Rachel Sarah Herz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rachel Herz
Notable works	The Scent of Desire, That's Disgusting, and Why You Eat What You Eat

Rachel Sarah Herz is a Canadian and American psychologist. She is also a cognitive neuroscientist. She is well-known for her research on the psychology of smell. This means she studies how our sense of smell works and affects us.

Early Life and Education

Rachel Herz studied psychology and biology. She earned her first degree from Queen's University at Kingston in Canada. Later, she received her master's degree and a PhD in psychology. She completed these at the University of Toronto.

After finishing her PhD in 1992, she continued her research. She moved to the University of British Columbia. In 1994, she received an award for promising young scientists. She then joined the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia.

Career and Research

In 2000, Dr. Herz became a professor at Brown University. She worked in the Psychology Department. Now, she is an adjunct assistant professor there. She also taught at Boston College from 2013 to 2022.

Dr. Herz often gives talks at TED-X events. Since the mid-1990s, she has advised many big companies. These companies make fragrances and flavors. She also gives lectures to people all over the world.

In 2004, Dr. Herz decided to focus more on other projects. She started writing her book, The Scent of Desire. This book helps people learn about the sense of smell. She also created The Educated Palate. This venture helps teach the public about how we sense chemicals.

Rachel Herz is a citizen of both Canada and the United States. Her father was a famous mathematician named Carl S. Herz.

Understanding the Sense of Smell

Dr. Herz's work looks at how words and feelings change how we smell things. Her lab has shown that words alone can create "smell illusions." This means our brain can trick us into smelling something different.

She also studies how we taste food. She explores how our feelings about food influence us. Dr. Herz uses different methods in her research. These include psychophysical tests and brain scans. One method is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This helps her see how the brain reacts to smells and food.

Books by Rachel Herz

Dr. Herz has written several books. They help explain her research to a wider audience.

• The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell (2007)
• That's Disgusting: Unraveling the Mysteries of Repulsion (2012)
• Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science Behind our Relationship with Food (2017)

Public Engagement

Dr. Herz is part of several advisory groups. These include Fifth Sense, a UK charity for people who have lost their sense of smell. She also advises the Smell and Taste Association of North America.

Her research on memory and smell was featured in a Smithsonian Institution exhibit. This exhibit was called "Brain: The world inside your head." It traveled from 2001 to 2006.

She has been interviewed by many news outlets. These include the BBC, National Geographic, and National Public Radio. She also appeared in the documentary Mystify: Michael Hutchence.