CELEBRATE THE SCIENCE THAT CONNECTS US
INSTITUTE DEDICATED TO THE SCIENTIFIC
UNDERSTANDING OF TASTE AND SMELL
Monell’s Second Annual Celebration of Science
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
5:30–9:30 p.m. | Vie, Philadelphia
Join Monell for an evening celebrating sensory science, the people behind it, and the ideas shaping what comes next
MEET MONELL
Meet Monell: Sam Bacharach on the Brain Systems That Influence Eating Behavior
Why does food seem even more appealing when we’re hungry?
That seemingly simple question is at the heart of postdoctoral fellow Sam Bacharach’s research. He studies how hunger influences the brain’s reward system and motivates us to eat—and how understanding these fundamental processes could help us better understand conditions like obesity and eating disorders and identify new targets for therapies.
SENSE MAKING
Join us for Sense Making, Monell’s new podcast.
Episode Two – Your Body Is Talking to Your Environment Right Now
Welcome to Sense Making, the monthly podcast from the Monell Center, where familiar questions become surprising explorations of the science behind our senses.
This episode begins with a deceptively simple question: Why does your health depend on the health of the world around you?
Through conversations with Monell scientists and environmental historians, host Christopher Maute explores the One Health framework: the idea that human health, animal health, and environmental health are not separate systems, but one interconnected whole.
From how disease changes the chemical signals our bodies release, to the remarkable ability of animals to detect illness, to the ways pollution reshapes animal behavior and ecosystems, this episode reveals how invisible chemical cues connect every living organism to its environment. Along the way, you’ll discover how public health has always been intertwined with the quality of our air, water, and shared surroundings, and why understanding these connections is more important than ever.
Chemosensory Science in Your Classroom, and on the Big Screen!
We teamed up with Macgillivray Freeman Films, with generous support from the Ambrose Monell Foundation, to bring forth the IMAX feature film Super Human Body: World of Medical Marvels and related educational content.
As a result of this collaboration, educators, learners, and our partners and supporters around the world now have access to ten short videos about the science of taste, smell, and related senses and a 30-minute overview of research across the Monell Chemical Senses Center.
Visit the following links to explore a world of marvels in the science of the senses!
Introducing the Dr. Charis Eng Monell Science Apprenticeship Program
A bold new chapter for Monell’s signature summer research program: New name, Same inspiring summer research experience.
Formerly known as MSAP, the newly renamed Dr. Charis Eng Monell Science Apprenticeship Program honors Dr. Charis Eng and reflects more than four decades of scientific mentorship, discovery, and opportunity.
Through immersive, paid research experiences, high school and undergraduate apprentices work alongside Monell scientists while exploring careers in biomedical science, medicine, and health research.
The Latest in Taste and Smell Science
A Message from the Executive Director
Sign Up for Our Newsletter
Keep up to date on our research, outreach events, and public talks by signing up for our mailing list.
Follow Us
Encompassing postdoctoral fellows, visiting scientists, high school and undergrad students, training is a way of life here.
Your Support Propels Our Research to Improve Human Health
Monell’s academic collaborative network is extensive, bringing added strength and expertise to the Center’s research mission.
We collaborate with leading international corporations from the food, beverage, fragrance, pharmaceutical, chemical, and other industries.
