Name:
Robert I. Henkin

Birthdate and Place:
October 5, 1930; Los Angeles, CA

Education:

• B.A. University of Southern California, 1951, cum laude M.A. University of California, Los Angeles, 1953
• PhD. University of California, Los Angeles, 1956 in music (experimental psychology)
• M.D. University of California, Los Angeles, 1959 Intern in Medicine, University of California Hospital, Los Angeles, 1959-1960 Resident in Medicine, Jackson Memorial Hospital, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 1960-1961

Positions Held:

• 1952-1954 Teaching Assistant, Department of Music, University of California, Los Angeles
• 1952- Free-lance composition of music for motion pictures, radio and theatrical productions, Los Angeles, CA and Washington DC
• 1962-1963 Research Associate, Laboratory of Clinical Science, NIMH, NIH, Bethesda, MD
• 1963-1969 Senior Investigator, Clinical Endocrinology Branch, NHLI, NIH, Bethesda, MD
• 1965-1970 Attending Physician, DC General Hospital, Georgetown University Medical Service, Washington, DC
• 1963-1966 Clinical Instructor in Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
• 1967-1975 Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
• 1967-1976 Faculty, Foundation for Advanced Education in Sciences, NIH, Bethesda, MD
• 1969-1975 Head, Section on Neuroendocrinology, Hypertension-Endocrine Branch, NHLI, NIH, Bethesda, MD
• 1969-1976 Faculty, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Basic Science Course in Otolaryngology, Washington, DC
• 1974 Lecturer, Department of Oral Surgery, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC
• 1975-1983 Associate Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC
• 1975-1986 Director, Center for Molecular Nutrition and Sensory Disorders, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC
• 1979-1980 Faculty, Basic Science Course in Otolaryngology, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC
• 1983-1986 Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC

Present Positions:

• 1975- Director, The Taste and Smell Clinic, 5125 MacArthur Blvd., Washington, DC 20016
• 1975- Director, Center for Molecular Nutrition and Sensory Disorders, 5125 MacArthur Blvd. Washington, DC 20016
• 1975- Director, Rokin, Inc. Washington, DC
• 1987- President and CEO, Sialon Corporation, Washington, DC

Certifications:

• California State Board of Medical Examiners- 1959 Florida
• State Board of Medical Examiners- 1961 District of Columbia
• Board of Medical Examiners- 1975 Editorial

Appointments:

• 1977-1981 Editor in Chief, Olfactory Review
• 1978- Editorial Board, Biological Trace Element Research

Consultantships:

• 1967-1970 Gynecologic Endocrinology Clinic, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY
• 1968-1970 Polymer Institute, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY
• 1969-1975 Campbell Soup Company, Camden, NJ
• 1975- National Institutes of Health (DRG, NCI, NIADDK, NINCDS) Bethesda, MD
• 1976-1983 United States Postal Service, Washington, DC
• 1976-1977 Hooker Chemical Company, Buffalo, NY
• 1976-1980 Continental Baking Company (ITT), Rye, NY 1977 Leeds-Dixon Laboratories, Monachie, NY
• 1978-1979 Parsons and Whittemore, Inc.; New York, NY
• 1979 Lewis Howe Company, St. Louis, MO
• 1979 Lederie Laboratories, Pearl River, NY
• 1980-1981 Merck, Sharp and Dohme, West Point, PA
• 1981- Human Nutrition Program of Competitive Research Grants U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC
• 1981-1982 National Geographic Society Educational Films, Washington, DC
• 1985-1986 Squibb Pharmaceutical Corp. New York, NY
• 1986-1990 Florasynth, Inc. New York, NY
• 1987- Washington Conference for Zinc, Washington, DC
  

Membership in Societies and Professional Organizations:

• Phi Beta Kappa
• Sigma XI Biophysical Society, Charter Member
• American Federation for Medical Research
• American Society for Clinical Investigation
• The Endocrine Society
• American Physiological Association
• American Society for Nutritional Science
• American Society for Clinical Nutrition
• Fellow, American College of Nutrition
• American Heart Association, Council on the Kidney
• International Association for Dental Research, Salivary Research Group
• National Association of American Composers and Conductor
• American Federation of Musicians, Local 47
• The Cosmos Club
• Listed in Who's Who: Who's Who in the East, Men and Women in American Science, International Scholars Directory, Outstanding Medical Specialists in the U.S., Best Doctors in America, International Who's Who in Medicine.

