Media Mentions

Eat This With Yara (AJ+): The Bizarre COVID Side Effect No One is Talking About

A subset of COVID survivors are suffering from an unexpected side effect known as parosmia, a condition that causes their sense of smell to go haywire. Coffee smells like sewage and chicken smells like rotting garbage. Yara set out to learn how COVID is doing...

07 August, 2021

Perfumer and Flavorist: One-on-One with Monell Center President and CEO Robert Margolskee

After the announcement of the Monell Chemical Senses Center's current director and president, Robert F. Margolskee, M.D., Ph.D., is officially stepping down as director in June 2022, Perfumer & Flavorist+ connected with Margoiskee to talk project wins, Monell research updates, future plans and more. — Click for...

27 July, 2021

Well+Good: ‘I’m an Olfactory Scientist, and This Is How to Know if You’ve Gone Nose-Blind to Odors in Your Home’

In shape-shifting our homes into offices, schools, gyms, day-care centers, and more since the onset of the pandemic, many of us have also graced these spaces with our constant presence—plus the body odors that come along with it. We’ve also brought in additional smell-generating activities,...

26 July, 2021

Consumer Reports: How to Regain Your Faltering Sense of Smell

Our sense of smell is a source of pleasure and protection, but plenty of factors can cause it to fade. Aging is a common cause of smell loss. And the sense can also be impaired by health conditions that include allergies and head trauma, as...

25 July, 2021

San Francisco Chronicle: Can ‘Sniff Training’ Restore COVID Survivors’ Sense of Smell?

Cat Berner slid a chicken into the oven in November and turned to chopping vegetables. It didn’t take long for her roommate to come running into the kitchen of their San Francisco flat, crying, “What’s burning?” Berner whirled around. “What are you talking about?” Berner, 31, an...

06 July, 2021

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