People Behind the Science Podcast - Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers artwork

People Behind the Science Podcast - Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers

753 episodes - English - Latest episode: 18 days ago - ★★★★★ - 282 ratings

Are you searching for great stories to ignite your curiosity, teach you to perform better in life and career, inspire your mind, and make you laugh along the way? In this science podcast, Dr. Marie McNeely introduces you to the brilliant researchers behind the latest scientific discoveries. Join us as they share their greatest failures, most staggering successes, candid career advice, and what drives them forward in life and science.

Our website with show notes]]

Greetings science fans!

We’re elated to welcome you to People Behind the Science where we explore the lives and experiences of the people behind the research and scientific discoveries of today.

People Behind the Science’s mission is to inspire current and future scientists, share the different paths to a successful career in science, educate the general population on what scientists do, and show the human side of science.

In each episode, a different scientist will guide us through their journey by sharing their successes, failures, and passions. We are excited to introduce you to these inspiring academic and industry experts from all fields of science to give you a variety of perspectives on the life and path of a scientist.

Our esteemed guests will tell you:

what motivates them and how they balance their competing responsibilities
how they worked through some of the most challenging times in their careers
advice to help you through your own journey through life and science


Our Podcast

People Behind the Science is a podcast focused on the people doing fascinating research through interviews with top scientists. We are proud to have interviewed so many inspiring scientists, including U.S. National Academy scientists like Josh Sanes, Nick Spitzer, Lou Muglia, Jacob Israelachvili, Gene Robinson, Larry Squire, John Dowling, James Berger, and David Spergel, as well as popular scientists in the media like Donna Nelson (science advisor for the TV show Breaking Bad) and Jack Horner (science advisor for the Jurassic park movies). We are honored to have shared their amazing stories with people in all 50 states in the USA and in over 120 countries across the world.

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Episodes

751: Timely Research on Circadian Clocks and Rhythmic Reorientation in Plants - Dr. Stacey Harmer

March 11, 2024 08:30 - 36 minutes - 17 MB

Dr. Stacey Harmer is a Professor of Plant Biology in the College of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Davis. Stacey studies different biological rhythms and the circadian clocks within organisms that create and maintain those rhythms. Circadian clocks can be found in various organisms, from bacteria to people. In particular, Stacey is interested in understanding why plants have circadian clocks, how these clocks work in plants, and what aspects of physiology and developmen...

750: Studying How Cells Control Energy Use and Storage in Response to Hormones and Nutrients - Dr. Alan Saltiel

March 04, 2024 08:00 - 40 minutes - 18.8 MB

Dr. Alan R. Saltiel is Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, Maryam Ahmadian Endowed Chair in Metabolic Health, Director of the Institute for Diabetes and Metabolic Health at UC, San Diego, and Director of the UCSD/UCLA Diabetes Research Center. Alan studies how cells that are involved in metabolism decide to take up and store energy, burn energy, or release energy for other cells to use in response to hormones, nutritional cues, and metabolic stress. He is particularly inter...

749: Progressing Towards an Understanding of the Genes Contributing to Cancer Malignancy - Dr. Erica Golemis

February 26, 2024 08:00 - 56 minutes - 26.2 MB

Dr. Erica Golemis is a Professor, Deputy Chief Science Officer, Co-Leader of the Molecular Therapeutics Program, and Director of the High Throughput Facility at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. In addition, Erica is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University School of Medicine, and the Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine. For most of her scientific career, Erica has been conducting cancer research. Her recent work investigates why s...

748: Figuring Out the Functional Organization and Development of Cortical Circuits in the Brain - Dr. David Fitzpatrick

February 19, 2024 08:00 - 39 minutes - 18.1 MB

Dr. David Fitzpatrick is Chief Executive Officer, Scientific Director, and Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. The brain is important for so many aspects of our daily experiences, including what we perceive, what we think about, how we move, the decisions we make, and more. However, we still know relatively little about how the brain works and how it develops. David’s goal is to dive deep into these basic science questions of how the brain works and ho...