Military Service:

• 1961-1975 United States Public Health Service (Senior Surgeon)

Committees:

• 1972-1977 Chairman, Panel on Zinc, Committee on Biological Effects of Atmospheric Pollutants, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC
• 1972-1977 Committee Member, Committee on Biological Effects of Atmospheric Pollutants, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC
• 1977-1985 Committee Member, Laboratory Committee, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC
• 1977-1980 Committee Member, Peer Review Utilization Committee, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC
  

Grants and Contracts:

• 1969-1970 The molecular basis of olfaction, Office of Naval Research, U.S. Navy, DOD
• 1976-1978 Effects of neutrons of taste and saliva in humans, National Cancer Institute, NIH, CA 18865
• 1976-1979 Anorexia in adult and pediatric cancer patients, National Cancer Institute, NIH, 1 CP 65836 (Principal Investigator)
• 1978-1980 Effects of fiber intake on zinc metabolism in normal human subjects, Continental Baking Company, ITT, Rye, NY (Principal Investigator)
• 1979-1981 Zinc requirements and their variability in normal humans, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 5901-0410-9-0375-0 (Principal Investigator)
• 1980-1984 Zinc, selenium and chromium nutrition in term and preterm infants, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 59-2241-0-1-472-0 and 70-59-2241-1-1- 472-1 (Principal Investigator)
• 1982-1984 Zinc related changes in taste and olfaction, NINCDS, NIH, 1 RO1 NS 18640 (Co-principal Investigator)
• 1984-1985 Age related changes in zinc metabolism, NIA, NIH 1 RO1 AG 04511-01 (Co-principal Investigator)
• 1984-1985 Perceived differences in sweetness for sucrose and glucose in diabetic and obese subjects, Hoffman LaRoche, NJ (Principal Investigator)
• 1986-1989 Stable isotope study of zinc nutritionin neonates. NICHHD, NIH, 1 RO1 HD 21213-0 (Principal Investigator)
• 1986-1989 Kinetic analysis of zinc metabolism in humans, NICHHD, NIH, 1 RO1 AM 36724-01A1 (Co-principal investigator)

Patents Held:

• 7/3/73 US#3,743,088. Diagnostic device and method of treatment. Also issued in Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Australia, Mexico, Switzerland, Italy, South Africa and New Zealand
• 12/31/74 US#3,852,432. Diagnostic device and method of treatment. Also issued in Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Australia, Mexico, Switzerland, Italy, South Africa and New Zealand.
• 2/18/75 US#3,867,539. Method of producing anorexia as a treatment for obesity. Also issued in France and Germany.
• 12/9/75 US#3,925,547. Isolation and purification of active principle of Syncepalum dulcificum. Also issued in Canada, Great Britain and France.
• 11/30/76 US#3,995,031. Method of controlling obesity with purified active principle of fruit of Syncepalum dulcificum.
• 1/3/78 US#4,066,405. Method for total protein fractionation and analysis of human saliva.
• 1/24/95 US#5,384,308. Composition and method for enhancing wound healing.
• 8/4/98 US#5,788,967. Composition and method for inhibiting wound healing.

