Dr. Aude A. Watrelot

Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist of Enology (wine science)

Ph.D.in Food biochemistry

M.S in Biology and Health Science mention Food Science and Human Nutrition

B.S. in Plant Physiology and Biotechnology

Current Group Members

Graduate students:

Yiliang Cheng

PhD candidate (Spring 2024)

Yiliang is currently a Ph.D. student in Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) at Iowa State University. She received her B.S degree in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Sciences at NC State University and M.S. degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition at ISU. Her research focuses on the effect of leaf removal treatment and winemaking practices on polyphenols from cold-hardy grapes and red wines. She has a strong interest in food biochemistry, and she is also excited for the opportunities to deeply learn about grape and wine chemistry.

Alexander Gapinski

MS student (Fall 2023)

Alex is an MS student in Food Science and Technology at ISU. After receiving his BS in Food Science from the University of Minnesota, he spent some time studying wine through the Wine and Spirits Education Trust and the Wine Scholar Guild. He is excited to dive deeper into wine chemistry with a focus on characterizing cell wall material and tannins in cold-hardy hybrid grape varieties. The goal of Alex's research is to learn how these constituents interact and ultimately improve wine quality by maximizing extractable tannin.

David Carter 

MS student (Fall 2024)

Carter is an MS student in Food Science and Technology at ISU. He received his B.S degree in Food Science here at ISU, and started to make his own wine at home before working in Dr. Watrelot’s lab as an undergraduate student. He started to work with the team to test for basic chemistry, phenolics, and tannins. Now as a master’s student, he is focused on different wine making techniques and different free sulfur dioxide additions that can affect the wine chemistry and the quality of wine made from cold hardy grape varieties grown in Iowa and other midwestern states.

Undergraduate students:

Julain Sinkler - Culinary Food Science 

Summer 2023 - Current

Past Group Members

Daniel Acuna

FSHN former undergraduate student (January - April 2020)

Emily Kuelbs

Emily is currently studying Chemical Engineering at Iowa State University. After graduation (Fall 2022), she hopes to work in food science research and development.

Lindsey Bouska

Lindsey graduated in Spring 2021 from FSHN.

Lucas Buren

Lucas was studying Horticulture and French at Iowa State University and graduated in Fall 2021. He hopes to blend his passions for science and culture by furthering his studies involving viticulture and enology.

Katie Sanow: First Year Honor Program Student Spring 2022

Carmen Vavra: graduated in Spring 2023