Lisa Methven

Professor Lisa Methven is a faculty member at the University of Reading, specializing in sensory and consumer science, flavor chemistry, and food product development. She leads the Sensory Science Centre and serves as Programme Director for the BSc Food Science with Business. Her research focuses on improving food palatability for older adults, investigating causes of individual sensory differences, and enhancing vegetable consumer acceptability. She holds a BSc (Hons) and PhD in relevant fields.

Key grants include a 2008-2012 Research into Ageing grant and a multisite New Dynamics of Ageing project. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology and actively involved in the SCI Food Group. Her work spans food fortification strategies, aging nutrition, and sensory perception studies. Notable contributions include developing protein-fortified recipes for older adults and studying the impacts of physical activity on appetite.

• External Activities: Committee member of SCI Food Group, Professional Food Sensory Group (PFSG) member
• Labs/Teams: Sensory Science Centre, Food4Years Network (improving foods for aging populations)
• Grants: Over £1M in grants focused on aging nutrition and sensory science