Biography
I am a Professor and Vice Chair for Graduate Education in the Department of Anatomical Sciences at the University of Louisville. I have spent 30 years exploring the development, function and morphology of neurons that innervate the oral cavity.
Research Interests
Our oral cavity contains a complex landscape of sensory structures and epithelia that allow us to detect food and make decisions about what to eat. My laboratory studies how these sensory detectors function, what information they send to the brain, and how they are affected by injury, disease, and medical treatments—with the goal of preserving system function.
Peripheral neurons transmit both taste and somatosensory signals from the oral cavity to the brain. Our research focuses on understanding how gene expression, morphology, and function define different types of gustatory and somatosensory neurons. We use this information to explore how sensory inputs are integrated in the brain to shape our perception of food.
The adult taste system is unique in that taste receptor cells are continuously replaced. We investigate how taste neurons form and maintain connections with taste bud cells during development, normal cell turnover, and when turnover is disrupted, such as during chemotherapy.
To answer these questions, we use a combination of techniques including sparse genetic labeling, fiber tracing, whole-mount imaging, intravital imaging, and calcium imaging. Our work addresses key questions in the field, such as how the peripheral taste system is organized, how this organization is preserved during ongoing receptor cell renewal, and how tastes are localized on the tongue. These insights are essential for developing strategies to restore taste function after damage.
Research Labs
Degrees and Certifications
Florida Southern College, Lakeland, , 1981-1984
Florida State University, Tallahassee, , 1984-1988
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, , 1991-1996