Rate My Professor Graham Eyres

Associate Professor Graham Eyres holds the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science at the University of Otago, within the Division of Sciences. He earned his BSc (Hons) and PhD in Food Science from the University of Otago in 2007. After completing his doctorate, Eyres conducted postdoctoral research at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia from 2008 to 2011, followed by a role as Research Scientist and Project Leader in CSIRO's Division of Food and Nutritional Sciences until 2013. He joined the University of Otago as Lecturer in the Department of Food Science from 2013 to 2017 and has been Associate Professor since then. Eyres is also an Associate Investigator in the Riddet Institute and a member of the Food Waste Innovation research theme.

Eyres specializes in flavour science, with research focused on identifying and analyzing aroma compounds in complex food samples and essential oils using techniques such as gas chromatography-olfactometry, mass spectrometry, multidimensional GC, and proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry. His interests include correlating instrumental analysis with sensory perception, dynamic flavour release during consumption, hop aroma compounds and beer flavour generation during fermentation, culinary smoke flavour control, food processing impacts on dairy and meat quality, brewing waste upcycling, and volatiles in vaping liquids. Key publications include 'Gas chromatography-olfactometry' (Journal of Separation Science, 2006), 'Comparison of Odor-Active Compounds in the Spicy Fraction of Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) Essential Oil from Four Different Varieties' (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2007), 'Hop essential oil: Analysis, chemical composition and odor characteristics' (Beer in Health and Disease Prevention, 2009), and recent articles such as 'Volatile evolutions during solid-state fermentation of oats by mono- and co-cultures' (Food Chemistry, 2026) and 'Audible sound decreased beer fermentation time' (Food Research International, 2025). His work has garnered over 2900 citations. Eyres is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST), chairs the Otago-Southland branch, chaired the 2023 NZIFST conference, and serves as Section Editor for Molecules. He coordinates courses including FOSC 201 Food Components, Processing and Functionality, FOSC 301 Food Chemistry, Structure and Function, and advanced modules on fermented foods, brewing, and flavour science.