Newswise — PHILADELPHIA (May 7, 2015) – The Monell Center, the leading basic research institute focused on the senses of taste and smell, has established a formal partnership with Drexel University to promote education and research on flavor perception and food science. The agreement, which follows years of informal collaboration, leverages the respective strengths of two preeminent Philadelphia institutions.

“This agreement represents an exciting milestone in Monell’s master plan to grow the Center’s impact through multi-faceted strategic partnerships,” said Robert Margolskee, MD, PhD, Director and President of Monell.

The partnership will strengthen Monell’s role in educating the next generation of food scientists in both the classroom and laboratory. Participating Monell scientists will receive adjunct faculty appointments and teaching opportunities at Drexel, while graduate and undergraduate students in the Drexel Food Science program will participate in hands-on scientific research at Monell.

“Partnering with Drexel enables us to develop food science graduates possessing an advanced understanding of taste and smell sensory science,” said Margolskee. “We anticipate that Monell-trained graduates of the Drexel program will be exceptionally well prepared for diverse positions in the food industry and also in the public health arena.”

The collaboration provides Monell researchers with access to Drexel’s Academic Bistro as a research site. The Academic Bistro, which serves as the focal point for the University’s culinary and hospitality programs, comprises a sensory lab, commercial kitchens, and a restaurant, and is open to the public when service courses are running.

“A key component of this collaboration involves sharing and exploring the health benefits of Monell’s research,” Margolskee continued. “We look forward to exciting new studies on how the chemical senses of taste and smell influence nutrition and appetite.”

Similarly, the Monell affiliation offers many advantages to Drexel.

“Drexel’s Department of Culinary Arts & Food Science and Monell have long been mutual admirers. This partnership allows us to move from affinities to productive work together,” said Jonathan Deutsch, PhD, Founding Director of Drexel’s Center for Hospitality and Sport Management. “This collaboration allows us to bring to life many aspects of our strategic priorities: anticipating and meeting the needs of the industry, providing unparalleled learning experiences for students, conducting leading-edge research, and breaking down the education-industry divide to prepare the next generation of leaders.”

In time, the collaboration may extend to other areas of Drexel, including psychology, biomedical engineering, nutrition, and business.

Drexel University’s program in Food Science, part of the Center for Hospitality and Sports Management, is committed to pushing the boundaries of food development through science. The program offers a dynamic, multidisciplinary education, using the latest research techniques and technological applications to meet an ever-growing demand for healthy, safe, and nutritious foods.

The Monell Chemical Senses Center is an independent nonprofit basic research institute based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For over 46 years, Monell has advanced scientific understanding of the mechanisms and functions of taste and smell to benefit human health and well-being. Using an interdisciplinary approach, scientists collaborate in the programmatic areas of sensation and perception; neuroscience and molecular biology; environmental and occupational health; nutrition and appetite; health and well-being; development, aging and regeneration; and chemical ecology and communication. For more information about Monell, visit www.monell.org.