Dr. Suzanne Clough is the Chief Medical Officer at Amalgam Rx and Chief Innovation Officer at ArmadaHealth. In her free time, Suzanne revels in the pleasant chaos of her house with her husband, two children, and two dogs. She is also an athlete who enjoys basketball, swimming, and cycling. Suzanne is a physician by training, but she has been dedicating her efforts in recent years to investigating the behavioral science and psychosocial aspects of being a patient. She is working to discover what motivates people to engage in their healthcare, what creates barriers, and what can help people build reduce stress and build resilience. Through her companies, Suzanne develops digital health solutions that help people better manage their chronic diseases, improve their healthcare experience, and live happier lives. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from James Madison University and her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She completed her residency and an endocrinology fellowship at the University of Maryland Medical System. Afterwards, Suzanne worked as an Endocrinologist within the University of Maryland Medical System, as well as a faculty member and Medical Director for the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Afterwards, she co-founded the mobile health company WellDoc and served as its Chief Medical Officer until 2016 when she began her current endeavors. Suzanne joined us for an interview to share her experiences in life and in her career.

Dr. Rodrigo Quian Quiroga is a Professor and Director of the Centre for Systems Neuroscience at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom. He is also an author of the books Borges and Memory, Principles of Neural Coding, Imaging Brain Function with EEG, and the recently published book The Forgetting Machine. Rodrigo enjoys getting out of the lab to do different activities to give his mind a break from thinking about experiments. In particular, he enjoys hanging out with his wife and kids, playing sports, and practicing Judo. Rodrigo is interested in understanding how memory works and how the brain works in general. He conducts experiments to determine how the neurons in our brain make us see, feel, make decisions, and remember the things we experience and learn in our lives. The memory research in Rodrigo’s lab investigates how memories are formed, stored, consolidated, and forgotten. Rodrigo received his undergraduate training in physics from the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina and was awarded his PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of Luebeck in Germany. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Research Center Juelich in Germany and he received a Sloan Fellowship to conduct research at the California Institute of Technology. Rodrigo also worked briefly at RIKEN in Japan and at the University of Nijmegen in The Netherlands. Rodrigo has received numerous awards and honors including the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award, a Young Investigator Award from the American Epilepsy Society, and Rodrigo was also named one of 10 UK RISE Leaders in Science and Engineering in 2014. Rodrigo spoke with us about his experiences his career, research, and life.

Dr. Edward DeLong is a Professor in the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawai’i Manoa as well as a Visiting Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT. When he’s not working, Ed loves to be out in nature. He enjoys spending time outside with his family, hiking, kayaking, and snorkeling in the beautiful coral reefs near his house. Ed has also taken up yoga to help him stay limber and relaxed. Research in Ed’s lab brings together a variety of disciplines to study microbial communities in the ocean. He is interested in their ecology, evolution, biochemistry, genomics, and their impacts on marine systems. Particularly of interest for Ed are the microscopic organisms that are the primary producers or “forests of the ocean” responsible for releasing oxygen and serving as food for other organisms in marine food chains. Ed received his B.S. in Bacteriology from the University of California, Davis and his Ph.D. in Marine Biology from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Afterwards, he conducted postdoctoral research at Indiana University. Ed has worked as a research scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, a faculty member at the University of California, Santa Barbara, a research scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and a faculty member at MIT before accepting his current position in Hawai’i. His honors and achievements include the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, the DuPont Young Faculty Award, the Apple Bioinformatics Cluster Award, the Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky Medal of the European Geosciences Union, the Proctor and Gamble Award in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, American Society for Microbiology D.C. White Research and Mentorship Award, the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award, A.G. Huntsman Medal for Excellence in Marine Science, and the Moore Foundation Marine Microbiology Investigator Award. Ed is also an Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Microbiology. Ed has also been elected as an Associate of the European Molecular Biology Organization and is the Vice President and President Elect of the International Society of Microbial Ecology. In addition, he currently serves as the co-director of the Simons Collaboration on Ocean Processes and Ecology (SCOPE). Ed joined us for a conversation about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Abby Polter is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology at George Washington University. Outside of the lab, Abby enjoys spending her free time curled up with a great book, conducting complicated cooking experiments in the kitchen, and visiting the many wonderful museums where she lives in Washington D.C. Her research examines how synapses on neurons producing neurotransmitters like serotonin are affected by adversity or stress during development, how neurons that produce dopamine are differentially affected in males compared to females, and why individuals respond differently to stress. These research questions are relevant for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance abuse disorders. Abby received her bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from Ohio Wesleyan University and her PhD in Neurobiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Before joining the faculty at George Washington University, Abby was a postdoctoral fellow at Brown University. Abby joined us for an interview to talk about some of her experiences in life and science.

