Leslie Birgit Vosshall (born July 5, 1965) is an American neurobiologist and currently a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator and the Robin Chemers Neustein Professor of Neurogenetics and Behavior at The Rockefeller University.

[1] Vosshall, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, is known for her contributions to the field of olfaction, particularly for the discovery and subsequent characterization of the insect olfactory receptor family, and the genetic basis of chemosensory behavior in mosquitoes.

[8] Vosshall’s and her associates’ research on Aedes aegypti, the mosquito responsible for transmitting yellow fever,[8] dengue, and Zika,[9] found that it has a particular odor-detecting gene (AaegOr4) that is highly attuned to sulcatone, a compound predominant in human odor.

[8][10] Research from Vosshall’s lab demonstrated that a chemical transferred from the male of the species during sex plays a key role in shaping the female’s sexual proclivities.

[11][12] In addition, Vosshall and her associates discovered ORCO, a mosquito co-receptor responsible for preference for humans over non-human animals and sensitivity to insect-repellent DEET.