Pia Sörensen

Dr. Pia Sörensen serves as Senior Preceptor in Chemical Engineering and Applied Materials at Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, where she directs the innovative Science and Cooking program. Her academic foundation includes a bachelor's degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University and a PhD in chemical biology from Harvard University. As lead instructor of the popular general education course "Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science," she collaborates with world-renowned chefs to demonstrate scientific principles through culinary applications. Her teaching portfolio includes developing novel courses like "Flavor Molecules of Food Fermentation: Exploration and Inquiry" and leading the transformation of traditional courses into successful online formats, including Science&CookingX, one of EdX's largest courses. She has authored several influential works, including the bestseller "Science and Cooking: Physics Meets Food, from Homemade to Haute Cuisine" and two volumes on online chemistry education. Her research interests span from science education innovation to food chemistry and fermentation processes, while her public lecture series regularly draws hundreds of attendees and has garnered up to 160,000 views per lecture online.