The Smell Podcast

This month, join me in a conversation with Mindy Yang, a Human Centric Sensory Designer and Consultant and Co-Founder and Chief Engagement Officer of the World Taste and Smell Association.  

In our interview, we talked about her background in the world of taste and smell, how she got involved with the World Taste and Smell Association, and their upcoming annual event, World Taste and Smell Day held each year on September 14th. We dive into one particular event, the #DeliciousForAll challenge which you’ll learn all about! 

This week, join me in a conversation with my good friend, Frauke Galia. Frauke is the owner of The Smell Gym, which is the place to exercise your sense of smell! She's also the Podcast Host of An Aromatic Life and the co-author of a children’s book called “No Place for Plants” which will come out this October. Finally, she’s known as the Smell Lady given how passionate about all things smell she is! 

In our interview, we talked about the launch of the Smell Gym, her new book “No Place for Plants” and how you can help support it, and much more. 

This week, join me in listening to a conversation with Hannah Gamble Higgins. We talk about her personal experiences with parosmia, her journey with managing a new baby and parosmia at the same time, how it affected her mental health, her decision to write her book, and much more.

This week, join me in conversation with Stephanie Feurer. Stephanie has dealt with anosmia herself and was inspired to help create the World Taste and Smell Association as a result. We talk about her personal experiences and dive into both the World Taste and Smell Association and World Taste and Smell Day which happens yearly on September 14th. 

This week, join me in conversation with Nicky Chaleunphone, who lives with congenital anosmia due to Kallman’s Syndrome. Nicky is originally from Plaineville, CT and is still living in New England. We discuss what it was like growing up with congenital anosmia, being born intersex, and much more.

This week, join me for an interview with journalist and author, Paola Totaro. Paola and I chat about her personal experiences dealing with both anosmia and parosmia, her new book called “On the Scent: Unlocking the mysteries of smell - and how its loss can change your world", what inspired her to write it, why people with a sense of smell should care about smell dysfunction, and much more.

This week, join me for a very special episode of the podcast where I interview one of my favorite people, Reysan Cotton aka my mom. She goes by Rez, works as a nurse, and also recently graduated with a Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I asked her to join me for a conversation about grief.

This week, I’d like to share an article with you all called “What is umami? Experts explain the 'mouthwatering' fifth taste”. This was written by Samantha Kubota for Today.com and published recently on May 26th, 2022.

This week, I’d like to share an article with you all that I found interesting. The article is called “Lost your smell to COVID-19? Here’s how to retrain your brain” and was written by Priyanka Runwal online for National Geographic. 

This week, join me in listening to a conversation with Stephanie Magallon who’s pregnant and dealing with both parosmia and gestational diabetes! She’s from Youngstown, Ohio and at the time of our recording, she was 36 weeks pregnant. In our conversation, we discuss the challenges she has faced dealing with being both pregnant and having parosmia at the same time, how she handles the parosmia smells in her daily life, how it impacts her interactions with her family, her cooking, and much more.

This week, join me in conversation with Katrina Nerisse, who’s been dealing with parosmia since December of 2019. She’s from Pickering, Ontario and we discuss how her parosmia developed over time, her journey visiting many different types of doctors, how she finally found support for her condition on Facebook, the ways she manages her parosmia to allow her to eat, and much more.

This week, I’d like to share with you all a podcast episode that I recently listened to called “Broken Noses- Long-term COVID-19 side effect makes everything smell rotten” by Anna Johansen Brown for WNG.org. Many of us listening are now very familiar with the fact that Covid-19 has been causing parosmia. This episode does an excellent job of highlighting what people with parosmia are dealing with on a daily basis. It’s such a serious issue for many because it impacts mental health, nutrition, and much more.

Happy Anosmia Awareness Day 2022! This week, please join me in listening to a conversation with Amanda Dix, congenital anosmic, home bakery owner, social media guru, and birth doula! We talk about how she grew up with congenital anosmia, how she runs a successful baking business focused on flavors even though she has anosmia, what anosmia awareness day means to her, and much more!

