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Cristina Mercado brings a wealth of research experience to the Florida Chemical Senses Institute—experience she began accumulating well before starting graduate school. Now a second-year Ph.D. student in Zoology with a concentration in Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Florida, Mercado is using her scientific background to explore new questions in insect […]

Dr. Michelle Bedenbaugh joined the University of Florida’s Department of Neuroscience in November 2024, bringing with her a research vision grounded in curiosity, collaboration, and a deep appreciation for the complexity of the brain. Her path into neuroscience began with a love for animals and a desire to become a veterinarian, until hands-on experience in […]

FCSI member Kayli R. Sieber successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis. Kayli is a valued student member of the Florida Chemical Senses Institute and an alumnus of the Chemosensory Training Program (NIH T32). Her research in the lab of Dr. Hua Yan has contributed to advancing our understanding of chemosensory neural development and social behavior in […]

The Florida Chemical Senses Institute is proud to recognize a significant achievement by FCSI member Dr. Jennifer Mulligan, who has received her first R01 award from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). The grant will fund her research into how inflammation contributes to smell loss and support the development of a […]

Sarah Sniffen, a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the University of Florida’s Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. program (Neuroscience concentration), is deeply invested in unraveling how our brains assign emotional meaning to odors—a line of research with powerful implications for mental health. Before joining UF, Sniffen completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology at Florida State University, where she […]

The UF Training Program in Chemosensory Science (TPCS) NIH T32, supported by the NIDCD, is accepting applications for a predoctoral fellow slot beginning start of the fall semester, 2025. The selected trainee will be eligible for up to two years of stipend and tuition support, funds for travel to present research, and funds to cover […]

Ants are among the most socially sophisticated creatures on Earth, relying on intricate chemical communication to coordinate their colonies. At the University of Florida, Dr. Hua Yan, a professor of biology, is exploring the neural and genetic foundations of this behavior, uncovering how chemosensory development shapes social interactions. A valuable member of the Florida Chemical […]

The Florida Chemical Senses Institute is proud to celebrate the election of Dr. Daniel A. Hahn to the 2024 class of AAAS Fellows, one of the highest honors in the scientific community. As an associate director of FCSI and a professor in UF’s Entomology and Nematology Department, Dr. Hahn’s research on insect physiology, adaptation, and […]

Since joining the University of Florida in 2015, Dr. Rui Xiao has been at the forefront of research on chemosensory modulation of aging. Now an Associate Professor, Dr. Xiao’s work aligns seamlessly with the mission of the Florida Chemical Senses Institute (FCSI), where he investigates how sensory inputs impact organismal aging and longevity. Dr. Xiao’s […]

Dr. Charles Sims has dedicated nearly four decades to advancing food science at the University of Florida. As a professor in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, his expertise in sensory evaluation and flavor chemistry has positioned him as a leading voice in understanding how consumers perceive food—and how that understanding can inform agricultural […]