Dr. Joel Sachs is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Biology at the University of California, Riverside. For Joel, free time is best spent outdoors with his wife and two kids. They enjoy hanging out in their yard and hiking some of the fantastic trails in Southern California. Joel is also an avid gardener and landscaper. He has been working to transform his yard into a native habitat with plants like shrubs and cactuses. In Joel’s lab, they study bacteria that promote plant growth. He wants to understand how these bacteria work, how they are attracted from the soil into plants, how they get into plant cells, how plants maintain these microbes, and how these systems vary with different microbes. Some bacteria are beneficial for the plants, but others aren’t. Joel is investigating how plants deal with the diversity of microbes that they encounter and how they invest in the bacteria that can help them the most. He received his PhD in Integrative Biology from the University of Texas, Austin and was awarded an NIH National Research Service Award to conduct his postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley. Joel was also the recipient of an National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award and was recently awarded an NSF Dimensions of Biodiversity research grant. He joined us in an interview to speak about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Ted Price is an Associate Professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas, Dallas. He is also a neuroscientist with and the founder of a startup company called Ted’s Brain Science Products which develops non-opioid pain management products. Ted and his wife love spending time with their two year old daughter, and they are excited to welcome their second child into the family soon. Basketball is another one of Ted’s passions, and he wakes up early three days each week to hit the courts with his teammates. Though everyone experiences pain in their everyday lives, many people aren’t familiar with the extent of the issues caused by chronic pain. In his research, Ted is examining how the nervous system works and how it changes in response to experiencing pain. He wants to understand at the molecular level how pain becomes chronic and to develop new treatments to help people with chronic pain. Ted received his B.S. degree in neuroscience from the University of Texas, Dallas and his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio. Ted completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio and at McGill University. He served on the faculty at the University of Arizona College of Medicine before joining the faculty at UT, Dallas. Ted has received numerous honors and award for his work, including the American Pain Society John C. Liebeskind Early Career Scholar Award, the Louis J. Kettel Faculty Mentor Award from the Department of Surgery, the University of Texas at Dallas Buhrmester Rising Star Award, the Vernon and Virginia Furrow Award for Graduate Education from the University of Arizona, and the Patrick D. Wall Young Investigator Award from the International Association for the Study of Pain. Ted joined us in an interview to share stories from his life and science.

Dr. Ellen Zweibel is the W. L. Kraushaar Professor of Astronomy and Physics, and the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Ellen’s interest outside of science include creative writing, art, and exercise. She has recorded her thoughts and sketches in a journal since 1977, and drawing is a wonderful way for Ellen to see details in her surroundings that she might otherwise miss. In addition, Ellen has explored her artistic side through sculpting clay and painting. As far as exercise, Ellen runs at least 45 minutes every day, and each year on her birthday, she extends the duration of her run to match the minutes to her age in years. Ellen is a theoretical astrophysicist who specializes in plasma astrophysics. Her studies examine electricity and magnetism in the cosmos, including phenomena like sun spots, the solar cycle, and high energy electromagnetic emissions (e.g. x-rays, gamma rays, and radio waves) from stars and galaxies. She received her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Chicago and her PhD in Astrophysical Sciences from Princeton University. Ellen served as a faculty member at the University of Colorado for over 20 years before joining the faculty at the University of Wisconsin in 2003. Ellen has received numerous awards and honors during her career, including being elected as a Fellow of the American Physical Society and being awarded the American Physical Society’s Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics. Ellen joined us for an interview to talk about her experiences in life and science.

Dr. Greg Dussor is an Associate Professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas, Dallas. He is also a neuroscientist with the startup company Ted’s Brain Science Products which develops non-opioid pain management products. His research focuses on identifying the mechanisms of chronic headache pain and identifying potential therapeutic targets. Greg’s interests outside the lab include wine and coffee. He enjoys trying different kinds of wine and has gotten into the habit of experimenting with espresso each morning. Greg received his B.S. in biochemistry from the University of Alabama and his PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio. Greg conducted postdoctoral research at the Vollum Institute of Oregon Health and Science University. He worked as a faculty member at the University of Arizona College of Medicine before coming to Dallas. Greg is the recipient of the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio Department of Pharmacology Award for Academic Excellence, the Future Leaders in Pain Research Award from the American Pain Society, and the Vernon and Virginia Furrow Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Education from the University of Arizona. Greg is here to chat with us about his experiences in science and life in general.

