Science Outreach

Multisensory Integration of Taste and Smell (public talk)

A Flavor of How the Brain Combines Taste and Smell

Of her family trips to India, it’s the sensory stimulation—the colors, sounds, but especially the tastes and smells—that Jess Kanwal remembers best. “As you walk outdoors, amazing aromas draw you to street food stalls for a taste,” she describes. For Kanwal, a PhD candidate in neuroscience, this diversity of experiences is a reminder that our brains have to find ways to combine these senses in order for us to perceive the world...continue reading

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Flavor on the Brain (podcast episode)

When you taste the subtle flavor of a perfectly brewed cup of coffee, or smell the funk of an aged blue cheese – you don’t just experience those flavors with your taste buds and nose, you experience them with your brain! Neuroscience PhD Jess Kanwal says that our brain’s ability to combine taste and smell is just one example of how our brains are able to mix and match senses – with very interesting results ... continue reading

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Beetle Mania (podcast episode)

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This show is about some curious insects that have very different relationships with ants. To be exact, this is about three species of beetles that either battle ants, live close by an ant colony, or in one case inside the ant colony. How and why these species have evolved into these different relationships with ants is part of the research of neurobiologist Jess Kanwal...continue reading

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StoryCollider:Personal Stories about Science (live storytelling)

 

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StoryCollider: Side Effects May Vary, Boston, MA

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Psychedelics (public seminar)

AlteredStateofMind

graphic illustration by Olivia Foster Rhoades

Speakers: Jessleen Kanwal, Kyobi Skutt-Kakaria, and Matthew Smith
 
For at least 7,000 years, humans around the world have chosen to ingest plants and fungi containing psychedelic compounds. In the modern era, scientists are learning more about how psychedelics alter the function of our brains. In this lecture, we examine the modern history of research into psychedelic drugs, our current understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying both the short- and long-term effects of these drugs, and the exciting future these drugs may play in restoring healthy brain function. 
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Synesthesia and Art: Sensory Crosstalk (public seminar)

 

 

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Keynote Lecture at DayCon Symposium (theme: The Art of Science): Jessleen Kanwal
 
What do Mozart, Vincent Van Gogh, and Pharrell Williams have in common? They all have synesthesia, a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sense leads to the experience of other senses. For example, synesthetes may hear colors, feel sounds, or taste shapes. In this seminar, I delve into how the brain processes infromation from different sensory organs and how increased cross-talk between sensory brain regions leads to synesthesia. Through this multisensory seminar experience, we will explore the visual and musical work of synesthetic artists and discuss how their unique sensory experiences may have influenced their creative art. 
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Taste Perception (Science in the News blog post)

flavor Brain tricks to make food taste sweeter: How to transform taste perception and why it matters

by Jessleen Kanwal, figures by Brad Wierbowski

Imagine for a moment that you are unable to taste or smell anything. For many patients undergoing chemotherapy, this is an everyday reality of their daily fight against cancer. Chemotherapy kills fast-growing cells in the body in an effort to eradicate tumors.  Taste receptor cells located on our tongue are also fast-growing, regenerating every 2 weeks. Thus, while chemotherapy kills cancer cells, healthy taste receptor cells also die off. The end result is that many foods patients once enjoyed end up tasting metallic … continue reading

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The Gut-Brain Axis (Science in the News blog post)

 

A second brain: How microbes in your gut may affect your body and mind

by Jessleen Kanwal, figures by Shannon McArdel

Would you be willing to pop “freeze-dried-poop” pills for a chance to slim down? While this weight-loss strategy certainly doesn’t sound appetizing, scientists are currently embarking on a clinical trial to find out whether such a method could be a new treatment for obesity. Researchers are collecting fecal samples from lean, healthy donors, freeze-drying their stool and packaging … continue reading

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Advice for Young Scientists Interested in Research

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A Guide to Getting Involved in Research for High School Students and Undergraduates

by Jessleen Kanwal

Interested in joining a research lab and doing your own expereiments, but not sure how to get started?  Check out this primer with a few quick tips on where and how to begin the process of finding a research area and lab that you will enjoy!

 

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