Creates a safe and inclusive space.
Associate Professor Mei Peng holds the position of Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Otago, with significant involvement in the Department of Food Science, specializing in sensory science and food psychology. She earned her PhD, MA Hons, and BA from the University of Auckland, with a background in experimental psychology. Her research explores how sensory perception, cognitive traits, and emotional factors shape eating behaviours and health outcomes through multidisciplinary approaches including behavioural science, psychophysics, and neuroimaging. Key areas include individual differences in multisensory integration, mental imagery in eating behaviour and food neophobia, impacts of pregnancy and hormonal changes on taste and smell, psychophysical modelling of flavour perception, cultural influences on food perception, and AI-assisted diagnosis of sensory-related feeding disorders. Peng established and leads the Sensory Neuroscience and Nutrition Laboratory at Otago. In 2020, she founded the ENERGY Longitudinal Study Cohort, Aotearoa New Zealand’s first pregravid longitudinal study tracking behavioural, metabolic, and neural-sensory changes related to pregnancy. She leads Marsden Fund grants, including a 2022–2025 project on sensory shifts and dietary patterns, and HRC-funded initiatives addressing dietary quality in populations affected by obesity, neurodiversity, and ageing. She teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses such as FOSC214 Psychology of Food and FOSC306 Advanced Sensory Science, contributing to the development of food psychology as a field of study.
Peng’s career at the University of Otago spans over a decade, progressing from lecturer to associate professor. She has received major awards including the Fulbright New Zealand 2024 NZ Scholar Award for a four-and-a-half-month exchange at University of California Berkeley and Davis, and Washington State University, focusing on parental decision-making in plant-based food choices; and the 2026 Rewi Alley Visiting Professorship to strengthen New Zealand-China academic ties. She serves on the editorial board of Food Quality and Preference, is a founding member of the Australasian Sensory Professional Network, and convenes the NZ-Australian Sensory Symposium. Her influential publications include 'A Mendelian trait for olfactory sensitivity affects odor experience and food selection' (Current Biology, 2013), 'Recent smell loss is the best predictor of COVID-19 among individuals with recent respiratory symptoms' (Chemical Senses, 2021), 'Systematic review of olfactory shifts related to obesity' (Obesity Reviews, 2019), 'Eating with eyes–Comparing eye movements and food choices between overweight and lean individuals in a real-life buffet setting' (Appetite, 2018), and ''Just imagine…': Mental imagery correlates with food neophobia' (Food Research International, 2026). Her work advances understanding of sensory influences on health issues like obesity, depression, and dietary choices in diverse populations, with emphasis on equity, diversity, and partnerships with Māori communities.
University of Otago researchers reveal how self-reported taste complaints predict poorer sleep quality in New Zealand adults, urging integrated sensory health screening.
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