Dr. David Fitzpatrick is Chief Executive Officer, Scientific Director, and Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. When David isn’t hard at work at Max Planck, he spends his time hiking, biking, kayaking, and immersing himself in nature. He has also become a keen photographer, capturing captivating photos of the natural world and memorable moments in his life. Scientifically speaking, the brain important for so many aspects of our daily experiences, including what we perceive, what we think about, how we move, the decisions we make, and more. However, we still know relatively little about how the brain works and how it develops. David’s goal is to dive deep into these basic science questions of how the brain works and how it develops. David received his B.S. degree in Biology from Pennsylvania State University and his PhD in Psychology and Neuroscience from Duke University. He conducted postdoctoral research at the Medical University of South Carolina and then returned to Duke University as a member of the faculty. Before accepting his current positions at the Max Planck Florida Institute, David was the James B. Duke Professor of Neurobiology and Director of the Institute for Brain Sciences at Duke University. David has received numerous awards and honors over the course of his career for his outstanding research and teaching, including the 2011 Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, the Alfred P. Sloan Research Award, the Cajal Club Cortical Discoverer Award, the McKnight Neuroscience Investigator Award, and the Excellence in Basic Science Teaching Award from Duke University School of Medicine. David joined us for an interview to share his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Audrey Dussutour is a National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) Scientist at Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France. When she’s not in front of her computer screen for work, Audrey loves going out to the movies and watching DVDs from her extensive collection. Some of her favorite directors are John Cassavetes and David Lynch, and she gets into sci-fi films as well. Audrey studies animal behavior and collective intelligence in ant colonies and slime molds. In ant colonies, she examines how the ants regulate traffic to avoid traffic jams. By observing how they behave, she can create algorithms that may help alleviate our own traffic jams. In slime molds, Audrey investigates the different cognitive abilities they are able to display even though they don’t have brains. Audrey received a Masters Degrees in Ecology from Paul Sabatier University, a Masters Degree in Neurosciences and Ethology from the Free University of Brussels in Belgium, and a PhD in Animal Behavior working in laboratories from both of these universities. She next conducted postdoctoral research at Concordia University in Canada and at the University of Sydney in Australia. Audrey has received numerous awards and honors for her exceptional work, including the Adolphe Wetrems Award of the Belgian Royal Academy, the Young Investigator Award of the French Society for the Study of Animal Behavior, the Outstanding Paper Prize from the Journal of Experimental Biology, Laureate du Prix Le Monde de la Recherche, and the Young Researcher Prize from the French Society for the Study of Animal Behavior. Audrey joined us for an interview to talk about her experiences in life and science.

Dr. Kevin France is an Assistant Professor in the Department for Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences as well as an investigator within the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Kevin spends his free time enjoying an outdoor lifestyle living in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. His hobbies include hiking, skiing, biking, trail running, and spending time with his wife and 9-month old baby. Kevin’s research focuses on improving our understanding of planetary systems outside of our own solar system. His research helps determine how the earth was formed, how it came to look the way it does, and how it fits into the broader perspective of planetary systems throughout the galaxy. Kevin also does laboratory and space mission work to develop the technology that will allow them to answer these questions. He received his bachelor’s degree in Physics and Astronomy from Boston University, and he was awarded his Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Johns Hopkins University. Afterwards, Kevin conducted research as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto. He next worked as a Research Associate and Fellow at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and during this time, Kevin was awarded the NASA Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowship. Kevin joined us to chat about his work as well as his life outside the lab.

Dr. Chris Moulin is a Professor in the Laboratory of Psychology and Neurocognition at University of Grenoble as well as a Senior Member of the University Institute of France. When Chris isn’t working, he loves spending time with his family, including his two young sons. They have been restoring their 19th century house in France and exploring the history of the home. Chris is also an avid collector of old postcards. Scientifically speaking, Chris is a memory researcher. He examines memory disorders to determine how areas in a healthy brain operate and are used in memory. Chris also works with patients to better understand memory disorders and help people with memory problems. He is particularly interested in subjective states and experiences related to memory such as déjà vu. Chris completed his PhD in Neuropsychology at Bristol University. Afterwards, he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Bristol, the University of Reading, and at a Clinical Research Institute in Bath. Chris worked as a faculty member in the Institute of Psychological Sciences at the University of Leeds before joining the faculty at the University of Grenoble. He joins us for an interview to chat about his experiences in his life and science.

