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Dr. Marie McNeely, featuring top scientists speaking about their life and c
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.
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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.
288: Sniffing Out Stimulating Questions in Olfactory Receptor Research - Dr. Stuart Firestein
Dr. Stuart Firestein is a Professor and Chair in the Department Biological Sciences at Columbia University. He received his B.S. Degree in Biology from San Francisco State University and his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of California, Berkeley. Afterward, Stuart completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University. He has received the Lenfest Distinguished Columbia Faculty Award for scholarship and teaching as well as being named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an Alfred Sloan Fellow, and a Guggenheim Fellow. Stuart is also an advisor for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's program for the Public Understanding of Science and the author of the book Ignorance: How it Drives Science and the upcoming book Failure: Why Science is So Successful that will be released in October 2015. Stuart is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
50:2724/07/2015
287: Engineering Solutions to Reduce Risk and Increase Resilience - Dr. Seth Guikema
Dr. Seth Guikema is an Associate professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. He holds joint appointments in the Department of Civil Engineering and the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. In addition, Seth is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Industrial Economics, Risk Management and Planning at the University of Stavanger in Norway and is a Senior Analyst with Innovative Decisions, Inc. Seth received a B.S. from Cornell University and a M.S. from Stanford University both in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He then traveled to the University of Canterbury in New Zealand where he received a M.E. In Civil Engineering. Seth returned to Stanford where he completed his Ph.D. in Management Science and Engineering, followed by a postdoctoral research position at Cornell. He served as a faculty member at Texas A and M University before joining the faculty at Johns Hopkins where he is today. Seth was recently named the Carol Linde Croft Faculty Scholar at Johns Hopkins and was previously awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. He recently completed a term as a member of the Council of the International Society for Risk Analysis and as well as the Council of the INFORMS Decision Analysis Society. Seth is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
31:0622/07/2015
286: Capturing Creativity and Investigating Improvisation in the Brain - Dr. Heather Berlin
Dr. Heather Berlin is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Visiting Scholar at the New York Psychoanalytic Society. She received her undergraduate education at the State University of New York, Stonybrook and her Master's degree in Psychology from The New School in New York. Heather was awarded a PhD in Experimental Psychology and Neuropsychology from Magdalen College within the University of Oxford and an MPH from Harvard University. Afterward, she accepted a National Institute of Mental Health postdoctoral fellowship in Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine where she later joined the faculty. Heather has received many awards and honors during her career, including the Clifford Yorke Prize from the International Neuropsychoanalysis Society, the Phillip M. Rennick Award from the International Neuropsychological Society, and Young Investigator Awards from both the American Neuropsychiatric Association and the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder. Heather is with us today to talk about her journey through life and science.
41:2520/07/2015
285: Serving Those with Disability Through Health Services and Outcomes Research - Dr. Nancy Mayo
Dr. Nancy Mayo is the James McGill Professor in the Department of Medicine and the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University (Division of Geriatrics and Division of Clinical Epidemiology). In addition, Nancy is a Research Scientist at the McGill University Hospital Center Research Institute where she leads a research program on Function, Disability and Quality of Life for vulnerable populations. She received her BSc in Physical Therapy from Queen's University and her MSc and PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from McGill University. Nancy has received many awards and honors during her career. Among these, she was the recipient of the 2006 Paul Morley Award for Mentorship from the Canadian Stroke Network, was appointed to the McGill University Faculty of Medicine Honour List for Educational Excellence in 2009, received the 2012 Enid Graham Memorial Lecture Award, was awarded McGill University's 2014 Principal's Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Nancy is also a founding member of the Canadian Stroke Network and has served on the Board of Directors for the International Society of Quality of Life. Nancy is here with us today to tell us about her journey through life and science.