Patent Applications:

• 3/29/88 US#174,915. Method for determining intoxication status in humans using saliva.
• 7/8/97 US#08/859,843. Composition and method of diagnosis and treatment for taste and smell dysfunction
• 6/18/98 US#09/099,394. Method of treatment of human smell loss with theophylline

Trade Marks Held:

• Accusens-T Registration No. 1,415,534. (Taste acuity kit)

Investigational New Drug Applications Held:

• FDA-IND No. 8,639. Measurement of taste acuity by a simple, practical device.
• FDA-IND No. 7,975. Use of zinc sulfate treatment of patients with taste and smell disorders.
• FDA-IND No. 8,578. Use of vitamin A in the treatment of patients with smell disorders.

Protocols:

• Zinc absorption, distribution and requirements in preterm and term infants. Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Co-principal
• Investigator: K.N. Sivasubramanian, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 1986.
• Taste and smell perception in patients with diabetes mellitus and with exogenous obesity. Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 1984-1985.
• Evaluation and treatment of patients with nasal polyposis and hyposmia, Principal Investigator: H.O. deFries, Co-Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 1984-1986.
• Efficacy of aminophylline and/or adrenal corticosteroids on the treatment of patients with hyposmia, Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 1984-1986.
• Diagnostic evaluation of patients with smell dysfunction by the technique of olfactory evoked responses. Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 1984-1989.
• Administration of oral 65Zn and 70Zn to normal volunteers. Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC and National Institutes for Health, Bethesda, MD 1984-1985.
• Local brain glucose utilization in olfactory projection areas using position emission tomography (PET) in normal volunteers: a pilot study. Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC and National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 1983-1986.
• Stable isotope study of zinc nutrition in infants. Principal Investigator: K.N. Sivasubramanian Co-principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 1983-1986.
• Changes in selenium metabolism in normal men and women of various ages. Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC and National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 1983-1986.
• Determination of chromium requirements in normal men and women of various ages. Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC and National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 1983-1984.
• Airways obstruction in a taste and smell clinic. Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 1982-1983.
• Determination of iron absorption and zinc absorption in patients with renal failure or on chronic dialysis. Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Co-principal Investigator: J. Winchester, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 1981-1983.
• Biopsy of lingual and palatal papillae, nasal mucous membranes and olfactory epithelium from patients with taste and smell dysfunction. Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC. 1980-1984.
• Effects of fiber intake on zinc metabolism in normal subjects. Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, 1979-1985.
• Zinc nutrition and metabolism in colorectal cancer. Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Co-principal Investigator: P.S. Schein, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 1979-1983.
• Effects of radiation on taste and saliva. Principal Investigator: K.L. Mossman, Co-principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 1977-1980.
  Evaluation of aerosolized intranasal normal saline vs. 0.01% bezalkonium chloride vs 0.01%. EDTA in the treatment of hyposmia with allergic rhinitis. Principal Investigator: R.I. Henkin, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 1977-1980.

Honors and Awards:

• Atwater-Kent Fellow in Music, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 1954-1955
• NIH Fellow in Biophysics, University of California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 1957
• NIH Fellow in Biophysics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 1958
• Class day Prize, Best Student Research Work, University of California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, 1959
• Traveling Fellowship, National Kidney Disease Foundation, 1963
• Traveling Fellowship, Merck, Sharp & Dohme, 1968
• Gill Memorial Lecturer, Roanoke, VA, 1981
• Visiting Professor in Nutrition, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 1983
• Sigma XI National Lecturer, `1984-1987
• Georgetown University Vicennial Medal, 1984
• Dow Lecturer in Biochemistry, Bucknell University, PA, 1990
• Giovanni DiChiro Award for Outstanding Scientific Research, 1997

Major Fields of Research Interest:

• Taste and Olfaction
• Medical Treatment of Taste and Smell Dysfunction
• Sensory Physiology and Biochemistry
• Salivary Biochemistry and Physiology with Application to Human Disease
• Measurement of Alcohol, Therapeutic Drugs and Drugs of Abuse in Blood, Urine and Saliva
• Trace Metal Metabolism (Zinc, Copper) and Nutrition in humans and animals
• Neuroendocrinology