Ally Louks

Amelia Mary Louks (; born 8 December 1997), known online as Dr Ally Louks, is an English literary academic. She gained prominence after a photograph of her holding her PhD dissertation went viral on social media, bringing attention to the politics of how smell is described and utilised in English literature. Her book Under Your Nose: The Pleasures and Politics of Smell is forthcoming with Penguin.

Early life and education Amelia Mary Louks was born on 8 December 1997. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English Literature from the University of Exeter in 2019 and a Master of Arts (MA) in Issues in Modern Society from University College London (UCL) in 2020. Her dissertation was titled Olfactory Ethics: The Politics of Smell in Modern and Contemporary Prose. It examines "morally exigent olfactory language in relation to disgust and desire affects".

PhD virality

On 27 November 2024, Louks posted a photo of herself on Twitter holding her dissertation, with the caption "Thrilled to say I passed my viva with no corrections and am officially PhDone." Louks's post went viral with over 120 million views. The reception to her post was largely positive, although some attacked her work as worthless or a waste of university resources. often attacking women's place in academia or even the notion of women with careers. Louks noted that one of the threats was sent to her personal email, which is not readily available online. issued a statement of support for her, as did Cambridge University itself, congratulating her for finishing her PhD with no corrections and stating they believed the backlash was a sign of harassment and misogyny.

The viral post inspired discussions about gender, academia, online abuse, and "misogynistic bullying". which Louks further discussed with Brittany Luse and Jason Stanley on NPR's It's Been a Minute. The journalist Callum Booth wrote that the episode had shown "the worst side of the internet. The part that believes it knows better than experts, that utterly misjudges the point of a post, and the one that resorts to vile insults over discussion."

By December 2024, Louks had gained over 100,000 new Twitter followers. In March 2025, Rolling Stone noted that "Dr. Ally Louks [had] become a beloved fixture of curiosity on an app known for platforming the worst kinds of people".

Post-doctoral career In February 2025, Louks signed with both a British and an American literary agent. Her book Under Your Nose: The Pleasures and Politics of Smell is forthcoming with Penguin. According to the publisher, "In Under Your Nose, Dr Ally Louks uncovers the hidden influence of smell in our lives. Drawing on science, literature, history and pop culture, she shows how smell is never neutral: it is shaped by culture, and in turn reinforces the biases that shape our world."

Personal life In February 2025, Louks came out as bisexual on Twitter. She has also stated that she is a vegan.