42:4717/07/2015
284: Chemistry is Key: Studying Self Assembly and the Origins of Life - Dr. Lee Cronin
Dr. Lee Cronin is the Regius Professor of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow. He received his Bsc in Pure Chemistry with First Class Honors as well as his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from York University. Afterward, he served as a Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow, and a Lecturer at the University of Birmingham before joining the faculty at Glasgow University where he is today. Lee is an accomplished chemist who has been honored with many awards including recognition as one of the United Kingdom's top 10 Inspiring Scientists and Engineers by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in 2014 and one of the top 100 United Kingdom practicing Scientists by the UK Science Council. He received the Royal Society of Chemistry's Corday Morgan Medal and Prize in 2012 and Tilden Prize for pure research in 2015. In addition, Lee is a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and recipient of the Royal Society's 2013 BP Hutton Prize for Energy Innovation for applied research. Lee is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
45:4115/07/2015
283: Strategic Scientist Creating Computation Automation and Innovation - Dr. Stephen Wolfram
Dr. Stephen Wolfram is the Founder and CEO of Wolfram Research. In addition, he is the creator of the Wolfram Language, the computational platform Mathematica, and the computational knowledge engine Wolfram Alpha, as well as the author of the bestselling book A New Kind of Science. Stephen attended Oxford University and he received his PhD in Theoretical Physics from the California Institute of Technology. Afterward, he joined the faculty at Caltech and became the youngest recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship. Later, he founded the Center for Complex Systems Research and joined the faculty at the University of Illinois. Shortly afterwards, he founded his current company Wolfram Research and has made substantial advances in mathematics, physics, and computation. Stephen is here with us today to tell us all about his experiences along the way in life and science.
53:3513/07/2015
282: Laboring to Understand the Interactions Between Pregnancy and the Immune System - Dr. Elizabeth Bonney
Dr. Bonney is a Professor and Director of the Research Division in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Vermont. She received her Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and went on to earn her MD from Stanford University. Afterward, Dr. Bonney completed her Residency at Harvard University followed by a Fellowship in Immunology at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Bonney served on the faculty at Emory University before joining the faculty at the University of Vermont. She recently received her MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Bonney is a Fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and has been awarded the Association of Professors of Obstetrics and Gynecology Teaching Award. Dr. Bonney is hear with us today to tell us about her journey through life and science.
39:1010/07/2015
281: Science with Style: Studying Plant Reproductive Biology - Dr. Spencer Barrett
Dr. Spencer Barrett is the University Professor, Canada Research Chair, and Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Botany from the University of Reading in England and received his PhD in Botany from the University of California, Berkeley before joining the faculty at the University of Toronto. Spencer has received many awards and honors during his career, including being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and an Extraordinary Professor by the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. He has also received the Lawson Medal from the Canadian Botanical Association, Premier's Discovery Award for Life Sciences and Medicine from the Ontario Government, and the Sewall Wright Award from the American Society of Naturalists, among others. Spencer is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
57:5908/07/2015
280: Going with the Flow Studying Fluid Dynamics and Animal Locomotion - Dr. David Hu
David is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received his Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering and PhD in Mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct research at New York University and worked afterward as an Instructor of Mathematics there before joining the faculty at Georgia Tech. David and his fascinating research have been featured in the media nationally and internationally including appearances in Discover Magazine, New York Times, USA Today, Scientific American, The Guardian, BBC, NPR, National Geographic, Cosmo and many others. David is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
39:2606/07/2015
279: Rewarding Research on the Influence of Emotion and Motivation on Learning and Behavior - Dr. Kay Tye
Dr. Kay Tye is an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She received her undergraduate degree from MIT in Brain and Cognitive Sciences and her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of California, San Francisco. Afterward Kay conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford University before joining the faculty at MIT. Kay has received many awards and honors during her career, including the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression Young Investigator Award, the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, and the MIT Whitehead Career Development Professorship, New York Stem Cell Foundation Robertson Investigator Award, and has just been named a McKnight Scholar, just to name a few. Kay is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
37:2603/07/2015
278: Cosmic Insights on Dark Matter, the Origins of the Universe, and Issues of Science and Society - Dr. Lawrence Krauss
