Bonita Springs, FL— Already associated with head trauma, sinus disease, cancer, and neurological disorders, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease, loss of smell and/or taste continues to be a notable and troubling symptom of the COVID-19 disease associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection that has impacted over 500,000,000 people globally. Members of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS) are leading scientific and biomedical research to better understand the function of chemosensory systems, including taste and smell, across species and lifecycles toward improving disease outcomes and overall quality of life. Smell and taste are vital senses that bring pleasure to daily life, guide fundamental behaviors in humans and animals, and link us to the environment.
Next week, over 515 scientists and clinicians will gather for the nation’s leading forum on smell and taste research; the annual AChemS meeting will feature over 343 presentations on the roles of smell and taste in both human health and animal behavior. The 44 th annual AChemS meeting is the premiere opportunity to learn about the newest findings in the biological, psychological, and clinical aspects of smell and taste. The four-day meeting includes scientists from around the world and will feature symposia, poster sessions, and oral sessions, including The Presidential Symposium (7-9pm Saturday April 23), that includes prominent researchers in the field presenting on “How COVID-19 affects taste, smell, the brain and the mind”, and a session dedicated to chemosensory testing and COVID-19 ( 1-3pm Thursday April 21).
Additionally, day one (Wednesday April 20) of this year’s virtual-onsite hybrid meeting features a full-day International Society of Neurogastronomy Symposium, an address by NIDCD Director, Dr. Debara Tucci, and a keynote presentation about the way we perceive ourselves and the world around us with Dr. Susana Martinez-Conde (SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University)
Please visit AChemS ( https://achems.org/web/ ) for general and membership information as well as the full program of conference events ( https://achems.org/2022/program.php )
Press Abstracts: h ttps://achems.org/web/resources-press-2022-abstracts.php
Selected meeting presentations (embargoed until April 20 th , 2022):
How COVID-19 variants breakthrough infections influence smell and taste function
Contact: Christopher T. Simons, simons.103@osu.edu; +1 614-688-1489
Daily testing during COVID19 shows acute changes in smell, taste, and oral burn
Contact: John E. Hayes, jeh40@psu.edu; +1 814-441-4393
Medical records vastly underestimate smell/taste loss in youth with COVID-19
Contact: Evan Guerra, guerrae@protonmail.com; +1 425-829-9095
Symptoms of depression change with olfactory function
Contact: Agnieszka Sabiniewicz, a.sabiniewicz@gmail.com; 0048-513-138-302
Well-being in patients with olfactory dysfunction.
Contact: Yiling Mai, Yling.Mai@uniklinikum-dresden.de; +49 15223745046
Binge eating suppresses flavors
Contact: Hung Lo, hung.lo.ecn@gmail.com; +49 15757961146
Mosquitoes show persistent search behavior for humans
Contact: Trevor R. Sorrells, trevorsorrells@gmail.com; +1 607-279-4430
Two proteins commonly found in milk cut oral burn from capsaicin