747: Conducting Research to Conserve Colorado's Rare Plants - Dr. Jennifer Ramp Neale

February 12, 2024 08:00 - 39 minutes - 18.3 MB

Dr. Jennifer Ramp Neale is Director of Research and Conservation at the Denver Botanic Gardens. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Biology at the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Colorado Denver. The Denver Botanic Gardens is an accredited museum, a public nonprofit organization, and a research institution, so Jenny has a variety of different roles. She oversees the research conducted there, communicates their findings and the importance of science to different audience...

746: Investigating the Intersection of Nutrition and Bacterial Infection and Pathogenesis - Dr. Eric Skaar

February 05, 2024 08:00 - 49 minutes - 22.9 MB

Dr. Eric Skaar is Director of the Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Director of the Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, the Ernest W. Goodpasture Chair in Pathology, and Vice Chair for Research and a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at Vanderbilt University. Eric is a bacteriologist who studies the impact of nutrition on infectious disease. His research examines how the food we eat affects our susceptibility t...

745: Astrophysicist Radiating Enthusiasm for Research on Plasma Physics and Cosmic Rays - Dr. Ellen Zweibel

January 29, 2024 08:00 - 38 minutes - 17.6 MB

Dr. Ellen Zweibel is the W. L. Kraushaar Professor of Astronomy and Physics, and the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Ellen is a theoretical astrophysicist who specializes in plasma astrophysics. Her studies examine electricity and magnetism in the cosmos, including phenomena like sun spots, the solar cycle, and high energy electromagnetic emissions (e.g. x-rays, gamma rays, and radio waves) from stars and galaxies. Ellen’s interests outside ...

744: Innovating Drug Discovery with Novel Approaches to Target Disease-Causing Proteins - Dr. Ryan Potts

January 22, 2024 08:00 - 42 minutes - 19.7 MB

Dr. Ryan Potts is VP of Research and Head of the Induced Proximity Platform at Amgen that works on ways to bring two or more molecules in close proximity to each other to tackle drug targets that are currently considered “undruggable.” Ryan conducts early-stage research to discover new high-impact medicines for serious diseases that have a high unmet medical need. Their work examines biological pathways, drug targets, disease drivers, and new ways to create drugs that have the desired effect...

743: Advancing Tissue Engineering, Drug Discovery, and Drug Delivery - Dr. Pankaj Karande

January 15, 2024 08:00 - 40 minutes - 18.6 MB

Dr. Pankaj Karande is an Associate Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Pankaj was trained as a chemical engineer, and his research aims to apply engineering approaches and technology to solve problems in biology and healthcare to improve the quality and quantity of human life. Projects in his lab span areas such as drug discovery, drug delivery, biomaterials, diagnostics, and more. When he’s not working, Pankaj loves to cook, and experimentin...

742: Studying Hair Follicles and Skin to Better Understand Tissue Development and Regeneration - Dr. Claire Higgins

January 08, 2024 08:00 - 41 minutes - 19.3 MB

Dr. Claire Higgins is a Reader (faculty) in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London. She is also President of the European Hair Research Society and Vice President of the Institute of Trichologists, a professional association for researchers who study the hair and scalp. Claire teaches and conducts research in the areas of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. She uses skin and hair follicles as models to better unde...

741: Engineering Microbes to Improve Equity in Human and Environmental Health - Dr. Ariel Furst

January 01, 2024 08:01 - 42 minutes - 19.8 MB

Dr. Ariel Furst is the Paul M. Cook Career Development Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In her research, Ariel has been using microbes to address problems surrounding human health, environmental remediation, and sustainability. Her lab focuses on energy equity by developing  new technologies that are accessible to people who haven’t had access to technology but are negatively impacted by it. She is also working towards energy...

740: Targeting Complex Sugars on Cell Surfaces to Treat Multiple Sclerosis and Cancer - Dr. Michael Demetriou

December 25, 2023 08:00 - 41 minutes - 19 MB

Dr. Michael Demetriou is Director of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Designated Comprehensive Care Clinic, Professor of Neurology, and Chief of the Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine. In his research, Mike studies the biological roles of complex sugars called glycans. Glycans are mostly found outside of cells and on cell surfaces. They form a dense forest around the surface of cells and can interact with...

