Media Mentions

WHYY: How the Nose Knows (Podcast)

Our sense of smell can bring us quick bursts of joy, like a whiff of bread baking, that freshly brewed cup of coffee, or your favorite perfume. But it’s also an important alarm system, alerting us to dangers ranging from gas leaks to spoiled food. Even...

18 June, 2021

The New York Times: Distorted, Bizarre Food Smells Haunt Covid Survivors

Marcel Kuttab first sensed something was awry while brushing her teeth a year ago, several months after recovering from COVID-19. Her toothbrush tasted dirty, so she threw it out and got a new one. Then she realized the toothpaste was at fault. Onions and garlic and...

15 June, 2021

BBC: Why Do I Have such a Sweet Tooth? (Podcast)

The episode investigates how our upbringing and our genes both influence how much of a sweet tooth we have, as well as the shape and size of our tongues. — Click here to listen to the episode....

14 June, 2021

The Washington Post: Scientists Begin to Unravel the Mysteries of the Coronavirus and Brains

In the coronavirus pandemic’s early weeks, in neuropathology departments around the world, scientists wrestled with a question: Should they cut open the skulls of patients who died of covid-19 and extract their brains? Autopsy staff at Columbia University in New York were hesitant. Sawing into bone...

07 June, 2021

Bloomberg Law: CDC Touts Smell Training After Covid, But Results Are Unproven

Regular sniffing of lemon, clove and other spices won’t help everyone regain their sense of smell after Covid-19, but the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention says “smell training” is something people should absolutely try. Dr. John Brooks, the CDC’s chief medical officer for the agency’s...

02 June, 2021

Eating Well: How to Stop Your Mouth from Burning When You Eat Spicy Food

We've all lived through it: Thinking you can take the heat of a spicy dish and then realizing, to your horror and your friends' amusement, that your mouth has become a fiery hell that, like hiccups, seems never-ending but really only lasts a few minutes. But...

25 May, 2021

USA Today: ‘Life-Altering:’ as Millions Cope With Smell Loss From COVID-19, Researchers Find New Explanations and Possible Treatments

Elizabeth Byland has trouble stomaching chicken these days, because it smells to her like poop. Cauliflower tastes like metal and carrots like soap. "I've got a dog that smells like orange slices," she said. It's an improvement from last summer when the Richmond, Virginia, resident caught COVID-19...

23 May, 2021

NPR: Will My Sense Of Smell Ever Return? Olfactory Insights From COVID And Beyond

About 25 years ago, after a particularly bad cold, I suddenly lost my sense of smell — I could no longer sense the difference between sweaty tennis shoes and a fragrant rose. Since then, my olfactory discernment comes and goes, and most of the time...

08 May, 2021

Gastropod: So Hot Right Now: Why We Love the Chile Pepper

Pam Dalton, Monell Chemical Senses Center researcher works with capsaicin, amongst other substances. ...

27 April, 2021

New York Times: Can Covid Research Help Solve the Mysteries of Other Viruses?

Barie Carmichael lost her sense of taste and smell while traveling in Europe. She remembers keeping a dinner date at a Michelin-starred restaurant but tasting nothing. “I didn’t have the heart to tell my host,” she said. It may sound like a case of Covid-19. But...

17 April, 2021