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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.
137: Taking a Well-Structured Approach to Studying the Molecular Basis of Replication of Viruses - Dr. Stephen Curry
Dr. Stephen Curry is a Professor of Structural Biology and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Life Sciences at Imperial College London. He received his PhD from Imperial College London. Stephen is a Fellow of the Society of Biology and was recently awarded the Peter Wildy Prize for Microbiology Education from the Society for General Microbiology. Stephen is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
45:4421/08/2014
136: 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 at Oxford University and a fellow of Hertford College. 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. She completed her undergraduate studies at Somerville College and served as a Junior Research Fellow at Wolfson College in Oxford. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Saclay Nuclear Research Center, and went on to serve as a research fellow at St. Mary's Hospital Medical School and John Radcliffe Hospital and then as a faculty member at John Radcliffe Hospital and the University of London before joining the faculty at Oxford. Kay has received many awards and honors during her career, and to name just a few, she was elected as a founding Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society. She was also named Commander of the Order of the British Empire and then Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Kay is also an Honorary Fellow of Sommerville College, and had the honor of giving the inaugural Rose lecture at Kingston University in 2012 and the Harveian Oration at the Royal College of Physicians in 2013. Kay is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
32:2920/08/2014
135: Pursuing Research Questions that Revolve Around How Species Evolve - Dr. Brian Crother
Brian I. Crother is the Catherine and Duane Shafer Endowed Professor of Biological Sciences and Assistant Dean of the College of Science and Technology at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. He earned his B.S from California State University at Dominguez Hills, Ph.D. from the University of Miami (FL), and conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Texas, Austin. He spent a year as environmental consultant before joining the faculty at Southeastern Louisiana University. Brian is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
43:0219/08/2014
134: Infectious Curiosity for How Bacteria Grow, Divide, and Function - Dr. Doug Weibel
Dr. Douglas Weibel is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He received his PhD from Cornell University, and completed his postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University. Doug has received many awards and honors during his career, including the Distinguished Teaching Award, the Pound Research Award, and the Vilas Associate Award all from UW-Madison, as well as the Early Career Life Scientist Award from the American Society for Cell Biology, the NIH Director's New Innovator Award, the Basil O'connor Award from the March of Dimes Foundation, the DuPont Young Professor Award, and a Sloan Research Fellowship. Doug is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
41:5018/08/2014
133: Ravenously Researching the Molecular Machinery and Proteins that Help Cells Eat - Dr. Sandra Schmid
Dr. Sandra Schmid is the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Chair in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She received her PhD in Biochemistry from Stanford University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Cell Biology at Yale University. Sany then accepted a position at the Scripps Research Institute, and advanced in the ranks there. She is Professor and Chair of the Department of Cell Biology at the Scripps Research Institute in addition to her appointments at UT Southwestern. Sandy has also recently earned a master’s degree in executive leadership from the University of San Diego School of Business Administration. Sandy has received many awards and honors during her career, including an NIH Merit Award, the Athena Pinnacle Award in Biotechnology from UCSD, election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the William C. Rose Award from the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, she was the elected President of the American Society for Cell Biology in 2009, was elected as a foreign member of European Molecular Biology Organization, and she received the Senior Career Award from the Women in Cell Biology. Sandy is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
43:1717/08/2014
132: Bringing the Energy and Expertise to Develop Technology and Tools to Improve Energy Efficiency in Buildings - Dr. Ralph Muehleisen
Dr. Ralph T. Muehleisen is the Principal Building Scientist and Technical Lead of the Building Energy Decision and Technology Research (BEDTR) program in the Decision and Information Sciences Division of Argonne National Laboratory. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Ralph completed his undergraduate studies in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Ralph received his PhD in Acoustics at Pennsylvania State University and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Penn State in Applied Research and at the Naval Postgraduate School studying Physics. Afterwards, he served on the faculty at the University of Colorado and then the Illinois Institute of Technology. During this time he was also President and Principal Consultant for Muehleisen Consulting. Ralph is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
54:0016/08/2014
131: Amazing Feats of Science Focused on Preventing Lower Limb Amputations in People with Diabetes and Peripheral Neuropathy - Dr. Michael Mueller
Dr. Michael J. Mueller, PT, PhD, FAPTA, is Professor at the Program in Physical Therapy and Department of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis. He also is Division Director of Research for the Program in Physical Therapy and Director of the Applied Biomechanics Laboratory. Michael Received his Masters in Physical Therapy and conducted clinical research and worked as a physical therapist before going back to graduate school. He received his PhD in Movement Science from Washington University in St. Louis before joining the faculty at Washington University. Michael is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
