Artin Arshamian

One of the primary functions of olfaction is to assess whether a smell is pleasant or unpleasant (i.e., odor valence). This enables us to make crucial decisions about approaching or avoiding the odor (e.g., avoiding rotten food). Due to limitations in non-invasive brain imaging techniques, next to nothing is known about how the core and initial olfactory system —from the peripheral to the primary olfactory cortex — simultaneously encode this fundamental odor precept in humans. In this project, we will use new techniques that enable us to investigate the core olfactory system simultaneously, from the olfactory epithelium (EPT) to the olfactory bulb (OB), and the olfactory cortex (piriform cortex, PC). Specifically, we will determine how each node codes odor valence and how this information is communicated between each node to create the final odor valence percept. Exploring the mechanisms of odor valence is necessary to understand the most fundamental principle of human olfaction. Today, we have far more knowledge about how perception works in vision and hearing. This project aims to establish a similar level of knowledge for olfaction.

Intensity coding is at the core of perception, allowing us to discriminate between the candle and the sun, the whisper and the shout. Odors also exist across a vast intensity spectrum, from the barely perceptible fragrance of a light rain to the overwhelming blast of rotten meat. Unlike the well-documented mechanisms in vision and audition, the encoding of odor intensity in the olfactory system remains largely unexplored due to technological limitations. Our project aims to elucidate the most basic principles underlying perceived odor intensity. We will achieve this by studying the bottom-up and top-down mechanisms that shape perceived odor intensity by investigating the encoding and communication of odor signals across the major nodes of the olfactory system: the olfactory epithelium, olfactory bulb, and piriform cortex. Utilizing novel techniques developed in our lab, which enables simultaneous recordings from these critical nodes, we will conduct a series of behavioral experiments. Our objectives are threefold: to determine how odor intensity is coded within each node, how these perceptions are communicated across the system, and how cognitive processes and contextual information influence perceived intensity. Our approach addresses the limitations of traditional human and animal studies and holds promise for advancing our fundamental understanding of olfaction. Critically, the findings can offer insights into the common principles shaping perception across all our senses.

One of the primary functions of olfaction is to assess whether a smell is pleasant or unpleasant (i.e., odor valence). This enables us to make crucial decisions about approaching or avoiding the odor (e.g., avoiding rotten food). Due to limitations in non-invasive brain imaging techniques, next to nothing is known about how the core and initial olfactory system —from the peripheral to the primary olfactory cortex — simultaneously encode this fundamental odor precept in humans. In this project, we will use new techniques that enable us to investigate the core olfactory system simultaneously, from the olfactory epithelium (EPT) to the olfactory bulb (OB), and the olfactory cortex (piriform cortex, PC). Specifically, we will determine how each node codes odor valence and how this information is communicated between each node to create the final odor valence percept. Exploring the mechanisms of odor valence is necessary to understand the most fundamental principle of human olfaction. Today, we have far more knowledge about how perception works in vision and hearing. This project aims to establish a similar level of knowledge for olfaction.