739: Studying Cell Division to Better Understand and Improve Cancer Therapies - Dr. Beth Weaver

December 18, 2023 08:00 - 38 minutes - 17.5 MB

Dr. Beth Weaver is a Professor in the Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology and the Department of Oncology/McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. She is co-Leader of the Developmental Therapeutics Program at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center. Beth studies a group of commonly used chemotherapy agents to better understand how they work, who will respond to these treatments, and how to make resist...

738: Combining Geology and Microbiology to Investigate Modern and Ancient Microbes - Dr. Magdalena Osburn

December 11, 2023 08:00 - 49 minutes - 22.8 MB

Dr. Magdalena Osburn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Northwestern University. Maggie's research brings together microbiology and geology to understand biological activity in different environments in the past and present. She studies unique microbes that live in extreme environments like deep mines, hot springs, and caves. When she’s not working, Maggie likes to go hiking, backpacking, and generally be outside exploring nature. When she’s able t...

737: Investigating the Mechanics of How Cells Move in Cancer and the Immune System - Dr. Erdem Tabdanov

December 04, 2023 08:00 - 54 minutes - 25.3 MB

Dr. Erdem Tabdanov is Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Penn State College of Medicine and also a Member of the Penn State Cancer Institute. He studies the mechanical and structural aspects of cells to better understand how cells physically move, sense their environments, and accomplish their various functions. This is very relevant to cancer biology and understanding the immune system. Some of Erdem’s hobbies outside of science include working out at the gym, calligra...

736: Studying How Food Influences Our Health and Behavior - Dr. Alexis Wood

November 27, 2023 08:00 - 45 minutes - 20.8 MB

Dr. Alexis “Lekki” Wood is Associate Professor at USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center in the Division of Pediatrics-Nutrition at Baylor College of Medicine. Research in Lekki’s lab aims to better understand how food influences our health. She examines the full chain of changes that occur from the moment food is put into our mouths, trough digestion and absorption of particular molecules, to where those molecules go and how they affect our organs. Outside of work, you can find Lekki...

735: Growing Our Understanding of the Development, Regeneration, and Evolution of Teeth - Dr. Gareth Fraser

November 20, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 32.8 MB

Dr. Gareth Fraser is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Florida. Gareth is a developmental biologist interested in how things form during development, how they are recreated during regeneration, and how features develop and persist on evolutionary timescales. His lab typically examines these questions looking at oral teeth and dermal denticles (tooth-like structures) in unusual fish like pufferfish, hammerhead sharks, and ghost sharks (chimaera). When he...

734: Examining the Role of Metabolism in Cancer and Response to Cancer Treatment - Dr. Rachel Perry

November 13, 2023 08:00 - 45 minutes - 20.8 MB

Dr. Rachel Perry is Assistant Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology) and of Cellular and Molecular Physiology at the Yale University School of Medicine. Rachel’s scientific training focused on how our bodies use nutrients to stay healthy and what goes wrong in diseases like obesity and diabetes. In her current lab, she applies this background to better understand how changes in metabolism (nutrient supply) may affect cancer and how our bodies respond to cancer treatments. In her free time, Ra...

733: Using Microbes to Sustainably Produce Valuable Chemicals and Degrade Toxic Compounds - Dr. Susie Dai

November 06, 2023 08:00 - 39 minutes - 18.4 MB

Dr. Susie Dai is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology at Texas A&M University. She is also Director of the Biomonitoring Program in the Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory, leading the Iowa Statewide Biomonitoring public health surveillance. Susie works at the interface of chemistry and biology, and her research leverages microorganisms like bacteria and fungus to synthesize chemicals of value or degrade poisonous chemicals. This work has important applicat...

732: Applying Molecular Biology Tools to Characterize Genes and Enhance Crop Species - Dr. Ralph Dewey

October 30, 2023 07:00 - 46 minutes - 21.5 MB

Dr. Ralph Dewey is the Philip Morris Professor of Crop and Soil Sciences and Adjunct Professor of Plant and Microbial Biology at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Ralph uses the tools of molecular biology to identify and characterize genes of agronomic importance in crop species. When possible, he and his team alter those genes in ways that add value to the crop above and beyond what can be attained with traditional breeding approaches. Ralph and his team have done important work on th...