Dr. Lawrence Krauss is the Foundation Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and Department of Physics and the as well as the Inaugural Director of the Origins Project at Arizona State University. He is also an accomplished author with popular books including A Universe from Nothing, Hiding in the Mirror, and The Physics of Star Trek. Lawrence received his PhD in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and afterward served as a Junior Fellow in the Harvard University Society of Fellows. Lawrence was a member of the faculty at Yale University and Case Western Reserve University before joining the faculty at ASU where he is today. Lawrence is a distinguished scientist, and he has received many honors during his career for his exceptional research, writing, and teaching. I won't name them all today, but I will say that he is the first physicist to have been awarded the three most prestigious awards from the American Physical Society, the American Institute of Physics, and the American Association of Physics Teachers. Recently, he has also received the National Science Board 2012 Public Service Award. Lawrence is a fellow of the American Physical Society and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has received an honorary doctorate from his undergraduate alma mater Carleton University. He has also just received the 2015 Humanist of the Year Award. Lawrence is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
40:0001/07/2015
277: Excellent Research Examining Enzymes and Protein Engineering - Dr. Vic Arcus
Dr. Vic Arcus is a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Organic Chemistry from the University of Waikato and his PhD in Molecular Biology from Cambridge. Afterward, Vic became a fellow of Trinity College, and then served on the faculty at Auckland University before returning to Waikato where he is today. Vic is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
43:0629/06/2015
276: Restoring a Sense of Hope for People with Hearing Loss Through Research on Hair Cell Regeneration - Dr. Jim Hudspeth
Jim is the F.M. Kirby Professor at The Rockefeller University, and he leads the Laboratory of Sensory Neuroscience there. In addition, he is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. Jim received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, as well as his MD and PhD, from Harvard University. Afterward, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Jim has since served on the faculty at California Institute of Technology, the University of California, San Francisco, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center before joining the faculty at Rockefeller. Jim has received the Charles A. Dana Award for Pioneering Achievements in Health and the W. Alden Spencer Award from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Additionally, he is a recipient of the Ralph W. Gerard Prize from the Society for Neuroscience, the K.S. Cole Award in membrane biophysics from the Biophysical Society, the Award of Merit from the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, and the Guyot Prize from the University of Groningen. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Jim is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
47:4426/06/2015
275: 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). She received her PhD from the Australian National University's Mt. Stromlo Observatory for which she was awarded the Charlene Heisler Prize for the best Australian astronomy PhD thesis of 2006. Afterward, Anna was awarded the McDonald Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Texas, Austin and went on to receive the Clay Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics before joining the faculty at MIT. Anna and her research have been recognized with the Ludwig-Biermann Young Astronomer Award of the German Astronomical Society, the Annie Jump Cannon Award of the American Astronomical Society, and a National Science Foundation CAREER award. She was also named a Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences. Anna is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
43:3324/06/2015
274: Making Great Strides in Understanding Locomotion: From Little Lizards to Robotic Rattlesnakes - Dr. Daniel Goldman
Dr. Daniel Goldman is an Associate Professor of Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received his PhD in Physics from the University of Texas, Austin and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley. Dan has received many awards and honors during his career including recently being named a Georgia Power Professor of Excellence and receipt of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, a DARPA Young Faculty Award, a Sigma Xi Young Faculty award, an NSF CAREER/PECASE Award, a Georgia Tech Blanchard Milliken Fellowship, the Georgia Tech Fund for Innovation in Research and Education Award, and a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award at the Scientific Interface. In addition, Dan is a Fellow of the American Physical Society. His work has also been featured by the New York Times, NPR, BBC, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and other media sources. Dan is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
47:4022/06/2015
273: Tales of Ion Detection: The Making of a Mass Spectrometry Mastermind - Dr. Charles Hohenberg
Charles is a Professor of Physics at Washington University in St. Louis. He received his PhD in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley and has been on the faculty at Washington University since 1970. Charles has received many awards and honors during his career, including election as Fellow of the Meteoritical Society and a Fellow of the St. Louis Academy of Science. He has been awarded the NASA Principal Investigators Award, the NASA Exceptional Achievement Award, and recently the James B. Eads Award honoring engineering or technology from the St. Louis Academy of Science. Charles is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