31:4915/08/2014
130: Sensational Research on How Marine Animals Use The Senses to Understand Their Environment - Dr. Jelle Atema
Dr. Jelle Atema is a Professor in the Biology Department and Marine Sciences at Boston University and an Adjunct Scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He received his PhD from the University of Michigan studying Sensory Biology. Jelle has received a number of awards and honors during his career, including being named a Fellow of the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation, a Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, as well as a a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Jelle is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
36:5914/08/2014
129: Taking a Closer Look at the Molecular Mechanisms of Antibacterial and Anticancer Agents - Dr. James Berger
Dr. James Berger is a Professor in the Department of Biophysics and Biopysical Chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He received his PhD in Biochemistry and Structural Biology from Harvard University in 1995. Afterwards he was an independent research fellow at the Whitehead Institute of MIT until 1998. James then joined the faculty at UC Berkeley, where he remained for 15 years until coming to Johns Hopkins University in 2013. James has received many awards and honors during his career, including the National Academy of Sciences Award in Molecular Biology, the American Chemical Society Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Schering-Plough Scientific Achievement Award, a Packard Fellows award, and election to both the American Academy of Arts and sciences and the National Academy of Sciences.
45:4213/08/2014
128: Discovering How Animals are Playing Their Way to Better Brains and Social Skills - Dr. Sergio Pellis
Dr. Sergio Pellis is a Professor in Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge. He received his PhD in Zoology and Ethology from Monash University in Australia. Afterwards he completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Monash University, followed by training in animal movement analysis at Tel Aviv University, and then a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Serge also served as an Assistant Research Scientist at the University of Florida before joining the faculty at the University of Lethbridge. Sergio is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
51:5912/08/2014
127: Going Beyond the Barrier Looking at Immune Activation in the Brain in Response to Viral Infection - Dr. Robyn Klein
Dr. Robyn Klein is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Departments of Internal Medicine, Anatomy and Neurobiology and Pathology and Immunology at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. She received her Masters in Neuroscience from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and went on to complete her MD and PhD in Neuroscience there as well. Robyn obtained clinical specialty training in Internal Medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and subspeciality training in Infectious Diseases at the Massachusetts General Hospital, both in Boston. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in immunology at Harvard Medical School. Robyn is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
41:1311/08/2014
126: 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 received her PhD in molecular and cell biology from the University of California, Berkeley. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship and served as an Assistant Adjunct Professor at the University of California, San Francisco before joining the faculty at UC Berkeley. Eva has received a number of awards and honors during her career, including the McArthur Genius Fellowship, being named a Pew Scholar, receiving a National Recognition Award from the Nicaragua Minister of Health, being named a Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, and being awarded the Prytanean Faculty Award for outstanding women faculty. Eva is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
46:4410/08/2014
125: Fueling Her Passion for Research Studying Life Cycles of Biofuels - Dr. Jennifer Dunn
Dr. Jennifer Dunn is a Biofuel Life Cycle Analysis Team Lead and Principal Environmental Analyst at the Argonne National Laboratory. She received her Masters degree in Sustainable Chemical Engineering Systems and her PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Postdoc at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Afterward, Jennifer spent two years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and later worked as as an environmental consultant at URS Corporation before accepting a position at Argonne. Jennifer has received a number of awards and honors during her career, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 Bronze Metal for Commendable Service and the URS Corporation Pyramid Award. Jennifer is here with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
42:2709/08/2014
124: Driven to Study Cognitive Control and How it Breaks Down in Psychiatric Disorders - Dr. Todd Braver
Dr. Todd Braver is a Professor of Psychology as well as the Principal Investigator and Co-Director of the Cognitive Control and Psychopathology Laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also affiliated with neuroscience and radiology departments. He received his Masters and PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from Carnegie Mellon University before joining the faculty at Washington University. Todd has received a number of awards and honors during his career, including the NARSAD Constance Lieber Independent Investigator Award, the F.J. McGuigan Young Investigator Award from the American Psychological Association, and he was also named as a "Rising Star" and later as a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science as well as a NIMH MERIT awardee. Todd is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
