Loss of Smell, Smell Disorders, Rhinology, Olfactology, Taste Disorders

Video: Medicine and Me: living without smell and taste with Mr Carl Philpott

Video: Coronavirus and anosmia. Professor Carl Philpott

Video: Loss of Smell and Taste Could be Early Indications of Covid-19

Video: Post-Covid19 smell & taste disruption — the latest research

Prof. Carl Philpott MB ChB DLO FRCS(ORL-HNS) MD PGCME SFHEA
Professor of Rhinology & Olfactology
Honorary Consultant ENT Surgeon & Rhinologist
Norfolk & Waveney ENT Service

I was appointed as an academic surgeon to the University of East Anglia in 2010, funded in part by the Anthony Long Trust. As Professor of Rhinology & Olfactology at UEA, I lead on a number of research projects related to chronic sinusitis and smell and taste disorders. As joint Chief Investigator on the MACRO Programme Grant awarded by NIHR for £3.2 million, I am supported by a team of colleagues from UCL, Guys, University of Southampton and University of Oxford. The programme will involve a major trial of 600 patients with chronic sinusitis across 17 centres in the UK. Other research roles include being ENT Lead for the Eastern Local Clinical Research Network,  Research Lead for the British Rhinological Society where I have helped to shape the national research priorities for nose and sinuses diseases and President of the British Otorhinolaryngology & Allied sciences Research Society.

I am a graduate of Leicester University Medical School and completed my basic surgical training in the University Hospitals of Leicester before undertaking a period of research into developing apparatus for testing the sense of smell, which culminated in my MD Thesis. My specialist training was completed in East Anglia, during which time I spent a year at the St Paul’s Sinus Centre in Vancouver, Canada learning advanced skills in endoscopic sinus surgery for inflammatory diseases of the nose and sinuses as well as tumours of the sinuses and anterior skull base. My main clinical interests include the medical and surgical treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis and other sino-nasal disorders. I established the first dedicated ENT image guided sinus surgery facility in East Anglia and now run a regular sinus surgery course at UEA.

I have also spent time at the Dresden University Smell & Taste Clinic learning techniques for assessing and researching the sense of smell and am now the Director of the first British Smell & Taste Clinic and receive referrals from around the UK. As trustee and Director of Research & Medical Affairs I have helped establish a patient led charity, Fifth Sense, which now has over 3000 members around the UK. I am the Professional Lead for the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership on Smell & Taste disorders that will run from October 2020 to November 2021.

• Professor of Rhinology & Olfactology/Honorary Consultant Rhinologist 2017 onwards
• Clinical Senior Lecturer/Honorary Consultant ENT Surgeon & Rhinologist  2010-7
• Specialist Registrar, Eastern Deanery 2004-2010
• Rhinology and Anterior Skull Base Fellow, St Paul’s Sinus Centre, Vancouver 2008-9
• Clinical Research Fellow, University Hospitals of Leicester 2003-4
• Senior House Officer 1999-2002
• Pre-Registration House Officer 1998-9
• Qualified Leicester Medical School 1998

• Professionalism Lead for Norwich Medical School
• ENT Lead for the Eastern Clinical Research Network  
• PPI Champion for the NIHR ENT Specialty Group
• President of the British Otorhinolaryngology & Allied sciences Research Society
• Professional Lead for the JLA Priority Setting Partnership on Smell & Taste Disorders
• Section Editor for Clinical Otolaryngology
• Director of Research and Medical Affairs for Fifth Sense
• Silver National Clinical Excellence Award (2023)

Previous and active studies include: 

• The MACRO Programme for chronic rhinosinusitis
• The APOLLO trial for post-infectious olfactory dysfunction
• The Express study to analyse cytokines in chronic rhinosinusitis
• Screening for smell loss after head injury
• TNF-Alpha anatagonists in olfaction
• The genetics of cholesteatoma
• The Digital Smell Care Study

Research Keywords

Postgraduate Research Student Supervision

ENT disorders
Sinonasal disease
Olfactory and gustatory disorders

Highlighted Publications:

• Rocke J, Hopkins C, Philpott C, Kumar N. Is loss of sense of smell a diagnostic marker in COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Clinical Otolaryngology. 2020 Nov 1;45(6):914-922. https://doi.org/10.1111/coa.13620
• GCCR Group Author . More than smell - COVID-19 is associated with severe impairment of smell, taste, and chemesthesis. Chemical Senses. 2020 Sep;45(7):609–622. https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bjaa041
• Lechner M, Patel ZM, Philpott C, Lund VJ. Olfactory Loss of Function as a Possible Symptom of COVID-19. JAMA Otolaryngology. 2020 Sep;146(9):872-873. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoto.2020.1589
• Hopkins C, Alanin M, Philpott C, Harries P, Whitcroft KL, Qureishi A et al. Management of new onset loss of sense of smell during the COVID-19 pandemic - BRS Consensus Guidelines. Clinical Otolaryngology. 2020 Aug 27. https://doi.org/10.1111/coa.13636
• Huart C, Philpott C, Konstantinidis I, Altundag A, Trecca EMC, Cassano M et al. Comparison of COVID-19 and common cold chemosensory dysfunction. Rhinology. 2020 Aug 19. https://doi.org/10.4193/Rhin20.251
• Lechner M, Chandrasekharan D, Jumani K, Liu J, Gane S, Lund VJ et al. Anosmia as a presenting symptom of SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers – A systematic review of the literature, case series, and recommendations for clinical assessment and management. Rhinology. 2020 Aug 1;58(4):394-399. https://doi.org/10.4193/Rhin20.189
• Lechner M, Counsell N, Liu J, Eynon-Lewis N, Paun S, Lund VJ et al. Anosmia and hyposmia in health-care workers with undiagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The Lancet Microbe. 2020 Aug;1(4). e150. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-5247(20)30096-3
• Collins R, Hong Ta N, Jennings BA, Prinsley P, Philpott CM, Steel N et al. Cholesteatoma and family history: An international survey. Clinical Otolaryngology. 2020 Jul;45(4):500-505. https://doi.org/10.1111/coa.13544
• Philpott C. The Impact of Patients Losing Their Sense of Smell. British Journal of Hospital Medicine. 2020 May 4;81(5). 0090. https://doi.org/10.12968/hmed.2020.0090
• Wahid NW, Smith R, Clark A, Salam M, Philpott C. The Socioeconomic Cost of Chronic Rhinosinusitis Study. Rhinology. 2020 Apr 1;58(2):112-125. https://doi.org/10.4193/Rhin19.424
• Erskine S, Philpott C. An unmet need: Patients with smell and taste disorders. Clinical Otolaryngology. 2020 Mar;45(2):197-203. https://doi.org/10.1111/coa.13484
• Chong L-Y, Piromchai P, Sharp S, Snidvongs K, Philpott C, Hopkins C et al. Biologics for chronic rhinosinusitis. Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online). 2020 Feb 27;2020(2). CD013513. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013513.pub2
• Fokkens WJ, Lund VJ, Hopkins C, Hellings PW, Kern R, Reitsma S et al. EPOS: European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps 2020. 29 ed. 2020 Feb. (Rhinology).

Undergraduate ENT teaching

Postgraduate training in ENT – especially sinus anatomy, physiology and surgery

Teaching observations for PGCME students

Professionalism Lead - Norwich Medical School

ENT Lead for the Eastern CRN