Dr Rebecca Forster develops innovative hydrogel and food material systems by combining expertise in supramolecular chemistry, soft matter characterisation, and food physics to better understand structure-function relationships and consumer-relevant performance.
Rebecca completed her PhD in Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, where she designed and characterised supramolecular hydrogels based on the host-guest chemistry of cucurbit[8]uril. Her research established how molecular binding dynamics influence cargo delivery and demonstrated how hydrogel composition and light-responsive cross-linking can be used to tune mechanical properties and controlled release behaviour.
Since 2020, Rebecca has been a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The University of Queensland, working with Professor Jason Stokes on animal and plant-based meats. Her research focuses on developing advanced physical measurement techniques to understand the texture, mouthfeel, oral processing, and digestion of plant-based foods. By linking material properties and breakdown behaviour to sensory perception and consumer acceptance, she aims to support the rational design of next-generation sustainable foods with improved eating quality and nutritional performance.
Key capabilities
Hydrogels
Rheology
Food physics
Structure-function relationships