Chester Springs resident Joseph G. Brand III, a research neuroscientist who is best known for his work on the sense of taste, has died at 75, writes Gary Miles for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

For almost a half-century, Brand worked at Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia as a researcher and associate director. Much of his research focused on taste in humans and animals.

He became known worldwide in 2005 when he demonstrated that cats cannot taste sweets due to a genetic defect.

“Because cats can’t taste sweets, they’re cranky,” Brand joked at the time.

The finding was important because it showed a clear connection between genes and behavior.

“He did real work,” said Gary Beauchamp, the former director and president at Monell. “He didn’t just direct others. He worked side-by-side with them, and the care with which he did that work and treated his colleagues was remarkable.”

Brand was also an effective mentor and teacher who inspired his students to pursue their scientific careers.

Read more about Joseph G. Brand III in The Philadelphia Inquirer here.