The 48th Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS) Annual Meeting is the premier international gathering of chemoreception scientists, researchers, and clinicians, organized to advance the understanding of chemosensory systems.
Over the past four decades, AChemS has been instrumental in fostering interdisciplinary research and collaboration in the fields of taste, smell, the chemical senses, and internal chemoreception, from the fundamentals of neurobiology to complex behavior. Through its annual meetings, publications, and networking opportunities, AChemS provides a platform for scientists, clinicians, and industry professionals to exchange ideas, present cutting-edge research findings, and address pressing challenges in chemoreception.
The Annual AChemS Conference is set to take place from April 22nd to 25th, 2026, at the Island Grand at Tradewinds, St. Pete, Florida. This year's conference promises to deliver the latest findings unraveling the complexities of chemosensory perception, with significant implications for human health, behavior, and quality of life.
This conference will bring together 355 esteemed scientists, clinicians, and industry members. Renowned as the nation's foremost platform for exploring taste, smell, and chemesthesis research, the event will feature an impressive lineup of 273 presentations. A total of 200 have been accepted for presentation, representing diverse fields in chemosensation, including olfaction and olfactory receptors, cognition, neural pathways, learning and memory, taste preference and transduction, and chemesthesis, just to name a few. For a list of highlighted abstracts to be presented, visit the provided
The conference begins with opening remarks from AChemS President Dr. Yanina Pepino, and hear from the invited keynote speaker, Dr. Kevin Kohl from the University of Pittsburgh, on “Through the microbial looking glass: how microbiomes act as mediators of animal biology”. A few highlights of the program include diverse talks across six symposia and four workshops, as well as highlighted talks by award winners.
The conference will feature a series of symposia covering diverse topics, including:
The meeting will conclude with the Presidential Symposium, chaired by Dr. Yanina Pepino, with invited speakers: Dr. John Hayes from Penn State University, Dr. Richard Mattes from Purdue University, and Dr. Valery Darcey from NIDDK, NIH to give their perspectives on the topic “Ultra-processed foods, the senses, and health: exploring the evidence”.
We look forward to your participation in the 2026 AChemS Annual Meeting as we continue to advance the field of chemosensory science together.
Selected meeting presentations:
Genetic Study Links Smell Receptors to Dietary Intake
Large-scale genetic analysis identifies novel associations between food intake and olfactory receptor genes, advancing our understanding of how smell shapes eating behavior and provides potential targets for nutrition and health research.
Abstract #220
Contact: Joanne Cole, joanne.cole@cuanschutz.edu
Smelling Diseases: Olfactory AI for Early Diagnosis
We developed a new diagnostic platform that integrates the mouse olfactory system with artificial intelligence to extract disease-specific odor profiles ("odorprints") from biological fluids.
Abstract: #50
Contact: Dmitry Rinberg, Dmitry.Rinberg@nyulangone.org, rinberg@nyu.edu
Position-Specific Olfactory Signature Among Former Professional American Football Players.
Among Former Professional American-style Football Players, linemen showed worse odor discrimination and identification relative to non-linemen, highlighting olfaction as a marker of position-specific brain changes
Abstract: #106
Contact: Benoit Jobin, bjobin@mgh.harvard.edu
New platform opens door to novel obesity and diabetes treatments
AXXAM researchers developed a screening platform to identify compounds that stimulate GLP-1 secretion, a hormone critical for appetite and blood sugar regulation, opening new avenues for obesity and diabetes therapies.
Abstract: #77
Contact: Marcel Winnig: Marcel.Winnig.MW@axxam.com
More information is available:
https://axxam.com/glp-1-receptor-assay-drug-discovery-in-the-metabolic-field/
Estrogen drives sex differences in fat taste perception
The study shows that estrogen influences how taste cells detect dietary fats in specific cell types, helping to explain sex differences in fat perception, signaling, and eating behavior.
Abstract: #65
Contact: Kaylee Perez, ka775960@ucf.edu and Timothy Gilbertson, timothy.gilbertson@ucf.edu
Novel 3D Printed “Smell-Aids” Improve Olfactory Functions
Updated 3D-printed "Smell-Aids” improved odor identification in patients with smell loss, with effectiveness linked to airflow design, supporting non-invasive approaches to enhancing olfactory function.
Abstract: #146
Contact: Joanne Xu, zhao.1949@osu.edu
Plant-rich diets linked to better smell function
People who follow healthy plant-rich diets show better smell performance and a lower risk of hyposmia, suggesting diet quality may help protect olfactory function in the general population.
Abstract: #160
Contact: Johannes Frasnelli, johannes.frasnelli@uqtr.ca
Taste Loss in Alzheimer’s Disease May Begin in the Periphery
Alzheimer’s disease impairs taste and may do so by damaging peripheral taste structures, including taste buds and nerves, thereby contributing to appetite loss, weight loss, and frailty.
Abstract: #86
Contact: Tao Tang, tangtao@iu.edu
Taste liking predicts our wanting of food odors
A model trained on individual taste-liking profiles predicted people's appetitive behavior to various food odors. This mechanism can inform flavor preference formation and dietary interventions.
Abstract: #97
Contact: Putu Agus Khorisantono, putu.agus.khorisantonoki.se
The complete submission for all highlighted abstracts can be found here .