Paule V. Joseph, CRNP, Ph.D., M.B.A.

The Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism (SenSMet) investigates the relationships between chemosensation (taste, smell, and chemesthesis), metabolic regulation, and brain function. Our research examines how sensory perception influences eating behavior, metabolic health, and neurological disorders, particularly in obesity, alcohol use disorder (AUD), and neurodegenerative diseases.

Chemosensory function plays an important role in food choices, environmental detection, and overall health. Evidence suggests that disruptions in taste and smell perception are associated with changes in brain circuits that regulate motivation, reward, and metabolism. These disruptions appear in individuals with obesity, substance use disorders, and neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

The neurobiological and molecular mechanisms underlying chemosensory dysfunction remain incompletely understood. Our laboratory conducts clinical and translational research to address this gap, with the goal of developing new interventions to improve metabolic and neurological health.

Our research focuses on:

• The neurobiology of taste and smell in obesity and addiction
• Chemosensory dysfunction as a potential early biomarker for neurodegenerative diseases
• AI-driven models for personalized sensory profiling
• VR-based approaches for taste and smell research

We use clinical research, neuroimaging, computational modeling, and data analytics to advance understanding of chemosensory function in health and disease.

Dr. Paule Valery Joseph is a Senior Investigator at the National Institutes of Health. She serves as Co-Director of the National Smell and Taste Center and Chief of the Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism (SenSMet) in the Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, with a joint appointment at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. She conducts preclinical, clinical, and translational studies to improve the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of chemosensory disorders.

Dr. Joseph's research integrates clinical neuroscience, genomics, metabolomics, and neuroimaging to characterize individual differences in taste and smell perception. Her laboratory develops chemosensory biomarkers and diagnostic tools to address major public health challenges, including obesity, alcohol use disorder, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Joseph co-founded the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research to coordinate international studies on pandemic-related smell and taste loss. Her research showing that recent smell loss is a strong predictor of COVID-19 infection has informed public health screening protocols worldwide.

Dr. Joseph's work has been published in journals including Neuron, Cell Metabolism, Neuropsychopharmacology, and Chemical Senses, and has been featured in TIME, NPR, The New York Times, and other media outlets. Her honors include election to the National Academy of Medicine (2025); a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship (2025)—reportedly the first awarded to a nurse scientist in nearly a century of the award; induction into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame (2024); selection as a TED Fellow (2024); and designation as a Presidential Leadership Scholar (2025). Dr. Joseph is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, the New York Academy of Medicine, and the Transcultural Nursing Society.