# Charity uses crowdsourcing for research project on smell loss

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/09/09/charity-uses-crowdsourcing-research-project-on-smell-loss/
- Published: 2019-09-09T10:57:43+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**AbScent, a UK charity that supports people with smell loss, is offering free membership
in exchange for participation in a research project.**

The charity’s Sense of Smell Project survey seeks to find out more about the condition
and how it affects people. A collaboration between patients with smell disorders
and scientists, it requires completion of a detailed questionnaire via the [AbScent website](http://www.abscent.org).

Because AbScent feels that submitting patient stories is more valuable to the patient
and research community alike, it is encouraging participation through the offer 
of free membership.

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All information on patient stories is anonymised upon submission and the data will
be analysed by two leaders in the area of smell disorders: the University of Dresden’s
[Professor Thomas Hummel](https://www.uniklinikum-dresden.de/de/das-klinikum/kliniken-polikliniken-institute/hno/klinik/oberarzte-abteilungsleiter/prof-dr-med-thomas-hummel),
and [Robert Pellegrino](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robert_Pellegrino) 
of the University of Tennessee. By collecting the data, it is hoped that the Sense
of Smell Project will be able to spot clusters in experience that will help identify
new areas for future study.

Chrissi Kelly, Founder of AbScent, lost her sense of smell in 2012 after a sinus
infection. She said:

> “Smell loss changed my life, my personality and my view of the world. It is a 
> unique bereavement, impossible to put into words. I felt untethered from my daily
> experience.
> “By the time the patient gets to the doctor, the problem has often spread beyond
> the nose, altering the quality of the person’s life and relationships. We don’t
> just need doctors; we need strategies for self-help and self-care. By launching
> the Sense of Smell Project I hope we can unearth much more information about smell
> loss, and people’s experiences, so that more can be done to support patients.”

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