Shows
People Behind the Science Podcast700: Dr. Debbie Senesky: Making Materials and Developing Devices for Extreme EnvironmentsListen Free in iTunes
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Dr. Debbie G. Senesky is an Assistant Professor in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department at Stanford University. She received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California. Debbie was next awarded her M.S. and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Before joining the faculty at Stanford, Debbie held positions at GE Sensing, the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center, GE Global Research Center, Hewlett Packard, and Delphi Automotive Systems. In recognition for her excellence in research, Debbie has r...
2023-03-2045 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast657: Dr. Suzana Herculano-Houzel: Sizing Up Species’ Brains to Understand Nervous System Diversity and DevelopmentListen Free in iTunes
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Dr. Suzana Herculano-Houzel is a Professor of Psychology and Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University. She received her B.S. in Biology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and completed her M.S. in Neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University. She was awarded her PhD in Neuroscience from Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris, and conducted part of her graduate work at the Max-Planck Institute for Brain Research. Suzana served on the faculty of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro before jo...
2022-05-2352 min
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersSizing Up Species’ Brains to Understand Nervous System Diversity and Development - Dr. Suzana Herculano-HouzelDr. Suzana Herculano-Houzel is a Professor of Psychology and Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University. In the lab, she compares brains to find out what they are made of and what difference that makes for the organism in terms of its abilities. She is interested in finding out how many neurons and other cell types brains have, determining whether brain size matters, and examining how numbers of cells correspond to cognitive abilities. Suzana is not only a scientist, but also a musician. From an early age, she received formal training in classical music, including the piano and flute. While Suzana...
2022-05-2352 min
The Dental Wealth Nation Show with Tim McNeelyHow to Solve Your Accounts Receivable Problems with Anne Marie FailorYou are busy and your staff is overwhelmed with the hassle of dealing with insurance companies.
Tune in as we talk with Anne Marie Failor of 360 Dental Billing about how you can collect ALL the insurance money that is rightfully owed to you.
You can connect with Anne Marie Failor at annemarie@360dentalbilling.com or visit her at www.360dentalbilling.com
2021-03-0734 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast576: Dr. Mina Bissell: Changing How We Think About Cancer by Revealing the Critical Role of Context in Tissue SpecificityListen Free in iTunes
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Dr. Mina Bissell is a Distinguished Scientist in the Life Sciences Division of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She received her B.A. in Chemistry from Radcliffe College and a M.Sc. in Bacteriology and Biochemistry as well as a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Harvard University. Afterward, Mina was awarded a Milton Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard University followed by an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley. She started off at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory to study cell b...
2020-10-191h 09People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersChanging How We Think About Cancer by Revealing the Critical Role of Context in Tissue Specificity - Dr. Mina BissellDr. Mina Bissell is a Distinguished Scientist in the Life Sciences Division of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Mina is working to understand why the cells in a particular part of your body form the structures they do and not something else. Tissue and organ specificity are fundamentally related to cancer. When cells forget their tissue-specific functions, they can begin to pile up, form tumors, and travel elsewhere in the body. In her free time, Mina loves to exercise, spend time with her family, watch theatre performances, read, go hiking, and work in her garden. She received her B...
2020-10-191h 09People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersResearching Rehabilitation After Traumatic Brain Injury - Dr. Amanda RabinowitzDr. Amanda Rabinowitz is an Institute Scientist and Director of the Brain Injury Neuropsychology Laboratory at Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (MRRI), as well as a Research Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University. Amanda is a clinical psychologist who studies rehabilitation after brain injury. There are often cognitive and emotional changes after brain injury, and Amanda is interested in characterizing these changes and developing treatments to help people cope with them. She is also interested in understanding the impacts that having a brain injury earlier in life may have on people later in their lives. Much of...
2020-09-0745 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersDeveloping Stem Cell and Extracellular Vesicle Therapies to Treat Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury - Dr. Franklin WestDr. Franklin West is an Associate Professor in the Regenerative Biosciences Center at the University of Georgia. In the lab, Franklin and his team are developing and testing stem cell therapies to treat stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI). They use induced pluripotent stem cells, which are cells that can be reprogrammed to develop into any kind of cell in the body. Traveling is a passion for Franklin. Though he had to cancel his trip to Seoul, South Korea planned for this summer, he is looking forward to his next big travel adventure. In the meantime, Franklin has been...
2020-08-3138 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersDetermining the Drivers of Diversity in Bats and Other Mammals - Dr. Sharlene SantanaDr. Sharlene Santana is Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington and Curator of Mammals at the University of Washington’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. As an integrative and evolutionary biologist, Sharlene explores questions about evolution from a variety of perspectives. She is working to understand why some groups of organisms are more diverse in terms of their number of species, appearance, or behavior. There are over 1,400 species of bats that fulfill a variety of ecological roles, and much of Sharlene’s research focuses on diversity in bats. Sharlene loves trying new...
2020-08-2438 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersStudying the Chemistry of How Carbohydrates Contribute to Human Health and Wellness - Dr. Steve TownsendDr. Steven Townsend is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Vanderbilt University. As an organic chemist, Steve’s work involves making drugs and other molecules that are drug-like. He is interested in why people get sick and how he can use chemistry to prevent or treat disease. When he’s not doing science, Steve enjoys spending time with his wife and two young daughters, reading psychological thrillers, exercising (running, basketball, and weight lifting), composting, and gardening. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from Oakland University and his PhD in Organic Chemistry from Vanderbilt University. Prior to accepting his curr...
2020-08-1740 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersCreating Computational Models to Determine How the Brain Accomplishes Complex Tasks - Dr. Kanaka RajanDr. Kanaka Rajan is a computational neuroscientist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute within the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. In her research, Kanaka builds mathematical and computational models of the brain to better understand how the brain works. Her goal is to determine how the neurons and synapses of the brain work together to create complex processes like learning, memory, and decision-making. Running is a passion for Kanaka, and going for a run often helps her think more clearly. In addition, she enjoys sketching urban scenes and scientific themes. She...
2020-08-1041 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersAnalyzing the Surfaces of Ancient Teeth to Understand Human Evolution - Dr. Shara BaileyDr. Shara Bailey is Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Anthropology at New York University (NYU) and Associated Researcher in the Department of Human Evolution at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. Shara studies the bumps and grooves on the surface of teeth, and she uses these bumps and grooves to answer questions about human evolution. Outside of her research, Shara is passionate about mentoring students to help them discover what they are passionate about and how to turn...
2020-08-0342 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersUsing Sulfur to Synthesize New Materials That Transmit Infrared Light - Dr. Darryl BoydDr. Darryl Boyd is a Research Chemist in the Optical Sciences Division of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. He is also the STEM Director at the Transformational Education Adventure Center in McLean, VA, as well as the STEM instructor for Roots Charter School in Washington, DC. As a synthetic chemist, Dr. Boyd creates new molecules and materials. His work focuses on developing and studying materials that can transmit infrared light, particularly materials that leverage the unique properties of the element sulfur. By looking through these materials, we can see wavelengths of light that are longer than what we...
