Dr. Elena DÍAZ-DE-APODACA has a Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Sciences, specialty Physical Chemistry (University of the Basque Country 1993) and a PhD in Chemical Sciences (University of the Basque Country 1999).

Since 1999 she is Senior Researcher in the Healthy Eating Business Area of the Health Division of TECNALIA. She has more than 25 years of experience in the development of R&D projects, having also held the duties of project manager. Her research experience is focused on the area of biopolymers, fundamentally in the synthesis and characterization of hydrogels, capsules, films and coatings, mainly for applications related to food preservation, from the obtaining of the biopolymeric matrix that carries the active compounds (in various formats), until the incorporation of said active compounds (mainly of natural origin), and the characterization of the final product in terms of physical-chemical and functional properties. Likewise, within the line of functional foods, she works on obtaining active compounds (mainly proteins, hydrolysates and peptides) through physicochemical and biotechnological processes, and incorporating them into food matrices.

The result of this research activity is her participation in 5 European projects, 38 projects subsidized by public administrations and 24 contracts with companies. She has published 18 indexed articles and participated as an inventor in 3 patents.