44:1519/06/2015
272: Synthesizing Chemistry and Physics in Her Studies of Soft Matter and Self-Assembly - Dr. Kate McGrath
Dr. 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 Otago before joining the faculty at Victoria where she is today. Kate has been recognized for her exceptional research with the Easterfield Medal from the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry and Royal Society of Chemistry, the Research Medal from the New Zealand Association of Scientists, and the Wellington Gold Award, Wellington City Council Inspire Wellington Award. Kate is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
50:3117/06/2015
271: Bringing a Structured Approach to Our Understanding of Degeneration in the Aging Brain - Dr. Greg Petsko
Dr. Greg Petsko is the Arthur J. Mahon Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience and Director of the Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medical College, as well as the Tauber Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Emeritus, at Brandeis University. He received his PhD from the University of Oxford and worked at Wayne State University, MIT, and Brandeis University before joining the faculty at Cornell where he is today. He has received numerous awards and honors during his career, including the Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry of the American Chemical Society and the Max Planck Prize. Greg is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. He is the Past-President of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and is President of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He has also written a column on science and society that is available as a book entitled Gregory Petsko in Genome Biology: the first 10 years. Greg is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
40:4215/06/2015
270: Studying the Sea through Shells, Skeletons, and Sediments - Dr. Abby Smith
Dr. Abby Smith is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Marine Science at the University of Otago. She Received her B.A. Degree in Geology and Biology from Colby College, her M.S. Degree in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and her PhD in Earth Science from the University of Waikato. Abby is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
39:2312/06/2015
269: Contemplating Community Connectivity and Conservation in Coral Reefs - Dr. Josh Drew
Dr. Josh Drew is a Lecturer in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology and Director M.A. in Conservation Biology Program at Columbia University. He received his M.S. degree in Biodiversity, Conservation, and Public Policy from the State University of New York at Albany and his PhD from the Boston University Marine Program. Afterward, he conducted postdoctoral research at the Field Museum in Chicago and served as an Adjunct Professor at East West University in Chicago before joining the faculty at Columbia. Josh is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
41:1710/06/2015
268: Clearing Out Brain Clutter: A Glimpse into the Glymphatic System - Dr. Jeff Iliff
Dr. Jeff Iliff is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, as well as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Jeff received his PhD in Physiology and Pharmacology from Oregon Health and Science University. Afterward, he conducted postdoctoral research, and later served on faculty, at the University of Rochester Medical Center before returning to OHSU where he is today. Jeff is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
45:0708/06/2015
267: Directing Our Eyes to the Skies with Stellar Infrared Images of Asteroids, Comets, and Stars - Dr. Amy Mainzer
Dr. Amy Mainzer is a Senior Research Scientist and the Principle Investigator for the Near Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) mission at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She is also the Principal Investigator for the Near Earth Object Camera mission proposal and the Deputy Project Scientist for the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission. After earning her B.S. In Physics from Stanford University, Amy accepted a position at the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center. She then returned to academia to earn her M.S. in Astronomy from the California Institute of Technology and PhD in Astronomy from the University of California, Los Angeles. Amy has received many awards and honors for her work, including the Lew Allen Award for Excellence, as well as the NASA Exceptional Achievement and Scientific Achievement Medals. She has also been recognized along with NASA team members for their efforts on the Spitzer, WISE, and NEOWISE missions. Amy is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
40:2305/06/2015
266: Having a Blast Studying Magma Crystals to Understand Volcanic Eruptions - Dr. Erik Klemetti
Dr. Erik Klemetti is an Assistant Professor of Geosciences at Denison University. He received his Bachelor's degree in History and Geosciences from Williams College and his PhD in Geology from Oregon State University. He worked as a Laboratory Research Supervisor at the University of Washington and then as a Consultant and Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California, Davis before joining the faculty at Denison. In addition to his research and teaching, Erik writes for Wired Science in his blog called Eruptions that focuses on volcanoes and volcanism. Erik is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
43:1703/06/2015
265: Investigating Important Interactions Between Molecules and Membrane Proteins - Dr. Olaf Andersen
