USC Dornsife Cellular Physiologist Emily Liman Named to National Geographic’s “33” List of Global Changemakers
Emily Liman, Harold Dornsife Chair in Neurosciences and professor of biological sciences and at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, has been named to National Geographic’s inaugural “33” list of global changemakers. The honor recognizes her pioneering research in sensory biology, including the discovery of a new type of protein that functions as receptor for sour taste.
Liman’s lab focuses on understanding how the body senses chemicals in the environment, particularly through taste. In 2018, her team identified the receptor responsible for detecting sour taste, known as OTOP1. More recently, Liman’s research revealed that the same receptor also responds to ammonium chloride—an ingredient found in some foods, like Nordic salty licorice, but also a substance that signals potential toxicity in nature.