Conducts cutting edge research and publishes in peer-reviewed journals. Covers all aspects of university teaching (e.g., preparing lessons, lecturing, managing courses, and facilitating learning for students). Involved in university/department service activities (e.g., committees and faculty development).

Functioned as a platform director acting as a global thought leader and influencer for several strategic functional pillars such as gut health, vitality, energy, mood management, hydration. Proposed and designed technical research agendas to deliver the functional benefits. Developed research programs and platform ideas for ingredients and technology in areas identified from consumer insights and emerging trends as a means to deliver measurable and personalized benefits. • Scouted a start-up company that developed a novel solution to hydrate the body which led to a $10 million deal with the company and Coca-Cola North America to co-develop new products with significantly greater hydration efficiency.• Evaluated a small beverage company that markets an innovative beverage designed to impact upon muscle recovery. Based on the strength of this evaluation, Coca-Cola’s Venturing and Emerging Brands group decided to invest in the company and bring the brand into the Coca-Cola System.• Created, de novo, a novel functional ingredient for a line-extension to one of Coca-Cola’s billion dollar brands. However, the ingredient and functionality did not exist in nature. By working with a company that specialized in the enzymatic conversion of natural proteins into novel functional ingredients, was able to supply the brand with the brand new ingredient that will be included in a beverage to be launched in 2020.

Conducted cutting edge research and published peer-reviewed articles in journals and books. Covered all aspects of university teaching (e.g., preparing lessons, lecturing, managing courses, and facilitating learning for students). Involved in university/department service activities (e.g., committees and faculty development).• Demonstrated that, when present in the oral cavity at a sufficient concentration, the satiety hormone peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY), together with the hormone glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1), leads to a significant reduction in food intake and subsequent weight loss. This work has led to the submission of a patent application supported by the university (United States Patent Application: US20170326257A1).• Identified, for the first time, PYY, as well as the Neuropeptide Y family of receptors, in gustatory tissues and showed that they function to mediate taste sensitivity and food intake.• Started a research laboratory, de novo, and generated novel and exciting new data which formed the basis of a R01 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant application that was funded for $1 million by the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).

Brought expertise in the scientific assessment of ingestive behaviors to bear on projects in the Munger lab designed to understand the molecular and cellular machinery used to detect odors, tastes and other chemicals in foods and pharmaceuticals.• Made a new scientific discovery showing, for the 1st time, the expression of bitter taste receptors in the human gastrointestinal system and revealed that these receptors function to mediate the secretion of glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) from L-cell in the distal intestines, helping to influence glucose and insulin homeostasis.• Demonstrated, for the first time, the expression of GLP-1 as well as its cognate receptor, in human gustatory tissues. Also showed that it functions to mediate taste responsiveness.