2020-07-2751 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersWorking to Preserve and Restore Populations of Bees and Other Pollinators - Dr. Lauren PonisioDr. Lauren Ponisio is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Oregon. The United States is home to thousands of different species of native bees that are important for agriculture and natural ecosystems. Lauren’s research revolves around preserving and restoring bee populations in agriculture areas and other natural habitats. She is interested in understanding the distribution and health of different populations of native bees. When she’s not working, you can often find Lauren in her garden. She has been an avid gardener since childhood, and she currently has a thriving garden with lots...
2020-07-2042 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast562: Dr. Ayse Turak: Engineering Affordable Organic Electronics to Power and Light the WorldListen Free in iTunes
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Dr. Ayse Turak is Associate Professor and Associate Undergraduate Chair of the Department of Engineering Physics at McMaster University. Ayse received her B.Sc. in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Queens’s University and her PhD from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto, where she was a Canada Graduate Scholar. Afterwards, Ayse conducted research as a Marie Curie Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research and subsequently worked as a visiting professor at Sabanci University in Istanbul, Turkey befo...
2020-07-1350 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersEngineering Affordable Organic Electronics to Power and Light the World - Dr. Ayse TurakDr. Ayse Turak is Associate Professor and Associate Undergraduate Chair of the Department of Engineering Physics at McMaster University. Ayse develops and studies plastic-based electronic materials, such as solar cells and light-emitting diodes. Her goal is to create affordable, sustainable, and ubiquitous plastic materials to provide power and light for people around the world. In her free time, Ayse loves to travel, visit new places, see new things, explore new cultures, and seek adventure. She also enjoys theatre, writing, and volunteering with various social justice organizations. Ayse received her B.Sc. in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Queens's University a...
2020-07-1350 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersInvestigating How Risk Factors Contribute to Outcomes After Traumatic Brain Injury - Dr. Umesh VenkatesanDr. Umesh "Umi" Venkatesan is an Institute Scientist and Director of the Brain Trauma and Behavior Laboratory at Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (MRRI). Umi is trained as a clinical psychologist, and he currently studies behavior and cognition in people with neurological disabilities, particularly following traumatic brain injury. He is interested in how interactions between our physiology, our behavior, how we experience the behavior of others, and how others behave may impact our medical health, mental health, and general well-being. Outside of science, the arts have always been a big part of Umi’s life. He has practiced Indian classical da...
2020-07-0640 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersCharacterizing Biological Surfaces and Creating New Biomimetic Materials - Dr. Joe BaioDr. Joe Baio is an Assistant Professor in the School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering at Oregon State University. In the lab, Joe studies how materials function in the natural world to determine if principles from natural materials can be applied to solve important problems in medicine, biotechnology, engineering, and other fields. In particular, Joe is interested in understanding the characteristics and interactions on the surfaces of materials. Surfaces of interest range from cell membranes to artificial hips to sticky frog tongues. To clear his mind and get a break from the stresses of work, Joe enjoys cycling o...
2020-06-2944 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersDetermining How Disruptions in Brain Development Lead to Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Disorders - Dr. Ileana SotoDr. Ileana Soto is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences at Rowan University. She studies how disruption of brain development leads to neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders. Her goal is to identify defects at the cellular level before signs and symptoms of the disease can be detected. These defects may be promising targets for early treatment and prevention. Much of Ileana’s work focuses on Niemann-Pick disease type C. This is a rare neurodegenerative disease that causes dementia in children. When Ileana isn’t doing research or teaching, she enjoys going out to dinner and spen...
2020-06-2246 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersUncovering the Mechanisms Underlying Uneven Rates of Evolution Across Organisms - Dr. Martha MuñozDr. Martha Muñoz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University. Martha is an evolutionary biologist who is working to better understand how and why evolution proceeds unevenly across the tree of life. Some features and branches or organisms are evolving really quickly, while others remain inert or nearly inert for millions of years. Her research is uncovering the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. For Martha, nature is a wonderful source of peace and inspiration for her research. When she’s not working, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, hiking, seeing amazing views, and...
2020-06-1551 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersApplying Artificial Intelligence to Improve Healthcare - Dr. Wesley GilsonDr. Wes Gilson is Artificial Intelligence Lead for North America at Siemens Healthineers. Wes and his colleagues use artificial intelligence in the context of healthcare to gain insights on how to improve treatments for patients and how to improve the ways in which clinicians can deliver care. Wes is trained in medical imaging, and he looks at healthcare data in different ways to learn how they can improve healthcare outcomes and help patients recover faster. When he’s not at work, Wes enjoys quality time with his two teenage daughters. He also spends his free time traveling, exploring the ou...
2020-06-0840 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersCreating New Therapeutics to Treat Testosterone Deficiency - Dr. Robert DudleyDr. Robert Dudley is President and CEO at Clarus Therapeutics, Inc. and is a clinical pharmacologist and board-certified toxicologist. With a background in clinical pharmacology and toxicology, Bob has dedicated his career to developing new drugs to promote men’s health. Over the years, Bob has worked on developing a variety of testosterone products, including the first testosterone gel and an oral testosterone replacement drug. Outside science, Bob and his wife enjoy building new houses together because they love being involved in choosing the details and design of their home. Some of Bob’s other hobbies include reading, golfing, and...
2020-06-0141 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersInvestigating How Disruptions in the Gut Microbiome Impact Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Lead to Disease - Dr. Mariana ByndlossDr. Mariana Byndloss is Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Research in Mariana’s lab investigates how the bacteria that live inside our gut can affect our health. She is interested in how things like diet, antibiotics, or infection may change how our body behaves. This, in turn, can change how the bacteria in our gut behave and lead to disease. Mariana loves animals, and she spends a lot of her free time with her dog and new puppy. They are both German Shorthair Pointers, and she trains them to hunt and to pa...
2020-05-2536 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersUsing Rehabilitation Robotics and Noninvasive Brain Stimulation to Promote Recovery After Brain Injury - Dr. Dylan EdwardsDr. Dylan Edwards is Director of the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute as well as an Institute Scientist and Director of the Human Motor Recovery Laboratory there. In addition, he is Professor of Neuroscience at Edith Cowan University in Australia, and Faculty at Harvard Medical Schools Continuing medical education program in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. In his research, Dylan studies the recovery of movement following damage to the nervous system that may occur after stroke or spinal cord injury. He and his team use rehabilitation robots to assess and train motor function. They also apply noninvasive stimulation to test the circuitry...
2020-05-1841 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersExamining the Impacts of Exercise on Cardiovascular Health After Stroke - Dr. Ada TangDr. Ada Tang is a physical therapist, an Associate Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University, and a Clinician-Scientist with the Ontario Heart and Stroke Foundation. We know that exercise is an important part of healthy living for everyone, but it can be more difficult for people with stroke to exercise as a result of mobility problems and other factors. Unfortunately, exercise is typically not a strong focus in stroke rehabilitation. Ada and her research team are assessing the impacts of exercise on the cardiovascular health of people with stroke, as well as other populations, and...
