Taste – Flavor – Senses – Brain
How the human mind processes food & scents
I am a psychologist with over 15 years of research experience in academica and industry.
My research is at the intersection between psychology, neuroscience, and nutrition and focuses on understanding how the human mind processes food. I ask how different senses contribute to the experience of taste, how taste is shaped by experience and external cues, and how we can influence taste and boost acceptance to foster healthy eating behavior.
My expertise is in linking brain measures with behavior and the development of state-of-the art methods required to study this link.
Education & Work experience
Follow me
Currently
2021
2018 - 2021
2016 - 2017
2012 - 2017
2011 - 2012
2007 - 2010
2007
2004
Director R&D, Human Perception & Bioresponse, Firmenich SA, Geneva
Affiliate Professor, Dept. of Food Science, Pennsylvania State University
Privatdozentin, Dept. of Psychology, WWU Münster
Lecturer, University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg
Research group leader, Research Center Jülich
Professor of General Psychology, Medical School Berlin
Research group leader, Deut. Institut für Ernährungsforschung Potsdam
Postdoc, Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia
Postdoc, Nestlè Research Center, Lausanne
Dr. rer. nat. in Psychology, Leipzig University
Diploma in Psychology, University Magdeburg
News
The loss of smell and of taste occurs often with COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2). We brought together experts in the Global Consortium of Chemosensory Researchers (GCCR) to study how, when, and why this happens and how we can use this as a screening tool for COVID-19. We are conducting 2 online studies:
- for everybody who wants to test their smell & taste in detail once or repeatedly (~30 min.)
- for everybody who wants to test their smell & taste quickly but regularly (~2 min.)
Honors & Awards
2021 IFF Award for Research in the Psychophysics of Human Taste and Smell. AChemS.
2017 DuPont Nutrition & Health Science Excellence Medal. Danisco Foundation.
2017 Ajinomoto Award for Young Investigators in Gustation. AChemS.
2016 Brain Products Young Scientist Award. German Society for Psychophysiology and its Applications.
2013 Leibniz Mentoring for highly-qualified women researchers. Leibniz Association
2013 Polak Young Investigator Award. Association for Chemoreception Sciences.