Media Mentions

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Perfume for Babies? Better Bring Your Checkbook.

Pamela Dalton, a scientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in University City, said, “Most commercially available perfume products are safe. But baby skin is sensitive. Lots of babies have reactions to even baby lotions, so you can’t say every perfume is safe. “If you’re not...

05 February, 2024

American Heart Association: How to Make Eating Healthy Easier? The Answer May Be on the Tip of Your Tongue

If your New Year's resolution was to cut down on salt and sugar in your diet, you may have an unexpected ally: your taste buds. Research, and personal anecdotes, suggest that taste buds might adapt themselves to help us enjoy lower levels of salt and sugar...

29 January, 2024

WebMD: New Study Reveals Why Fats and Sugars Are Irresistible

The cravings feel inevitable and unavoidable – you stand up, walk to the kitchen, open the fridge or pantry, and ponder. Although you remind yourself to consider a piece of fruit or some protein, your eyes linger on the potato chips and cookies. If fats and...

26 January, 2024

New York Post: How Fat and Sugar Team up With the Brain to Destroy Diets

Experiencing simultaneous fat and sugar cravings is what makes dieting so challenging, researchers from the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia reported in a study published Thursday in the journal Cell Metabolism. Researchers found that the way fat and sugar impact the brain, via distinct pathways...

18 January, 2024

Delish: Why Are We So Obsessed With Spicy Food?

Take a bite of a chili pepper and you’ll feel the consequences. You’ll salivate, snot will drip out of your nose, and tears will fill your eyes. You might start coughing or sneezing, and your mouth will feel like it’s on fire. You might even...

17 January, 2024

Capital Analytics Associates: Philadelphia Life Sciences Leaders Discuss Industry Headwinds and Opportunities

Nancy Rawson, Executive Vice President & Chief Impact Officer, Monell Chemical Senses Center: Monell is at a transformational point in our 55-year history, with our fourth Executive Director, Dr. Ben Smith, who joined the Center in August. Dr. Smith is poised to move us into...

04 January, 2024

Science: This Vibrating Diet Pill May Trick the Stomach Into Feeling Full

People trying to lose weight embark on grueling diets, undergo procedures to shrink their stomachs, or pony up for expensive new drugs like Ozempic. Now, researchers have revealed a gentler and potentially cheaper option: a vibrating pill that stimulates nerve endings in the stomach to...

22 December, 2023

WHYY: Why Don’t Doctors Screen Patients for Smell Loss? Researchers Tell Us Why

“Smell and taste testing for all.” That was the slogan at the Towards Universal Chemosensory Testing Conference held in Philadelphia earlier this year. The National Institutes of Health funded conference created a space for researchers, physicians, and patients to discuss barriers preventing universal smell and...

14 December, 2023

Eater: Is the Burn From Foods Like Wasabi Different From Chile Pepper Heat?

We might describe the effects of a spicy curry and a hot sauce-doused burrito or a forkful of horseradish with smoked fish using the same words — as a burning sensation or heat — but we share your suspicions, Gino. They may both move us...

05 December, 2023

Science: Why Does Paxlovid Make Things Taste Bitter?

Paxlovid can prevent severe illness from COVID-19, but it comes with a price: In many users, the antiviral drug leaves a weird, metallic aftertaste that can last for days—a condition nicknamed “Paxlovid mouth.” Now, researchers say they’ve figured out why. A component of Paxlovid activates one...

20 November, 2023