University of Florida Center for Smell and Taste and Fifth Sense to co-host SmellTaste2017, a conference for those with smell or taste impairments

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GAINESVILLE – The University of Florida Center for Smell and Taste (UFCST) is partnering with Fifth Sense, the U.K.-based charity for people affected by smell and taste disorders, to host SmellTaste2017.

This new event is specifically targeted to individuals from around the world who have impaired smell or taste function, including conditions such as anosmia, phantosmia or dysgeusia.

Building on the success of Fifth Sense’s UK conferences, the planned program will include educational sessions with leading smell and taste researchers and clinicians that cover current chemosensory science and the development of new treatment strategies for smell and taste loss.

SmellTaste2017 will also include workshops and social events where participants can learn from each other, can share their experiences with researchers and clinicians, and can teach the experts.

“Smell and taste impairments are surprisingly common, affecting millions of people in the United States alone,” said UFCST Director Dr. Steven Munger.

“However, most people don’t realize the impact that smell and taste disorders can have on their lives. We hope that by bringing together chemosensory scientists (those who study taste and smell), clinicians and people affected by smell and taste disorders, we can learn from each other and more rapidly advance towards treatments.”

Fifth Sense founder Duncan Boak said, “We’ve already seen the benefits of this sharing of experience and knowledge between patients, clinicians and scientists at our events in the UK. So many of the people that Fifth Sense represents have never had the opportunity to talk to anyone else with the same condition, let alone the experts who work in this area. I’m delighted that Fifth Sense and the UFCST are working together to provide the same rich educational experience to patients in the US. ”

The conference will take place February 25-26, 2017 on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida. Registration and program information, as well as travel and lodging options, will be found at .

The UFCST (http://cst.ufl.edu) is a university-wide center that fosters discovery, application and education in smell and taste. It is one of only three recognized centers of chemical senses research in the U.S., and is associated with exceptionally strong medical and agricultural enterprises. It includes more than 50 faculty members across 20 departments at the University of Florida.

Fifth Sense (http://fifthsense.org.uk) exists to provide support and advice to people affected by smell and taste-related disorders, and so that society can understand what it means to suffer impairment of one or both of these senses. Fifth Sense is a U.K.-based charity that provides information, support and advice on a global basis via its website and informative newsletters.