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Steven D. Munger

Steven D. Munger

Professor, Co-Director of Research, Otolaryngology

Primary Location
Aurbach Research Building
450 Ray C. Hunt Dr., Room G-168
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903

Bio & Overview

Our lab focuses on understanding how olfactory and taste systems detect and encode chemosensory stimuli, and how the function of these systems vary under different physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Our studies, predominantly funded by the NIH, are conducted with human subjects and in model systems, and employ neurobiological, psychophysical, anatomical and molecular biological approaches.

Academic Information

Department
Otolaryngology

Primary Education

  • BA, Biology, University of Virginia, 1989
  • PhD, Neuroscience, University of Florida, 1997

Research Interests

Neurobiology of smell and taste

Research Disciplines

  • Neuroscience

PhD Programs

  • Neuroscience

Selected Publications

2023

Weir, E. M., Exten, C., Gerkin, R. C., Munger, S. D., & Hayes, J. E. (2023). Transient loss and recovery of oral chemesthesis, taste and smell with COVID-19: A small case-control series. PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR, 271. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114331

Munger, S. D. (2023). What's New at Chemical Senses?. CHEMICAL SENSES, 48. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjad025

2022

Parra-Ferro, M., Justice, J. M., Lobo, B. C., Munger, S. D., Schlosser, R. J., & Mulligan, J. K. (2022). Utilization of Nasal Mucus to Investigate the Pathophysiology of Chronic Rhinosinusitis. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RHINOLOGY & ALLERGY, 36(6), 872-883. doi:10.1177/19458924221111830

Weir, E. M., Hannum, M. E., Reed, D. R., Joseph, P. V., Munger, S. D., Hayes, J. E., & Gerkin, R. C. (2022). The Adaptive Olfactory Measure of Threshold (ArOMa-T): a rapid test of olfactory function. CHEMICAL SENSES, 47. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjac036

2021

Malone, I. G., Hunter, B. K., Rossow, H. L., Herzog, H., Zolotukhin, S., Munger, S. D., & Dotson, C. D. (2021). Y1 receptors modulate taste-related behavioral responsiveness in male mice to prototypical gustatory stimuli. HORMONES AND BEHAVIOR, 136. doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105056

Parma, V., Ohla, K., Veldhuizen, M. G., Niv, M. Y., Kelly, C. E., Bakke, A. J., . . . Hayes, J. E. (2021). More Than Smell-COVID-19 Is Associated With Severe Impairment of Smell, Taste, and Chemesthesis (vol 45, pg 609, 2020). CHEMICAL SENSES, 46. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjab050

Gerkin, R. C., Ohla, K., Veldhuizen, M. G., Joseph, P. V., Kelly, C. E., Bakke, A. J., . . . Baguma, M. (2021). Recent Smell Loss Is the Best Predictor of COVID-19 Among Individuals With Recent Respiratory Symptoms. Chemical Senses, 46. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjaa081

Zimmerman, A. D., & Munger, S. D. (2021). Olfactory subsystems associated with the necklace glomeruli in rodents. CELL AND TISSUE RESEARCH, 383(1), 549-557. doi:10.1007/s00441-020-03388-2

2020

Zimmerman, A. D., Nagy, C. R., & Munger, S. D. (2020). Sensory neurons expressing the atypical olfactory receptor guanylyl cyclase D are required for the acquisition of odor preferences by mice in diverse social contexts. PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR, 227. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113150

Parma, V., Ohla, K., Veldhuizen, M. G., Niv, M. Y., Kelly, C. E., Bakke, A. J., . . . Hayes, J. E. (2020). More Than Smell - COVID-19 Is Associated With Severe Impairment of Smell,Taste, and Chemesthesis. CHEMICAL SENSES, 45(7), 609-622. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjaa041

Mainland, J. D., Barlow, L. A., Munger, S. D., Millar, S. E., Vergara, M. N., Jiang, P., . . . Reed, D. R. (2020). Identifying Treatments for Taste and Smell Disorders: Gaps and Opportunities. CHEMICAL SENSES, 45(7), 493-502. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjaa038

Munger, S. D. (2020). From the Editor-in-Chief. CHEMICAL SENSES, 45(4), 231. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjaa013

2019

Crosson, S. M., Marques, A., Dib, P., Dotson, C. D., Munger, S. D., & Zolotukhin, S. (2019). Taste Receptor Cells in Mice Express Receptors for the Hormone Adiponectin. CHEMICAL SENSES, 44(6), 409-422. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjz030

2017

Munger, S. D. (2017). A Bitter Tale of Sweet Synergy. CELL CHEMICAL BIOLOGY, 24(10), 1191-1192. doi:10.1016/j.chembiol.2017.10.003

2016

Spector, A. C., le Roux, C. W., Munger, S. D., Travers, S. P., Sclafani, A., & Mennella, J. A. (2017). Proceedings of the 2015 ASPEN Research WorkshopTaste Signaling: Impact on Food Selection, Intake, and Health. JOURNAL OF PARENTERAL AND ENTERAL NUTRITION, 41(1), 113-124. doi:10.1177/0148607115617438

