Rate My Professor Akanksha Gandhi

Dr. Akanksha Gandhi serves as a Recruitment Consultant within the Human Resources division at the University of Otago. With a robust academic foundation in biotechnology and food microbiology, she earned her PhD from The University of Hong Kong's School of Biological Sciences in 2016. Her doctoral thesis, supervised by Professor Nagendra P. Shah, examined salt-induced responses in dairy bacteria, contributing valuable insights into the resilience of probiotic and starter cultures under environmental stresses. Earlier, she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology from Jaypee University of Information Technology (2005-2009).

Gandhi's research specializations center on food microbiology, particularly the physiological responses of lactic acid bacteria to salt stress in dairy products. Her work explores changes in cell morphology, membrane fatty acid composition, and viability of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, as well as strategies for salt reduction using KCl substitution to inhibit foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus in cheese models. She has also delved into omics-based analyses of stress mechanisms in cheese starter cultures. Key publications include "Effect of salt stress on morphology and membrane composition of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus" (Journal of Dairy Science, 2016), "Salt Reduction in a Model High-Salt Akawi Cheese: Effects on Bacterial Growth and Viability" (Journal of Food Science, 2016), "Effect of KCl substitution on bacterial viability of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus" (Journal of Dairy Science, 2014), "Effect of salt on cell viability and membrane integrity of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus" (Food Microbiology, 2015), and "Integrating omics to unravel the stress-response mechanisms in cheese starter cultures" (Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2016). These studies support advancements in low-sodium functional dairy foods and probiotic stability.

In addition to research, Gandhi held the position of Assistant Research Fellow at the University of Otago from May to November 2021. Her career encompasses Project Administrator for research initiatives in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (2023-2024), Human Resources and Training Coordinator roles (2024), freelance writing (2018-2021), TESOL-certified English teaching (2017), Special Event Project Manager at HKU Medical Faculty (2016-2017), Research Scholar (2011-2012), and Test Engineer at Infosys (2009-2011).