Dr. Randy Blakely is a Professor of Biomedical Science at Florida Atlantic University and Executive Director of the Florida Atlantic University Brain Institute. Randy lives in beautiful South Florida near the Everglades, so getting outside to enjoy nature and observe the local wildlife is a lot of fun there. He also spends his time reading, listening to audiobooks during his commutes, and listening to Americana and folk music. In the lab, Randy studies how chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters work. He is examining how neurons control neurotransmitter signaling, as well as how medicinal drugs and drugs of abuse impact neurotransmitters and ultimately behavior. Randy received his B.A. in Philosophy from Emory University and his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He next conducted postdoctoral research at the Yale/Howard Hughes Medical Institute Center for Molecular Neuroscience. Randy was an investigator and faculty member at Emory University and Vanderbilt university before accepting his current position at Florida Atlantic University. Randy is the recipient of numerous awards and honors for his research and mentorship. He was awarded the Daniel Efron Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, two Distinguished Investigator Awards from the Brain and Behavioral Research Foundation, a MERIT Award from the National Institute of Mental Health, a Zenith Award from the Alzheimer’s Association, the Delores C. Shockley Partnership Award in recognition of minority trainee mentorship, as well as the Astellas Award in Translational Pharmacology and the Julius Axelrod Award both from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. In addition, he is a Fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science. Randy joins us in this episode to talk more about his life and science.

Dr. Kristen Lynch is a Professor and Chair of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania. When she’s not at work, Kristen loves being outdoors. She spends her free time kayaking, paddle boarding, biking, hiking, and doing yoga. Kristen’s research focuses on alternative splicing of genes. She is investigating how cells decide when to use an entire portion of the DNA instruction manual versus when to exclude parts of the instructions that are not useful or would be harmful. In particular, Kristen is interested in alternative splicing in the immune system and what happens when cells are faced with an immune challenge. She received her B.A. in biochemistry and her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard University. Afterwards, Kristen pursued postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco. She served on the faculty at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center prior to joining the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania in 2009. Kristen is the recipient of many awards and honors for her work, including a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. She joined us for an interview to talk about her experiences in life and science.

Dr. Alan Goldberg is a Professor in Environmental Health Sciences at The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health as well as Founding Director (Emeritus) of The Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing. In addition, he is Principal of Global Food Ethics at Johns Hopkins University. In his free time, Alan enjoys traveling, going for walks, being out in nature, and visiting farms. Alan is developing a program that will allow foods that have been produced ethically to be certified. They are also creating an associated information program that will act as a template for industry to enhance their efforts related to food ethics, as well as serve as a consumer information database that will help informed consumers find out more about the ethical issues they are interested in related to different food products. These ethical issues include environmental and resource conservation, labor and small holder farms, animal welfare, and public health and well-being. They will be able to certify foods based on these categories and help people in industry understand how to meet these standards. Alan received his B.A. in pharmacy from the Brooklyn College of Pharmacy. He spent a year at the University of Wisconsin working as a predoctoral trainee in Pharmacology before beginning his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota. Alan conducted postdoctoral research and then served on the faculty at Indiana University before joining the faculty at The Johns Hopkins University in 1969. He has received numerous awards and honors for his accomplishments including being named a Member of the ALEXANDRA Project, Monaco, as well as receipt of the Lifetime Dedication Award, Korean National Center: Patron of the 3Rs from the Alternatives Trust at the 7th World Congress , The State of Maryland Governor’s Citation, the Doerenkamp Zbinden Foundation Award, Society of Toxicology Enhancement of Animal Welfare Award, Ambassador of Toxicology Award from the Mid-Atlantic Society of Toxicology, an honorary doctorate degree from Long Island University, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Long Island University, and he was the first recipient of the Humane Society of the United States’ Russell and Burch Award. In this interview Alan shares more about his life and science.