731: Investigating the Mechanisms of Signaling and Regulation in Protein Complexes - Dr. Denise Okafor

October 23, 2023 07:00 - 36 minutes - 17 MB

Dr. C. Denise Okafor is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and of Chemistry at Pennsylvania State University. Many of the medications we take work by binding to a particular target and either turning off whatever is causing a problem or turning something on that is not working correctly. Denise’s research examines how small molecules like drugs find and interact with the targets they are supposed to interact with. She is particularly interested in proteins that can...

730: Using Chemical Biology to Clarify the Roles of Carbohydrates - Dr. Laura Kiessling

October 16, 2023 07:02 - 43 minutes - 19.8 MB

Dr. Laura Kiessling is the Novartis Professor of Chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Member of the Broad Institute. Laura’s research focuses on carbohydrates, particularly all of the different carbohydrates found on the surfaces of cells. We still know relatively little about the functions of these carbohydrates, and Laura is eager to learn more. When she’s not doing science, Laura likes being active through rowing, kayaking, cycling, lifting weights, or doing yoga. ...

729: Studying Synaptic Plasticity to Understand How the Brain Learns and Adapts - Dr. Nicole Calakos

October 09, 2023 07:00 - 44 minutes - 20.3 MB

Dr. Nicole Calakos is the Lincoln Financial Group Distinguished Professor of Neurobiology and Chief of the Movement Disorders section in Neurology at Duke University Medical Center. Research in Nicole’s lab examines how the brain learns and adapts to experiences. She studies synaptic plasticity, from the levels of molecules, cells, cell circuits, and behaviors, to understand what goes wrong in disease and how we can harness brain processes to address disease. When she’s not working, Nicole e...

728: Researching Risk Factors and Therapies for Blood Clots in the Lungs and Legs - Dr. Alex Spyropoulos

October 02, 2023 07:00 - 40 minutes - 18.4 MB

Dr. Alex Spyropoulos (“Dr. Spy”) is a Professor of Medicine at the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine as well as System Director of Anticoagulation and Clinical Thrombosis Services for the multi-hospital Northwell Health System. In addition, Dr. Spy is a Professor of the Merinoff Center for Patient-Oriented Research as part of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. As a thrombologist, Dr. Spy studies blood clots. Many people worldwide are either at risk for blood clots or have exist...

727: Investigating Insidious Insects in the Field of Agricultural Pest Management - Dr. Erin Hodgson

September 25, 2023 07:00 - 42 minutes - 19.5 MB

Dr. Erin Hodgson is an Associate Professor and Extension Entomologist at Iowa State University. She specializes in insects in agriculture, often focusing on corn and soybean crops. Erin also works with people like farmers, crop consultants, people in the agricultural industry, regulators, and people in pest management to best manage insect pests in an agricultural landscape. Erin spends her free time outside enjoying the company of her husband and two dogs. She is also an Assistant Coach for...

726: Mechanical Engineer Making Miniature Mobile Robots - Dr. Sarah Bergbreiter

September 18, 2023 07:00 - 40 minutes - 18.5 MB

Dr. Sarah Bergbreiter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering with a joint appointment in the Institute for Systems Research at the University of Maryland. Sarah’s research involves building and conducting experiments with tiny locomoting robots that are about the size of ants. They also apply the same technologies used in their tiny robots to build better sensors and actuators for bigger robots to help improve performance of these robots. Spending time with her...

725: Improving How We Diagnose and Treat Certain Blood Clotting Conditions - Dr. Anand Padmanabhan

September 11, 2023 07:00 - 42 minutes - 19.5 MB

Dr. Anand Padmanabhan is a pathologist, transfusion medicine physician, and Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the Mayo Clinic. Anand studies blood clotting, also known as “thrombosis”. He is working on a particular type of blood clotting that can occur when our bodies produce antibodies for proteins or other molecules inside or on the surface of blood platelets. Anand is interested both in finding better ways to diagnose and to treat patients with these potentially ...