2020-05-1139 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersMaking a Mechatronic Tremor Suppression Glove for People with Parkinson’s Disease - Dr. Ana Luisa TrejosDr. Ana Luisa Trejos is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering as well as Biomedical Engineering at Western University in Canada. She is also an Associate Scientist at the Lawson Health Research Institute. Ana Luisa’s research is in the area of mechatronic systems engineering. This field combines mechanical, electrical, computer, and software engineering to develop smart machines that can perceive what is happening in the environment and react intelligently. In particular, she is designing wearable mechatronic technologies that can help people recover from mobility problems due to a musculoskeletal injury or a movement disorder like Parkinson’s dise...
2020-05-0441 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersApplying Insights from Human Genetics to Create New Cancer Therapies - Dr. Tim BehrensDr. Tim Behrens is Senior Vice President of Human Genetics at the biotech company Maze Therapeutics and Adjunct Professor of Medicine in Rheumatology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. In his research, Tim is working to apply lessons and insights from human genetics to develop new drugs for different diseases. For example, Tim and the team at Maze Therapeutics are working on developing a drug that activates the immune system in new ways to fight cancer. Tim is an avid outdoors enthusiast, so he loves spending his free time canoeing, fishing, and going on wilderness trips. He also enjoys...
2020-04-2740 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersDeveloping Novel Drugs to Treat Autoimmune Disease and Inflammation - Dr. Paul ChangelianDr. Paul Changelian is Vice President of Biology at Aclaris Therapeutics and Director of Biology at Confluence Life Sciences. He is working to discover new drugs to treat autoimmune disease and inflammation in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and multiple sclerosis. In these conditions, the immune system inadvertently attacks cells in your body. He and his team are working to identify and test small molecule drugs that patients could take by pill that would inhibit this abnormal activation of the immune system to slow down damage to joints or other areas that may be under attack...
2020-04-2054 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersUnearthing Clues to Reveal How People Lived in Early Mesoamerican Cities - Dr. Verónica Pérez RodríguezDr. Verónica Pérez Rodríguez is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). Verónica is an archaeologist and anthropologist who is interested in studying people and life in cities over time. Through her work, she examines how people lived many years ago, what brought them to cities, what made them stay, what were the tradeoffs, and what were the environmental impacts. Her work focuses on the highlands of the Mixteca Alta in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. This region was a cradle of urbanism, innovation, and comp...
2020-04-1344 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersStudying New Cellular Mechanisms of Memory Involving Myelin - Dr. Douglas FieldsDr. R. Douglas Fields is Chief of the Nervous System Development and Plasticity Section at the National Institutes of Health and Adjunct Professor in the Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program at the University of Maryland, College Park. In addition, Doug is the author of numerous books and magazine articles about the brain, including the recently released book Electric Brain: How the New Science of Brainwaves Reads Minds, Tells Us How We Learn, and Helps Us Change for the Better. Doug studies how the brain develops and the mechanisms involved in changes to the brain’s structure and function (plasticity). He...
2020-04-0646 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersExamining Episodic Memory and Making Sense of Memory Failures - Dr. Ayanna ThomasDr. Ayanna Thomas is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Graduate Program in Psychology at Tufts University. Ayanna conducts research to answer a wide variety of questions related to memory. She aims to better understand how our memories work, how our memories fail, how we perceive our memory function (metacognition), how memories change over time, and what are the impacts and implications of these aspects of memory for our everyday lives. In her free time, Ayanna loves watching movies. She and her husband have a tradition where they watch a different horror movie every night throughout the month...
2020-03-3036 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersInvestigating the Impacts of Geochemistry and Nanoscale Materials on our Planet - Dr. Michael HochellaDr. Michael Hochella is a University Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Virginia Tech. Michael’s research is at the intersection of nanoscience and environmental geochemistry. He studies very small things that can impact the health of the planet and the health of humans. Since childhood, Mike has been fascinated by airplanes and flying, and he received his pilot’s license as an undergraduate student. Over 45 years later, Mike still delights in seeing Earth from the pilot’s seat thousands of feet above ground. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Geological Sciences from Virginia Tech, and was awarde...
2020-03-2351 min
Difficult WomenYou Need to Calm Down w/ Holden McNeelyDo you need to calm down? Then take a listen to this week’s episode of Difficult Women. Katy & Marie sit down with their good comedy buddy Holden McNeely and discuss one of his favorite things, Taylor Swift! We discuss the social backlash to liking things you’re not supposed to and debate our feelings about mega pop stardom and it’s effects on fans and haters alike.
Follow @reformedwhores on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and visit their website for upcoming shows at www.reformedwhores.com.
Promo Code Alert: Check out https://www.adameve.com and use pr...
2020-03-171h 04People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersApplying CRISPR Technologies to Advance Food Science, Health, and Sustainability - Dr. Rodolphe BarrangouDr. Rodolphe Barrangou is the Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University. He is also Editor-In-Chief of The CRISPR Journal and co-founder of Intellia Therapeutics, Locus Biosciences and TreeCo. Rodolphe’s research is focused on CRISPR gene editing technologies that allow us to modify the DNA in organisms ranging from bacteria to trees to humans. His lab primarily works to study and apply CRISPR technologies in bacteria to make food healthier, promote beneficial gut microbes, and help us be healthier. When he’s not working, Rodolphe enjoys spend...
2020-03-1646 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersScientist with Her Sights Set on Using Stem Cells to Study and Treat Retinal Degeneration - Dr. Natalia VergaraDr. Natalia Vergara is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Natalia uses stem cells to understand how the retina forms during development and how it degenerates during disease with the goal of developing therapies to help patients who suffer from vision loss. In her free time, Natalia loves hanging out, cooking, and enjoying food with friends and family, including her husband and two young kids. Natalia is also an avid traveler, and she delights in the thrill of discovery that comes along with...
2020-03-0942 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersWorking to Purify and Preserve Our World's Water Supply - Dr. David SedlakDr. David Sedlak is the Plato Malozemoff Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Co-Director of the Berkeley Water Center, Deputy Director of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Reinventing the Nation's Urban Water Infrastructure, and Director of the Institute for Environmental Science and Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition, he is author of the book Water 4.0: The Past, Present, and Future of the World's Most Vital Resource. David is working to create technologies that will allow future generations to have access to adequate amounts of clean, safe water. When David isn’t...
2020-03-0241 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersStudying Water on the Surfaces of Planetary Systems - Dr. Jonathan TonerDr. Jonathan Toner is a Research Assistant Professor in Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington. Jon conducts research on planetary surfaces, such as Earth, Mars, and the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn. He is interested in identifying and better understanding sources and potential of water in these environments. This work has important implications for future exploration endeavors and the search for possible life. In addition, Jon studies how the environmental conditions on Earth and other planetary systems may have contributed to the origins of life. When he’s not working, John enjoys being outdoors, hiking, cl...
2020-02-2440 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersLearning How Long Non-Coding RNAs Contribute to Lung Cancer Development - Dr. Crystal MarconettDr. Crystal Marconett is Assistant Professor of Research Surgery in the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Crystal’s work centers around understanding the molecular origins of lung cancer. She is interested in how cancer arises in the lungs, what types of cells are involved, what genetic mutations may be happening, and the causes of these mutations. In addition, Crystal’s lab is working to develop new cures for lung cancer and determine which patients will respond best to these treatments. Beyond being a scientist, Crystal loves spending time with her two young children, crocheting, and...
