Prof Martin Yeomans

Biography

I joined University of Sussex in 1989, where I am currently Professor of Experimental Psychology.  I have established a strong research group exploring various aspects of human eating and drinking, with over £2.5 million in grant income to date. You can find more details of my research at the Sussex Ingestive Behaviour Group web-page.  I currenty supervise 6 DPhil students, and most of my 16 previous DPhil students have gone on to research careers in academia or industry.

To date I have over 80 peer-reviewed publications and am slowly working on my first textbook on Eating Behaviour.

Community and Business

I have a long history of engagement with the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries internationally, with consultancy and contract work with many international companies.

An important outcome of our research has been the development of bespoke software (the Sussex Ingestion Pattern Monitor: SIPM) which facilitates experimental studies of appetite control, flavour evaluation etc.  For details please go to the SIPM website. 

My research interests centre on the study of appetite, with projects ranging from studies of physiological controls of appetite, the role of learning in development of food preferences and effects of common food and drink constituents on mood and cognitive performance. You can fund more details on the Sussex Ingestive Behaviour Group web-page.

With funding from both UK research councils (BBSRC) and industry, my current team are focussing on projects designed to produce methodology that will allow the food industry to develop products which maximise satiety and so help consumers control their intake.  Another major focus is the interaction between expectations and consequences: for example, does an expectation that a food will be filling enhance satiety, or that a drink will boost energy increase the effectiveness of ingredients such as caffeine?

Current funded work includes:

A 4-year grant for £539,705 from BBSRC through the DRINC initiative for a project entitled “Maximising satiety through manipulating expectations, sensory quality and nutrient content”.

A 2-year KTP (£230,603) with Leatherhead Food Research

A 4-year BBSRC DRINC special DPhil studentship exploring the role of expectancy in control of satiety

A 3-year DPhil studentship funded by Ajinomoto examining the role of umami in satiety

A 3-year DPhil studentship part-funded by Unilever exploring aspects of flavour-nutrient learning

A 3-year DPhil CASE studentship with Leatherhead Food Research looking at rebound hunger and halo effects generated by reduced energy products

We also undertake short-term projects and consultancy with the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Our work has implications for understanding both the increase in obesity worldwide, and the concomitant rise in eating disorders.

I currently teach on the following courses:
Psychobiology (Year 1)
Psychology of Appetite (Year 3)
Clinical Practice 1 (BSMS year 1)
Student selected components on Eating Disorders and Obesity (BSMS).

Student Consultation

During the summer vacation students wishing to see me should email for an appointment.

McCrickerd, Keri, Chambers, Lucy, Brunstrom, Jeffery and Yeomans, Martin R (2012) Subtle changes in the flavour and texture of a drink enhance expectations of satiety. Flavour, 1 (20). ISSN 2044-7248

Yeomans, Martin (2012) Flavour-nutrient learning in humans: an elusive phenomenon? Physiology and Behavior, 106 (3). pp. 345-355. ISSN 0031-9384

Yeomans, Martin R and Chambers, Lucy (2011) Satiety-relevant sensory qualities enhance the satiating effects of mixed carbohydrate-protein preloads. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 94 (6). pp. 1410-1417. ISSN 0002-9165

Cooke, Lucy J, Chambers, Lucy C, Añez, Elizabeth V, Croker, Helen A, Boniface, David, Yeomans, Martin R and Wardle, Jane (2011) Eating for pleasure or profit: the effect of incentives on children's enjoyment of vegetables. Psychological Science, 22 (2). pp. 190-196. ISSN 0956-7976

Yeomans, Martin R (2010) Short term effects of alcohol on appetite in humans. Effects of context and restrained eating. Appetite, 55 (3). pp. 565-573. ISSN 0195-6663

Yeomans, Martin R (2010) Psychological approaches to understanding satiation and satiety. Agro Food Industry Hi Tech, 21 (4). pp. 16-19. ISSN 1722-6996

Yeomans, Martin R (2010) Alcohol, appetite and energy balance: is alcohol intake a risk factor for obesity? Physiology and Behavior, 100 (1). pp. 82-89. ISSN 0031-9384

Stafford, Lorenzo D., Wright, Claire and Yeomans, Martin R. (2010) The drink remains the same: Implicit positive associations in high but not moderate or non-caffeine users. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 24 (2). pp. 274-281. ISSN 0893-164X

Yeomans, Martin R (2010) Understanding Individual Differences in Acquired Flavour Liking in Humans. Chemosensory Perception, 3 (1). pp. 34-41. ISSN 1936-5802

Yeomans, Martin, Prescott, John and Gould, Natalie (2009) Acquired hedonic and sensory characteristics of odours: Influence of sweet liker and propylthiouracil taster status. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 62 (8). pp. 1648-1664. ISSN 1747-0218

Bertenshaw, Emma J, Lluch, Anne and Yeomans, Martin R (2009) Dose-dependent effects of beverage protein upon short-term intake. Appetite, 52 (3). pp. 580-587.

Yeomans, Martin, Gould, Natalie J, Leitch, Margaret and Mobini, Sirous (2009) Effects of energy density and portion size on development of acquired flavour liking and learned satiety. Appetite, 52 (2). pp. 469-478. ISSN 0195-6663

Yeomans, Martin and Coughlan, Emma (2009) Mood-induced eating. Interactive effects of restraint and tendency to overeat. Appetite, 52 (2). pp. 290-298. ISSN 0195-6663

Yeomans, Martin R, Mobini, Sirous, Bertenshaw, Emma J and Gould, Natalie J (2009) Acquired liking for sweet-paired odours is related to the disinhibition but not restraint factor from the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire. Physiology and Behavior, 96 (2). pp. 244-252. ISSN 0031-9384

Yeomans, Martin R, Chambers, Lucy, Blumenthal, Heston and Blake, Anthony (2008) The role of expectancy in sensory and hedonic evaluation: The case of smoked salmon ice-cream. Food Quality and Preference, 19 (6). pp. 565-573. ISSN 0950-3293

Yeomans, Martin R, Leitch, Margaret and Mobini, Sirous (2008) Impulsivity is associated with the disinhibition but not restraint factor from the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire. Appetite, 50 (2-3). pp. 469-476. ISSN 0195-6663

Yeomans, Martin R, Leitch, Margaret, Gould, Natalie J and Mobini, Sirous (2008) Differential hedonic, sensory and behavioral changes associated with flavor-nutrient and flavor-flavor learning. Physiology and Behavior, 93 (4-5). pp. 798-806. ISSN 0031-9384

Yeomans, Martin R, Gould, Natalie J, Mobini, Sirous and Prescott, John (2008) Acquired flavor acceptance and intake facilitated by monosodium glutamate in humans. Physiology and Behavior, 93 (4-5). pp. 958-966. ISSN 0031-9384

Bertenshaw, Emma, Lluch, A and Yeomans, Martin (2008) Satiating effects of protein but not carbohydrate consumed in a beverage context. Physiology and Behavior, 93 (3). pp. 427-436. ISSN 0031-9384

Yeomans, Martin, Mobini, Sirous and Chambers, Lucy (2007) Additive effects of flavour-caffeine and flavour-flavour pairings on liking for the smell and flavour of a novel drink. Physiology and Behavior, 92 (5). pp. 831-839.

Yeomans, Martin R, Leitch, Margaret, Gould, Natalie J and Mobini, Sirous (2007) Differential hedonic, sensory and behavioural changes associated with flavour-nutrient and flavour-flavour learning. Appetite, 49 (1). p. 314.

Yeomans, Martin, Tepper, BJ, Rietszchel, J and Prescott, J (2007) Human hedonic responses to sweetness: role of taste genetics and anatomy. Physiology and Behavior, 91 (2-3). pp. 264-273.

Yeomans, Martin and Mobini, Sirous (2006) Hunger alters the expression of acquired hedonic but not sensory qualities of food-paired odors in humans. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 32 (4). pp. 460-466. ISSN 0097-7403

Yeomans, Martin R (2006) Olfactory influences on appetite and satiety in humans. Physiology and Behavior, 89 (1). pp. 10-14. ISSN 0031-9384

Yeomans, Martin, Mobini, Sirous, Elliman, Toby, Walker, Helen and Stevenson, Richard J (2006) Hedonic and sensory characteristics of odors conditioned by pairing with tastants in humans. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 32 (3). pp. 215-228. ISSN 0097-7403

Robinson, TM, French, SJ, Lee, MD, Gray, RW and Yeomans, MR (2001) Effect of test meal palatability on responses to intragastric nutrient preloads. Appetite, 37. p. 159.