To find Jane Dough on: 

This week, please join me in listening to a conversation with Kristiana Carle, who has been dealing with parosmia due to Covid-19. We chat about how having parosmia impacts her relationship with eating, which foods trigger the most parosmia episodes, and much more.

This week, I’d like to highlight for you all an article titled "Genetic risk factor found for Covid-19 smell and taste loss, researchers say" by Sarah Sloat. This article was written for NBCnews.com and published on January 17th of this year.

This week, please join me in listening to a conversation with Mimi Ellis, a recovering anosmic currently living in Atlanta, Georgia. We talk about her experiences dealing with a smell disorder, her work as a physician’s assistant in an Ear, Nose, and Throat clinic, the importance of nutrition and eating while dealing with a smell disorder, how she decided to start her business “Getting Well When You Can’t Smell” and much more.

This week, I wanted to highlight an article called “Many Covid-19 Survivors Still Can’t Smell or Taste. Treating Them Isn’t Easy” by Jamie Ducharme. This article was published for Time Magazine on November 4, 2021.

This week, join me in listening to a conversation with Alexxandra Petrella, an anosmic living in Tucson, AZ. We talk about how she believes she acquired anosmia when she was very young, her own anosmia story, and her Scent Detection and Alert Service dog named Oliver.

I was very excited to speak with her and learn more about her own story including how she began working with Oliver. I know many listeners would be interested in having their own service animal to assist them with smelling so listen in to find out all about it!

This week, join me in listening to an interview with Jacqui Johnston, a long-term acquired anosmic from Melbourne, Australia. Jacqui and I talk about how she deals with anosmia, the very unique fact that her father was also an acquired anosmic, how Covid-19 has increased awareness of smell and taste disorders, and much more!

This week, I wanted to tell you all about an article written by Deborah Schoch for the New York Times back in June of this year. The article is titled “Distorted, Bizarre Food Smells Haunt Covid Survivors”. I know that many of you listeners have experienced parosmia due to Covid and Deborah does a great job of highlighting some of the struggles experienced by people with this condition.

This week, join me in listening to an interview with Josie Wratten. Josie is originally from Yorkshire, England and has been in the US for about 20 years. She worked as an architectural lighting designer for the majority of her career and now works in voice acting and as a podcast host for the show called “Your Lighting Lady”. Josie has congenital anosmia due to Kallmann’s Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. The majority of those with Kallmann’s Syndrome are male so being female with the condition is even more rare.

We discuss how she was finally diagnosed in college, how she figured out she didn’t have a sense of smell, and much more.

This week, join me in listening to an episode with Adam Hawkins. Adam works as a postman, he’s originally from Birmingham and is currently located in the Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, England. He’s an extreme fitness enthusiast who’s always looking for a new challenge! During our interview, we talked about how he got involved in these types of challenges and how he uses them to raise awareness now for AERD. We also discuss his own smell disorder story! 

This week, join me in listening to an episode with Charlie Atkins, aka @smell_you_never on social media.  Charlie is from Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom, has a degree in genetics and works in the financial planning field.

Charlie and I talk about her experiences growing up with congenital anosmia, why she decided to start her social media pages, the importance of networking with others with anosmia, her work as a Fifth Sense Ambassador, and much more.

This week, join me in listening to an episode with Thelma Poupazi, an anosmic who runs the social media pages @paranosemia. Thelma lives in Cyprus which she described as a Mediterranean island which sounds lovely to me.

Thelma and I talk about her experiences dealing with a smell disorder, her decision to begin her social media pages, her goals for the anosmic community, and much more!

This week, I’d like to share with you all an article titled “Will My Sense of Smell Ever Return? Olfactory Insights From COVID And Beyond” written by Joanne Silberner for NPR and published on May 8, 2021. Joanne writes about her experience losing her sense of smell many years ago and shares important resources with us about the sense of smell.

This week, join me in listening to an interview with Anand Prahlad, based in Mumbai, India. Anand experienced both anosmia then parosmia due to Covid-19 and has since recovered. He was featured in an article called “When COVID-19 Kills the Sense of Smell, Chefs and Sommeliers Lose Something More” which was published for The Wire by Jehan Nizar back in November 2020. 