Clark, A. A., Nurmukhambetova, S., Li, X., Munger, S. D., & Lees, J. R. (2016). Odorants specifically modulate chemotaxis and tissue retention of CD4+ T cells via cyclic adenosine monophosphate induction. JOURNAL OF LEUKOCYTE BIOLOGY, 100(4), 699-709. doi:10.1189/jlb.1A0914-425RR

Uytingco, C. R., Puche, A. C., & Munger, S. D. (2016). Using Intrinsic Flavoprotein and NAD(P)H Imaging to Map Functional Circuitry in the Main Olfactory Bulb. PLOS ONE, 11(11). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0165342

Uytingco, C. R., Puche, A. C., & Munger, S. D. (2016). Interglomerular Connectivity within the Canonical and GC-D/Necklace Olfactory Subsystems. PLOS ONE, 11(11). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0165343

2015

Perez-Gomez, A., Bleymehl, K., Stein, B., Pyrski, M., Birnbaumer, L., Munger, S. D., . . . Chamero, P. (2015). Innate Predator Odor Aversion Driven by Parallel Olfactory Subsystems that Converge in the Ventromedial Hypothalamus. CURRENT BIOLOGY, 25(10), 1340-1346. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.03.026

Glendinning, J. I., Elson, A. E. T., Kalik, S., Sosa, Y., Patterson, C. M., Myers, M. G. J., & Munger, S. D. (2015). Taste Responsiveness to Sweeteners Is Resistant to Elevations in Plasma Leptin. CHEMICAL SENSES, 40(4), 223-231. doi:10.1093/chemse/bju075

Kelliher, K. R., & Munger, S. D. (2015). Chemostimuli for guanylyl cyclase-D-expressing olfactory sensory neurons promote the acquisition of preferences for foods adulterated with the rodenticide warfarin. FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE, 9. doi:10.3389/fnins.2015.00262

2014

Clark, A. A., Dotson, C. D., Elson, A. E. T., Voigt, A., Boehm, U., Meyerhof, W., . . . Munger, S. D. (2015). TAS2R bitter taste receptors regulate thyroid function. FASEB JOURNAL, 29(1), 164-172. doi:10.1096/fj.14-262246

2013

Geraedts, M. C. P., & Munger, S. D. (2013). Gustatory Stimuli Representing Different Perceptual Qualities Elicit Distinct Patterns of Neuropeptide Secretion from Taste Buds (Retracted Article). JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, 33(17), 7559-7564. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0372-13.2013

Arakawa, H., Kelliher, K. R., Zufall, F., & Munger, S. D. (2013). The Receptor Guanylyl Cyclase Type D (GC-D) Ligand Uroguanylin Promotes the Acquisition of Food Preferences in Mice. CHEMICAL SENSES, 38(5), 391-+. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjt015

Dotson, C. D., Geraedts, M. C. P., & Munger, S. D. (2013). Peptide regulators of peripheral taste function. SEMINARS IN CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY, 24(3), 232-239. doi:10.1016/j.semcdb.2013.01.004

2012

Clark, A. A., Liggett, S. B., & Munger, S. D. (2012). Extraoral bitter taste receptors as mediators of off-target drug effects. FASEB JOURNAL, 26(12), 4827-4831. doi:10.1096/fj.12-215087

Geraedts, M. C. P., Takahashi, T., Vigues, S., Markwardt, M. L., Nkobena, A., Cockerham, R. E., . . . Munger, S. D. (2012). Transformation of postingestive glucose responses after deletion of sweet taste receptor subunits or gastric bypass surgery (Retracted article. See vol. 309, 2015). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM, 303(4), E464-E474. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00163.2012

Fernstrom, J. D., Munger, S. D., Sclafani, A., de Araujo, I. E., Roberts, A., & Molinary, S. (2012). Mechanisms for Sweetness. JOURNAL OF NUTRITION, 142(6), 1134S-1141S. doi:10.3945/jn.111.149567

2011

Templeton, C. M., Pour, S. O., Hobbs, J. R., Blanch, E. W., Munger, S. D., & Conn, G. L. (2011). Reduced Sweetness of a Monellin (MNEI) Mutant Results from Increased Protein Flexibility and Disruption of a Distant Poly-(L-Proline) II Helix. CHEMICAL SENSES, 36(5), 425-+. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjr007

2010

Munger, S. D., Leinders-Zufall, T., McDougall, L. M., Cockerham, R. E., Schmid, A., Wandernoth, P., . . . Kelliher, K. R. (2010). An Olfactory Subsystem that Detects Carbon Disulfide and Mediates Food-Related Social Learning. CURRENT BIOLOGY, 20(16), 1438-1444. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2010.06.021

Elson, A. E. T., Dotson, C. D., Egan, J. M., & Munger, S. D. (2010). Glucagon signaling modulates sweet taste responsiveness. FASEB JOURNAL, 24(10), 3960-3969. doi:10.1096/fj.10-158105