Advanced and Sustainable Agricultural and Forest Systems at the Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forestry Sciences and Technologies (DAGRI).

 

CV: Advanced and Sustainable Agricultural and Forest Systems

Research interests and PhD project

The PhD project aims to evaluate the effect of a low-fat diet on fat sensitivity in women with obesity, comparing them with a control group of normal-weight women who do not receive any dietary prescription.

The main goals of the project are:

• To assess potential differences in fat sensitivity between normal-weight and obese women before, during, and after the intervention;
• To evaluate whether a low-fat diet is associated with an increase in fat sensitivity;
• To investigate the relationship between fat sensitivity and taste phenotypes, dietary intake, satiety-related indicators, and food preferences;
• To explore the role of psychological traits in relation to fat sensitivity.
  
  

Main papers

• Lippi, A., Spinelli, S., Ghelfi, C., Dinnella, C., Giboreau, A., Mourier, V., Monteleone, E. Food service in cancer hospitals: a co-creation approach to increase liking and to reduce food waste. Food Res Int. 2025;221(Pt 3):117393. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2025.117393 

• Lippi, A., Spinelli, S., Ghelfi, C., Dinnella, C., Giboreau, A., Mourier, V., Monteleone, E. Rethinking food offer in cancer hospitals: a new direction to increase liking and reduce food waste. Proceedings of the 8th National Conference of the Italian Society of Sensory Sciences: Alghero, 22–24 May 2024 / edited by the Italian Society of Sensory Sciences – University of Sassari, 2024. ISBN: 978-88-944679-2-5

 

Seminars and conference

in progress

Awards

in progress

Personal links, blogs, websites

in progress