43:3708/08/2014
123: Shedding Light on How Optimizing Photosynthesis Could Increase Plant Productivity - Dr. Stephen Long
Dr. Stephen Long is the Gutgsell Endowed Professor of Crop Sciences and Plant Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He received his BS (1st Agriculture) at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom and his PhD in Plant Sciences from Leeds University in the United Kingdom. Steve served on the faculty in Environmental Physiology at the University of Essex before joining the faculty at the University of Illinois. Steve has received a number of awards and honors during his career, including being named a Fellow of the Royal Society. Steve is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
33:4807/08/2014
122: Discerning Diversity of Ants in Tropical Rainforests - Dr. Terry McGlynn
Dr. Terry McGlynn is an Associate Professor of Biology at California State University Dominguez Hills. Terry received his PhD in Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology from the University of Colorado and completed his postdoctoral training at the University of Houston. Terry was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Gettysburg College and served on the faculty of the University of San Diego before joining the faculty at CSU Dominguez Hills. Terry is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
36:2206/08/2014
121: A Researcher with His Sights Set on Understanding the Retina and Color Vision Processing - Dr. John Dowling
Dr. John E. Dowling is the Gordon and Llura Gund Professor of Neurosciences in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University. John received his PhD from Harvard University. He initially served as a member of the faculty at Harvard, then moved to Johns Hopkins University for a number of years before returning to Harvard where he remains today. John has received a number of awards and honors during his career, including The Helen Keller Prize for Vision Research and the Llura Ligget Gund Award for Lifetime Achievement and Recognition of Contribution to the Foundation Fighting Blindness. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and a member of the American Philosophical Society. John is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
53:5805/08/2014
120: Ironing Out the Genes Implicated in Neurological Diseases to Aid in Development of Therapeutics - Dr. Dan Geschwind
Dr. Dan Geschwind is the Gordon and Virginia MacDonald Distinguished Professor in of Neurology, Psychiatry and Human Genetics at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine. He is also Director of the Neurogenetics Program, Director of the Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART) and Co-Director of the Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics in the Semel Institute at UCLA. Dan received his MD/PhD from Yale University School of Medicine. He completed his internship, residency (Neurology), and postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA, joining the faculty at UCLA afterwards, founding the Neurogenetics Program. Dan has received many awards and honors during his career, including the Derek Denny-Brown Neurological Scholar Award from the American Neurological Association in 2004, the Scientific Service Award from Autism Speaks in 2007, the Ruane Prize for Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Research from the Brain and Behavior foundation in 2012, the Taking on Tomorrow Innovation Award (Research/Scientific Breakthrough in Autism) from Boston Children’s Hospital in 2013, and he is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dan is with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.
46:2604/08/2014
119: Charging Forward with New Discoveries in Neutrino Physics - Dr. Kate Scholberg
Dr. Kate Scholberg is a Professor of Physics and Bass Fellow, as well as the Director of Undergraduate Studies at Duke University. She received her Masters and PhD in Physics from the California Institute of Technology and completed her postdoctoral training at Boston University. Prior to joining the faculty at Duke, Kate was an Assistant Professor at MIT. Kate has received many awards and honors during her career, including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Outstanding Junior Investigator award from the department of energy. Kate is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
36:2903/08/2014
118: Bringing the Buried History of Early Humans to Light - Dr. Steven Churchill
Dr. Steven Churchill is a and past chair of the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University. He also holds a secondary appointment as an Honorary Reader in the Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PalaeoSciences at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa). He received his B.S. from Virginia Tech and Masters and PhD from the University of New Mexico. Afterwards, Steve served as a Teaching Associate and Visiting Professor at the University of New Mexico before joining the faculty at Duke University in 1995. He has also worked as an Associate at the Bernard Price Institute of Palaeontology at the University of Wits in South Africa. Steve is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
43:4902/08/2014
117: Getting Sentimental About Microbes in Marine Sediments - Dr. Jennifer Biddle
Dr. Jennifer F. Biddle is an Assistant Professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment at the University of Delaware. She received her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Pennsylvania State University. Jen then went on to complete postdoctoral fellowships in the Department of Geosciences at Penn State and in the Department of Marine Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before joining the faculty at University of Delaware. Jen is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
45:2601/08/2014
116: Seeing Through the Smoke to Understand How Smoking Changes Gene Expression - Dr. Katrina Steiling
