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

607: Unraveling the Roles and Therapeutic Potential of the Enzymes that Translate our Genetic Code - Dr. Paul Schimmel

Dr. Paul Schimmel is Professor of Molecular Medicine and of Chemistry at Scripps Research Institute. He also holds an appointment with the Institute for Advanced Study at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, is the author of a widely used three volume textbook on biophysical chemistry, and is a co-founder or founding director of eleven biotechnology companies that develop new therapies for human diseases and disorders. Though Paul began his studies intent on becoming a medical doc...

606: Treating Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors - Dr. Wakenda Tyler

Dr. Wakenda Tyler is an Associate Professor in Orthopaedic Oncology and Metabolic Bone Disease and Adult Reconstruction at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Wakenda is an orthopedic surgical oncologist. She is an orthopedic surgeon with a clinical and research focus on cancerous tumours found in bones, tendon, soft tissue, ligament, and muscles. Wakenda spends her time outside of the science and medicine doing a wide variety of activities. For her, running is a great way to relax a...

605: Conducting Research on Bimanual Coordination and Arm Use After Stroke - Dr. Shailesh Kantak

Dr. Shailesh Kantak is a clinician scientist, an Institute Scientist, and Director of the Neuroplasticity and Motor Behavior Laboratory at Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (MRRI). He is also a recently tenured Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Arcadia University. Shailesh is dedicated to helping people with neurological injuries recover better and more quickly. He is interested in understanding why some people respond well to treatments and recover more fully...

604: Not Wasting Any Time in Search of Genetic Treatments for Muscular Dystrophy - Dr. Kay Davies

Professor Dame Kay Davies is the Dr. Lee's Professor of Anatomy in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics and Director of the MRC Functional Genomics Unit at the University of Oxford. She is also the Honorary Director of the MRC Functional Genomics Unit, a deputy chairman of the Wellcome Trust, and Executive Editor of the journal Human Molecular Genetics. Kay is also a co-founder of a biotechnology company and is a director of another. In her research, Kay uses genetics technique...

603: Exploring Extreme Environments and the Emergence of Life - Dr. Charles Cockell

Dr. Charles Cockell is a Professor of Astrobiology in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh and Director of the UK Centre for Astrobiology. In addition, he is the Founder and Chair of the Earth and Space Foundation and also the Co-Founder, current Board Member, and Past President of the Association of Mars Explorers. Charles has also been elected as an International Fellow of the Explorers Club. His work examines how life has emerged and has persisted on our plan...

602: A Researcher with an Eye for Great Science Studying Retinal Cell Rewiring After Damage - Dr. Rachel Wong

Dr. Rachel Wong is a Professor in the Department of Biological Structure at the University of Washington. In her lab, Rachel is working to understand how neural circuits in the retina (the light-sensitive part of our eye) are assembled during our development and how they can be repaired or rewired in disease. Outside of science, Rachel has a passion for music, and she is currently spending her free time learning to play the violin! She also likes to spend time with her lab members because th...

601: Sensorimotor Neuroscientist Studying the Cerebellum's Role in Motor Control - Dr. Amanda Therrien

Dr. Amanda Therrien is an Institute Scientist and Director of the Sensorimotor Learning Laboratory at Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (MRRI). As a sensorimotor neuroscientist, Amanda studies how the brain integrates incoming sensory information with motor commands to control body movements. She is interested in better understanding how the nervous system works to control movement, how damage to particular areas of the brain may disrupt our control of movement, and what interventions m...

600: Seeking Clues to Climate Change Using Deep Sea Corals - Dr. Jess Adkins

Dr. Jess Adkins is a Professor of Geochemistry at California Institute of Technology. Jess is an oceanographer who studies the history of the earth's climate. He is working to understand the inner workings of the earth's climate system by studying long-term shifts in climate that are documented in the chemical, biological, and geological records of the deep sea. When he's not at work, you can find Jess coaching his kids soccer teams, hiking in the mountains near Los Angeles, and cooking with...

599: Growing Excitement for Research in Potential Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury - Dr. Herbert Geller

Dr. Herbert Geller is a Senior Investigator in the Developmental Neurobiology Section and Head of the Office of Education at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The Geller lab investigates why people don't recover from central nervous system injuries including spinal cord injuries. They are working on developing potential treatments that will help people recover function after spinal cord injury, particularly focusing on how to inhibit the stop...

598: Conducting Research on Old Stars that has Universal Appeal - Dr. Anna Frebel

Dr. Anna Frebel is the Silverman Family Career Development Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). As an astrophysicist, Anna spends her time working with students, reviewing and analyzing data on the computer, and occasionally traveling to telescopes for observing time. Her research focuses on identifying and studying some of the oldest stars in the universe using chemical analyses. Anna loves spending time with her family and young son in her free time. She...