Dr. Alex Spyropoulos (“Dr. Spy”) is a Professor of Medicine at the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine as well as System Director of Anticoagulation and Clinical Thrombosis Services for the multi-hospital Northwell Health System. In addition, Dr. Spy is a Professor of the Merinoff Center for Patient-Oriented Research as part of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Dr. Spy loves spending time with his wife and his young kids. Lately, they’ve been enjoying apple picking, hay rides, pumpkin carving, and apple carving. His other hobbies include sailing, snowboarding and mountain biking. As a thrombologist, Dr. Spy studies blood clots. Many people worldwide are either at risk for blood clots or have existing clots. He focuses on venous thromboembolism primarily in the lungs and legs. These blood clots could cause morbidity or mortality, and many people are not familiar with the risks, common symptoms, or the situations in which clots may occur. He received his MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and he completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. Dr. Spy is a recipient of the Lovelace Clinic Foundation Excellence in Education Award, as well as a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, the American College of Chest Physicians, the International Academy of Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Haemostasis, and the Royal College of Physicians in Canada. In this interview, he speaks with us about his life and science.

Dr. Ellen Arruda is the Maria Comninou Collegiate Professor of Mechanical Engineering with joint appointments as Professor of Biomedical Engineering, as well as Macromolecular Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan. Ellen’s hobbies include running, cooking, and knitting. Running is one of her favorite ways to get exercise and generate great ideas for her work. She is a skilled sweater knitter who learned how to crochet from her mother and picked up knitting from her mother-in-law. Ellen studies the mechanical behavior of soft materials, including polymers, plastics, and soft tissues of the body. Her research group focuses on understanding how to design with soft materials so the materials don’t break in different applications, as well as how to design replacements for soft tissues in our bodies when they are damaged. She received her B.S. with Honors in Engineering Science and her M.S. in Engineering Mechanics from Pennsylvania State University. Ellen was awarded her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She joined the faculty at the University of Michigan afterwards in 1992. Ellen has received numerous awards and honors for her outstanding research, teaching, and service, including the Ann Arbor Spark Best of Boot Camp award, the Excellence in Research Award from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, the Ted Kennedy Family Team Excellence Award from the University of Michigan College of Engineering, the Research Excellence Award from the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan, the Cadell Memorial Award, the Outstanding Engineering Alumnus Award from the Pennsylvania State University, the Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award from the University of Michigan, and the Trudy Huebner Service Excellence Award from the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. Ellen is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Academy of Mechanics, and the Society of Engineering Science. She was also named a Centennial Fellow of the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Pennsylvania State University. She was also recently named a Member of the National Academy of Engineering. Ellen joined us for an interview to discuss her experiences in her career, her life, and her engineering research.

Dr. John Kress is a Distinguished Scientist and Curator of Botany at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Not only does John enjoy investigating the natural world at work, he also enjoys spending his free time outside exploring nature. John often goes on walks or hikes with his wife and dog to see nature in action. In addition, John is an avid gardener. Among the plants he cultivates in his own yard are some of the ginger and banana plants that he studies. John’s research involves exploring the natural world and all the organisms that make up the natural world. Since graduate school, he has been exploring different areas, particularly tropical areas, to determine what grows there now, what grew there in the past, and how the plants and animals there interact. John received his B.A. in biology from Harvard University and his Ph.D. in botany from Duke University. John formerly served as the Interim Undersecretary for Science for the Smithsonian Institution, Executive Director of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, and Director of the Consortium for Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet, which is one of the four grand challenges of the Smithsonian Institution’s strategic plan. He is also Chairman of the Board of the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) and an Affiliate Faculty member at George Mason University. He has previously served as an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Among John’s awards and honors are receipt of the Parker-Gentry Award for Biodiversity and Conservation from the Field Museum of Natural History, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Heliconia Society International, and the Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Pioneer Award for Co-Development of Leafsnap - the First Mobile App for Plant Identification. John is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and an honorary Fellow of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation. He joined us in this interview to discuss his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Mark Saffman is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For Mark, physics is a hobby as well as his job. When he’s not thinking about physics, Mark likes spending time with his family, including his young kids. Getting outside and spending time in nature is a great way for Mark to relax and unwind. Mark’s research focuses on quantum computing. He and his colleagues are trying to build a new kind of computer called a quantum computer that can solve some kinds of problems that are unreachable for current supercomputers. A quantum computer uses individual atoms and has power that exceeds what you can do with known classical computing approaches. Mark received is B.Sc. with honors in Applied Physics from the California Institute of Technology. Mark worked as a Technical Staff Member at TRW Defense and Space systems and subsequently an Optical Engineer at Dantec Electronics Inc. in Denmark before going back to graduate school to earn his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Next, Mark worked as a Senior Scientist at Riso National Laboratory in Denmark before joining the faculty at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Mark has received many honors and awards during his career including the Vilas Associate Award from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, as well as the Research and Creative Work and the William Walter Jr. Awards from the University of Colorado. In addition, he has been named a Fellow of the Optical Society of America and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Mark has joined us in this interview to talk about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Erica Golemis is a Professor, Deputy Chief Science Officer, Co-Leader of the Molecular Therapeutics Program, and Director of the High Throughput Facility at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. In addition, Erica is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University School of Medicine, and the Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine. When Erica finds free time, one thing she loves to do is read. She reads broadly and has been an avid reader since her early childhood. Erica also has fun attending theatre performances. There are multiple excellent theaters in her home city of Philadelphia, and she especially enjoys shows by British playwright Tom Stoppard. For most of her scientific career, Erica has been conducting cancer research. Her recent work investigates why some cancers are particularly malignant. She completed her undergraduate studies in biology and English at Bryn Mawr College and was awarded her PhD in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Afterwards, Erica conducted postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Molecular Biology and Harvard Medical School department of Genetics before joining the Fox Chase Cancer Center. In this interview, Erica speaks about her experiences in both life and science.

