Latest News

Article ID: 716192

PHILADELPHIA (July 22, 2019) -- Nancy E. Rawson, PhD, has been appointed Vice President of the Monell Chemical Senses Center, effective immediately. A highly accomplished scientist and leader, Rawson will work closely with Monell Director and President Robert Margolskee, MD, PhD, on implementing a new strategic plan to guide Monell’s future.

Article ID: 714811

New research from the Monell Center analyzed nearly 400,000 food reviews posted by Amazon customers to gain real-world insight into the food choices that people make. The findings reveal that many people find the foods in today’s marketplace to be too sweet.

Article ID: 712171

A new study shows that small changes in a single olfactory receptor gene can affect how strong and pleasant a person finds an odor. The findings expand understanding of how olfactory receptors in the nose encode information about the properties of odors even before that information reaches the brain.

Article ID: 711679

Scientists from the Monell Center report that functional olfactory receptors are present in human taste cells. The findings suggest that interactions between the senses of smell and taste, the primary components of food flavor, may begin on the tongue and not in the brain, as previously thought.

Article ID: 705821

Scientists have used a combination of mathematical modeling, electrophysiology, and computer simulations to explain how cells communicate effectively in highly constricted spaces such as the olfactory cilia. The findings will inform future studies of cellular signaling in the olfactory system and other confined spaces of the nervous system.

Article ID: 705687

The Monell Center and Thomas Jefferson University announce the funding of five collaborative pilot grants for projects that combine Monell’s research on the senses of taste and smell with Jefferson’s complementary strengths in the basic and clinical neurosciences.

Article ID: 703419

Patient talks will inform scientists and clinicians on etiology and impact

Article ID: 700889

Research from the Monell Center extends the scope and significance of personal odors as a source of information about an individual’s health. A new paper reveals that the bodily odors of otherwise healthy animals sharing an environment with sick animals become like the odors of the sick animals.

Article ID: 700720

New research from the Monell Center suggests that a little-understood sensory cell may protect the vulnerable olfactory epithelium by detecting and initiating defenses against viruses, bacteria, and other potentially harmful invaders.

Article ID: 700504

A new collaboration grant to Discovery BioMed and the Monell Center will support development of next-generation screening technologies to identify bitter taste blockers. The work will advance health by improving the taste and acceptability of nutritious plant-based foods and increasing patient willingness to take life-saving oral medicines.