597: Chemical Compounds as Protectors of Plants! - Dr. Jack Schultz

Dr. Jack Schultz is a Professor in Plant Sciences and Director of the Bond Life Sciences Center at the University of Missouri. Jack is interested in understanding why insects and other animals don't consume all of the plants in the world. In his research, Jack has examined chemical defenses of plants and also chemical signaling in plants that can be detected by the predators that eat the insects that eat plants. Jack loves learning, so it's not always easy to pull himself away from the scien...

596: Studying the Science of Sound and How Building Acoustics Affect Performance - Dr. Lily Wang

Dr. Lily Wang is a Professor of Architectural Engineering in the Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction and the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Faculty Development in the College of Engineering at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Lily's research is in the field of architectural acoustics, which helps us understand how sound behaves in buildings, from glamorous concert halls to everyday offices and classrooms. When she's not in the lab, Lily loves to sing and...

595: A Botanist Who Rose to Prominence Studying the Evolution and Diversity of Flowering Plants - Dr. Peter Crane

Dr. Peter Crane is the Carl W. Knobloch Jr. Dean of the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Professor of Botany at Yale University. Much of Peter’s work has involved studying fossil plants, particularly plants from about 130 million years ago, to find out what they tell us about plant evolution and the evolution of flowering plants. Peter also compares fossil plants to those alive today to understand the relationships between historic and present day plants. Peter loves to trave...

594: Paving Pathways to Success Studying Substance Abuse and the Brain - Dr. Yasmin Hurd

Dr. Yasmin Hurd is Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics as well as the Ward-Coleman Chair in Translational Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York. She is also Director of the Center for Addictive Disorders in the Mount Sinai Behavioral Health System. Yasmin studies the brain and addiction. She wants to know how drugs impact the brain, as well as how genetics and other characteristics shape disease vulnerability. Her work also has a...

593: Sinking His Teeth in to Exciting Research Questions in Periodontal Disease - Dr. George Hajishengallis

Dr. George Hajishengallis is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Through his research, George is trying to understand how the immune system interacts with oral bacteria. He is curious about why you see destruction of gums and the bone that supports the teeth in some people. They are also working on treatments to prevent gum disease called periodontists. Outside of his work life, George spends his time watching soccer, rea...

592: Researching Human Function and Rehabilitation after Traumatic Brain Injury - Dr. John Whyte

Dr. John Whyte is the Founding Director and Institute Scientist Emeritus at the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (MRRI), as well as the Founding Director of the Responsiveness Program at the Drucker Brain Injury Center at MossRehab. The goal of John’s research is to help people perform the tasks and roles they are interested in doing, regardless of any diseases or disabilities. Much of his work has focused on people with traumatic brain injury (TBI), especially more severe traumatic br...

591: Science on Stress in Single-Celled Organisms - Dr. Amy Vollmer

Dr. Amy Vollmer is Professor and Department Chair of Biology at Swarthmore College. Amy is interested in understanding how bacteria sense and respond to their environment. In addition to her research, she is passionate about teaching through her classroom lectures and public science literacy efforts. Family is really important for Amy, and she likes to spend her spare time on the phone with her sisters and two grown children. Amy and her husband own a small Italian deli and market, and you c...

590: Investigating Inflammatory Diseases and Developing Novel Therapeutics - Dr. Luke O'Neill

Dr. Luke O'Neill is Professor and Chair of Biochemistry in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology at Trinity College Dublin. He is also an author of three popular science books, including the recently released book Never Mind the B#ll*cks, Here's the Science: A Scientist's Guide to the Biggest Challenges Facing Our Species Today. In addition, Luke co-founded Inflazome, a company dedicated to developing therapeutics to address unmet needs in inflammatory diseases. Luke is an immunologist. ...

589: Researching the Role of Genes in the Evolution and Development of Reproductive Systems - Dr. Cassandra Extavour

Dr. Cassandra Extavour is a Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University. Scientifically, Cassandra spends her time examining the evolution of embryonic development. Her lab seeks to understand how genes direct cells during development to become different kinds of cells. They are also interested in the evolutionary origin of these genes. In addition to her passion for science, Cassandra is also passionate about music. ...

588: An Algorithm for Success! Using Computational and Imaging Approaches to Study Cognitive Science - Dr. Aleix Martinez

Dr. Aleix Martinez is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Director of the Computational Biology and Cognitive Science Laboratory at the Ohio State University. He is also affiliated with the Department of Biomedical Engineering and to the Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences. The work in Aleix's lab focuses on cognitive science. They hold the view that the brain operates like a big (very complicated) computer. To understand the brain, they need to under...

