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Research Closeup: Smell and Obesity

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By regulating the olfactory system, we can control the brain's response to food.


Celine Riera, PhD, is assistant professor in the Center for Neural Science and Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. Her research focuses on mapping the brain circuits to understand pathways that affect obesity. In a recent study, Riera uncovered a connection between olfactory neurons, which control smell, and metabolism, the body's process of converting food into energy.

We spoke with Riera about her work and her hopes for how it might someday help treat obesity.

Why are hunger and smell interconnected?



What else have you learned from this research?



How could this help patients in the future?