724: Heading Up Research Designing New Materials for Helmets to Prevent Brain Injury - Dr. Ellen Arruda

September 04, 2023 07:00 - 39 minutes - 18.3 MB

Dr. Ellen Arruda is the Maria Comninou Collegiate Professor of Mechanical Engineering with joint appointments as Professor of Biomedical Engineering, as well as Macromolecular Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan. Ellen studies the mechanical behavior of soft materials, including polymers, plastics, and soft tissues of the body. Her research group focuses on understanding how to design with soft materials so the materials don’t break in different applications, as well as how...

723: Analyzing Complex Networks of Plant-Animal Interactions - Dr. John Kress

August 28, 2023 07:00 - 38 minutes - 17.6 MB

Dr. John Kress is a Distinguished Scientist and Curator of Botany at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. John’s research involves exploring the natural world and all the organisms that make up the natural world. Since graduate school, he has been exploring different areas, particularly tropical areas, to determine what grows there now, what grew there in the past, and how the plants and animals there interact. Not only does John enjoy investigating the natural world at work...

722: Taking Critical Steps to Elucidate Mechanisms of Limb Movement in Locomotion - Dr. Young-Hui Chang

August 21, 2023 07:00 - 41 minutes - 18.9 MB

Dr. Young-Hui Chang is a Professor of Biological Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology where he directs research in the Comparative Neuromechanics Laboratory. Research in Young-Hui’s lab aims to examine how the control of movement by the nervous system is influenced by mechanics and physics during locomotion. He is interested in broad mechanisms for behaviors like walking, running, and hopping that apply within and across species. Young-Hui likes to spend his free time with his family....

721: Unraveling Mysteries Surrounding the Development and Function of Glial Cells - Dr. Sonia Mayoral

August 14, 2023 07:00 - 39 minutes - 18.4 MB

Dr. Sonia Mayoral is the Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Assistant Professor of Brain Science at Brown University. In the lab, Sonia studies glial cells, the cells in your brain that aren’t neurons. These cells perform a lot of different functions and could hold promise for developing therapies for neurologic diseases. Outside of work, Sonia loves spending as much time as possible with her four-year-old son. Lately, they’ve been enjoying playing Plants vs. Zombies on the iPad and also acting t...

720: Stimulating Research on the Mechanisms of Memory and Applications of Memory Modulation - Dr. Steve Ramirez

August 07, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 31.6 MB

Dr. Steve Ramirez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Boston University. In his research, Steve is studying learning and memory, and he is interested in discovering whether it is possible to artificially turn memories on and off. His research focuses on understanding the brain and what we can do when processes in the brain break down. They are working on turning on positive or negative memories in animal models to gain a better understanding of ...

719: Studying the Sea through Shells, Skeletons, and Sediments - Dr. Abby Smith

July 31, 2023 07:00 - 39 minutes - 18.1 MB

Dr. Abby Smith is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Marine Science at the University of Otago. In the lab, Abby is dedicated to studying shells and the animals that make shells. She is interested in how shells are made, what they are made out of, and how fast they grow. Abby also examines how shells break down over time and uses old shells to understand what the water was like in the past. Outside of science, Abby is a mother of two, and she keeps busy with family life and...

718: Making Molecular Movies of Complex Chemical Reactions in Live Cells - Dr. Antoine van Oijen

July 24, 2023 07:00 - 42 minutes - 19.3 MB

Dr. Antoine van Oijen is a Distinguished Professor and Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow in the School of Chemistry at the University of Wollongong in Australia. The work Antoine does combines physics, chemistry, and biology. He develops new types of microscopes to visualize complex biochemical reactions at the level of individual molecules. In particular, his group is interested in how DNA is copied before a cell divides. Antoine is also doing research examining how bacteria acqui...

717: Developing Tools and Resources to Accelerate Neuroscience Discovery - Dr. Hongkui Zeng

July 17, 2023 07:00 - 42 minutes - 19.4 MB

Dr. Hongkui Zeng is Executive Vice President and Director of the Allen Institute for Brain Science. She is dedicated to understanding how the brain is organized and how the different components of the brain work together to generate behaviors and functions. Hongkui and her colleagues examine the cellular basis of brain circuit formation and how those circuits produce function. They generate foundational tools and resources for the neuroscience community to help scientists around the world ad...

