Emily Mayhew

Contact Me

Pronouns:
She/Her/Hers

Assistant Professor

Phone:
517-884-0046

Email:
mayhewem@msu.edu

Degrees

Ph.D. Food Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2017
B.S. Chemistry, College of William & Mary, 2012

Professional and Academic Positions

Assistant Professor, Michigan State University, 2021-present
Postdoctoral Fellow, Monell Chemical Senses Center, 2018-2021
Senior Associate Scientist, SC Johnson & Son, Inc., 2017-2018

Appointment

40% Research | 40% Extension | 15% Teaching | 5% Service

Research Interests

Every food we eat is made up of a specific combination of molecules, organized in a specific way. Our lab is interested in learning how the combination of molecules (composition) and the way they are organized (structure) shapes our sensory perception of the food.

We apply sensory methodology to study the appearance, smell, flavor, texture, and pleasurability of foods. We also use instrumental methods, including gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry and texture analysis, to characterize the composition and structure of foods. Finally, we build models that can quantitatively describe the causal link between food composition and sensory properties.

If we understand how the chemistry of a food dictates its sensory properties, we can strategically alter formulation or process to produce the desired sensory profile without having to go through multiple rounds of reformulation and sensory testing. We aim to apply this composition-to-sensory modeling approach to promote more nutritious and sustainable eating by improving the sensory properties of nutritious and sustainable foods.

Active areas of research in the lab include modeling olfactory perception, characterizing taste/smell interactions, and improving the sensory quality of berries, dry beans, and hops.

Extension & Outreach Focus

We aim to make sensory and consumer science insights more accessible to local food producers. The MSU Sensory Lab operates a fee-for-service center with fixed rate testing options, as well as low-cost options for small businesses. More information can be found at https://www.canr.msu.edu/productcenter/sensory-and-consumer-testing.