News & Press
Press releases, announcements, and highlights from the Pizza Research Institute.
The National Science Foundation has awarded the Pizza Research Institute a $1.2 million grant to fund a three-year longitudinal study on the thermodynamic properties of pizza cooling. The research, led by Dr. Aria Saucington, will employ novel infrared imaging technology to map heat dissipation patterns across 18 pizza styles.
The 42nd Annual PRI International Symposium on Pizza Sciences concluded last week with record attendance of 412 registered participants from 28 countries. The three-day conference featured 67 original paper presentations, 14 poster sessions, and a plenary keynote by President Dr. Francesca Napolitano on the future of computational pizzology.
A landmark paper co-authored by five PRI researchers — Prof. Romano, Dr. Saucington, Dr. Crustworthy, and two postdoctoral fellows — has been published in the Journal of Applied Pizzology. The study employs cryo-electron microscopy to characterize gluten network architecture in long-fermentation pizza doughs, overturning several long-held assumptions in the field.
PRI has established the new Center for Topping Equity and Distribution Research (CTEDR), a cross-disciplinary research unit dedicated to the study of topping placement fairness, portion distribution methodology, and the social dimensions of pizza allocation. Dr. Marcus Cheeseberg has been appointed as founding director.
PRI President Dr. Francesca Napolitano has been awarded the James Beard Foundation Honorary Scientific Medal in recognition of her three decades of contributions to pizza science and her leadership in establishing pizzology as a legitimate academic discipline. The award was presented at a ceremony in New York City.
Volume 23, Issue 1 of the Journal of Applied Pizzology is now available online and in print. This issue features six original research articles including a landmark quantitative analysis of cheese-to-sauce ratios and a machine learning study of consumer satisfaction prediction. All articles are available open access.
The Pizza Research Institute is now accepting applications for the 2024–2025 cohort of PRI Graduate Research Fellows. Up to eight fellowships will be awarded to doctoral candidates conducting original research in pizza science. Fellowship awards include a $32,000 annual stipend, research budget, and access to PRI laboratory facilities.
The Pizza Research Institute has signed a formal research partnership agreement with the University of Naples Federico II, establishing a joint research program on the historical and scientific origins of Neapolitan pizza. The partnership will enable annual researcher exchanges and co-publication opportunities.
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