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I am interested in the associative processes involved in olfactory and
gustatory learning. Most recently, I used conditioned flavor-taste preference
(CFTP), a form of flavor-flavor preference conditioning, to explore the
acquisition and expression of learned food preferences as a model of
olfactory learning. I used three approaches to examine how these associations
are made: 1) behavioral (microstructure of ingestion); 2) pharmacological
(the role of the NMDA receptor in CFTP); and 3) molecular (c-Fos immunolabeling
in key brain regions (e.g., amygdala, hypothalamus, and gustatory cortex)
in order to examine differential patterns of c-Fos activation). Currently,
I am interested in the central processes underlying chemical communication
and individual differences in the perception of taste.
My Monell Publications |