Dr. Katrina Steiling is a physician-scientist and Assistant Professor of Medicine and Bioinformatics in the Section of Computational Biomedicine at Boston University School of Medicine. She completed her Doctorate of Medicine at Boston University Medical School, and her Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at Boston University Medical Center followed by a post-doctoral research fellowship with The Pulmonary Center. Concurrent with her clinical fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Boston University Medical Center, Katie completed a Masters of Science in Bioinformatics through the Boston University College of Engineering. Katie is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
29:2631/07/2014
115: Staying Grounded Studying Soil-Dwelling Bees - Dr. Alexandra Harmon-Threatt
Dr. Alexandra Harmon-Threatt is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She received her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley and completed an NSF postdoctoral Fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. Alex is today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
35:3730/07/2014
114: Balancing it All While Studying Oscillating Chemical Reactions - Dr. Irving Epstein
Dr. Irving R. Epstein is the Henry F. Fischbach Professor of Chemistry and a member of the Volen Center for Complex Systems at Brandeis University, as well as a Professor of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He received his Masters degree in Chemistry and his PhD in Chemical Physics from Harvard University. Irving then completed a NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge University before joining the faculty at Brandeis. Irving has received a number of honors and awards during his career, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Grass Fellowship of the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University. Irving is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
33:1729/07/2014
113: Action-Packed Research on How our Brains Learn and Perceive Complex Movements - Dr. Emily Cross
Dr. Emily Cross is a Senior Lecturer of cognitive neuroscience and a dancer who shares a dual appointment at the School of Psychology at Bangor University in North Wales and the Department of Social and Cultural Psychology and the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands. She studied psychology and dance as an undergraduate at Pomona College, and went on to complete a MSc in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Otago in New Zealand as a Fulbright fellow. She returned to the USA to complete a PhD in cognitive neuroscience at Dartmouth College, and then moved on to postdoctoral positions at the University of Nottingham in the UK and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany. Emily is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
46:2628/07/2014
112: Digging Up Clues on How Ancient Plants Responded to Their Environments - Dr. Nan Arens
Dr. Nan Arens is an Associate Professor of Geosciences at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York. She received her Masters degree in Geology from Pennsylvania State University as well as a Masters degree in Biology from Harvard University. Nan then went on to complete her PhD in Biology at Harvard. She served as a faculty member at the University of California at Berkeley and Curator of Fossil Plants at the University of California Museum of Paleontology before joining the faculty at Hobart and William Smith. Nan is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
42:2927/07/2014
111: Making a Splash in River Ecosystem Research and Conservation - Dr. Steve Ormerod
Dr. Steve Ormerod is a Professor in Ecology in the Cardiff School of Biosciences at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom. He is also Chair of Council of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Chair of the Science Development Group of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Vice-Chair of the Welsh Water Environment Advisory Panel, and Co-Chair of the Cardiff Water Research Consortium. Steve received his PhD in River Ecology from Cardiff University. He has been recognized with many awards and honors, including being an elected Fellow of the Society of Biology, the Learned Society of Wales, and the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, as well as a Fellow of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. Steve has also received the Ralph Brown Expedition Award from the Royal Geographical Society, the Past-President’s Medal of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, and the Marsh Award for Marine and Freshwater Conservation from the Zoological Society of London. Steve is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
38:0226/07/2014
110: Getting a Glimpse Inside the Brain to Uncover the Science Behind Social Behavior - Dr. Ralph Adolphs
Dr. Ralph Adolphs is the Bren Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Professor of Biology at the California Institute of Technology. He received his PhD in Neurobiology from Caltech and completed his postdoctoral training at the University of Iowa. Ralph is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
37:3925/07/2014
109: Thought-Provoking Research on how Kids Learn Science - Dr. David Klahr
Dr. David Klahr is the Walter van Dyke Bingham Professor of Cognitive Development and Education Sciences in the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University. He is also the Training Director of the Program in Interdisciplinary Education Research and is on the Executive Committee and is the Education Director for the Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center. After completing his undergraduate at MIT, he worked for a few years before returning to graduate school, receiving his Masters Degree from the Carnegie Institute of Technology and his PhD from Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Klahr served briefly on the faculty of the University of Chicago, before joining the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University where he remains today. David has received many awards and honors during his career. He is a member of the National Academy of Education, an Inaugural Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, a Fellow of both the Developmental and Experimental Divisions of the American Psychological Association, and also a Founding Fellow of the American Psychological Society. David is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
