University Park, Pa. — A Penn State sensory expert has been appointed to the external scientific advisory board of the newly established National Smell and Taste Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

John Hayes, professor of food science and director of the Sensory Evaluation Center in the College of Agricultural Sciences, attended the center's launch event July 9 in Bethesda, Maryland. His appointment to the scientific advisory board recognizes his significant contributions to research on smell, taste and chemesthesis, which is the detection of chemical irritants by the tongue. These are the three senses that combine to form food flavor.

The new center aims to advance understanding of chemical senses and related disorders through innovative research, providing comprehensive care for individuals with smell and taste disorders, and educating both the public and health care professionals about these important senses.

“As millions of Americans discovered during the pandemic, loss of the sense of smell can profoundly impact our quality of life, including the enjoyment of food," Hayes said. “Prior to 2020, many people did not fully appreciate how crucial our sense of smell is to our daily experiences. This new center at NIH will play a vital role in advancing our understanding of the chemical senses and developing better treatments for those affected by sensory disorders caused by head trauma, cancer treatment, and COVID-19 and other viral illnesses.”

Hayes — who holds graduate appointments in the College of Health and Human Development's food science and nutritional sciences areas and in neuroscience at the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences — initiated a new line of research on smell perception in the spring of 2020. The studies were launched following the spike in anosmia, the partial or full loss of smell, cases during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.