587: Engineering Solutions to Improve Global Healthcare Quality and Access - Dr. Rebecca Richards-Kortum

Dr. Rebecca Richards-Kortum is the Malcolm Gillis University Professor of Bioengineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University. She is also Director of the award-winning Rice 360 Institute for Global Health and founder of Beyond Traditional Borders Program at Rice University. Rebecca and her colleagues are developing technologies to improve healthcare as well as improve access to healthcare. They are dedicated to making medical technology less expensive and finding ways ...

586: Combining Chemistry and Biology in Search of the Solution for How Cell Surface Interactions Contribute to Human Health and Disease - Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi

Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology and Radiology at Stanford University. She is also an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Carolyn’s research combines chemistry and biology. Her lab develops tools from chemistry that can be used to study biology with the goal of ultimately creating new molecules that can cure diseases and help us live better, healthier lives. She has three young boys, a...

585: Using Models to Zoom in on Microscopic Aggregation Events in Nature and Man-Made Materials - Dr. Talid Sinno

485: Using Models to Zoom in on Microscopic Aggregation Events in Nature and Man-Made Materials - Dr. Talid Sinno

584: Studying Smart Slime Molds and Collective Intelligence in Ant Colonies - Dr. Audrey Dussutour

Dr. Audrey Dussutour is a National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) Scientist at Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France. Audrey studies animal behavior and collective intelligence in ant colonies and slime molds. In ant colonies, she examines how the ants regulate traffic to avoid traffic jams, and she creates algorithms that may help alleviate our own traffic jams. In slime molds, Audrey investigates the different cognitive abilities they are able to display even though they don’...

583: Applying Learning Principles to Improve Language Rehabilitation in Aphasia - Dr. Erica Middleton

Dr. Erica Middleton is an Institute Scientist and Director of the Language and Learning Laboratory at Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute. Many people who have had a stroke experience a long-term impairment in their ability to produce or comprehend language. This impairment is called aphasia. Erica’s research focuses on applying fundamental learning principles to improve language rehabilitation in people with aphasia. Beyond her scientific interests, Erica is passionate about organic gard...

582: Spreading Enthusiasm for Research on Dengue and Influenza Viruses to Improve Global Health - Dr. Eva Harris

Dr. Eva Harris is a Professor of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology as well as Director of the Center for Global Public health at the University of California, Berkeley. She is also the founder and president of the Sustainable Sciences Institute. Eva’s research focuses on dengue and influenza viruses that are major public health problems around the world. She applies a broad, multidisciplinary approach that spans basic science, translational research, and clinical studies. Another line of r...

581: Unraveling the Mechanisms Behind Memory in the Human Brain - Dr. Rodrigo Quian Quiroga

Dr. Rodrigo Quian Quiroga is a Professor and Director of the Centre for Systems Neuroscience at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom. He is also an author of the books Borges and Memory, Principles of Neural Coding, Imaging Brain Function with EEG, and The Forgetting Machine. Rodrigo is interested in understanding how memory works and how the brain works in general. He conducts experiments to determine how the neurons in our brain make us see, feel, make decisions, and remember ...

580: Dedicating His Attention to Cognitive Disorders in the Clinic, the Classroom, and through Conducting Research - Dr. Kenneth Heilman

Dr. Kenneth Heilman is the James E. Rooks, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Neurology and Health Psychology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. He is also Director of the Memory Disorders Clinics, the Center for Neuropsychological Studies, and the Behavioral Neurology-Neuropsychiatry Fellowship Program at the University of Florida. Ken's research focuses on learning how the brain works, what is going on when it doesn’t work, and how to fix it when it’s not working well, particula...

579: Untangling the Mechanisms and Mysteries of Alzheimer’s Disease - Dr. David Holtzman

Dr. David Holtzman is the Andrew B. and Gretchen P. Jones Professor and Chairman of Neurology, Professor of Developmental Biology, Associate Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and a Head of the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders at Washington University in St. Louis. Much of the research in David’s lab is dedicated to better understanding the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, particularly looking at mechanisms and biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease. In his free ti...

578: Identifying Factors that Contribute to Cognitive Decline to Predict and Prevent Dementia - Dr. Sudha Seshadri

Dr. Sudha Seshadri is a Professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and a Senior Investigator at the Framingham Heart Study. She also serves as Co-Director of Medical Education for the Neurology Residency and Clerkship programs. She divides her time at work between seeing patients with memory problems and studying why the brain and cognitive function decline with age, and what modifiable factors determine this decline, with the hope of better predicting and preventing it. ...

