FLAVOUR PERCEPTION : CEREBRAL EXPLORATION.
Food produces multiple types of perceptions: aroma (olfaction), taste (gustation), color (vision), texture (somesthesia)... Multisensory integration allows the construction of a food mental image (flavor), which is a crucial step for food choice. A better understanding of brain mechanisms involved in flavor construction may contribute to formulation of healthier food. In order to reduce fat, salt and sugar in food, it appears necessary to find strategies to formulate healthy food, without the use of additive.
Food liking is strongly driven by taste intensity. Sugar, salt and fat govern our food choices. The fundamental objective of the project is to better understand the construction of food concepts in the brain. The applied objective is to use multisensory interactions to reduce sapid ingredients while maintaining the taste intensity and therefore the pleasure-to-eat unaffected.
Objectives of the thesis are pluri-disciplinary; therefore, the student should have a background, or a professional experience, in Neurosciences and in Sensory Evaluation or aroma formulation. The student will beneficiate from the supervision by experts in each domain. We expect the student to design the experimental protocols in fMRI and EEG. EEG studies will take place in CSGA , Dijon, France; and fMRI studies will take place at the Smell & Taste Clinic , Dresden, Germany and the AgroRésonance Platform in Clermont-Ferrand . Therefore the student should be able to speak English and as much as possible French. Finally, the development of methodologies and the analysis of fMRI data will be achieve through collaboration with AgroRésonance platform in Clermont-Ferrand.
Skills and Knowledge recquired :
Necessary skills to lead this project are :
- Background in Neurosciences (EEG and/or fMRI) and/or Sensory Evaluation and/or aromatic formulation. Research experience in chimiosensory perception would be greatly appreciated.
- Team working ability is obligatry, regarding the different partners who will be involved in the project. We are also looking for a young researcher with relational facilities notably for the work with participants.
- English skills are necessary and French skills would be appreciated
- Skills with R statistical, SPM (Matlab) fMRI analysis software, and/or Let’sWave EEG analysis software
Names of supervisors and contacts
The supervisor is Thierry Thomas-Danguin and the co-supervisor is Charlotte Sinding.
As a first contact and for more information, please contact Charlotte Sinding.
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https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Charlotte_Sinding
Documents required to apply (please furnish also some information in your email for a first contact too):
- CV up to date
- cover letter
- BSc, MSc or equivalent notes
- 2 recommendation letters
- Professional project post-PhD
Type of contract and deadlines for application and audition:
This scholarship is a grant from the French Ministry of Research. It can be obtained through two phases: first a selection based on the applicant background and research experiences, and secondly an audition in front of a jury where doctoral topics are put in competition for the grant.
http://www.ecoledoctoralee2s.com/concours-allocations-de-recherche-2017--appel-a-candidature-1.html
application deadline : 21/05/2017 before 23:59
If you wish to apply, please first contact Charlotte Sinding, so we can prepare together your application for the concourse.
interview : 4-5-6/07/2017 in Besançon
Net salary : ~1300 euros / month
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