This week, join me in listening to an interview with Jessica Garrison, an acquired anosmic and author of the article "I Lost My Sense Of Smell In My Twenties. Here’s My Advice To COVID-19 Survivors” which was published for Buzzfeed News on January 17th, 2021.

Jessica lives in Northern California and is a reporter for Buzzfeed News. She lost her sense of smell almost 20 years ago. She thinks she lost it due to having nasal surgery to remove polyps but isn’t 100% sure.  In her article, she shares her advice about living with long-term anosmia with those who have lost their sense of smell due to Covid-19.

This week, I’d like to share with you all an article titled “You Recovered From COVID-19. Now Your Coffee Smells Like Sewage” written by Sarah Zhang for the Atlantic. This article was published on March 22, 2021. Sarah interviewed a woman named Ruby Martinez who at first lost her sense of smell and then began experiencing parosmia. This is now an all too familiar story but continues to be important which is why I wanted to share it with all of you.  In addition to learning more about Ruby’s smell disorder story, Sarah dives into the background and science behind smell training and how it all began back in the 80s.

This week, join me in listening to an interview with Sascha Maude. She is currently residing in Wakefield in Yorkshire in the UK. We talk about her experiences dealing with anosmia then parosmia due to contracting Covid-19 from her mom who also fell sick back with it back in April 2020. Sascha takes us through the timeline of dealing with both smell disorders and explains the lack of resources that were available to her during this time due to the restrictions on being seen in the hospital due to Covid-19. We discuss the ongoing need for support for everyone who lost their sense of smell/became parosmic due to Covid-19 and much more.

This week, join me in listening to an interview with Sharika Bivens, she lives with acquired anosmia with occasional bouts of being able to smell again. Sharika is the creator of the blog and website called “My Anosmatic Life: Making Sense Out of Scentless Life”. 

This week, I’d like to share with you all a recent article titled “Will Fish Sauce and Charred Oranges Return the World Covid Took from Me?” written by Tejal Rao for the New York Times Magazine. This article was published on March 2, 2021. The author talks about her own journey first with anosmia due to Covid-19 then dealing with parosmia. Tejal shares additional information as well about smell training and she had a conversation with friend of the podcast, Chrissi Kelly, who you’ll recognize from the UK based charity AbScent. 

This week, join me in listening to an episode with psychologist, Dr. Kathrin Ohla. She is currently located in Munster, Germany and is a member of the GCCR’s leadership team. Dr. Ohla and I discuss how she got involved with the GCCR, her work there, and specifically the GCCR’s Smell & Taste Check.

Happy Anosmia Awareness Day 2021! Today, I’m so happy to share with you all a special Saturday episode of the podcast to celebrate the day! I had the opportunity to interview the founder of Anosmia Awareness Day, Daniel Schein. Daniel has congenital anosmia and is originally from Long Island and currently living in New York City.

We talk about his own anosmia story, why he created Anosmia Awareness Day back in 2012, how one goes about creating a “day” and much more.

This week, we’re changing gears. I’d like to share with you all a timely and important article titled “What Can Covid-19 Teach Us About the Mysteries of Smell?” written by Brooke Jarvis for the New York Times Magazine. This article was published on January 31, 2021. Make sure to also check out the podcast version published by The Daily, a New York Times podcast. All links included below! 

This week, join me in listening to an episode with Dr. Markus Haller from Corowell which is a newly created Rapid & Objective COVID-19 Symptom Screening Test. Dr. Haller is the owner and CEO of Corowell and is currently located in Germany. We talk about his work in the medical devices field and how he decided to start Corowell along with what it takes to receive FDA approval for such devices and many other things.

This week, join me in listening to an episode with Anita Dichiara, an acquired anosmic from Rio Cuarto, Argentina. Anita works as an English as a Foreign Language teacher and she shares her anosmia story with all of us, including how she misses the smell of puppies, bakeries and asado.

Hi everyone and welcome to the Smell Podcast, I’m your host, Katie Boateng. This week, join me in listening to an episode with Luke Pierce aka the Tasteless Foodie on Instagram. Luke shares his story about living with ageusia with all of us. Ageusia is defined as  the loss of taste functions of the tongue, particularly the inability to detect sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and umami (meaning "pleasant/savory taste"). It is sometimes confused with anosmia – a loss of the sense of smell but they’re not the same thing.