2020-02-1739 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersDeveloping DNA Vaccines and Treatments for Cancer and Other Diseases - Dr. David WeinerDr. David Weiner is Executive Vice President, Director of the Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, and the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust Professor in Cancer Research at The Wistar Institute. He is also Emeritus Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In the lab, David and his colleagues are creating drugs using the same DNA codes and signals that our bodies use naturally. The drugs they are creating are natural compounds that can be given to people to prevent them from getting sick or to help them be healthier. One area...
2020-02-1043 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersInvestigating Issues at the Intersection of People, Policy, and Marine and Coastal Environments - Dr. Ana SpaldingDr. Ana Spalding is Assistant Professor of Marine and Coastal Policy and Affiliate Faculty at the Pacific Marine Energy Center at Oregon State University. She is also a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama as well as at the Coiba Research Station in Panama. As a social scientist who works in marine and coastal policy, Ana’s research is focused on the intersections of people, the environment, and policies. She is interested in understanding people’s perceptions of the ocean and coast, policy and management frameworks surrounding resource use in these areas, and the majo...
2020-02-0338 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersFinding Out How the Brain Controls Movement in Moths During Flight - Dr. Simon SponbergDr. Simon Sponberg is Dunn Family Professor and Assistant Professor in the School of Physics and the School of Biological Sciences, as well as Adjunct Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Through his research, Simon is interested in understanding how the brain works with muscles to make bodies move. Animals move gracefully in nearly all environments on Earth, and many types of movement can be difficult to perform in robotics and other created systems. Simon uses animal models to study how the body and the muscles inform the brain in terms of...
2020-01-2754 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersExamining Extreme Weather Events and Earth's Most Intense Storms - Dr. Kristen RasmussenDr. Kristen Lani Rasmussen is Assistant Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. Research in Kristen’s lab focuses on studying extreme events, particularly weather events such as heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, hail storms, and other events that have a big impact on humans and society. She is interested in examining these extreme event systems in the context of our current climate and how they may change in the future. In addition to spending quality time with her fantastic family, Kristen enjoys playing jazz trumpet. She has played jazz and bluegrass music with various bands in Co...
2020-01-2038 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersStudying Stroke Patients to Understand How the Brain Controls Perception and Action - Dr. Laurel BuxbaumDr. Laurel Buxbaum is Associate Director of the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Director of the Cognition and Action Laboratory, and Research Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University. Laurel’s research examines how the brain controls perception and action. She studies people who have had strokes in particular parts of their brains to uncover where in the brain strokes may cause certain difficulties or impairments. She also uses a wide variety of techniques including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), eye tracking, and electroencephalography to further understand how we perceive and interact with our environment. When she’s not at work...
2020-01-1328 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersDeveloping Novel Materials with Wide Applications from Medicine to Manufacturing - Dr. Tim LongDr. Tim Long is Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Macromolecules Innovation Institute at Virginia Tech. Tim’s lab is working on a wide variety of research projects that are focused on novel macromolecular structures to tailor the properties and processing of polymers. His work has applications across many industries, including the development of chemotherapy treatments and electro-active devices important for prosthetics in medicine. In his job, Tim spends a lot of time in his office, in front of computers, in the lab, and inside at conferences, so he likes to spend his free time outside. There are be...
2020-01-0641 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersInvestigating How the Development of Agriculture Has Shaped the Ecology and Evolution of Insect Pests - Dr. Yolanda ChenDr. Yolanda Chen is a Gund Fellow in the Gund Institute for Environment as well as an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Vermont. Through her research, Yolanda is working to understand the origins of insects as pests in agriculture. To do this, she investigates the origins of agriculture and crop domestication, and how these processes have changed biodiversity and the interactions between crops and insects. She is interested in understanding how insect pests have become so successful, including invasive insect pests like...
2019-12-3042 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersUsing Astrophysics to Unravel the Enigma of Quantum Entanglement - Dr. Andrew FriedmanDr. Andrew Friedman is an Assistant Research Scientist at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He is also a Research Affiliate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). As an astrophysicist and cosmologist, Andy is studying the history of the universe from the Big Bang through present day. Andy and his colleagues use the universe as a laboratory to learn more about how things work. Specifically, Andy uses observations of astronomical objects in other galaxies to learn about fundamental physics and quantum mechanics. When he’s not at work, you can f...
2019-12-2349 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersApplying Physics and Nanotechnology to Understand Mechanics and Shape in Biological Systems - Dr. Sonia ConteraDr. Sonia Contera is an Associate Professor of Biological Physics at the University of Oxford Physics Department, and a Research Fellow of Green Templeton College. She is also the author of the recently released book Nano comes to Life. Sonia is interested in biology and the mechanics of biology across different space and time scales. She develops experiments and techniques to understand the physics that allow biological systems to build nano-scale molecules into cells, organs, tissues, and organisms.. Projects in Sonia’s lab include studying and treating pancreatic tumors, understanding heart arrhythmias, and the physics of plant growth. When sh...
2019-12-1641 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersBreaking Down the Mysteries of Digestion in Animals With Unusual Diets - Dr. Donovan GermanDr. Donovan German is Associate Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He studies how guts work, aiming to better understand how materials move through the gut, which enzymes are secreted during digestion, what microbes are present, and what role these microbes play. In particular, Donovan focuses his research on animals with unusual diets, such as fish that eat wood or algae, to understand how these foods are digested and how animals can survive on these lower quality foods. Beyond his interests in science, Donovan loves sports and music...
2019-12-0938 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersResearching River Food Webs in Temperate and Tropical Rivers - Dr. Mary PowerDr. Mary E. Power is a Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley as well as Faculty Manager at the Angelo Coast Range Reserve and Director of the California Biodiversity Center. Mary is also a contributing scientist in a new documentary film called The Serengeti Rules. Over the course of her career, Mary has studied the ecosystems of four different rivers. Her work to understand the food webs in those rivers has involved observation and taking field notes, mapping and quantitative observations to identify patterns, developing questions and hypotheses, and then testing her...
2019-12-0255 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersCreating Sustainability Solutions Through Science - Dr. Gayle SchuellerDr. Gayle Schueller is the Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President of Sustainability and Product Stewardship at 3M. In her work, Gayle has the opportunity to use science to have an impact on the world through the development of innovative products. These products span electronics, healthcare, consumer products, and other areas. She brings together teams of talented people to find innovative solutions and address sustainability problems. In her free time, Gayle enjoys biking, food, festivals, and spending time with her family. She is also an avid gardener, and she particularly likes growing flowering plants to attract bees. She received h...
2019-11-2545 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersStudying the Physics of How Cells Self-Organize - Dr. Jennifer RossDr. Jennifer Ross is a Professor in the Department of Physics at Syracuse University. Through her research, Jenny is working to better understand how living things can organize themselves. An animal starts with one cell and then develops into a full organism through self-organization and self-assembly. Jenny and her lab are working to identify simple rules and develop models using physics to explain how biological processes work. In her free time, Jenny enjoys doing activities with her two kids. They’ve been having fun engaging in science-related activities like visiting volcanoes and watching the solar eclipse a few years ag...