716: Metabolic-Based Therapies As a Key Component in Treating Cancer and Other Diseases - Dr. Dominic D'Agostino

July 10, 2023 07:00 - 55 minutes - 25.7 MB

Dr. Dominic D’Agostino is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of South Florida. He is also a Research Scientist Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. Dom’s lab develops technology that allows them to investigate the molecular, cellular, and physiological changes we experience in extreme environments, including those that would occur undersea, at high altitude, or in space. They are also designing and evaluating metabolic-ba...

715: An Astrophysicist Studying the Elements of Galaxy Evolution - Dr. Molly Peeples

July 03, 2023 07:00 - 45 minutes - 20.9 MB

Dr. Molly Peeples is an Aura Assistant Astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. Molly’s research is improving our understanding of galaxies and helping to reveal why galaxies are different from each other and how galaxies have changed over time. To do this, she traces the origins and fates of heavy elements that were all originally produced within stars. Examining where the elements end up gives us information on how gas flows into and out of galaxies. Moll...

714: Tiny Technology with Big Impacts: Nanoparticles for Medicine, Energy, and the Environment - Dr. Christy Haynes

June 26, 2023 07:00 - 47 minutes - 22 MB

Dr. Christy Haynes is the Elmore H. Northey Professor of Chemistry at the University of Minnesota. In Christy’s research group, they are working to develop new methods to monitor small quantities of important chemicals in complex environments. Their research also aims to develop new, safe nanomaterials for applications in human health and sustainable energy. When she’s not at work, Christy loves to go for a run around the lakes of Minneapolis and spend time with her spouse and two kids. Her ...

713: Combining Chemistry and Biology to Develop New Research Tools and Therapeutics - Dr. David Liu

June 19, 2023 07:00 - 45 minutes - 20.9 MB

Dr. David R. Liu is the Richard Merkin Professor and Director of the Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, vice-chair of the faculty at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences at Harvard University, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator. In addition, he is the founder or co-founder of several biotechnology and therapeutics companies, including Beam Therapeutics, Prime Medicine, Editas Medic...

712: Dr. Lynne Maquat: Understanding Cellular and Molecular Pathways that Contribute to Human Disease

June 12, 2023 07:00 - 42 minutes - 19.4 MB

Dr. Lynne Maquat is the J. Lowell Orbison Endowed Chair and Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics in the School of Medicine and Dentistry, Director of the Center for RNA Biology, and Chair of Graduate Women in Science at the University of Rochester. Research in Lynne’s lab focuses on human diseases and what causes diseases in our cells. She is working to understand how cells function normally, determine what causes diseases, and develop treatments for diseases. In particular, she has been...

711: Researching RNA Regulation of Reproduction in Plants - Dr. Blake Meyers

June 05, 2023 07:00 - 42 minutes - 19.4 MB

Dr. Blake Meyers is a Member Principal Investigator at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and a Professor in the Division of Plant Sciences at the University of Missouri. The focus of Blake’s research is on small RNAs in plants. His lab studies how RNAs are used to regulate the complex machinery of cells, particularly in the context of plant reproductive biology. When he’s not conducting research in the lab, Blake loves to travel both for work and for fun. Blake strives to balance his ...

710: Investigating Carbon Capture Solutions from Cars to Coal-Fired Power Plants - Dr. Jennifer Wilcox

May 29, 2023 07:00 - 53 minutes - 24.6 MB

Dr. Jennifer Wilcox is an Associate Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines and an Investigator within the Clean Energy Conversions Laboratory there. The research in Jen’s group focuses on carbon capture and trace metal pollution. On the carbon capture side, she tries to better understand and reduce CO2 emissions from coal and gas-fired power plants. In terms of trace metals, the most common source of trace metals like mercury in the fish we eat is bu...

