Dr. Stephen Liberles

Biography

Stephen Liberles is a Professor at Harvard Medical School and an HHMI Investigator. He received his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Harvard in 1994 and earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry with a focus on Chemical Biology in 1999, working in the lab of Stuart Schreiber. Following his doctoral studies, he conducted post-doctoral research in Linda Buck's lab at Harvard Medical School and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. His research interests lie in molecular neuroscience and sensory systems, with a specific focus on olfaction, pheromone sensing, taste, and the internal organ senses via the vagus nerve. His lab has made significant discoveries, including the characterization of non-classical families of olfactory receptors and how odors and pheromones can stimulate innate behaviors. Additionally, his work has explored cell types in the vagus nerve that selectively control autonomic physiology and the mechanisms underlying sensation in internal organs, particularly relating to airway stretch and aortic blood pressure changes.

Research Interests