Dr. Gary May is the Chancellor of the University of California, Davis. When he’s not focusing on his own research, Gary helps facilitate and support the work of others at the University of California, Davis through his role as Chancellor. In his personal life, Gary enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids. As a researcher, Gary is an electrical engineer, and his work focuses on semiconductor manufacturing. Integrated circuits or computer chips are in a lot of the technology we interact with on a daily basis including our phones, cars, and TVs. He is working to make the manufacturing of these integrated circuits more reliable, repeatable, affordable, and efficient. He received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and was awarded his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California at Berkeley. Gary was a National Science Foundation and an AT&T Bell Laboratories graduate fellow, and he worked as a member of the technical staff at AT&T Bell Laboratories. He subsequently served as a faculty member in Electrical and computer Engineering at Georgia Tech, Executive Assistant to Georgia Tech President, and later the Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Before coming to the University of California, Davis, Gary held the position of Dean of the Georgia Tech College of Engineering. He has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career including the Presidential Award for Excellence in STEM Mentoring, Outstanding Alumni Award in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, the American Association for the Advancement of Science Mentor Award, the National Society of Black Engineers Golden Torch Award: Janice A. Lumpkin Educator of the Year, the Motorola Foundation Professorship at Georgia Tech, an honorary doctorate degree from the Latin University of Panama, and many others. Gary has also been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and an IEEE Fellow. Gary has joined us today to talk about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Sarah Bergbreiter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering with a joint appointment in the Institute for Systems Research at the University of Maryland. Spending time with her family is a big part of Sarah’s life outside of work. She has two kids who are two and four years old, and they enjoy swimming, playing with legos, and building things. Sarah also spends her free time swimming and playing water polo. Sarah’s research involves building and conducting experiments with tiny mobile robots that are about the size of ants. They also use the same technologies in their tiny robots to build better sensors and actuators for bigger robots to help improve performance of these robots. She received her B.S.E. degree in electrical engineering from Princeton University and was awarded her M.S. and Ph.D degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley where she focused on microrobotics. Sarah has been the recipient of multiple awards for her outstanding work including the DARPA Young Faculty Award, an NSF CAREER Award, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and Sarah gave a TED Talk in 2015. Sarah joins us for an interview to discuss her life and work.