36:1824/07/2014
108: Decoding the Human Genome to Potentially Predict Disease Risk - Dr. Michael Snyder
Dr. Michael Snyder is the Stanford Ascherman Professor and Chair of the Department of Genetics at Stanford University, as well as the Director of the Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine. Mike is also a co-founder of several biotechnology companies, including Protometrix (now part of Life Technologies), Affomix (now part of Illumina), Excelix, and Personalis, and he presently serves on the board of a number of companies. He received his PhD from the California Institute of Technology and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University. He served on the faculty at Yale University for over 20 years before joining the faculty at Stanford. Mike has received many awards and honors during his career, including the Burroughs Wellcome Scholar Award, the Connecticut Medal of Science, and the Pioneer Award from the Human Proteome Organization. Mike is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
32:2723/07/2014
107: Amazing Stories of Opportunity and Curiosity from a Researcher in Planetary Science - Dr. Ray Arvidson
Dr. Ray Arvidson is a James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the Director of the Earth and Planetary Remote Sensing Laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also the Deputy Principal Investigator for the Mars Exploration Rover Mission as well as a member of the Science team of Curiosity Rover Mission of 2012. He received his Masters and PhD from Brown University and joined the faculty at Washington University afterwards. He has received many awards and honors in his career, including three NASA Public Service Medals, a Washington University Distinguished Faculty Award, Washington University Advisor of the Year Award, the Missouri Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Student Union Professor of the Year Award, the Outstanding Graduate Faculty Mentor Award, the Arthur Holly Compton Award for Faculty Achievement, the Whipple Award from the American Geophysical union, and a number of NASA citations and awards from Washington University in Saint Louis. In addition, Ray was recently inducted into Williamstown High School Hall of Fame. He is also a Fellow of the Geological Society of America and the American Geophysical Union. Ray is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
35:1122/07/2014
106: Uprooting the Survival Secrets of Living and Fossil Plants - Dr. Hope Jahren
Dr. Hope Jahren is a Professor in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii. She received her PhD in Soil Science from the University of California at Berkeley. Hope was a faculty member at Georgia Tech and Johns Hopkins University before accepting a position at the University of Hawaii. She has received many awards and honors during her career, including the Fulbright Award in Geology, the Fulbright Award in Environmental Science, the Fulbright Award in Arctic Science, the ARCS Scientist of the Year Award for the Honolulu Chapter, and the Best University Research Award in the Department of Energy. She is one of four scientists, and the only woman, to have been awarded both of the Yount Investigator Medals given within the Earth Sciences: the Donath Medal (the Geological Society of America Young Scientist Award) and the James B. Macelwane Medal (American Geophysical Union Young Scientist Award). Hope is also a fellow of the Geological Society of America, a Biogeochemistry Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow, and was named one of the Popular Science “Brilliant 10” in 2005. Hope is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
42:1221/07/2014
105: Stimulating Research on Biomarkers and Therapeutics for Parkinson Disease - Dr. Joel Perlmutter
Dr. Joel S. Perlmutter is the Elliot Stein Family Professor of Neurology, Professor of Radiology, Neurobiology, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also Head of Movement Disorders, Director of the NeuroClinical Research Unit, Director, Director of the American Parkinson Disease Association Advanced Research Center for Parkinson Disease, and Director of the Huntington Disease Center of excellence all at Washington University in St. Louis. Joel received his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Princeton University and his Medical Degree from the University of Missouri in Columbia. He completed his Residency in Neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine, followed by a Fellowship in the Department of Neurology at WashU as well. Joel has received many awards and honors in his career, including Eliasson Award for Teaching Excellence, the Outstanding Young Alumni Physician's Award from the University of Missouri, Mentor of the Year Award from the Women’s Academic Network at Washington University, a Special Recognition Award for Graduate Student Education at Washington University, and the Distinguished Service Teaching Award for Medical Students. Joel is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, a Fellow of the American Neurological Association, and a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honorary Society. Joel is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
38:1020/07/2014
104: Taking Stock of Maternal Behavior and Offspring Health and Development in Livestock - Dr. Cathy Dwyer
Dr. Cathy Dwyer is Team Leader and a Professor of Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Scotland’s Rural College. She received her PhD from the Royal Veterinary College in London before joining the Animal Behaviour and Welfare Team at Scotland’s Rural College. Cathy is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
37:5519/07/2014
103: Astronomer on a Mission of Solar System Exploration - Dr. Alex Hayes
