Smell for Life

Smell for Life

Anosmia is the clinical term for the inability to smell. Few people appreciate the range of information provided by the sense of smell. Even fewer think about what would happen if that source of information disappeared. Yet olfaction is a vulnerable sense, and smell disorders and loss are common.

Launched in 2014, the Monell Anosmia Project sought out to better understand the underlying causes of anosmia and develop effective treatments. On Anosmia Awareness Day 2021 we renamed the initiative, the Monell Smell for Life Project. This new name is a fundamental shift in the approach to our research. We seek to better understand the mechanisms of the sense of smell, elevate the role of smell in our lives and throughout our lifespan, and elucidate the pathway to treatments for smell loss.

To this end, Monell partners with many like-minded organizations to further awareness about smell loss and advocate for more research, including the Smell and Taste Association of North America (STANA), AbScent, Fifth Sense, Anosmia Awareness, and the Global Consortium on Chemosensory Research.

Smell for Life is made possible primarily through contributions from individuals who believe as we do that research is the antidote to the challenges of smell loss. Donations of all sizes are invested immediately in scientists who are fighting for the millions of people worldwide living without smell.

Support the Project