Principal Investigator – Professor Hsiu-Ling Chen
Institute of Food Safety and Risk Management, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

Professor Hsiu-Ling Chen is the Principal Investigator of the Laboratory of Food Safety and Risk Assessment at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Taiwan. She currently holds a position as Distinguished Professor at the Institute of Food Safety and Risk Management and served as its Director from August 2018 to July 2025.

Prof. Chen’s research integrates multiple interdisciplinary areas, including food safety management, chemical substance regulation, health risk assessment, indoor air quality, and occupational hygiene. Her laboratory focuses on addressing emerging food and environmental safety challenges through scientific innovation and risk-based approaches.

In the domain of food safety, her team investigates advanced processing technologies such as cold plasma to improve food quality and microbial safety. She also provides expert consultation to Taiwanese government agencies during major food safety incidents and contributes to international regulatory discussions through her participation in the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA).

In chemical management, her research group collaborates with national authorities—including the Chemicals Administration, Food and Drug Administration, and the National Science and Technology Council—to monitor contaminants (e.g., heavy metals, pesticides, antibiotics, nitrosamines and other chemicals) in environmental and food matrices. Her lab also develops high-throughput hazard screening methods to support chemical risk prioritization.

In health risk assessment, the lab conducts environmental and health evaluations in both developing and industrialized regions. Prof. Chen’s team supports industries in identifying hazards, calculating risk, and designing mitigation strategies. Her group also assists food importers/exporters in dietary exposure assessments of food additives to comply with regulatory requirements.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof. Chen took a leadership role in promoting indoor air quality awareness and organized the TSIEQ 2021 and TSIEQ 2024 international symposium to enhance academic exchange with researchers from Asia, America and Europe. Her group also collaborates with the Institute of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health on projects examining pesticide-related occupational exposure among greenhouse farmers.

Prof. Chen is recognized for her visionary leadership, collaborative mindset, and dedication to public health and regulatory science. She welcomes students and researchers with interests in food safety, toxicology, environmental health, and risk assessment to join the lab’s dynamic and impactful research environment.

The Food Safety and Risk Assessment Laboratory at National Cheng Kung University conducts interdisciplinary research in food safety management, chemical risk assessment, environmental health, and occupational hygiene. Led by Prof. Hsiu-Ling Chen, the lab explores advanced technologies such as cold plasma processing, monitors environmental and food contaminants, and supports science-based regulatory policies.

Our lab welcomes students from diverse backgrounds, including international graduate students, and communication won't be a barrier. We take pride in fostering a friendly, supportive, and joyful research environment—where collaboration, curiosity, and creativity are always encouraged.