2019-11-1851 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersCreating Compounds to Treat Pain and Slow Tumor Growth - Dr. John TalleyDr. John J. Talley is Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Euclises Pharmaceuticals, Inc. In addition, John is Co-Founder, Partner, and Vice President of Chemistry at Emmyon, Inc. John is an organic chemist who works to identify targets that can be modulated by chemicals. Currently, the two areas that John is focusing on are developing non-opioid treatments for acute and chronic pain and developing a new medicine that can be used with immune checkpoint inhibitors to slow or reverse tumor growth in cancer. In his free time, John enjoys cultivating vegetables and flowers in his garden, as well as g...
2019-11-1152 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersStudying the Role of Sea Otters in Kelp Forest Ecosystems - Dr. Jim EstesDr. Jim Estes is Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California at Santa Cruz. In addition, Jim is author of the book Serendipity: An Ecologist’s Quest to Understand Nature, and he is a contributing scientist in a new documentary film called The Serengeti Rules. Most of Jim’s career has been spent as a research scientist studying topics in ecology. He is interested in how nature works, and how species interact with one another and their physical environment. Specifically, Jim is working to better understand coastal marine ecosystems, kelp fores...
2019-11-0445 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersDeveloping Gene Therapies for Rare Inherited Retinal Diseases - Dr. Daniel ChungDr. Daniel Chung is the global medical strategy lead for ophthalmology at Spark Therapeutics. Spark Therapeutics concentrates on discovering, developing, and delivering gene therapy for rare diseases. Dan works in the area of ophthalmology, and he and his colleagues brought the first FDA-approved gene therapy for a genetic disease to market. This therapy was created to treat an inherited retinal disease that results in blindness and is caused by variants or mutations in the RPE65 gene. When he isn’t working or traveling, Dan enjoys spending time with his family. He is also an avid photographer who loves capturing ph...
2019-10-2835 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersResearching How Plant Cells Sense and Respond to Internal Forces - Dr. Elizabeth HaswellDr. Elizabeth Haswell is a Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)-Simons Faculty Scholar. Liz’s research examines how the molecules, cells, and tissues within plants can sense and respond to forces. In particular, she studies a type of proteins that is really sensitive to mechanical signals called mechanosensitive ion channels. Liz is working to understand how these mechanosensitive ion channels sense and respond to internal forces within plant cells, such as turgor pressure (i.e. the water pressure within cells). In her free time, Liz enjoys traveling, hiking, ha...
2019-10-2141 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersPhysicist Figuring Out How Materials Deform and Fail - Dr. Karen DanielsDr. Karen Daniels is a Professor in the Department of Physics at North Carolina State University. Karen’s lab investigates the physics of how materials change state (e.g. from solid to fluid), how they deform, and how they may ultimately fail. She studies these questions across a variety of length and time scales, from microscopic phenomena that occur in less than a second to shifts in land that occur on geologic timescales and may lead to landslides. Travel is a passion for Karen. While traveling, she loves hiking on mountain trails, eating delicious food, discovering new foods that sh...
2019-10-1440 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersGenerating Genomic Therapies to Treat Huntington's Disease and Other Conditions - Dr. Edward RebarDr. Edward Rebar is Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Sangamo Therapeutics. Ed and the team at Sangamo are developing genomic medicines. They use different techniques including gene therapy, ex vivo genome editing (using cells sourced from outside the body), in vivo genome editing (using a patient’s own cells within their body), and in vivo targeted gene regulation to downregulate their genes of interest. When Ed isn’t at work, he loves being outside with his wife, going to local parks, and visiting National Parks. When walking around observing nature, he tries to understand the story behi...
2019-10-0730 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersExamining the Role of Epigenomics in Development and Disease - Dr. Joyce OhmDr. Joyce Ohm is an Associate Professor of Oncology in the Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Joyce’s research examines the epigenomics involved in development and disease, particularly in cancer. In her free time, Joyce enjoys cycling as well as hiking and kayaking with her two adorable dogs. She recently cycled 500 miles from New York City to Niagara Falls in the Empire State Ride, and it was an amazing experience. She was awarded her PhD in Cancer Biology from Vanderbilt University. Afterwards, Joyce conducted postdoctoral research in oncology at Johns Hopkins Uni...
2019-09-3042 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersDeciphering Genome Differences Associated with Diseases Like ALS - Dr. Molly Gale HammellDr. Molly Gale Hammell is an Associate Professor in Quantitative Biology at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. She sequences genomes and analyzes genome sequences to understand which differences in our genomes are due to random variation between individuals, and which are associated with diseases. In particular, she focuses on studying elements of the genome associated with neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In her free time, Molly loves gathering a group of friends together to attend some of the many fantastic live music concerts in the New York City area. Molly received her PhD in Physics and Astronomy from...
2019-09-2332 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersExploring Causes, Degenerative Mechanisms, and Potential Therapies for Parkinson's Disease - Dr. Kim TieuDr. Kim Tieu is Professor and Interim Chair in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences in the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work at Florida International University. Kim’s research focuses on three related areas. The first is understanding why people develop Parkinson’s disease (PD). The genetic or environmental causes of PD are unknown in about 90% of cases. Kim is studying the effects of environmental toxins on the development and progression of PD. The second major area of research in Kim’s lab examines why and how the dopamine-producing neurons die in a part of the brain...
2019-09-1639 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersExamining Emotions and How They Affect Our Actions - Dr. Jessica TracyDr. Jessica Tracy is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of the Emotion and Self Laboratory at the University of British Columbia. In addition, she is a University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business Distinguished Scholar and author of the book Take Pride: Why the Deadliest Sin Holds the Secret to Human Success. Jess conducts research in the field of social and personality psychology. Her lab focuses on better understanding the self-conscious emotions we feel when we are evaluating ourselves. Some examples of self-conscious emotions are pride and shame. In her free time, Jess enjoys...
2019-09-0942 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersInvestigating How Insects Transmit Plant Pathogens And How To Prevent Propagation - Dr. Michelle HeckDr. Michelle Heck is a Research Molecular Biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), an Associate Professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, as well as an Adjunct Professor in the school of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University. Michelle studies interactions between the insects that infest plants, the pathogens that those insects can transmit, the diseases that can occur as a result, and new ways to control the spread of these diseases. Outside the lab, she loves spending time with her fantastic family, being a musician, watching her kids get...
2019-09-0239 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersDedicated to Clinical Care and Conducting Research to Combat Childhood Cancers - Dr. Uri TaboriDr. Uri Tabori is a Staff Physician in the Division of Haematology/Oncology, Senior Scientist in the Genetics & Genome Biology program, and Principal Investigator of The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). In addition, Uri is a Professor in Paediatrics and Associate Professor in the Institute of Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto. Uri works as a physician treating kids with cancer, particularly brain tumors. Through his research, he is working to identify drugs and make new discoveries that may cure cancers or improve patients’ lives. When he’s not hard at work...
