Pia Sörensen
Preceptor of Science and Cooking and HarvardX Fellow, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Department of Physics

Pia Sörensen is teaching faculty at the Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University. She directs Harvard’s Science and Cooking program, which includes teaching, research, and outreach programs at the intersection of science and food. 

“Food Fermentations” was inspired by her popular Harvard course with the same name, which has been offered since 2015.

She is author and editor of several books, including the national best-seller “Science and Cooking: Physics meets Food, from Homemade to Haute Cuisine” (Norton, 2020), an interactive textbook, and two volumes on online chemistry education(ACS/Oxford University Press).

Her research interests range from science education to the science of food. In addition to this course, she is instructor and co-developer of the HarvardX Science and Cooking courses.

Faculty Courses

Two spoons, one holding intact peas and a pea flower, the other with a spherification of pea soup.
Online

Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science (chemistry)

Top chefs and Harvard researchers explore how everyday cooking and haute cuisine can illuminate basic principles in chemistry, physics, and engineering. Learn about food molecules and how chemical reactions can affect food texture and flavor.

Price
Free*
Duration
16 weeks long
Registration Deadline
Available now
Sourdough starter
Online

Food Fermentation: The Science of Cooking with Microbes

Explore the roles that microbes play in the production, preservation, and enhancement of diverse foods in a variety of culinary traditions, and learn about the history of food fermentations.

Price
Free*
Duration
14 weeks long
Registration Deadline
Available now