Dr. Tim McClintock is a Professor of Physiology and University Research Professor at the University of Kentucky. He is passionate about the neurobiology of olfaction, service to his profession, fly fishing, kayaking and biologically themed neckties. He has served the Society for Neuroscience as chair of its Membership and Chapters Committee. He is an Executive Editor for the journal Chemical Senses. He has been president and program chair of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, and received this organization’s Young Investigator Award. His research focuses on how odorant receptors encode odors. A fundamental aspect of this work is to understand how interactions between odor molecules at these receptors contribute to odor perception, thereby generating opportunities to rationally modify the perception of flavors and fragrances.
Rachel Herz, PhD, is a neuroscientist and one of the world’s foremost experts on the psychological science of olfaction. Dr. Herz is on the faculty at Brown University, has received many awards and grants, has extensive collaborations with scientists in the US and Europe, is a professional consultant to numerous international companies, and is frequently called upon as an expert witness in legal cases involving the sense of smell. Dr. Herz served on the Executive Committee of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences for many years, is a public speaker-- including a two-time presenter on the TEDx stage, and is actively involved in outreach, advocacy, and education on smell, taste, food and flavor. Dr Herz is the co-author and co-editor of several academic textbooks, and to date has written three critically acclaimed popular science books on neurogastronomy topics: The Scent of Desire (Harper Perennial), That’s Disgusting (W.W. Norton & Co), and Why You Eat What You Eat (W.W. Norton & Co).
Dr. Dan Han is a Professor of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. He is a James B. Beam Institute Fellow and a Fellow of the American Neurological Association, the National Academy of Neuropsychology, the Royal Society for Public Health, and the Royal Society of Medicine. A former president of the International Society of Neurogastronomy and the Lexington Board of the Brain Injury Alliance, Dr. Han currently chairs the Medical & Scientific Advisory Board for the Association of the U.S. Army – McMillan Chapter and serves on the governor-appointed Board of Directors of the Kentucky Traumatic Brain Injury Trust.
His research and clinical work, supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Department of Education, foundations, industry clinical trials, and national think tanks, focus on brain–behavior relationships, behavioral economics, and program development. Dr. Han’s work has been featured in Newsweek, National Geographic, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, the APA’s Monitor on Psychology, CNN with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, NPR, BBC (Great Britain), ABC (Australia), CBC (Canada), NBC, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major media outlets. His work has received worldwide coverage across 17 countries and 12 languages. His interests in neurogastronomy bridge science, global health, and sustainability, with an emphasis on translating brain and sensory research into meaningful clinical and real-world applications.
His research and clinical work, supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Department of Education, foundations, industry clinical trials, and national think tanks, focus on brain–behavior relationships, behavioral economics, and program development. Dr. Han’s work has been featured in Newsweek, National Geographic, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, the APA’s Monitor on Psychology, CNN with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, NPR, BBC (Great Britain), ABC (Australia), CBC (Canada), NBC, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major media outlets. His work has received worldwide coverage across 17 countries and 12 languages. His interests in neurogastronomy bridge science, global health, and sustainability, with an emphasis on translating brain and sensory research into meaningful clinical and real-world applications.
Bob Perry has been a chef in a wide variety of restaurant operations for over 30 years and is a past board member of Chefs Collaborative and many other sustainable agriculture organizations. He conducted food system research and taught “Quantity Food Production” and “CSA Gastronomy: Our Local Food System” at the University of Kentucky. He has scripted local food segments and appeared on the KET program “KY Life” many times. He also wrote and hosted the weekly Farmers Market Report on University of Kentucky’s NPR station WUKY. Perry’s hope is that examining high umami foods through the lens of neurogastronomy will help with appetites of cancer patients undergoing treatment.
Kelsey started out working in operations in the live television production industry but decided to transition her skills to the healthcare environment. Since then, she has worked in an administrative role in several different capacities within the healthcare environment. One of these roles had her supporting Neurologists, which is where she got involved in the International Society of Neurogastronomy. As a self-named “foodie” who understood how flavor could impact one’s life, Kelsey decided to get involved from the very beginning. It has been extremely rewarding for Kelsey to be a part and watch the different professionals from various industries come together to enhance the quality of human life.
Dr. Bret Smith is Professor and Chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota and a PhD in Anatomy and Neurobiology from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. After postdoctoral training in synaptic physiology, he served on the faculty of the Cell and Molecular Biology Department at Tulane University in New Orleans and then joined the Department of Physiology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington KY, where he was also Chair of the Department of Neuroscience for five years before moving to Colorado. He is an expert in the studies of neuronal interactions in the mammalian brain and how those interactions change in disease states. He conducts studies to determine how neural function in brain circuits that regulate visceral sensory-motor integration are affected by and influence feeding and metabolism. His interest in neurogastronomy involves the brain’s control of eating, energy balance, and metabolism.
Dr. Robert (Bob) Pellegrino is a research fellow at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. Bob is a sensory scientist, with a keen interest in smells and texture, and enjoys cooking and shoegaze music. He has a Dr. rer. medic by working closely with patients experiencing olfactory loss, aiming to find practical ways to assist them in improving their relationship with food. Bob is the co-leader of Global Consortium of Chemosensory Research (GCCR) and consults for several smell loss advocacy groups. He helped initiate and develop the Arkansas Food Innovation Center (AFIC), a value-added food incubator, and is driven to apply scientific knowledge to help those facing challenges with their sense of smell.