One area of our research is to understand variation in oral sensation and how that variation influences food flavor, what we like, and what we chose to eat. Our ultimate goal is to understand how variation in oral sensation influences our ability to follow a healthy diet for the prevention of chronic disease and obesity. Oral sensation varies genetically and across the lifespan with exposure to pathologies (eg, middle ear infection) or changes in hormone levels (eg,menstruation, pregnancy, perimenopause). Through current and past funding from NIH and USDA, we utilize a number of markers of variation in oral sensation [including bitter markers (6-n-propylthiouracil, quinine), tongue anatomy (number of fungiform papillae), and emerging gene markers] to explain variability in preference for or intake of sweets, alcoholic beverages, vegetables and fat. Preliminary data also support that these markers of variation in oral sensation associate with risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

Our collaborations with Dr. Linda Bartoshuk help to refine the psychophysical methodologies for characterizing variation in oral sensation and food/beverages likes and dislikes while those with Dr. Kenneth Kidd aim to identify genes associated with variation in oral sensation. We are currently testing the generalizability of findings - that oral sensation associates with dietary behaviors that increase disease and obesity risk. Long-term, we want to test the use of oral sensory markers in individualizing diets to affect positive change - promote health and well-being - in addition to preventing negative outcomes like obesity and chronic disease.