This week, join me in listening to an episode with Dr. Stella Lee, MD and John Moore, Clinical Research Coordinator, both with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. We discuss their work on the NOSE or Neuromapping Olfactory Stimulation via Encephalography project and their Smell Loss and Neurological Function During and After COVID-19 Infection study and much more.

This week, join me in listening to an episode with Michelle Alemi, an acquired anosmic originally from Haddonfield, New Jersey and currently living in San Francisco, California working as a traveling nurse. Michelle experienced a traumatic brain injury in February 2018 which led to her loss of smell. In addition to her new reality living with anosmia, Michelle was diagnosed as a teenager with diabetes so we discussed what it’s like for her to manage both anosmia and diabetes, specifically when it comes to diet.

This week, join me in listening to an episode with Dr. Zack (Tsahi) Hayat, a congenital anosmic due to Kallmann Syndrome currently living in Herzliya, Israel. We talk about what it was like for him growing up without a sense of smell, his current work as a professor, and much more.

This week, join me in listening to an episode with Toby Fife, an artist who is currently living in Hawaii. Toby and I chat about his time living abroad, the accident that led to him becoming anosmic, and much more.

Hi everyone and welcome to the Smell Podcast, I’m your host, Katie Boateng. This week, join me in listening to an episode with Dr. Greg Pask, an insect neurobiologist. His bio on the Middlebury College website states that he is “interested in understanding the powerful sense of smell insects use to locate food, find mates, and communicate with others.” Greg is a professor there and the college is located in Vermont. We had a great conversation about how insects use their sense of smell to navigate the world, his work as a professor, and much more.

This week, join me in listening to an episode with Dr. Richard Doty, Director of the University of Pennsylvania Smell and Taste Center and creator of the UPSIT or University of Pennsylvania smell identification test. Dr. Doty and I speak about how he got involved in the world of smell, how the Smell and Taste Center got started, why the UPSIT was created and much more.

This week, join me in listening to an episode with Lisa Vatch. Lisa is a congenital anosmic who grew up and currently lives in Montreal, Canada. She works as a lawyer and she shares her story about what it was like growing up without a sense of smell, how she started one of the first websites dedicated to anosmia and the Canadian Anosmia Foundation back in the early 2000s, and much more.

This week, join me in listening to an episode with Glo del Monte. Glo is from Glasgow, Scotland. We talk about her anosmia journey and what that has been like for her. She’s a wardrobe mistress in the theater and used her sense of smell to do the sniff test to tell if garments could go another show or two without washing. She has a very interesting story!

This week, join me in listening to a conversation with Duncan Boak, Founder  and Nina Hill, Director of Director of Development & Operations for Fifth Sense, a UK based charity for for people affected by smell and taste disorders. Duncan was previously on the podcast highlighting the work of Fifth Sense back on episode 18 from Christmas day of 2018. This time, we get to talk about what Fifth Sense has been up to over the last two years, meet Nina and understand her new role with them, and much more!

Happy two-year anniversary everyone! Join me this week in listening to an interview with myself! Previous podcast guest, Kerri Wall, from episode 47 interviews me. Thank you for all of your support over the last two years and here's to many more. 

This week, please join me in listening to an interview with Chrissi Kelly, AbScent Founder.  Chrissi was featured on episode 8 from October 2018. Since we last spoke, they’ve launched a new website,  received registered charity status in the UK, and started additional Facebook support groups for people impacted by COVID-19.

To find the Facebook support groups online, visit: 

This week, please join me in listening to a conversation with Charles MacCarthy, from Accra, Ghana. Charles is a fellow anosmic who lost his sense of smell in November 2012 from accidentally spraying mosquito repellent up his nose. He has had bouts of recovery where he’s been able to smell again, sometimes for longer periods of time but it always goes away.

This week, join me in listening to a conversation with Nisha Pradhan. She grew up thinking that she was congenitally anosmic but in recent years, has started to regain some sense of smell, meaning she's mostly likely hyposmic. We talk about her recent bouts of parosmia and what it was like to also experience good smells for the first time.