Dr. Olaf Andersen is a Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Director of the Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program in New York City. He was awarded his MD from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Copenhagen and Rockefeller University before joining the faculty at Cornell University. Olaf has received many awards and honors including being named a Foreign Member of The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, receipt of the K. S. Cole Medal from the Biophysical Society, being named an Honorary Fellow of the Cornell University Weill Medical College Alumni Association, receipt Distinguished Service Award from the Biophysical Society, and receipt the Inaugural Bruce Ballard Mentoring Award. Olaf is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
01:07:1701/06/2015
264: Cracking the Climate Code - Deciphering Signatures in Geologic and Hydrologic Records to Model Climate Variability - Dr. Gavin Schmidt
Dr. Gavin Schmidt is the Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Principal Investigator of the ModelE Earth System Model there. He received his PhD in Applied Mathematics from University College London. Afterward, he went on to conduct postdoctoral research at McGill University and Columbia University. Gavin worked for several years as an Associate Research Scientist and Research Scientist at Columbia before accepting a position with NASA where he has been for the last twenty years is today. In addition to his research, Gavin is also an avid science communicator and he is co-founder of the RealClimate blog. He was named EarthSky Science Communicator of the year and was awarded the Inaugural American Geophysical Union Climate Communication Prize both in 2011. He is also the co-author, with Joshua Wolfe, of Climate Change: Picturing the Science. Gavin is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
42:3029/05/2015
263: Professor Applying Principles of Physics to Biological Systems - Dr. Sonya Bahar
Dr. Sonya Bahar is a Professor of Biophysics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy as well as Director of the Center for Neurodynamics at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. She received her B.S. degree in Physics from Drexel University and her Master's and PhD degrees in Biophysics from the University of Rochester. Afterward, Sonya conducted postdoctoral research at Duke University, the University of Missouri, St. Louis, and Weill-Cornell Medical College of Cornell University before joining the faculty at the University of Missouri, St. Louis where she is today. Sonya is a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the St. Louis Academy of Science Innovation Award, and the Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. She was also named a Trailblazer by the University of Missouri, St. Louis. Sonya is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
53:3627/05/2015
262: Getting to the Root of Plant-Activated Carcinogens and Environmental Mutagenesis - Dr. Jim Gentile
James M. Gentile is the Dean for Natural and Applied Sciences at Hope College and the past President of Research Corporation for Science Advancement, a Tucson, AZ-based foundation dedicated to science since 1912. Jim received his Master's and PhD in Genetics from Illinois State University and conducted a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine. Jim then joined the faculty of Hope College where he remained for nearly 30 years before becoming President of Research Corporation for Science Advancement, a foundation that funds innovative scientific research. In 2013, Jim returned to Hope College where he is today. Jim has received many awards and honors during his career, including the Alexander Hollaender Research Excellence Award from the Environmental Mutagen Society, the Cancer Medallion of the Japanese National Cancer Institute, and the Science Medal of Distinction of Pisa, Italy. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a National Associate of the National Academies of Sciences, and a National Academies education mentor. Jim was also honored by Illinois State University with an Alumni Achievement Award and election to the university Hall of Fame, and was given a Special Achievement Award by the Council on Undergraduate Research. Jim is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
39:1825/05/2015
261: Researching Relationships and How They Impact Mental Health and Learning in Children - Dr. Jennifer Jenkins
Dr. Jennifer Jenkins is the Atkinson Chair of Early Child Development and Education and the Interim Academic Director of the Frazer Mustard Institute of Human Development at the University of Toronto. She received her Bachelor's degree in Developmental Psychology from the University of Sussex, her Master's degree in Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Nottingham, and her PhD in Psychology from the University of London. Afterwards, she worked as a Senior Clinical Psychologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and then as a Lecturer at Stirling University before joining the faculty at the University of Toronto. Jenny is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
42:5922/05/2015
260: Studying How Synapses Sustain Signaling to Process Sound - Dr. Samuel Young
Dr. Samuel M. Young, Jr. is an Independent Max Planck Research Group Leader of Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Function at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience in Jupiter, Florida. He received his PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He went on to conduct post-doctoral research in the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratories at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California and at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in the Department of Membrane Biophysics in Goettingen, Germany, where he later accepted a position as an Internal Research Group Leader. Samuel then accepted a position at the Max Planck Florida Institute where he is currently. Samuel is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
52:2320/05/2015
259: Developing The Lens for Transparency in Innovation - Dr. Richard Jefferson
