Symposium Topics and format

Topics

Fundamentals of Sensory
Physiology, Perception/Receptors, Genetics, Psychophysics, Sensory interactions, Sensory-instrumental relationships, Measurement, Brain imaging.

Sensory and Health
Disease, Diet, Functional foods, Nutrition, Preferences and healthy choices.

Consumer Behavior
Attitudes, Choice, Ethnography, Anthropology, Social/cultural, Age/Gender effects, Linking attributes to consumer needs, Statistical techniques, Market research.

Effective Use of Sensory in Industry
Applications, Sensory quality assurance, Organization, Best practices, Testing under non-standard conditions, Recruitment, Management of sensory panels, Data analysis.

Non-Foods
Methods, Applications, Psychophysics, Quality assurance, Sensory interactions, Sensory-instrumental relationships, Consumer behavior.

The Future
New methods, New data analysis techniques, Research tools, Training and education in sensory science.

Format

The program will be comprised of oral and poster presentations plus debates, mini-symposia and forums arranged in parallel sessions.

Debate
A debate can involve a moderator, 2-3 debaters and perhaps a small panel of questioners. The topic should be a highly relevant issue facing the sensory evaluation profession. The organizer(s) of the debate selects the topic, invites the debaters and can also serve or select another person to moderate the debate.

Mini symposium
A mini symposium is a collection of formal presentations (research overviews, case studies, etc.) by 3 – 4 different speakers on a topic of interest. The organizer(s) of the mini symposium selects the topic, invites the speakers, and can also serve as moderator(s).

Forum
A forum begins with short (e.g. 5-10 minute) presentations from several speakers on a focused topic, followed by discussion with members of the audience. Forums are useful for topics in which audience members may be as well informed or experienced with the topic as are the speakers. For example: analysis and interpretation of a data set, development of a research plan to solve a problem, designing an experiment to test a hypothesis, etc.  The organizer(s) of the forum selects the topic, invites the speakers and can also serve as moderator(s).

Satellite Meetings