Cordelia Running headshot photo

Pronouns: she/her

Phone: 765-494-2282

Office:

Stone Hall 209
700 W State St
West Lafayette, IN 47907

Curriculum Vitae Selected Publications Back to Directory

Cordelia Running

Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition Science


Areas of Expertise

  • Sensory science
  • Food flavor
  • Ingestive behavior
  • Food chemistry

HHS Signature Research Area(s)

  • Developmental Health and Wellness
  • Healthy Lifestyles and Vital Longevity

Department of Nutrition Science Research Area(s)

  • Metabolism and Obesity
  • Food, Ingestive Behavior and Population Nutrition

Biography

Food should taste good–even when it’s healthy for you, and even when you aren’t healthy.

This belief drives Dr. Cordelia Running’s research. Her lab (the Saliva, Perception, Ingestion, and Tongues Lab–SPIT lab) studies oral sensations and secretions to improve foods for health. Projects include experiments testing how saliva adapts to different diets. Potentially, saliva may adapt to make foods less bitter, or to break down fatty mixtures or starchy foods more quickly. This not only changes flavor and texture of foods, but also could change how nutrients are absorbed. Additionally, Dr. Running is looking into ways to help people reduce their sugar intake and increase their vegetable intake. These studies all emphasize how flavor is an important part of how people decide what to eat, and so addressing flavor is a vital part of helping people successfully improve their diet.

After all, food can only be healthy, or unhealthy, if it’s eaten.

Education

  • PhD, 2015, Purdue University

Websites

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

  • Published Food Chemistry lab manual with experiments for home kitchens

Current Courses

  • NUTR 453 - Food Chemistry
  • NUTR 590 - Journey through the Gastrointestinal Tract
  • NUTR 303 - Essentials of Nutrition

In the News