Dr. Richard Jefferson is the Chief Executive Officer of an independent, non-profit institute called Cambia. He is also Professor of Science, Technology & Law at Queensland University of Technology and Director of an open, public innovation resource called The Lens. In addition, Richard is a founder of the biological open-source initiative called Biological Innovation for Open Society. He received his Bachelor's degree in Molecular Genetics from the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara and went on to complete his PhD in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Richard completed postdoctoral research at the Plant Breeding Institute in Cambridge and then worked as a Molecular Biologist for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations before founding Cambia. Richard has received many awards and honors during his career, and just to name a few, he was named an Outstanding Social Entrepreneur by the Schwab Foundation, he was among Scientific American's List of the World’s 50 Most Influential Technologists and World Research Leader for Economic Development in 2003, he received the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) Leadership in Science Public Service Award, and Medalist of the Center for Science and Policy Outcomes. Richard is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
01:01:0918/05/2015
258: The Brains Behind Analyses of Substance Abuse and Addiction - Dr. Oné Pagán
Dr. Oné Pagán is an Associate Professor of Biology at West Chester University. He received his Bachelor's degree in General Sciences and his Master's degree in Biochemistry from the University of Puerto Rico. Oné then received his PhD in Pharmacology from Cornell University before joining the faculty at West Chester University. Oné is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
40:3715/05/2015
257: Science on Stress in Single-Celled Organisms - Dr. Amy Vollmer
Dr. Amy Vollmer is Professor and Department Chair of Biology at Swarthmore College. She received her Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Rice University and her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Afterward, Amy conducted postdoctoral research in Immunology at Stanford University and served on the faculty at Mills College before joining the faculty at Swarthmore where she is today, conducting research and teaching students. Amy is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
57:4913/05/2015
256: Advancing Microbial Applications in Agricultural Management - Dr. Louis Schipper
Dr. Louis Schipper is a Professor in the School of Science at the University of Waikato. He received his undergraduate, Master's, and PhD degrees in biology from the University of Waikato. Afterward, he accepted a postdoctoral position at the University of Florida before returning to New Zealand to work as a scientist for Landcare Research. Louis joined the faculty at the University of Waikato in 2005. Louis is a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America as well as a Fellow of the New Zealand Soil Science Society, and is an author on two patents. Louis is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
47:3911/05/2015
255: Researching Hot Topics in Climate Science - Dr. Michael Mann
Dr. Michael E. Mann is Distinguished Professor of Meteorology at Penn State University, with joint appointments in the Department of Geosciences and the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute (EESI). He is also director of the Penn State Earth System Science Center (ESSC). Mike received his undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley in Physics and Applied Math, an M.S. degree in Physics from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in Geology & Geophysics from Yale University. He conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and served on the faculty of the University of Virginia before joining the faculty where he is today at Penn State. Mike has received many honors during his career, including being selected by Scientific American as one of the fifty leading visionaries in science and technology in 2002, contributing to the award of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, and being named one of Bloomberg News' fifty most influential people in 2013. He has also received the Hans Oeschger Medal of the European Geosciences Union, the National Conservation Achievement Award for science by the National Wildlife Federation, and the Friend of the Planet Award from the National Center for Science Education. Mike is also a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society. Mike is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
46:0608/05/2015
254: Sound Science in Restoring Hearing with Cochlear Implants - Dr. Fan-Gang Zeng
Dr. Fan-Gang Zeng is Director of the Center for Hearing Research and Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering, Cognitive Sciences and Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California Irvine. He received a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Science and Technology of China and his Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering at the Institute of Physiology Academia Sinica in Shanghai. Fan-Gang then went on to earn his PhD in Hearing Science from Syracuse University. He served as a research Associate at the House Ear Institute and an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland before joining the faculty at UC, Irvine where he is today. Fan-Gang is a member of the Acoustical Society of America, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Fan-Gang is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
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253: Continuing the Tradition of Superb Science in Traditional Medicine - Dr. Alain Cuerrier