Dr. Steve Ramirez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Boston University. Steve was born and raised in the Boston area, so accepting a faculty position at Boston University meant reuniting with his family, friends, and beloved New England Patriots. He spends his down time watching Netflix with friends and hanging out with his family. Steve appreciates all that his parents have endured and the positive influence they have had on his life, and he has brunch with them every Sunday and chats with them twice each day on the phone. In his research, Steve is studying learning and memory, and he is interested in discovering whether it is possible to artificially turn memories on and off. His research focuses on understanding the brain and what we can do when processes in the brain break down. They are working on turning on positive or negative memories in animal models to gain a better understanding of how the brain and memory work. In addition, they use animal models of conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD to study whether artificially manipulating memories may alleviate some of the symptoms of these conditions. He attended Boston University for his undergraduate studies in neuroscience, was awarded his PhD in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, served as a Visiting Lecturer of Neuroscience at Tufts University while a graduate student, and spent two years at the Center for Brain Science at Harvard University as a Junior Fellow of the Society of Fellows before returning to Boston University as a faculty member. Steve has received many awards and honors thus far in his career, including an NIH Early Independence Award, a NARSAD Young Investigator Award, the Gordon Research Conference Travel Award, the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Travel Award, Smithsonian Magazine’s American Ingenuity Award in the Natural Sciences, the Walle Nauta Award for Continuing Dedication to Teaching at MIT, and the Angus MacDonald Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching at MIT. Steve has also been named among Forbes Magazine’s 30 Innovators Under the Age of 30 in the area of Science and Technology, a National Geographic Breakthrough Explorer, one of Science News’s Top 10 Bright Young Minds, Pacific Standard Magazine’s Top 30 Thinkers Under the Age of 30, and the MIT Technology Review World’s Top 35 Innovators Under the Age of 35 Award. He has also given two TED talks. Steve has joined us today to talk about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Sudha Seshadri is a Professor of Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and a Senior Investigator at the Framingham Heart Study. She also serves as Co-Director of Medical Education for the Neurology Residency and Clerkship programs. Sudha’s work is a big part of who she is and her purpose in life, but when she’s not at work, she loves to read. She has been an eclectic reader, devouring everything from poetry, novels, and nonfiction, since she was a kid. Reading has been an escape, as well as a source of information and inspiration. Sudha occasionally writes her own poetry as well. In addition, she likes to spend her free time walking, trekking, going for short runs, and being a parent to her daughter. She divides her time at work between being a clinical neurologist who sees patients with memory problems and being a researcher. In her research, Sudha is trying to determine why the brain and cognitive function decline with age and what are the modifiable factors that determine this decline with the hope of better predicting and preventing it. Sudha attended medical school at the Christian Medical College of Madras University in India. Afterwards, Sudha completed residencies in Internal Medicine and Neurology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. Fellowship in the Neurobiology of Aging and Alzheimer Disease at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Sudha previously worked as an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. She also completed a residency in Neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and she joined the faculty at Boston University in 2001. Sudha is the recipient of the E. Merck Gold Medal in Neurology and Allied Sciences, the Jack Spivack Excellence in Neurosciences Research Award from Boston University, and she is also a Member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honors Society. Sudha joined us for an interview to discuss life, science, and medicine.

Dr. Edwin "Ted" Bergin is Professor and Chair of Astronomy at the University of Michigan. When he’s not pondering the origins of life, Ted loves to spend time with his family. Recently, he began a quest to fulfill his lifelong dream of learning to play the guitar. Ted enjoys old school 1970s rock and roll music, and he is slowly working his way up to playing pieces like George Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun”. Ted is an astrochemist who is interested in understanding how and why stars, planets, and living organisms came to be. He is examining the formation of stars and planets to gain a better understanding of the origins of Earth and life on Earth. Since the newly forming stars and planets he studies are so far away, Ted uses astronomical techniques to determine the presence and abundance of the molecules needed to form living things. He completed his undergraduate training in Astronomy at Villanova University. He was awarded his PhD in Astronomy from the University of Massachusetts. Before joining the faculty at the University of Michigan, Ted worked as an astronomer/astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Ted has been awarded the University of Michigan Henry Russel Award for his exceptional scholarship and teaching. This is the highest award given to Assistant Professors. Ted joins us to talk about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Ayanna Howard is a Professor and the Linda J. and Mark C. Smith Endowed Chair in Bioengineering in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is also the Associate Chair for Faculty Development in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Director of the Human-Automation Systems Lab. In addition, Ayanna founded and is the Chief Technology Officer of the company Zyrobotics which provides mobile therapy and educational products for children with differing needs. Ayanna likes to exercise and do Zumba in her free time. She has been a certified Zumba instructor now for about eight years, and it has been a fun way for Ayanna to unwind from her work. In terms of her research, Ayanna is a roboticist who builds, designs, and programs robots that interact with people in the real world. Ayanna completed her undergraduate studies in engineering at Brown University, received her master’s degree and PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California, and earned her MBA from Claremont University, Drucker School of Management. Before joining the faculty at Georgia Tech, she worked as a Senior Robotics Researcher and Deputy Manager in the Office of the Chief Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. Ayanna has been the recipient of many awards and honors, including the Brown Engineering Alumni Medal, the Computer Research Association A. Nico Habermann Award, the Anita Borg Institute A Richard Newton Educator ABIE Award, The National Society of Black Engineers Janice Lumpkin Educator of the Year Award, the IEEE Early Career Award in Robotics and Automation, the California Women in Business Award for Science and Technology, Engineer of the Year Award from the Los Angeles Council of Engineers and Scientists, the Allstate Insurance Distinguished Honoree for achievement in science, the NASA Space Act Award for Fuzzy Logic Engine for Space Applications, the NASA Space Act Award for Path Planning Graphical User Interface, the NASA Honor Award for Safe Robotic Navigation Task, the NASA Lew Allen Award of Excellence for significant technical contributions, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Technology and Applications Program Honor Award. She has also been awarded the Georgia Tech Electrical and Computer Engineering Outreach Award, Faculty Woman of Distinction Award, Class of 1934 Outstanding Interdisciplinary Activities Award, and the Residential Life Cornerstone Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Community. In addition, Ayanna has been named an Honoree of The Root 100 and among the MIT Technology Review Top 100 Young Innovators of the Year. Ayanna joined us for an interview to discuss her life and science.

