Maria Piochi, Ph.D., University of Gastronomic Sciences, Italy. Assistant Professor of Food Science and Technology, with a specialisation in Sensory Studies and Consumer Science. She investigates individual variability in taste and food perception, and its influence on eating behaviour, consumer acceptance, and sustainable diets. She has contributed to advancing sensory and consumer science through studies on oral markers of taste sensitivity, such as the role of fungiform papillae density, and on the perception–waste relationship in collective catering. She has coordinated and participated in national and European projects on agri-food sustainability and consumer behaviour, and serves on the Editorial Board of Food Quality and Preference. She is also an accredited virgin olive oil taster. Title of talk: The Role of Individual Variability in Food Science and Nutrition