You weren't born loving your morning cup of joe or the baddest IPA. Evolution tells us to stay far away from bitter taste. It's in our DNA, this ability to avoid poisons and toxins, many of which... you guessed it, are bitter. So how can we explain our current obsession with pushing the limits of contentious taste? Join geneticist Dr. Nicole Garneau to explore how taste works, why contention leads to market opportunity, a guided beer tasting to facilitate a discussion of why we are each unique in what we bring to the table, and how these differences make for success in any culinary (or entrepreneurial) space!

Dr. Nicole Garneau is a taste scientist and keynote speaker who brings flavor science to the table. Her formal training in genetics and microbiology led her to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science where she serves as the Curator of Human Health and directs the Genetics of Taste Lab (www.dmns.org/genetics). In addition to her day job, she is the founder of three companies related to her work studying taste and her interest in food and beverage science. In this capacity, Dr. Garneau serves as a consultant to breweries, wineries, distilleries, food companies, and restaurants (www.drnicolegarneau.com). She is the co-author of the Beer Flavor Map and co-founder of the company DraughtLab (www.draughtlab.com).

Dr. Garneau is an advocate for women in science, and believes science should be for the people and by the people. Using a community-based research model of crowdsourcing and citizen science, she makes science accessible and personally relevant. As a sought-after public speaker and science communicator, she has had the honor of being an invited presenter at MileHigh TEDx, the Great American Beer Festival, the Craft Brewers Conference, and many scientific conferences including the American Society for Microbiology and Experimental Biology. She has been featured on television, radio and online outlets, including NPR's TED Radio Hour. You can find her in the Twittersphere @DocGarneau (personal) and @YoPearlSciGirl (museum).