Dr. Alex Hayes is an Assistant Professor of Astronomy at Cornell University. He received a Masters in Engineering from Cornell University and worked at the Jet Propulsion laboratory Lincoln laboratory at MIT and then Masters of Science and PhD from the California Institute of Technology. He served as a Miller fellow at UC Berkeley before joining the faculty at Cornell. He has received many awards and honors in his career, including being named a NASA Early Career Fellow and receiving the Ronald Greeley Early Career Award. Alex is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
42:3718/07/2014
102: Get a Taste of the Newest Edible Electronics and Innovative Implant Technologies - Dr. Chris Bettinger
Dr. Christopher Bettinger is an Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. He received a Masters of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering and a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University before joining the faculty at Carnegie Mellon. Chris has received many awards and honors in his career, includingthe National Academy of Sciences Award for Initiatives in Research, MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering Award for “Outstanding PhD Thesis”, the ACS AkzoNobel Award for Polymer Chemistry, the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Society Young Investigator Award, and the MIT Tech Review TR35 Top Young Innovator. He is also a co-inventor on several patents and was a finalist in the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition. Chris is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
40:5217/07/2014
101: Going Back to the Roots to Enhance Crop Yield in Degraded Soil - Dr. Jonathan Lynch
Dr. Jonathan Lynch is a Professor of Plant Nutrition at Pennsylvania State University. He received his Masters and PhD in Plant Physiology from the University of California, Davis and completed his postdoctoral training at UC Davis as well. Jonathan worked as a Senior Staff Researcher at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture before joining the faculty at Penn State. Jonathan has received many awards and honors during his career. He was named a Distinguished Professor by the Mexican Academy of Science and is a Fellow of the Crop Science Society of America. He has also received the Alex and Jessie C. Black Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research, the Howard P. Taylor lectureship in root biology research, the China Friendship Award (the highest recognition awarded foreigners by the government of China), and the Excellent Educational Work Prize from Guangdong Province in China. Jonathan is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
37:0916/07/2014
100: Investigating the Hive Mind and How Genes Influence Social Behavior in Bees - Dr. Gene Robinson
Dr. Gene Robinson is the Swanlund Chair of Entomology, Director of the Institute for Genomic Biology, and Director of the Bee Research Facility at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He received his PhD in Entomology from Cornell University and joined the faculty of the University in 1989. Gene has received many awards and honors over the course of his career, including the Burroughs Wellcome Innovation Award in Functional Genomics, the Founders Memorial Award from the Entomological Society of America, a Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and an NIH Pioneer Award. He is also a Fellow of the Animal Behavior Society, a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and member of the US National Academy of Sciences. Gene is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
41:4515/07/2014
099: Improving Autism Diagnosis from the Lab to the Clinic - Dr. Amy Esler
Dr. Amy Esler is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, a licensed psychologist in the Pediatric Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic, and Director of the Fragile X Clinic at the University of Minnesota. Amy received her Masters in School Psychology and her PhD in School Psychology from the University of Minnesota. She worked as a school psychologist for a few years before going to the University of Michigan where she specialized in autism diagnosis and research. Amy is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
32:4314/07/2014
098: Establishing Facts and Recalling Experiences Pioneering Research in Declarative and Non-Declarative Memory - Dr. Larry Squire
Dr. Larry Squire is a Professor of Psychiatry, Neurosciences, and Psychology at the University of California San Diego and a Senior Research Career Scientist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Diego. He received his PhD From the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed his postdoctoral training at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine before joining the faculty at UCSD. Larry has received many honors and awards during his career. He is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, The National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and The Institute of Medicine. Larry also previously served as President of the Society for Neuroscience. He is also a William James Fellow of the American Psychological Society and has received many awards, including the Award for Scientific Reviewing from the National Academy of Sciences. Larry is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
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097: Conserving Our Seas with the Science of Ecosystem Services - Dr. Ben Halpern
Dr. Benjamin Halpern is a Professor in the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California Santa Barbara and Chair in Marine Conservation at Imperial College London. He also serves as the Director of the Center for Marine Assessment and Planning (CMAP) at UC Santa Barbara and as a Research Associate at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS). Ben received his PhD in Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology from the University of California Santa Barbara. Afterwards, he held a joint postdoctoral fellowship at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis and the Smith Fellowship Program sponsored by The Nature Conservancy. He then worked as a Research Biologist at the Marine Science Institute and was a Center Associate of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis before accepting his current positions. Ben is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