2019-08-2637 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersStudying Young Stars to Shed Light on Planet Formation - Dr. Meredith HughesDr. Meredith Hughes is an Associate Professor of Astronomy at Wesleyan University. In her research, Meredith uses large radio telescopes to study how planets form around other stars. After stars are formed, disks of leftover gas and dust go on to form planets. Meredith studies how this process works, the conditions that exist in these early disks, how the disks form planets, and the types of planets that form around stars. Studying this process in other star systems helps us learn more about our own solar system and how it formed.When Meredith isn’t working, you can find he...
2019-08-1941 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersExamining the Effects of Environmental Stress on Fish and Aquatic Invertebrates - Dr. Susanne BranderDr. Susanne Brander is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at Oregon State University. Susanne is an ecotoxicologist who studies the effects of environmental stress on wildlife. She particularly focuses on aquatic organisms that live in coastal areas, estuaries, and marine environments. Her research examines how environmental stressors affect organisms’ ability to function, reproduce, grow, and survive. In addition, Susanne assesses the risk of chemicals like pesticides or pharmaceuticals in waste waters in terms of how they might affect the health and survival of fish and other invertebrates. In her free time, Susanne enjoys han...
2019-08-1243 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersRecovering Rare and Endangered Butterfly Populations through Conservation Corridors and Other Strategies - Dr. Nick HaddadDr. Nick Haddad is a Professor in Integrative Biology at Michigan State University and a Senior Terrestrial Ecologist at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. In addition, Nick is the author of the recently released book The Last Butterflies: A Scientist's Quest to Save a Rare and Vanishing Creature. Through his research, Nick searches for the rarest butterflies in the world and works to understand what factors cause the decline of these butterflies and what we can do to conserve them. Outside of work, Nick has been enjoying renovating his home with his wife who is a historic preservationist. T...
2019-08-0559 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersDeveloping New Cancer Treatments Using T Cell Receptor-Based Biologics - Dr. David BermanDr. David Berman is Head of Research and Development at Immunocore, a leading T cell receptor biotechnology company. David and his team are working on new therapies that can train the immune system to recognize and kill cancer. This approach to treating cancer is called immunotherapy. Immunocore is taking a novel approach to immunotherapy by leveraging the mechanisms used by T cell receptors to identify indicators of cancer within cancer cells. Much of David’s time outside of work is spent driving his daughters to their soccer and lacrosse games and watching them play. He also enjoys cycling with his...
2019-07-2942 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersGetting Straight to the Point Studying the Shape and Function of Shark Teeth - Dr. Lisa WhitenackDr. Lisa Whitenack is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Biology and Geology at Allegheny College. Through her research, Lisa aims to better understand how animals work from a mechanical perspective. She studies how sharks have used their teeth over their 400 million years of evolution, how salamanders jump, and how stone crabs perform pinching movements. When she’s not at work, Lisa loves getting creative with a variety of crafts such as crochet, cross-stitch, and painting. She also enjoys refereeing roller derby, hiking, and spending time with her family. Lisa received her B.S. in geology from the Un...
2019-07-2241 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersCreating New Compounds to Treat Central Nervous System Disorders - Dr. Al RobichaudDr. Al Robichaud is Chief Scientific Officer at Sage Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing novel medicines to treat life-altering central nervous system disorders. The team at Sage Therapeutics is focused on delivering new medicines for people with central nervous system disorders, such as depression. The compounds they have developed modulate the activity of receptors in the brain that respond to specific neurotransmitters. Outside of science, Al has been an avid scuba diver for most of his life. He particularly enjoys exploring the ocean in the Caribbean with his family. Al received his B.S. i...
2019-07-1537 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersStudying Social Behavior, Reproduction, and Health in Female-Dominant Species - Dr. Christine DreaDr. Christine Drea is the Earl D. McLean Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology, as well as Professor in the Department of Biology, the University Program in Ecology, and the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences at Duke University. Research in Christine’s lab examines animal behavior from an integrative perspective. She and her colleagues are investigating the genetic, behavioral, cognitive, sensory, and endocrine mechanisms involved in social interactions and communication in socially complex animals. Christine focuses primarily on female-dominant species such as hyenas, lemurs, and meerkats. Christine’s hobbies outside of science include gardening, playing and walking with her two dogs, and...
2019-07-0841 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersInvestigating Genetic Profiles and Phenotypes of People with Parkinson's Disease - Dr. Paul CannonDr. Paul Cannon is the Parkinson’s Disease Program Manager at 23andMe. Paul and the team at 23andMe are working with patients, genetic data, and other self-report data to understand genetic mutations linked to Parkinson’s disease, disease risk factors, and other comorbidities experienced by people with Parkinson’s disease. Outside of work, Paul enjoys traveling to visit new places in countries or parts of countries that are not necessarily considered typical tourist destinations. He also likes to hike, watch cricket matches, and watch Premier League Soccer games. Paul received his Master’s degree in Natural Sciences from Christ’s College...
2019-07-0137 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersInvestigating How Frogs are Impacted by Climate Change, Fungal Disease, and Selection Pressures - Dr. Cori Richards-ZawackiDr. Cori Richards-Zawacki is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and Director of the Pymatuning Lab of Ecology at the University of Pittsburgh. Cori studies topics in ecology, evolutionary biology, behavior, and conservation in frogs. In particular, she is working to understand how frogs use different body forms, colors, and other features to survive partially on land and partially in water. When she’s not working and doing research, Cori enjoys spending time outside with her husband and two young daughters. She likes to play soccer, hike, go mountain biking, and do other outdoor activities. Cori rec...
2019-06-2443 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersSage Scientist Developing New Drugs for Depression and Other Neurological Diseases - Dr. Jim DohertyDr. Jim Doherty is Chief Research Officer at Sage Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing novel medicines to treat life-altering central nervous system disorders. Jim and his colleagues are focused on developing new treatments for different brain disorders including psychiatric, neurodegenerative, and movement disorders. Outside of science, Jim enjoys traveling, seeing cool new sites, and exploring the history of different places with his wife and two kids. He also enjoys participating in a variety of team sports like golf, softball, and ultimate frisbee leagues. Jim received his B.A. in biology from the University of...
2019-06-1734 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersDeveloping Drugs to Treat Lupus Nephritis and Other Rare Diseases - Dr. Neil SolomonsDr. Neil Solomons is Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies in disease areas of high unmet medical need. Neil is working to develop a drug to treat a rare autoimmune disease called lupus nephritis. In lupus nephritis, there is inflammation of the kidneys that can result in kidney failure, need for dialysis, or kidney transplant. Currently, there are no FDA-approved therapies for this disease, and the team at Aurinia is excited to be in the final stages of developing a drug called Voclosporin to treat lupus...
2019-06-1024 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersResearching Age-Related Retinal Degeneration Diagnostics and Therapeutics - Dr. Anne FungDr. Anne Fung is the Global Development Lead for the Port Delivery System with Ranibizumab and Lucentis at Genentech. She is also a practicing retina specialist and researcher at Pacific Eye Associates and California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. Macular degeneration is a degenerative condition of a portion of the retina in the eye. This disease generally affects older adults. While there are some amazing medicines that can help people with macular degeneration, these medicines must be injected into the eye every 4-6 weeks. Anne is working on a tiny implant that serves as a reservoir for medicine s...
