Precision, data-driven guidance for taste loss in cancer patients
Official title: SCH: Flavor Charter: Precision Data-Driven Diagnosis, Monitoring and Guidance for Dysgeusia
Funded at University of Illinois at Chicago · NIH-11580869 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A smartphone-supported program uses data and sensors to diagnose, monitor, and guide dietary help for people with taste loss after head and neck cancer treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 18, 2026 |
| Project end | July 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $318,067 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DE037101-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11580869 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with head and neck cancer who have undergone radiotherapy and are experiencing dysgeusia or related taste alterations.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without taste changes or those not using smartphone-based tracking may derive limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
If you’ve had head and neck cancer and radiation, you may experience persistent taste changes that affect nutrition and health. This project combines crowd-sourced data, new non-invasive sensors, and smart data methods to understand taste loss at the individual level and across groups. A user-friendly app lets patients track taste experiences in real time and communicate symptoms with a common vocabulary. At-home throat sensors will help separate taste from saliva and swallowing factors, so clinicians can tailor dietary guidance more accurately. The goal is a Decision Support Tool that helps care teams give personalized dietary advice and monitor patient progress at home.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive more precise dietary guidance that improves nutrition and overall outcomes during and after cancer treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise for digital tracking and sensor-based monitoring in supporting cancer care, but this project aims to integrate them for personalized taste guidance.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marai, Georgeta-Elisabeta — University of Illinois at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Marai, Georgeta-Elisabeta
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.