2025 UKARFF Early-career Researchers talks: Dr Ceylan Beşevli – Nose Gym: digital smell self-care at home
07/02/2025
Dr Ceylan Beşevli, funded by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), is exploring the potential of digital smell training — a form of nose gym — as an effective method to combat smell loss. Her research focuses on identifying the barriers and motivations that influence individuals’ engagement in daily smell training, aiming to enhance its accessibility and effectiveness. By uncovering these key factors, Dr Beşevli’s work could pave the way for practical interventions that help improve olfactory health and quality of life.
Dr Ceylan Beşevli, University College London, funded by Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
75% of people over the age of 70 experience smell loss or smell dysfunction. And around half of these older adults will go on to experience depression, anxiety, isolation and eating impairments due to their loss of smell.
Dr Ceylan Beşevli believes digital smell training — a form of nose gym — is an effective way to counter smell loss. However, we don’t yet know how feasible it is to get people to do daily digital smell training at home. She carried out a six month feasibility study to test compliance with a nose gym device connected to 18 participants’ phone’. Ceylan also collected feedback through participant meet ups and interviews.
The study saw high compliance rates, 74%, and uncovered barriers and motivations to daily training. Next, Ceylan hopes to adjust the technology and device design based on feedback and to test nose gyms in a larger clinical trial.
Watch the recording
If you cannot see the embedded video below, then you can watch the recording on YouTube at this link.
Meet the speakers
Dr Ceylan Beşevli
Ceylan is a Design Researcher and Research Fellow at University College London’s Department of Computer Science, specializing in user-centred research at the intersection of design and health. She works on the Smell Care Project, investigating digital smell training, aka Nose Gym, to understand how people engage with it and its broader implications for sensory health and ageing. Her research integrates design futuring, participatory design, and in-the-wild user research methods to shape the future of smell care as a proactive health practice. Ceylan holds a BSc in Product Design and an integrated PhD in Interaction Design and Cognitive Development.