Faculty

Lawrence E. Marks, Ph.D.

Director, John Pierce Laboratory
Professor, Division of Environmental Health Sciences

Professor Marks develops quantitative, psychophysical models to account for sensory and perceptual responses to environmental stimuli. His current research is directed in particular at elucidating the mechanisms by which perceptual and cognitive systems combine information from multiple sensory modalities. Of special interest are the mechanisms of multisensory integration and interaction involved in the perception of flavors.  The flavors of foods and beverages come partly from molecules that stimulate gustatory (taste) receptors on the tongue, but importantly – often most importantly – from molecules that stimulate olfactory receptors in the nose.  The perception of flavor is a critical factor controlling the intake of food. And the intake of food, in turn, is critical to the energy balance of the body, a topic central to the mission of the John B. Pierce Laboratory.

Education

Ph.D., Harvard University, 1965

Awards and Honors

Society of Experimental Psychologists, 2004

Philosophiae doctorem honoris causa, Stockholm University, 1994

Jacob Javits Award/ Claude Pepper Award, National Institutes of Health, 1987-1994

Hunter College Hall of Fame, 1985

Professional Services

Board of Directors, American Synesthesia Association

Current Research Projects

Mechanisms of Taste and Flavor Perception; Sensory Aftereffects of Transient Stimulation; Role of Attention in Sensory Detection

Yale Affiliations

Secondary appointment, Professor of Psychology

Selected Publications

Marks, L.E. and Arieh, Y. Differential Effects of Stimulus Context in Sensory Processing. European Review of Applied Psychology, in press.

Ashkenazi, A. and Marks, L.E. Effect of Endogenous Attention on the Detection of Weak Gustatory and Olfactory Flavors. Perception & Psychophysics 66: 596-608, 2004.

Marks, L.E. Cross-modal Interactions in Speeded Classification. In: Handbook of Multisensory Processes, Calvert, G., Spence, C., and Stein, B.E. (Eds.). Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT Press, 85-106, 2004.

Marks, L.E., Ben-Artzi, E., and Lakatos, S. Cross-modal Interactions in Auditory and Visual Discrimination. International Journal of Psychophysiology 50: 125-145, 2003.

Arieh, Y., and Marks, L.E. Recalibrating the Auditory System: A Speed-accuracy Analysis of Intensity Perception. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 29: 523-536, 2003.

Odgaard, E., Arieh, Y., and Marks, L.E. Cross-modal Enhancement of Perceived Brightness: Sensory Interaction versus Response Bias. Perception & Psychophysics 65: 123-132, 2003.

Martino, G., and Marks, L.E. Synesthesia: Strong and Weak. Current Directions in Psychological Science 10: 61-65, 2001.

Rankin, K.M., and Marks, L.E. Chemosensory Context Effects: Role of Perceived Similarity and Neural Commonality. Chemical Senses 25: 748-759, 2000.