Mariel joined the Institute for Manufacturing in October 2022 as a full-time PhD researcher. Her work focuses on plant-based protein supply chains under the supervision of Dr Mukesh Kumar.  

She has over 6 years of experience in process design and optimisation, supply chain management and data analytics. She started her professional career as an operations engineer in the food industry, and has also worked on various sectors, specifically on the environmental management, plastic, and clothing manufacturing industries.

Mariel received an MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge, where she focused her research on how to reduce the impact of meat through a systems thinking approach. Her research was generously funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Costa Rica. Previously, she received an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Costa Rica, where she developed a strong interest between business productivity and environmental sustainability. At that time, she acted as a teaching and research assistant at the Industrial Engineering Department and at the Astronomy and Astrophysics Department.

For her PhD studies, Mariel is particularly working on designing the upscale of sustainable and resilient alternative protein supply chains. She received a fully funded scholarship from the Cambridge Trust and Newnham College, as well as a Trinity College Henry Barlow (Honorary) award. If interested in the field of alternative proteins, please reach out to her via email at ma810@cam.ac.uk.