2019-06-0338 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersIdentifying Genetic Variants and Phenotypic Traits Associated with Parkinson's Disease - Dr. Karl HeilbronDr. Karl Heilbron is a Scientist I in Statistical Genetics at 23andMe. He focuses on identifying genetic variants that are associated with diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. Once variants are identified, he conducts more targeted analyses to better understand the genetic basis of disease. When he’s not working, Karl enjoys staying active by playing soccer and other sports. In addition, he has been having fun staying in touch with old friends by playing Dungeons and Dragons together online. Karl received his Bachelor's degree in Evolutionary Science from Western University where he was awarded the Western Gold medal for...
2019-05-2736 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersInvestigating the Impacts of the Gut Microbiome on Immunotherapy Cancer Treatments - Dr. Jennifer WargoDr. Jennifer Wargo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and a Stand Up To Cancer researcher. Jennifer is a physician scientist, and this means she splits her time between providing care to patients and doing research to find better ways of treating disease. Specifically, Jennifer performs surgeries and treats patients one day each week. She spends the rest of her week studying how to treat patients with cancer and how cancer may ultimately be prevented. When she’s not doing research or treating patients, Jennifer enjoys spendi...
2019-05-2035 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersModeling Social Systems to Inform Interventions and Impact Policies - Dr. Brian GoodeDr. Brian Goode is a Research Scientist at the Fralin Life Science Institute at Virginia Tech, formerly the Biocomplexity Institute. Brian’s background is in engineering, and his current research aims to understand how data-driven and theoretical models can be applied to the real world. For example, in one project, he is working to predict outcomes for people and their families using data from their first nine years of life. Their goal is to make the best models they can, identify the considerations needed to apply these models to reality, and then determine how their models can be used to...
2019-05-1332 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersDeep Sea Explorer Seeking Solutions to Stop Marine Pollution - Dr. Edith WidderDr. Edith Widder is Co-Founder, CEO, and Senior Scientist at the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA), a scientific based conservation nonprofit. ORCA aims to find upstream solutions to the pollution problems that are plaguing our oceans. They use science-based approaches to determine where pollution is coming from and what can be done to stop it. When Edie isn’t doing science, she loves immersing herself in nature through hiking and kayaking. She also enjoys visiting museums, especially art museums. Edie received a BS in Biology from Tufts University and worked as a Laboratory Technician at Harvard Medical School before en...
2019-05-0642 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersDeveloping New Vaccines to Prevent Infectious Diseases from Bacteria - Dr. Annaliesa AndersonDr. Annaliesa Anderson is Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Bacterial Vaccines within Vaccine Research and Development at Pfizer Inc. In the lab, Liesa is working to develop new vaccines that prevent infectious diseases caused by bacteria. Outside of work, Liesa loves spending time at home with her husband, sixteen year old son, twelve year old daughter, and the family’s new dog. She also enjoys being outside, visiting the Jersey Shore beaches, taking exercise classes with her husband, and serving as a girl scout leader. She earned her PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Warwick in...
2019-04-2943 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersResearching Novel Methods to Regenerate Functionally-Polarized Tissues - Dr. Denver LoughDr. Denver Lough is President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of PolarityTE, a biotech company developing methods for patients’ own cells to regenerate functionally-polarized tissues. Denver and the team at Polarity TE have developed novel methods to successfully induce regeneration across the full spectrum of tissue types including skin, muscle, and bone. They have accomplished this by understanding the environment, stimuli, and interactions needed for these tissues to orient, self-organize, and develop. With their technology, patients with a variety of diseases and injuries can regenerate fully functional tissues from their own cells. When he isn’t working at PolarityTE, Denv...
2019-04-2240 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersProtecting the World's Most Peaceful Primates - Dr. Karen StrierDr. Karen Strier is the Vilas Research Professor and Irven Devore Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Karen is a Primate behavioral ecologist. She is working to understand the biological basis of human behavior, evolution, and adaptation by studying our closest living relatives. Research in Karen’s group involves observing a critically endangered primate, the northern muriqui, in its natural habitat to understand how their behaviors are similar to or different from human behaviors. When she’s not in the lab or observing primates in the wild, Karen enjoys being outside, going for walks in nature, cooking deli...
2019-04-1557 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersEngineering Novel Solutions for Data Storage and Energy Management in Electronics - Dr. Eric PopDr. Eric Pop is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering as well as Materials Science & Engineering at Stanford University. Research in Eric’s laboratory spans electronics, electrical engineering, physics, nanomaterials, and energy. They are interested in applying materials with nanoscale properties to engineer better electronics such as transistors, circuits, and data storage mechanisms. Eric is also investigating ways to better manage the heat that electronics generate. When he’s not working, Eric enjoys snowboarding up in the mountains of California. He also enjoys traveling, playing soccer, and following professional soccer leagues. Eric received his B.S. in electrical engineering, B.S...
2019-04-0857 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersAdvancing Adhesive Technology and Advocating for Science - Dr. Jayshree SethDr. Jayshree Seth is a Corporate Scientist and Chief Science Advocate at 3M. Jayshree is developing and studying adhesives and tapes for use in industrial environments. Her goal is to create stronger, more versatile, and more sustainable products. In addition to science, Jayshree enjoys a variety of creative pursuits such as writing poetry, writing articles, and cooking a wide array of foods. Jayshree received her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Trichy in India. She then attended Clarkson University in New York where she earned her MS and PhD in Chemical Engineering. Jayshree has worke...
2019-04-0141 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersAdvancing the Fight Against Breast Cancer With Novel Non-Chemotherapy Treatments - Dr. Kimberly BlackwellDr. Kimberly Blackwell is Vice President of Early Phase Development and Immuno-oncology at Lilly Oncology. In addition, Kim is Co-Founder of Cereius, a company that aims to improve the lives and survival of patients with solid tumor brain metastasis by using personalized and highly targeted radiotherapy. After 25 years of treating patients and conducting breast cancer research, Kim recently left her position in academic medicine to focus her efforts on getting new drugs to patients facing cancer. Kim’s hobbies include spending time with her family, watching her son’s baseball games, practicing yoga, meditating, skiing, and horseback riding. Kim rece...
2019-03-2544 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersDeveloping Devices to Treat Chronic Pain and Parkinson's Disease - Dr. Rafael CarbunaruDr. Rafael Carbunaru is Vice President of Research and Development of the Neuromodulation Division of Boston Scientific Corporation. Rafael is dedicated to creating innovative medical solutions to transform the lives of patients worldwide. He and his team are developing non-drug treatments to help patients with chronic neurological disorders such as chronic pain and Parkinson’s disease. To do this, they are creating new devices and therapies that can modify the signals the nervous system is sending that may cause the symptoms of these neurological disorders. Outside of work, Rafael enjoys spending time with his family. They like to explore ou...
2019-03-1840 min
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersInvestigating Novel Therapeutics to Improve Immune Function and Treat Age-Related Diseases - Dr. Joan MannickDr. Joan Mannick is Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of resTORbio, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops novel therapeutics to treat aging-related diseases. Joan and her colleagues at resTORbio are targeting the biology of aging to treat and prevent aging-related diseases so people can be healthier longer. In particular, Joan is interested in targeting the aging immune system in an effort to reduce the risk of respiratory infections in older adults. After a busy day at work, Joan likes to relax by working out at the gym, watching movies, and reading novels. Joan received her B.A. from Harvard...