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096: Colorful Tales of Reproductive Biology in Reptiles and Amphibians - Dr. Dustin Siegel
Dr. Dustin S. Siegel is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Southeast Missouri State University. He received his Masters in Biology from Southeastern Louisiana University and his PhD in Biology from Saint Louis University. Dustin is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
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095: Noting Temporal Patterns of Bird Song and the Ecological Implications - Dr. Patrick Hart
Dr. Patrick Hart is an Associate Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Biology at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. He received his Ph.D. in Zoology (Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology) from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and joined the faculty of the University of Hawaii in 2005. Patrick is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
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094: Blossoming Research in Plant-Pollinator Interactions - Dr. Laura Burkle
Dr. Laura Burkle is an Assistant Professor of Ecology at Montana State University. She received her PhD in Biology from Dartmouth College. Laura then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis before joining the faculty at Montana State. Laura is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
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093: A Researcher with a Resolution to Remedy Air Pollution - Dr. Scott Fruin
Dr. Scott Fruin is Assistant Professor in Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine. Scott worked as a Mechanical Engineer at Bell Labs for a few years before earning his Bachelors and Masters degrees at the University of Minnesota. He also spent a year traveling the world before working as a Consulting Environmental Engineer before returning to the academic world to get his PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles. He also worked for the government on the Air Resources Board for 7 years. Scott is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
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092: A Paleobotanist Who Leaves No Stone Unturned Searching for Plant Fossils - Dr. Peter Wilf
Dr. Peter Wilf is a Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University. After graduating college from the University of Pennsylvania, Peter spent a few years teaching math and science in a middle school and then spent some time as a professional performing musician. He then entered the academic research world, receiving his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and subsequently completing a postdoctoral fellowship with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Peter also served as a Michigan Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan before joining the faculty at Penn State. Peter is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
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091: Zooming in on Marine Microbes and Their Critical Role in the State of our Seas - Dr. Cameron Thrash
Dr. Cameron Thrash is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Louisiana State University. After completing his undergraduate studies at UC San Diego, Cameron worked as a technician at the Scripps Research Institute. He then started graduate school, receiving his PhD in Microbiology from UC Berkeley, followed by postdoctoral training at Oregon State University. Cameron is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
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090: Unearthing the Secrets of Dinosaur Growth and Behavior - Dr. Jack Horner
Dr. Jack Horner is the Regents Professor of Paleontology and Curator of Paleontology of the Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University. Jack is known for making many groundbreaking discoveries in paleontology, including the first dinosaur eggs in the Western Hemisphere, the first evidence of dinosaur colonial nesting, the first evidence of parental care among dinosaurs, and the first dinosaur embryos. He has received many awards and accolades during his career, including the MacArthur Fellowship “Genius Grant”, and honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Montana and Pennsylvania State University. Jack also has served as the technical adviser for all of the Jurassic Park movies and is the model for movie's lead character, Dr Alan Grant. Jack is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
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089: Noble Astrophysicist Investigating Argon Molecules in Space - Dr. Mike Barlow
Dr. Mike Barlow is a Professor and Head of Astrophysics at University College London. He received his PhD in astrophysics from the University of Sussex. Afterwards, he completed a European Space Research Organisation and NASA fellowship at the University of California at Berkeley and also a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Colorado. Mike worked as a Staff Scientist Anglo-Australian Observatory before coming to University College London. Mike is here with us today to tell us about his journey through life and science.
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088: Deeply Rooted in Plant Evolution and Ecology - Dr. Ingrid Parker
Dr. Ingrid Parker is a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Jean H. Langenheim Endowed Chair in Plant Ecology and Evolution at the University of California Santa Cruz. She is also a Research Fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. After working as an environmental educator, Ingrid completed her PhD in Botany from the University of Washington. She served as a Miller postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley before joining the faculty at UC Santa Cruz. She has received many awards and honors during her career, including being named a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences. Ingrid is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
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