Monell Chemical Senses Center

01/13/2026

Register on monell.org/events/ to join us today!

- We're so excited to be joined by Dr. Natale Sciolino on Tuesday, January 13, for our first seminar of 2026!

Dr. Sciolino is an assistant professor at the Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Connecticut. Her talk, titled "locus coeruleus norepinephrine dynamics in taste processing," is supported by the Martin Meyerson Endowment Fund.

👉 To join us, virtually or in-person, visit monell.org/events.

01/09/2026

𝑫𝒊𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 that you have taste receptors throughout your body, not just on your tongue?

Taste receptors—the same ones that help you detect sweet, bitter, salty, sour, and savory foods—are doing much more than deciding what's delicious. They appear in the stomach, pancreas, intestines, and other organs, where they help you sense nutrients, regulate digestion, and even initiate immune responses.

In tissues like the gut and lungs, taste receptors are found in tuft cells, a specialized cell type involved in sensing the body’s internal chemical environment. These cells use taste receptors to detect parasitic infections, ultimately translating that information into biological responses that defend our bodies and expel the parasite.

Today, sensory scientists at Monell continue to investigate how these hidden taste pathways affect health and disease, expanding our understanding of what it really means to taste!

👉 To keep up with the latest research at Monell, sign up for our mailing list on: monell.org/get-updates/

👉 Read more about tuft cells on: monell.org/of-worms-the-sense-of-taste-and-world-health/

01/09/2026

The application for the 2026 Monell Science Apprenticeship Program (MSAP) is still open!

👉 Apply now by Wednesday, January 14, on monell.org/science-apprenticeship-applications/.

MSAP is a paid, immersive summer experience that provides talented high school and undergraduate students—particularly those from traditionally underrepresented and under-resourced groups in the sciences—the space, resources, and training to conduct an independent research project. The program will run from June 15, 2026 through July 31, 2026.

01/08/2026

Less than a week before our first seminar of 2026!

👉 To join us, virtually or in-person, visit monell.org/events.

- We're so excited to be joined by Dr. Natale Sciolino on Tuesday, January 13, for our first seminar of 2026!

Dr. Sciolino is an assistant professor at the Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Connecticut. Her talk, titled "locus coeruleus norepinephrine dynamics in taste processing," is supported by the Martin Meyerson Endowment Fund.

👉 To join us, virtually or in-person, visit monell.org/events.

01/05/2026

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞?

👉 Visit monell.org/science-apprenticeship-applications/ to apply for the Monell Science Apprenticeship Program (MSAP) by this Friday, January 9, 2026.

MSAP is a paid, immersive summer experience that provides talented high school and undergraduate students—particularly those from traditionally underrepresented and under-resourced groups in the sciences—the space, resources, and training to conduct an independent research project. The program will run from June 15, 2026 through July 31, 2026.

12/18/2025

- We're so excited to be joined by Dr. Natale Sciolino on Tuesday, January 13, for our first seminar of 2026!

Dr. Sciolino is an assistant professor at the Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Connecticut. Her talk, titled "locus coeruleus norepinephrine dynamics in taste processing," is supported by the Martin Meyerson Endowment Fund.

👉 To join us, virtually or in-person, visit monell.org/events.

12/02/2025

Together, we are building a healthier future. Your support fuels Monell’s breakthroughs in taste, smell, and sensory science—discoveries that shape lives and health worldwide.

Join us this Giving Tuesday at monell.org/year-end-socials.

11/25/2025

Mashed potatoes. Pecan pie. Grandma's house. Sometimes you’re drawn to foods because they remind you of people and places you care about.

These memories are created and stored in the brain, but how do they come back every single year?

A recent Monell study, led by Associate Member Guillaume de Lartigue, offers a clue: in an area of the brain called the hippocampus, there is a set of neurons that encode memories of sugar and fat.

Silencing these neurons impairs the ability to recall sugar-related memories, reduces sugar consumption, and prevents weight gain. On the other hand, reactivating these neurons enhances memory for food, increasing consumption and demonstrating how food memories influence dietary behavior.

And once we're in the right place at the right time, we're eating that pie not only because it's delicious but also because it brings back fond memories :)

👉 Read more about food memories on: monell.org/memory-systems-in-the-brain-drive-food-cravings-that-could-influence-body-weight/

👉 Support sensory science this Thanksgiving on: monell.org/support/

11/25/2025

This is your reminder that we are still accepting applications for the 2026 Monell Science Apprenticeship Program (MSAP)!

MSAP is a paid, immersive summer experience that provides talented high school and undergraduate students—particularly those from traditionally underrepresented and under-resourced groups in the sciences—the space, resources, and training to conduct an independent research project. The program will run from June 15, 2026 through July 31, 2026.

👉 Ready to spend your summer doing real science? Visit monell.org/science-apprenticeship-applications/ to apply now! The application deadline is on Friday, January 9, 2026.

👉 Curious about the experience of the MSAP cohort from 2025? Read about their workshops, seminars, and research projects in the impact report available on monell.org/science-apprenticeship-highlights/.

MSAP owes its success to the generous philanthropy of our community. Every gift, of any size, fuels another student’s first step toward a life in science. The Monell Center especially recognizes Dr. James Albrecht, long-time friend and advisor, for his leadership and support of the Monell Science Apprenticeship Program in 2025.

11/15/2025

Great science starts with great people!

Learning by day, laughing by night, more than 250 participants—including alumni, sponsors, and sensory scientists from around the world—filled the halls for a day full of science and celebration.

Monell’s legacy of excellence in smell and taste research lit up the night, as we honored Emeritus Director Dr. Robert Margolskee, whose leadership and discoveries have been a driving force in sensory science.

The Celebration of Science overflowed with energy, community, and pictures, more of which are on the way. Stay tuned!

11/08/2025

The Monell Center is thrilled to welcome Dr. Hans Clevers as keynote speaker at our November 12 scientific symposium, part of Monell's Inaugural Celebration of Science.

A trailblazing researcher and pioneer of organoids—3D structures that behave like the organ from which they are derived—his work continues to reshape our understanding of how the body repairs, renews, and defends itself.

Dr. Clevers will join an extraordinary lineup of speakers who will dive into how the once-overlooked tuft cells influence immunity and communication throughout our bodies. These tiny, yet powerful, cells are equipped with specialized taste receptors that help orchestrate immune responses, protect against infections, and maintain tissue health.

The symposium, “Discovering the Unsung Sentinels of the Body: Tuft Cells in Health and Disease,” pays tribute to Monell's Emeritus Director and President Dr. Robert Margolskee, whose visionary leadership and scientific contributions have been a driving force in sensory science at Monell and beyond.

👉 For the full speaker line-up, visit monell.org/celebration-of-science/symposium-speakers/

👉 For the program and talk titles, visit: monell.org/celebration-of-science/symposium-agenda-talk-titles/

11/06/2025

We are stronger together—scientists, partners, and supporters—working to build a future where sensory science enriches health, connection, and quality of life for all.

To our 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Your generosity ensures that our Celebration of Science on November 12 will not only honor our legacy but also fuel our future.

Thank you for joining us on this journey and supporting the people and ideas driving sensory science forward!

👉 For the full list of sponsors (including Visionary, Discovery, and Innovation Sponsors) and to learn more about the Celebration of Science, visit monell.org/celebration-of-science.