Matt Kochem

I am a nutrition scientist specializing in sweet taste, blood glucose regulation, and the effects of high potency sweetener consumption. In short, I examine the relationship between sweet taste and human health. I have completed and defended my doctoral dissertation at Rutgers University and I will receive my PhD in January 2017. I received my BS in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University in 2008.

Research Description:

Sweet taste drives sugar consumption, which is a major public health concern. I use sensory science methods to characterize the sweetness of sugars and high potency sweeteners. I also characterize individual difference in sweet taste perception. The goal of this work is to identify means of optimizing sweetness and curbing sugar consumption.

Sweet taste is also implicated in blood sugar regulation. The same molecular machinery responsible for the perception of sweet taste is present in non-taste tissues like the liver, intestine, stomach, pancreas, adipose, and even the brain. Thus far, the sweet taste receptor appears to promote glucose absorption and insulin secretion. To investigate this topic, I conduct human subjects research to characterize the effects of high potency sweeteners and sweetness blockers on human physiology.

Recent Research Projects:

• Effects of artificial sweetener consumption on human glucose tolerance

• Effects of hydration on human glucose tolerance

• Physiological effects of sweet taste blocker consumption

- Matt Kochem

Links to Publications:

https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/478760

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0172534

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27742692