Emily Spencer is a PhD student at Edinburgh Napier University. Her primary research area in sensory perception, and she is currently investigating the ways in which the olfactory senses can be retrained following a loss of the sense of smell. Previously, Emily has worked as a research assistant on various projects. These have included an investigation into the determinants of psychological distress in teenagers and young people affected by cancer, a study that focussed on the link between socio – economic factors and children’s cognitive development, and research into the effects of noise on creativity in the classroom. Recently, Emily has developed a blog for parents and carers to keep up to date with research concerning children’s development.