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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Many people don’t appreciate what it means to be unable to smell. As someone with congenital anosmia, I know first-hand what it feels like to go through each day without the sense of smell.
When I was a high school student, I founded Anosmia Awareness Day. Every year, those with anosmia and their families see February 27 as a day to recognize the importance of the sense of smell and to educate others about anosmia.
I am also an active member of the international anosmia community, using social media to bring people with olfactory disorders together in order to share experiences, guidance, and resources. Last year I worked with Chris Kelly, who lost her sense of smell as an adult following a respiratory virus, to create a website called AnosmiaAwareness.org, which serves as a hub of information for the anosmic community.
When I first began researching anosmia, I found only a few research centers and organizations doing work to help those with anosmia. Of those, the Monell Center stood out with its number of researchers dedicated to learning about the sense of smell.
I decided to spend some time working at Monell because I wanted to gain a better understanding of the biology underlying olfaction and olfactory disorders. Additonally, I wanted to be part of the cutting edge research being done by the leading scientists at Monell.
I ended up spending two summers at Monell. While I felt privileged to contribute to the research, what really drew me in was Monell’s welcoming environment. The walls are covered with posters proudly detailing the different research projects that have been done at Monell. The scientists are dedicated and passionate about their studies, and were always happy to help with any questions I had. Each principal investigator (the head researcher of each lab) I encountered was excited to tell me about their research.
During my time at Monell, I not only learned laboratory skills but also gained an appreciation for the research process. My project involved examining the development of olfactory pathways in mice. Working in the laboratory of Dr. Johannes Reisert, I studied the effect of the enzyme phosphodiesterase 4a (PDE4a) on olfactory receptor neuron targeting. Using immunocytochemistry techniques, which allow us to confirm the presence and location of enzymes and other proteins within cells, I compared neuronal signaling in wild type (normal) and PDE4a knock-out mice (mice without the PDE4a enzyme).
My work helped show that PDE4a helps olfactory cells in the nose know where to make their connections in the brain. Studies on PDE4a are still ongoing in Dr. Reisert’s lab.
Better understanding the biology of olfaction may lead to better understanding of the causes of olfactory disorders and possibly, one day, effective treatments for these disorders. My experience at Monell gave me unique insight into the complex biology underlying the sense of smell. I learned about the many aspects of olfaction and olfactory disease being studied by scientists at Monell and at other institutions around the world. I better comprehend the mechanisms behind olfactory processes and how they contribute to our perception of smell. And I have greater admiration for the rigorous process of scientific research: the design of experiments, the collection and analysis of data, and the presentation of results.
I hope to pursue a career as an otolaryngologist specializing in olfactory disorders. I also plan to continue to do research into the underlying science of olfaction, as well as the causes of olfactory disease and the development of possible treatments.
I’m truly grateful to Monell for encouraging my scientific exploration, and for all the work they do to advance the understanding of the sense of smell.
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This article is based on a post from the Monell Center blog originally published on Decemeber 21, 2017.