577: A Remarkable Researcher Progressing towards Understanding and Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease - Dr. John Morris

Dr. John Morris is the Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Professor of Pathology and Immunology, Professor of Physical Therapy, and Professor of Occupational Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis. He also is the Director and Principal Investigator of the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, as well as the Memory and Aging Project. Much of Dr. Morris’s research has been focused on understanding the process of the d...

576: Changing How We Think About Cancer by Revealing the Critical Role of Context in Tissue Specificity - Dr. Mina Bissell

Dr. 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 ...

575: Conducting Research to Help Communities Better Support People With Disabilities - Dr. Kerri Morgan

Dr. Kerri Morgan is an Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Neurology at Washington University in St. Louis and a certified Assistive Technology Professional (ATP). In addition, Kerri is an accomplished Paralympic and World Champion athlete. Through her research, Kerri is working to better understand how to better support people with disabilities in the community. Studies in her lab investigate the needs of people with disabilities, their goals, available community interventions a...

574: Researching Flood Resistance in Rice and Other Plants - Dr. Julia Bailey-Serres

Dr. Julia Bailey-Serres is Director of the Center for Plant Cell Biology and Distinguished Professor of Genetics at the University of California, Riverside. She also holds the University of California John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Chair and is Professor of Rice Physiology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. A major focus of Julia’s lab is to investigate how plants survive water extremes with the goal of improving the ability of crops to survive a temporary flood. When s...

573: Investigating the Physics of Ultra-Fast Movements in Animals and Developing Low-Cost Scientific Tools - Dr. Saad Bhamla

Dr. Saad Bhamla is Assistant Professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Research in Saad’s lab spans two different focus areas. Some of his projects are dedicated to developing very low-cost scientific tools and medical devices to make these items more accessible and affordable worldwide. Another area of research examines questions in biology and organismal physics. In this area, he is investigating how animals are able to move ve...

572: Studying Signal Transduction in Taste Cells - Dr. Kathryn Medler

Dr. Kathryn Medler is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at The State University of New York at Buffalo. Her lab is dedicated to understanding how the taste cells in our tongues are able to detect the chemicals in our food and send this information to the brain so that we can decide whether to eat something or spit it out. The sense of taste is critical for survival, and there are many complex signaling mechanisms involved. In addition to spending time with her f...

571: Shedding Light on the Nature of Dark Matter and the Mysteries of Our Universe - Dr. Katie Mack

Dr. Katie Mack is Assistant Professor of Physics at North Carolina State University and member of the Leadership in Public Science Cluster there. In addition, Katie is an avid science communicator and author of the recently released book The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking). Her writing has also been published in popular publications including Scientific American, Slate, Sky & Telescope, Time.com, and Cosmos Magazine. As a cosmologist, Katie studies the universe as a whole over t...

570: Researching Rehabilitation After Traumatic Brain Injury - Dr. Amanda Rabinowitz

Dr. 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 he...

569: Developing Stem Cell and Extracellular Vesicle Therapies to Treat Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury - Dr. Franklin West

Dr. 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 l...

568: Determining the Drivers of Diversity in Bats and Other Mammals - Dr. Sharlene Santana

Dr. 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 o...

567: Studying the Chemistry of How Carbohydrates Contribute to Human Health and Wellness - Dr. Steve Townsend

Dr. 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 rec...

566: Creating Computational Models to Determine How the Brain Accomplishes Complex Tasks - Dr. Kanaka Rajan

Dr. 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 Kana...

565: Analyzing the Surfaces of Ancient Teeth to Understand Human Evolution - Dr. Shara Bailey

Dr. 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. ...

564: Using Sulfur to Synthesize New Materials That Transmit Infrared Light - Dr. Darryl Boyd

Dr. 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...

563: Working to Preserve and Restore Populations of Bees and Other Pollinators - Dr. Lauren Ponisio

Dr. 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...

562: Engineering Affordable Organic Electronics to Power and Light the World - Dr. Ayse Turak

Dr. 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...

561: Investigating How Risk Factors Contribute to Outcomes After Traumatic Brain Injury - Dr. Umesh Venkatesan

Dr. 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 me...

560: Characterizing Biological Surfaces and Creating New Biomimetic Materials - Dr. Joe Baio

Dr. 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 ran...

559: Determining How Disruptions in Brain Development Lead to Neurological and Neurodevelopmental Disorders - Dr. Ileana Soto

Dr. 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 neurodege...