Dr Xi He is a Flavour and Volatiles Scientist at the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich. She specialises in advanced flavour chemistry, volatilomics, and hyphenated chromatographic techniques including GC×GC‑TOFMS.

Dr Xi He completed her PhD under Professor Henryk Jeleń at Poznań University of Life Sciences, focusing on Baijiu aroma, authenticity and chromatographic method development. Her work has received significant global impact, with her 2021 Food Chemistry article ranked in the top 2% globally and her 2025 Food Chemistry study in the top 4% globally (Scopus citation benchmarking, 2026).

She contributes to alternative protein research, wine ageing technologies, authenticity testing and broader innovative flavour analysis. She is also active in developing non‑/low‑alcohol wine without compromising flavour quality and is particularly interested in integrating human sensory evaluation with analytical instrumental data to generate robust insights for product quality control and innovation.

She was invited as a reviewer for the Journal of Food Science in 2026 and has recently submitted a major Gates Foundation proposal (decision pending).

Dr He also supports industry through Growing Kent & Medway and supervises MSc researchers.

Dr Xi He’s research centres on flavour science, integrating advanced volatilomics, comprehensive two‑dimensional gas chromatography time‑of‑flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS), and sensory -instrumental data fusion to understand how flavour develops and transforms across diverse food systems.

She is actively advancing research on low‑ and no‑alcohol wines development, focusing on preserving and enhancing flavour quality through innovative analytical and processing methods.

Her interests extend to rapid volatile fingerprinting, food authenticity, off‑flavour diagnosis, and predictive modelling to determine how processing, agricultural practices, and climate‑driven factors shape flavour chemistry and overall product quality. She also aims to build a food‑omics platform at NRI, advocating the integration of AI, metabolomics, and flavour science to generate system‑level insights.

Additionally, Dr He applies multivariate data analysis (MVDA) to investigate how extrusion, texture, and microstructure influence flavour generation and release in alternative proteins, supporting the development of high‑quality plant‑based foods.

• Principal Investigator: Wine ageing technology (HEIF-funded)
• Contribute to alternative protein flavour assessment (Bezos Centre, Project PROFILE)
• Project Initiator and Co-PI on Gates Foundation proposal (USD 458k submitted, decision pending)

Active researcher involved in several knowledge exchange projects and supervisor of MSc students.

• Responsibilities within the University

  • Contribute to the development and delivery of research activities within NRI, particularly in flavour science, volatilomics and gas chromatography.
  • Provide specialist analytical expertise (e.g., GC×GC-TOFMS, volatile compound analysis) to support cross‑departmental and industry‑linked research projects.
  • Supervise and mentor MSc students working on Food Innovation and Applied Food Safety and Quality Management projects.
  • Support grant proposals and collaborative initiatives across NRI, including interdisciplinary projects linking food, agriculture, sustainability, and climate.
  • Represent the department in internal meetings, research groups, or cross‑faculty initiatives.

• Academic Citizenship

  • Participate actively in the academic community by contributing to seminars, research discussion groups, and cross‑disciplinary collaborations.
  • Offer expert consultation to Growing Kent & Medway partners and provide specialist advice to stakeholders facing flavour‑related challenges.
  • Promote good research culture through open communication, methodological rigour, and support for colleagues’ analytical needs.
  • Contribute to the establishment and vision of a food omics platform within NRI, advocating integration of AI, metabolomics, and flavour science.
  • Assist in outreach activities, public engagement, or industry events that raise the profile of NRI’s work in food quality and flavour.

• 2023 Distinction of the PhD dissertation, Poznan University of Life Sciences
• 2025 The Best Doctoral Dissertation in The Field of Separation Techniques Development, Polish Academy of Sciences (National level)
• Affiliate Member of Royal Society of Chemistry
• Reviewer, Journal of Food Science

• He, X. and Jeleń, H.H., 2025. Comprehensive two dimensional gas chromatography–time of flight mass spectrometry (GC× GC-TOFMS) for the investigation of botanical origin of raw spirits. Food Chemistry, 465, p.142004. (Q1, Top 4% Global Research Impact)
• Baeghbali, V., Euston, S.R., He, X., Donetti, M., Maklad, O. and Acharya, P., 2025. High Moisture Extrusion Based Texturization and Functional Modulation of Pea Protein Isolate through Integration with Cultivated Beef. Food Hydrocolloids, p.112154. (Q1)
• He, X., Gbiorczyk, K. and Jelen, H.H., 2023. Can volatiles fingerprints be an alternative to isotope ratio mass spectrometry in the botanical origin determination of spirits?. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 71(5), pp.2637-2643. (Q1)
• He, X., Yangming, H., Górska-Horczyczak, E., Wierzbicka, A. and Jeleń, H.H., 2021. Rapid analysis of Baijiu volatile compounds fingerprint for their aroma and regional origin authenticity assessment. Food Chemistry, 337, p.128002. (Q1, Top2% Global Research Impact)
• He, X. and Jeleń, H.H., 2021. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–time of flight mass spectrometry (GC× GC-TOFMS) in conventional and reversed column configuration for the investigation of Baijiu aroma types and regional origin. Journal of Chromatography A, 1636, p.461774. (Q1)
• He, X., Gaca, A. and Jeleń, H.H., 2020. Determination of volatile compounds in Baijiu using simultaneous chromatographic analysis on two columns. Journal of the Institute of Brewing, 126(2), pp.206-212. (Q2)