The nurse who can smell Parkinson’s | Joy Milne

Joy Milne shares her experience of possessing hereditary hyperosmia, a heightened sense of smell, and how it led to her accidental diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in her husband, Les, years before medical science caught up. Her ability to differentiate smells allowed her to identify a distinct scent associated with Parkinson's. This discovery led to research collaborations and the development of a non-invasive diagnostic test called Nose2Diagnose. Milne recounts the t-shirt experiment, where she accurately identified individuals with Parkinson's based on scent. She also discusses her ongoing work with the World Parkinson's Coalition, the Unmet Needs for Women in Parkinson's, and her research into using African pouch rats to detect diseases, driven by a promise to her late husband to continue their research.