709: Examining How the Brain Controls Our Thoughts and Actions to Reach Our Goals - Dr. Tim Buschman

May 22, 2023 07:03 - 43 minutes - 20 MB

Dr. Tim Buschman is Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Princeton University. He studies a process called cognitive control, a process in the brain that allows you to control your own thoughts and actions toward achieving your goals. There are a lot of factors that can influence cognitive control that must be integrated to direct your behavior. He uses animal models to better understand aspects of cognitive control, and his work has relevant applications for improving machi...

708: Tales of Ion Detection: The Making of a Mass Spectrometry Mastermind - Dr. Charles Hohenberg

May 15, 2023 07:00 - 44 minutes - 20.4 MB

Dr. Charles Hohenberg is a Professor of Physics at Washington University in St. Louis. In the lab, Charles does mass spectrometry of noble gases like Krypton and Xenon. He designed and built his own mass spectrometer which is one of the best in the world. With this instrument, Charles measures noble gas isotope ratios in various sources. A major focus is studying meteorite samples to understand early solar system processes. Charles has always been a tinkerer, and he often spends his free tim...

707: Applying Analytical Chemistry Approaches to Better Understand Chemicals of Concern - Dr. Diana Aga

May 08, 2023 07:00 - 53 minutes - 24.7 MB

Dr. Diana Aga is the Henry M. Woodburn Chair and a State University of New York (SUNY) Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University at Buffalo. She also serves as the Director of RENEW (Research and Education in eNergy, Environment and Water) Institute at the University at Buffalo. Diana is an environmental chemist. She studies sustainable agriculture and pollutants such as the “forever chemicals” (Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS)) that we frequently enc...

706: Using Algorithms to Automate Decision-Making in Energy Management, Automobiles, and Manufacturing - Dr. Andrew Alleyne

May 01, 2023 07:01 - 58 minutes - 27.1 MB

Dr. Andrew Alleyne is the Ralph and Catherine Fisher Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as the Director of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center on Power Optimization for Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS) headquartered there. He is an engineer who works on control systems, which provide an automated way of making decisions. They take in relevant information and use algorithms to make...

705: Engineering New Enzymes and Predicting the Biochemical Activity of Proteins - Dr. Mary Jo Ondrechen

April 24, 2023 07:00 - 32 minutes - 14.9 MB

Dr. Mary Jo Ondrechen is Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Northeastern University. In the lab, Mary Jo uses theory and computation to better understand how molecules work. In particular she works on enzymes which are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. Mary Jo and her team also develop methods and theories to interpret genomic data, and they work on the computational side of drug discovery, helping medicinal chemists develop new drugs, treatments, and diagnostics. When s...

704: Navigating the Seas of Change Studying Ocean Acidification and Marine Ecosystems - Dr. Tessa Hill

April 17, 2023 07:00 - 47 minutes - 22 MB

Dr. Tessa Hill is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Davis. She is part of the Bodega Ocean Acidification Research group there at the Bodega Marine Laboratory. Research in Tessa’s lab focuses on the ocean and the impacts of climate change on environments in the ocean in the past, present, and future. Outside of work, Tessa, her husband, and their two children spend a lot of time gardening, skiing, hiking, camping, and goi...

703: Using Chemical Genetics to Understand Cell Signaling Networks to Treat Human Diseases - Dr. Kevan Shokat

April 10, 2023 07:30 - 37 minutes - 17.4 MB

Dr. Kevan M. Shokat is Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at the University of California San Francisco, Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California Berkeley, and an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Kevan’s lab uses approaches from chemistry to address unsolved challenges and opportunities for discovery in biology and medicine. His goal is to apply chemistry to biology in the most impactful, interesting, and m...

702: Building High-Throughput Technology to Characterize Biological Systems - Dr. Adam Abate

April 03, 2023 07:01 - 47 minutes - 22 MB

Dr. Adam Abate is an Associate Professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences at the University of California San Francisco. He is also a co-founder of the startup company Mission Bio. The overall goal of Adam’s lab is to make biology a new kind of computer science. It is important to characterize the state of biological systems in detail so you can manipulate the system successfully to get the outcome you want. For example, a disease represents a problem with a biolo...

Guests

Denise Herzing
1 Episode
Dr. Andrew Hill
1 Episode
Sarah Bergbreiter
1 Episode
Talithia Williams
1 Episode