Dr. Alain Cuerrier is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Montreal, as well as a Botanist and Researcher at the Montreal Botanical Garden. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of Montreal. He worked at Harvard University during his PhD and this helped him achieve his current positions. Alain is also a writer and poet. He recently contributed to a book on Medicinal Plants thriving in the arctic and he has published a book of poetry in French. Alain is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
40:0404/05/2015
252: Translating Gene Expression Experiments into Therapies for Human Disease - Dr. Andrea Califano
Dr. Andrea Califano is the Clyde and Helen Wu Professor of Chemical Systems Biology in the Departments of Systems Biology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, and Biomedical Informatics at Columbia University. He is Founding Chair of the Department of Systems Biology, Director of the JP Sulzberger Columbia Genome Center, and Associate Director for Bioinformatics of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. He completed his doctoral studies in physics at the University of Florence in Italy and his postdoctoral studies at MIT. Afterward, Andrea worked at the IBM TJ Watson Research Center, and he subsequently became Program Director of the IBM Computational Biology Center. In 2000, Andrea co-founded First Genetic Trust, Inc and founded another company called Therasys in 2008 before joining the faculty where he is today at Columbia University. Andrea is with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
42:0101/05/2015
251: Sequencing Species in Deep-Sea Sediments - Dr. Holly Bik
Dr. Holly Bik is a Birmingham Fellow in the School of Biosciences at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. She completed her PhD in Deep Sea Biology and Molecular Phylogenetics at the University of Southampton and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of New Hampshire and the University of California, Davis before accepting her current position. Holly is scientist and an avid science communicator, and you can find her writing on blogs such as Eukaryotic Ebullience, The Molecular Ecologist, Haute Science, and Deep Sea News. Holly is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
31:5429/04/2015
250: A Pathologist's Path to Paramount Discoveries in Protein Separation and Genetic Recombination - Dr. Oliver Smithies
Dr. Oliver Smithies is the Weatherspoon Eminent Distinguished Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of North Caronlina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. He received his PhD in Biochemistry at Oxford University and spent some time on the faculty at the University of Toronto, as well as the University of Wisconsin, Madison, before joining the faculty at UNC, Chapel Hill where he is today. Oliver is a distinguished scientist, and in 2007, he was a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Among many other accomplishments, he is the recipient of the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, the Wolf Prize in Medicine, the Massry Prize, and the University of North Carolina's O. Max Gardner Award. Oliver is also a Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, a Member of the U.S. Institute of Medicine, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Foreign Member of the Royal Society. Oliver is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
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249: Radiant Researcher Illuminating the Attributes of Dying Stars - Dr. Kurtis Williams
Dr. Kurtis Williams is an Assistant Professor at Texas A and M University, Commerce. He received his Master's and PhD degrees in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and afterward served as a Research Associate at the Steward Observatory in Tucson. Kurtis was awarded an NSF Postdoctoral fellowship and completed his postdoctoral research at the University of Texas, Austin before accepting his current position. Kurtis is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
48:4624/04/2015
248: 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. He received his PhD in Zoology from the University of Washington and completed postdoctoral research at Dartmouth College. He was then hired at Dartmouth as a Research Assistant Professor. Jack's next career move brought him to Penn State University where he remained for 25 years, rising to the rank of Distinguished Professor of Entomology before joining the faculty at the University of Missouri. Jack's research has been featured by the New York Times, People Magazine, and Time Magazine. Jack is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
48:2522/04/2015
247: Conducting Cool Science on Conservation in Arctic and Subarctic Ecosystems - Dr. Luise Hermanutz
Dr. Luise Hermanutz is a Professor in the Department of Biology at Memorial University in Canada. She received her PhD in Plant Ecology from Western University in London, Ontario. Afterward, She taught as a per course instructor at the Geography Department at Memorial University, she did a postdoc university of wallingong in Sydney Australia, before joining the faculty at Memorial University. Luise is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
56:4220/04/2015
246: Dynamic Scientist Bringing Energy, Laser-Focus, and Structure to His Nanoscience Research and Role as Chancellor - Dr. Tom George
