North City Tech Meetup August 2, 2021: The Science Behind Smell and the Marketing of Fragrance

North City Tech Meetup August 2nd Presentation

The Science Behind Smell and the Marketing of Fragrance

By Reitha Weeks, PhD; Scientist, Educator, Volunteer

Monday, August 2, 2021, 7 to 9pm

Online Zoom Meeting

Free and open to everyone

The Science Behind Smell and the Marketing of Fragrance

Presentation description:

Our noses are amazing molecular detectors but how much do we really know about our sense of smell? How do we detect and perceive smells? What smells are associated with certain diseases? How effective is aromatherapy? Come explore the sense of smell - from the biology that makes it possible to the chemistry behind fragrances and essential oils.

Our detection of smells relies on anatomy, but our perception of smells is influenced by psychology - the power of suggestion and association. We may find it hard to describe fragrances, but we are surrounded by fragrances in everyday products. Fragrance labels and the regulations for those labels are varied. 

Whether fragrance molecules come from essential oils or laboratory synthesis, smell is an important part of our lives that we don’t appreciate until we lose it.

Reitha Weeks, PhD.

Bio: Reitha Weeks, PhD; Scientist, Educator, Volunteer

Dr. Weeks received her BS in Home Economics, Foods and Nutrition from Oregon State University and PhD in Genetics from the University of Washington. 

She worked for 13 years in the biotech industry at multiple large and small drug development companies in Seattle. 

Her career took her from bench scientist to company director which meant involvement in business and regulatory decisions as well as discovery science. 

She was Program Manager for Science Outreach at Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR) for nine years.

Currently she is Program Coordinator for Shoreline Community College’s biotech summer camps for high school students (www.shoreline.edu/project-biotech). She also teaches classes at Edmonds Community College Creative Retirement Institute.

She is an active member in Association for Women in Science (AWIS), Organization for Regulatory and Clinical Associates (ORCA), Northwest Science Writers Assn (NSWA) and American Association of University Women (AAUW).

Meeting details

No RSVP required, but appreciated, on our Meetup.com page for this event:

https://www.meetup.com/northcitytech/events/279718029/

Zoom Meeting Information

• Topic: North City Tech Meetup: The Science Behind Smell and the Marketing of Fragrance
• Time: Aug 2, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83756456206?pwd=QjlhSk54V0lQUjQwUjdiakFldmxvdz09

Meeting ID: 837 5645 6206
Passcode: 450105

The North City Tech Meetup

The North City Tech Meetup is a free meetup, usually the first Monday of each month at one of our local libraries: Lake Forest Park, Shoreline or Kenmore. People of all levels of interest and experience are encouraged to attend. There is always time for introductions and discussions. Skip the traffic and join with your fellow north-enders once a month for interesting presentations and discussions.

Group site: https://www.meetup.com/northcitytech/

For the time being all North City Tech Meetups will be online using Zoom.