Sensory Science for Students

The Sensory Science Student Group was formed in 2013, and is looking to recruit students to join the committee!

The group aims to:

  • Develop a network of students working in sensory science across the UK
  • Provide a platform where sensory science students can communicate with one another
  • Contribute regular sensory science related posts to the IFST website, such as conference reviews
  • Instigate student specific events at existing sensory science conferences such as then Sensory Science Group annual conference, as well as organising unique student events in the future
  • Give recognition to outstanding student presentations by sponsoring prizes for best student presentations at selected events
  • Contribute to the European Sensory Science Society (E3S) student group
Meet the Student Sensory Science Group

MARTHA SKINNER, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM (CHAIR)

Martha is currently a PhD student at the University of Nottingham, where she is using both sensory science and functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the behavioural and cortical response to taste, She is especially interested in variation in taste perception, and is exploring the taste response across PROP and thermal taste phenotypes,, as well as the TAS2R38 and gustin genotypes.   Another area of interest is differences in the number of fungiform papillae across different taster status groups, and the affect this may have on taste sensitivity. View more information 

Martha joined the SSG committee in 2014 with the aim of connecting with professionals working within the Sensory Science field.  She also wanted to be able to voice the needs of current Sensory Science students to the committee, and influence the development of the newly formed student working group within the SSG.  Since taking over as Chair of the group she has also coordinated the formation of the European Sensory Science Society (E3S) student group along with the Spanish student representative. 

More information on the E3S student group
Join the E3S student group on Linkedin 
Email the E3S student group

 

STEPHANIE BULL, UNIVERSITY OF READING (VICE CHAIR)

Stephanie is undertaking a PhD at the University of Reading, with a research focus on the influence of the structure of whey protein on mouth drying. Stephanie has a background in Chemistry, and utilises Pharmacy techniques in her current research. She sees the SSG committee as an opportunity to help bring awareness of sensory science to interdisciplinary students, and to create strong network links with students and professionals across the UK
 

SASKIA HOFMANN, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM

Saskia is a PhD student at the University of Nottingham. She completed a Master of Science (Food Chemistry) in Germany and then joined the University of Nottingham. Her research investigates the mouthfeel of black tea with milk and sugar being of particular interest. Sensory methods are used to develop a mouthfeel lexicon for black tea and analytical methods are used to understand the perceived mouthfeel in this model system in a better way. Saskia joined the SSG committee in 2016 after being invited by Martha Skinner and she hopes to build a stronger student network, promote the SSG student group and the organisation of student focused workshops.

 

SARAH SMITH, UNIVERSITY OF READING

Sarah is a PhD student at the University of Reading. After gaining her BSc in Human Bioscience at the University of Northampton she was accepted on to a PhD entitled "The role of mucoadhesives in low fat snack food". Her PhD project is interdisciplinary across pharmaceutics and food science. The focus of her project is to investigate the impact of mucoadhesive polymers in food systems. Mucoadhesives are commonly used in pharmaceutics to retain drugs at mucosal surfaces for a prolonged period of time. Sarah's project consists of various in vitro assessments of mucoadhesives and sensory evaluation on their impact on liquid and solid model food systems.