We explore connections between the sense of smell, taste and health outcomes.

The Parma lab investigates how our senses of smell and taste influence psychological, nutritional, and neurological health. We employ a variety of methods, including psychophysical, behavioral, and psychophysiological techniques, to study individuals across all ages—both healthy subjects and those with different health conditions.

• Would the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have been different if routine smell testing was available?
• Can odors aid emotional regulation?
• Can we improve the negative sensory nutritional consequences of people experiencing smell disorders?

Dr. Valentina Parma began her career in research in 2003 when she joined the laboratory of Dr. Umberto Castiello at the University of Padova, Italy as an undergraduate. Following an interest in human behavior, she studies the effects of olfactory stimuli on motor behavior. Once she discovered chemosensation and the many unanswered questions in the field, she focused her PhD on the facilitatory motor effects that olfactory stimuli have on neurological and developmental conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). After receiving her Ph.D., she moved to Monell under the supervision of Dr. Johan Lundström where she investigated the behavioral, psychophysical and effects of body odors as subminimal social processing aids. She then won an award postdoctoral fellowship to join the Neuroscience area at the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste, Italy where she expanded her body odor work. Her faculty tenure started at the Department of Psychology, before joining Monell as Assistant Member and Assistant Director. The Parma Lab opened in 2021 at the Monell Chemical Senses Center and is focused on the contribution that the chemical senses offer to health and wellbeing. The Parma lab is funded by the NIH (NIDCD), the James S. McDonnell Foundation and the Monell Center. Valentina is the recipient of the 2021 AChemS Young Investigator Award, an Advisor of the National Smell and Taste Center at NIDCD, the co-chair of the Breakthrough Consortium for Olfactory Health and the founding chair of the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research.