Dr. Tom George is Chancellor and Professor of Chemistry and Physics at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. He earned his bachelors degree from gettysburg college and MS and PhD in Theoretical Chemistry from Yale University and conducted postdoctoral research at MIT and UC Berkeley. Afterward, Tom joined the faculty at the University of Rochester, he later served as Dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at SUNY - Buffalo, Provost at Washington State University, and Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point before accepting his current post. Tom has received many awards and honors during his career, including receipt of the Marlow Medal from the Royal Society of Chemistry and being named a Fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Physical Society, the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Dreyfus Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Guggenheim Foundation. Tom has also been elected as a foreign member of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology, and he has received honorary doctorate degrees from the Universities in Hungary and Thailand. Further, Tom has been awarded the Medal of Honor from Gulf University for Science and Technology in Kuwait and the Diploma of Honour from Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences in Finland. In addition to his phenomenal science career, Tom is dedicated to being active in his community, and he has been recognized with many awards for community service as well. Tom is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
38:1517/04/2015
245: Mysterious Microbes in Our Guts, the Ground, the Air, and Everywhere! - Dr. Noah Fierer
Dr. Noah Fierer is a microbial ecologist and an Associate Professor in the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology department and a fellow in the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Noah completed his PhD in Ecology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Afterward, he conducted postdoctoral research at Duke University. Noah is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
29:5515/04/2015
244: 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. She received her PhD from the Severo Ochoa Center for Molecular Biology at the Autonomous University of Madrid. Cassandra then conducted postdoctoral research at the Institute for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in Crete, Greece as well as at the University of Cambridge. Afterward, she worked as a Research Associate in the Department of Zoology at Cambridge before joining the faculty at Harvard. Cassandra is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
59:3613/04/2015
243: Scientific Simulations in Stream and Ecosystem Synergies - Dr. Naomi Tague
Dr. Christina (Naomi) Tague is an Associate Professor of ecoHydrology in the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She received her Bachelor degree from the University of Waterloo in Systems Design Engineering and her MS and PhD degrees in Geography from the University of Toronto and completed postdoctoral research with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Naomi then spent five years as a member of the faculty at San Diego State University before moving to UC Santa Barbara. Naomi is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
38:3310/04/2015
242: 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. She received her PhD in Medical Science from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and spent time as a Pharmacology Research Associate Fellow with the NIH and Staff Fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health. Afterward, Yasmin returned to the Karolinska Institute where she remained as a faculty member for 13 years before coming to Mount Sinai. She is also a member of the American Society for Neuroscience, New York Academy of Sciences, and the College on Problems of Drug Dependence. Yasmin is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
41:2908/04/2015
241: From Microbes to Man - Exploring Evolution, Ecology, and the Exciting Unknowns in Science - Dr. Rob Dunn
Dr. Rob Dunn is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at North Carloina State University. He is also an accomplished author with his books Every Living Thing, The Wild Life of Our Bodies, and recently released The Man Who Touched His Own Heart. In addition, his writings have been featured in BBC Wildlife Magazine, Scientific American, Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic, and more. Rob received his PhD in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Connecticut and received a Fulbright Fellowship to conduct postdoctoral research at Curtin University in Australia afterwards. He then completed a short postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Tennessee before joining the faculty at North Carolina State University. Rob is here with us today to tell us all about his own experiences in life and science.
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240: In Her Element Examining Mobile DNA Sequences and Genome Evolution - Dr. Susan Wessler
Dr. Susan Wessler is a Distinguished Professor of Genetics at the University of California, Riverside. She is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor and the Home Secretary of the National Academy of Sciences. She received her PhD in Biochemistry from Cornell University. Susan then spent time as a postdoctral fellow at the Carnegie Institute of Washington. She served on the faculty at the University of Georgia for over 25 years before moving to UC Riverside. Susan has received many awards and honors over the course of her career. She is a Member of the National Academy of Sciences, a member of the American Philosophical Society, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is also the recipient of the Stephen Hales Prize from the American Society of Plant Biologists the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Excellence in Science Award, and the McClintock Award from the Maize Genetics. Susan is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
46:1303/04/2015
239: Looking Beneath the Surface to Study the Science of Water Movement, Distribution, and Quality - Dr. Tess Russo
Dr. Tess Russo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences at The Pennsylvania State University. She received her PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Her fantastic work is already getting a lot of attention. Last year, Tess was featured by the Green Sense Podcast, Scientific American, and she is a guest on an upcoming episode of Startalk Radio with the wise and wonderful Neil Degrasse Tyson. Tess is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
38:2001/04/2015