Research in sensory systems investigates how sensory organs and neural circuits detect, process and interpret information from the external environment.
Faculty study the cellular and systems-level mechanisms underlying vision, hearing, touch and other sensory modalities. Using approaches that include physiology, imaging and computational modeling, researchers examine how sensory signals are transformed into perception and behavior. This work advances understanding of sensory processing and informs new strategies to address sensory dysfunction associated with neurological disease.
Faculty Mentors
| Name | Department | Research Area | Disease Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick J. Antonelli | Otolaryngology | Sensory Systems | N/A |
| Jennifer L. Bizon | Neuroscience | Cognition; Integrative Physiology and Behavior; Motivation and Emotion; Neural Aging and Degeneration; Neural Excitability, Synapses and Glia; Sensory Systems | Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia; Substance Use Disorder |
| Shannon E. Boye | Ophthalmology | Sensory Systems | Ocular & Visual Disorders |
| Robert M. Caudle | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | Neural Aging and Degeneration; Neural Excitability, Synapses and Glia; Sensory Systems | Substance Use Disorder |
| Yenisel Cruz-Almeida | Community Dentistry & Behavioral Sciences | Cognition; Integrative Physiology and Behavior; Neural Aging and Degeneration; Sensory Systems | N/A |
| Astra Dinculescu | Ophthalmology | Sensory Systems | Ocular & Visual Disorders |
| Mingzhou Ding | Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering | Cognition; Integrative Physiology and Behavior; Neural Aging and Degeneration; Sensory Systems | Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia; Parkinson’s Disease |
| Daniel J. Hoh | Neurosurgery | Integrative Physiology and Behavior; Sensory Systems | Spinal Cord Injury |
| Richard Johnson | Physiological Sciences | Integrative Physiology and Behavior; Neural Excitability, Synapses and Glia; Sensory Systems | N/A |
| Ben Lewis | Psychiatry | Cognition; Integrative Physiology and Behavior; Motivation and Emotion; Neural Aging and Degeneration; Neural Excitability, Synapses and Glia; Sensory Systems | Substance Use Disorder |
| Carol Mathews | Psychiatry | Cognition; Development; Motivation and Emotion; Motor Systems; Neural Aging and Degeneration; Sensory Systems | Psychiatric Disorders |
| Karim Oweiss | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Cognition; Motor Systems; Neural Aging and Degeneration; Neural Excitability, Synapses and Glia; Sensory Systems | Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia; Spinal Cord Injury; Neuromuscular Disorders; Parkinson’s Disease |
| W. Clay Smith | Ophthalmology | Sensory Systems | Ocular & Visual Disorders |
| Dan Wesson | Pharmacology and Therapeutics | Cognition; Motivation and Emotion; Sensory Systems | Substance Use Disorder |
Key Affiliations
Center for Smell and Taste
