INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF NEUROGASTRONOMY SYMPOSIUM

June 19-20, 2020
Oregon Convention Center


The International Society of Neurogastronomy (ISN) is a professional organization for culinary professionals, agriculture professionals, health care professionals, and scientists of gastronomy in the context of brain and behavior. The concept of Neurogastronomy casts a wide net over all disciplines that are relevant to what we eat, why we like what we eat, and how we eat. The mission of ISN is to advance Neurogastronomy as a craft, science, and health profession, to enhance quality of human life, and to generate and disseminate knowledge of brain-behavior relationships in the context of gastronomy.

Flavor is a major unifying theme for ISN - what it is and how to use it to promote health.  Flavor is a natural intersection where taste and smell science overlaps with clinical problems related to food and nutrition, with agriculture, and with chefs and the food preparation industry. ISN reaches out to the public to promote a broad understanding of how taste and smell affect food choices and consumption. ISN also works to develop and promote evidence-based strategies for all areas of health related to flavor.  Examples include the impaired flavor perception of chemotherapy patients and appetite control and healthy eating in the face of an epidemic of overconsumption. The founders of ISN invite you to come and join in!

Platform Presentations. Speakers will deliver lectures spanning the breadth of ISN.  This includes the development of foods that are more flavorful and have greater nutrition benefits, new agricultural practices, the science behind flavor and appetite, and the clinical benefits of a healthy diet.

ISN Symposium 2020 Speakers

  • - Gordon Shepherd, M.D., D.Phil. Yale University. Neurogastronomy, the Brain’s World of Flavor
  • - Jehangir Mehta, Chef. Owner of Graffiti Earth (New York) and Next Iron Chef finalist. Practical Applications of Flavor
  • - Harry Klee, Ph.D. University of Florida. Tastier Tomatoes
  • - Stephen Jones, Ph.D. Washington State University. Breeding Flavor back into Wheat
  • - Alexandra DiFeliceantonio, Ph.D. Virginia Tech. Food and Reward
  • - Benjamin R. Arenkiel, Ph.D. Baylor University. Circuits Governing Feeding
  • - Richard King, M.D. University of Kentucky. Diets for Dementia Patients
  • - Ana Sangabriel, Ph.D. Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Umami and Flavor
  • - Sid Kapoor, M.D. University of Kentucky. Diets, Migraines, and Bogus Science
  • - Nanna, Meyer, Ph.D. University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Nutrition, flavor, and Performance

Poster Session. A poster session for volunteer presentations is an integral part of the meeting. Submit Abstracts to [email protected] by March 16, 2020. 

Dinner Workshop.  ISN also offers a Neurogastronomy Dinner Workshop. The tradition of this event is to feature the culinary skills of local chefs in a setting where participants can experience flavor while learning about its nature and origins.

ISN 2020 Travel grants for Trainees and Persons from Underrepresented Groups
Trainees (students and postgraduate fellows) and persons of recognized minority groups, disabled persons, and veterans are eligible for these awards.  Interested persons should view the rules and procedures document.  

Registration Information

Regular registration (includes 1 yr membership in ISN): $250
Trainee registration for students and postdoctoral fellows (includes 1 yr membership in ISN) $125
Neurogastronomy Dinner Workshop (Friday, June 19): $150

Please use the ISOT 2020 Registration Form to signup for this event.


Supported by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders