Purdue
SPIT Lab
Dr. Cordelia Running
Nutrition Science
SCIENCE - ongoing!
There’s always some science happening at the SPIT Lab.
Volunteer to participate in a study!
Use this link, the "Contact us" form at the bottom of the page, or send an e-mail directly to student in charge of the study.
Sign up to hear about studies here.
(You must be at least 18 to sign up--for studies including younger participants, email us or contact the student in charge of the study)
Trade that sugar for some sparkle!
Student: Vinnie Valicente
We're trying to help people, particularly adolescents, reduce the amount of added sugar in their diets.
STUDY ACTIVITIES:
- If you are at risk for diabetes and drink 2 or more sugar drinks per day, we'll ask you to switch to sparkling flavored water for 12 weeks.
- We will track your diet using an app on an iPhone (provided).
YOU MAY QUALIFY IF:
- You are between the ages of 10 to 21.
- Your doctor has told you that you're at risk for developing diabetes or that you are overweight.
- You have a family member with diabetes.
Total compensation is $115, paid throughout the study via eGift cards.
Crossin' the line--the interfacial line between water and fat, that is.
Student: Jasmine Huang
This study is about how your saliva influences the flavor and texture of fatty foods. The study involves tasting flavored candies, salad dressings or dips, and oil & water mixtures, as well as recording your diet and taking pictures of samples you tasted and spat out. You can participate completely remotely—we can arrange for you to pick up your kit, or have it delivered to a location near you. You can earn Amazon gift cards for up to $20 for your participation.
Contact Jasmine or use the contact us form below to see if you qualify.
Better-for-you-cookies
Student: Sarah Pitts
This project will train a group of people to identify and rate certain qualities in cookies--like how hard, crumbly, chewy, and sweet the cookies are. It requires meeting online with the rest of the group once a week for the whole semester. You will receive cookies and other products for your participation, as well as $10-25 in eGift cards at the end of the study.
Contact Sarah, or use the contact us form below to see if you qualify.
PENDING STUDY
Water should not feel like slime!
Student: Shie Kantor
Continuing our collaboration with Dr. Georgia Malandraki and I-EAT Lab, we’re looking to use flavors to help people with swallowing disorders. In this study, we are looking to see how older adults with and without swallowing disorders experience the tastes and flavors of beverages. This study is completely remote--we will deliver a kit to you and conduct everything via phone and video conferencing.
We should have a screening survey/signup for this soon!
PENDING STUDY
The pudding assay.
Student: Katy Pacheco
Stay tuned to hear more about a study on how your spit breaks down starch.
PENDING STUDY
Vegetable... gummy bears???
Student: Lissa Davis
Stay tuned to hear more about our vegetable-flavored gummy bear project! You heard me.
