Molly Spencer, PhD, is an Associate Vice President in the Litigation Surveys & Consumer Science division at IMS Legal Strategies. Dr. Spencer is an experienced sensory and consumer scientist with skills in survey research, sensory claims, advertising claim substantiation, consumer behavior and preferences, food science, and statistics. She has several years of experience designing, conducting, and analyzing consumer survey research for litigation and advertising claim substantiation, and has implemented more than 150 consumer research studies in the past decade.
Prior to litigation and claims research, Dr. Spencer worked in the plant-based foods industry, where she developed a highly trained sensory panel and created a flavor and texture sensory lexicon and flavor wheel for meat products. She also co-created the globally recognized Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel for the Specialty Coffee Association.
Molly earned her PhD in food science from the University of California, Davis, and completed her postdoctoral studies at Monell Chemical Senses Center, a renowned institution for taste and smell research. Her doctoral and postdoctoral research focused on consumer attitudes toward plant-forward diets, identifying strategies to enhance acceptance of plant-based ingredients through flavor complexity, spiciness, and mixed dishes. Additionally, Dr. Spencer has extensive experience teaching sensory evaluation techniques to both students and industry professionals.
When she is not working, Dr. Spencer enjoys brewing quality coffee, running, lifting weights, traveling to new places, and spending time with friends and family.