2019-03-1136 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers491: Using Data to Inform Policy and Improve Quality of Life in Communities - Dr. Stephanie ShippDr. Stephanie Shipp is Deputy Director and Research Professor in the Social and Decision Analytics Division of the Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative at the University of Virginia. Stephanie works with social scientists and statisticians who are passionate about improving the quality of life for communities through data. They use data to inform policy-making and decision-making, working both at the scale of local communities and national projects. Stephanie develops methods and provides analyses to tell stories and answer questions using the massive amounts of data available today. When not at work, Stephanie enjoys cycling, pilates, running around with her grandchildren...
2019-03-0444 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers490: Examining the Intersection of Immunology and Emotion - Dr. Fulvio D'AcquistoDr. Fulvio D'Acquisto is Professor of Immunology and Director of the Health Science Research Centre at the University of Roehampton in London. Through his research, Fulvio seeks to understand how emotion and lifestyle influence our immune response. He is investigating how different types of emotions (both positive and negative) affect our immune systems at the level of individual cell types and cellular responses. Fulvio’s hypothesis is that each emotion has a particular signature effect on a person’s immune system. Fulvio is also fascinated by psychology, psychotherapy, archetypes, and personality types. He enjoys reading and attending presentations on thes...
2019-02-2541 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers489: Mathematician and Communicator with an Eye for Modeling Cataract Development in Populations Over Time - Dr. Talithia WilliamsDr. Talithia Williams is an Associate Professor of Mathematics and Associate Dean for Research and Experiential Learning at Harvey Mudd College. In addition, Talithia is Host of the PBS Series NOVA Wonders and author of the book Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics. Talithia is a mathematician who does disease modeling. She has been working with the World Health Organization to create models of the rates at which groups of people develop cataracts over time. Left untreated, cataracts can cause partial or complete blindness. In the U.S., cataract surgery is quick and accessible, but this is...
2019-02-1850 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers488: Studying the Evolutionary Diversity of Squishy Sea Creatures - Dr. Joseph RyanDr. Joseph Ryan is an Assistant Professor of Biology at the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience at the University of Florida. In the lab, Joe studies DNA from squishy marine invertebrates like ctenophores (e.g. comb jellies), cnidarians (e.g. jellyfish), tunicates (e.g. sea squirts), and sea cucumbers. His goal is to understand how different types of animals are related, how animals adapt to extreme environments, and how animals have evolved the extraordinary diversity we see today. When he’s not at work, Joe loves spending time with his family. He and his two kids (one and three ye...
2019-02-1137 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers487: Making Mathematical Models to Understand Immune System Responses to Cancer - Dr. Lisette DePillisDr. Lisette DePillis is the Norman F. Sprague Jr. Professor of Life Sciences, Professor of Mathematics, and Chair of the Department of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College. Lisette is an applied mathematician. She creates mathematical models or structures to help describe questions in biology. In particular, Lisette has been working on building models to improve our understanding of diseases related to the human immune system, such as cancer. Her goal is to understand the genesis and dynamics of diseases as well as to discover improved and personalized treatment approaches. In her free time, Lisette plays piano, sings, dances, and...
2019-02-0439 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers486: Theoretical Physicist and Author Discovering Novel Forms of Matter and Improving our Understanding of the Universe - Dr. Paul SteinhardtDr. Paul Steinhardt is the Albert Einstein Professor in Science, Professor in the Department of Physics, Professor in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, and Director of the Princeton Center for Theoretical Sciences. In addition, Paul is author of the popular science book Endless Universe: Beyond the Big Bang and the recently released book The Second Kind of Impossible: The Extraordinary Quest for a New Form of Matter. Paul is a theoretical physicist whose areas of study range from the nature of particles to the origins of the universe. He uses the known laws of nature to unravel some of...
2019-01-2844 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers356: Sizing Up Species’ Brains to Understand Nervous System Diversity and Development - Dr. Suzana Herculano-HouzelDr. Suzana Herculano-Houzel is a Professor of Psychology and Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University. She received her B.S. in Biology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and completed her M.S. in Neuroscience at Case Western Reserve University. She was awarded her PhD in Neuroscience from Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris, and conducted part of her graduate work at the Max-Planck Institute for Brain Research. Suzana served on the faculty of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro before joining the faculty at Vanderbilt where she is today. She is the recipient...
2016-08-0152 min
Taming The High Cost of College86 I Think My Student Likes the Sciences, Now What? Interview with Marie McNeely, PhD in Neuroscience and Professor at Washington UniversityProfessor Marie McNeely stops by today to share how she turned her high school love of science into a profession. “There are lots of career opportunities out there that parents might not be aware of,” says McNeely. Figuring out how to turn something your child is passionate about, like science, into a paying job can be tricky. So how do you do it?
2016-07-1429 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers327: Changing How We Think About Cancer by Revealing the Critical Role of Context in Tissue Specificity - Dr. Mina BissellDr. Mina Bissell is a Distinguished Scientist in the Life Sciences Division of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She received her B.A. in Chemistry from Radcliffe College and a M.Sc. in Bacteriology and Biochemistry as well as a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Harvard University. Afterward, Mina was awarded a Milton Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard University followed by an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley. She started off at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory to study cell biology and cancer viruses and has dedicated over 40 years of her career to...
2016-01-111h 09People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers272: Synthesizing Chemistry and Physics in Her Studies of Soft Matter and Self-Assembly - Dr. Kate McGrathDr. Kate McGrath is the Vice-Provost of Research at Victoria University of Wellington and the Director of The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, a New Zealand Government funded Centre of Research Excellence. Kate is also the Chair of the Board of VicLink and also a member of the Boards of two startup companies: WETOX and iPredict. Kate received her PhD in Applied Mathematics from Australian National University in Canberra and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris and at Princeton University. Afterward, she served on the faculty of the University of...
2015-06-1750 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers163: Navigating Millions of Years of History for Earth's Geologic Features Using Magnetic Fields in Rocks as a Compass - Dr. Chris RowanDr. Chris Rowan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology at Kent State University. He received his Masters Degree in Earth Science from the University of Cambridge and his PhD in Geology from the National Oceanography Centre of the University of Southampton. Afterward, Chris worked as a Research Technician at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton. He then served as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Johannesburg, a Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, and a Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Chicago before joining the faculty at Kent...
2014-10-0646 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers030: Making Connections in the Field of Neurotransmission and Synaptic Signaling - Dr. Ege KavalaliDr. Ege Kavalali is a Professor in the Departments of Physiology and Neuroscience at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He is also the Effie Marie Cain Scholar in Medical Research and the Rosewood Corporation Chair in Biomedical Science. He received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Rutgers University and then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University in the department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology. Ege is with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
2014-05-0641 minPeople Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers001: Welcome to People Behind the Science! - Dr. Marie McNeelyDr. Marie McNeely is the host of People Behind the Science. She received her PhD in Neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis.
2014-04-0808 min