FSU Researcher Gets $2.5M to Study Salt Taste

Florida State neuroscientist Roberto Vincis will examine how food and drink temperature shapes the brain's processing of salt taste.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Nutrition

Clear glass beakers of pale liquid with condensation sit on a laboratory bench beside a brass instrument in soft window light. — Florida State neuroscientist Roberto Vincis received a $2.5 million grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders to study how temperature shapes salt taste. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you actively try to reduce the salt in your everyday diet?

Florida State University neuroscientist Roberto Vincis has received a $2.5 million grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. The project, titled "Thermal Influences on Salt Taste Sensitivity and Neural Processing," will study how temperature affects salt perception.

Why it matters

About 90 percent of Americans consume more sodium than recommended, making reducing excess salt a major public health priority. The research could help identify biological targets for treating obesity and eating disorders, and inform strategies to cut salt intake.

The $2.5 million grant builds on a $1.8 million NIH award Vincis received in 2022, while roughly 90 percent of Americans consume more sodium than recommended. How temperature changes salt perception remains untested in the findings reported so far.

The players

Roberto Vincis

Vincis is an Associate Professor of Biological Science and Neuroscience at Florida State University who has studied taste and brain processing since joining the faculty in 2018.

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

The NIH institute funds research on hearing, balance, taste, smell, and communication disorders, and is funding this project.

The details

The research combines behavioral experiments, brain activity recordings, and targeted manipulation of specific brain circuits. Chemicals in foods and drinks activate taste cells in the mouth, which send signals along nerves to the brain.

2018: Vincis joined the Florida State University faculty.
2022: Vincis received a five-year, $1.8 million NIH grant.
2026: Vincis received the Ajinomoto Award for Young Investigators in Gustation.
November 3, 2026: Florida State University announced the new $2.5 million NIH grant.

Big Picture

The grant falls under the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, which funds sensory research such as taste, extending federal support to salt perception. It positions salt-taste neuroscience within broader federal efforts to address excess sodium in the American diet.

Findings on how temperature changes salt perception could eventually inform guidance on reducing sodium intake. For now, the research is in progress and does not change current dietary recommendations.

The takeaway

Because most Americans already exceed recommended sodium limits, paying attention to how food temperature affects perceived saltiness may help readers make gradual reductions. Research into this link is still early and should not be treated as a finished dietary rule.