Dr. Camron Bryant is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Psychiatry as well as Director of the Laboratory of Addiction Genetics at Boston University. In recent years, Camron has rekindled his interest in snowboarding and skateboarding. He also started cycling more seriously as a postdoctoral fellow, and cycling to work has become part of his regular routine, even in the winter. Another passion for Camron is going out to eat and enjoying the many awesome restaurants in his neighborhood. Camron’s lab is investigating the genetic basis of addiction using behavioral neuroscience and genetic approaches. They try to locate regions of the genome in model organisms that are associated with changes in behavior that they think are important for addiction. Next, they narrow the regions of interest down further and further until they can identify a single gene that influences a particular behavior. Once they discover the relevant gene, they can start to understand the function of that gene using different genetic tools such as genome editing. The disorders Camron is studying range from binge eating to addiction to opioids and psychostimulants like methamphetamine. Camron received his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and he was awarded his PhD in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles. He conducted postdoctoral research in genetics and worked as a Research Associate at the University of Chicago before joining the faculty at Boston University in 2012. Camron is the recipient of the Achievement Award for College Scientists, the International Behavioral and Neural Genetics Society Outstanding Young Investigator Award for Postdocs, and the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Travel Award. Camron joined us for an interview to discuss his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Lynne Maquat is the J. Lowell Orbison Distinguished Alumni endowed Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Professor within the Cancer Center, and Director of the Center for RNA Biology at the University of Rochester. Lynne has a Labrador retriever who she loves taking on walks through the lovely parks and woods in Rochester, New York. She also enjoys exercising through yoga, lifting weights, and doing cardio. Research in Lynne’s lab focuses on human diseases and what causes diseases in our cells. She is working to understand how cells function normally, determine what causes diseases, and develop treatments for diseases. In particular, she has been studying a process in cells that causes about one third of all inherited diseases, like cystic fibrosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, as well as one third of all acquired diseases, including cancer. She received her BA in Biology from the University of Connecticut and her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lynne conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and she worked as a faculty member at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute for 19 years before joining the faculty at the University of Rochester. Lynne has received numerous awards and honors during her career, including the International RNA Society Lifetime Achievement in Science Award, the Canada Gairdner International Award, the William Rose Award from the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Athena Award from the Womenen’s Council of the Rochester Business Alliance, a MERIT Award from the NIH, the Presidential Diversity Award from the University of Rochester, the RNA Society Lifetime Achievement Award in Service, and many others. She was also named a Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Batcheva de Rothschild Fellow of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Lynne discusses her experiences in life and science with us in this interview.

Dr. Princess I. Imoukhuede is an Assistant Professor in Bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. When Dr. Imoukhuede is ready for a break from the hustle and bustle of research and academic life, you can find her out on the tennis court. She didn’t pick up the sport until she was in the midst of her postdoctoral fellowship in the Washington DC area where tennis is quite popular. Since then, tennis has been a great stress reliever for her. Dr. Imoukhuede conducts research in bioengineering where she uses engineering principles to understand biology. She received her B.S. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her PhD in bioengineering from the California Institute of Technology. Afterwards, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Imoukhuede has been awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, The Rose Award for Teaching Excellence from the University of Illinois College of Engineering, and was recognized as an Excellent Instructor by the University of Illinois Center for Teaching Excellence. In addition, she was selected as a Young Innovator by Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering. Dr. Imoukhuede joined us in an interview to tell us about her life and science.

Dr. Teresa Woodruff is the Thomas J. Watkins Memorial Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vice Chair of Research in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Chief of the Division of Reproductive Science in Medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She is also Professor of Molecular Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University. In addition, Teresa is Director of the Center for Reproductive Science, Founder and Director of the Women’s Health Research Institute, and Director of the Oncofertility Consortium.  Her passions outside the lab include cooking and Chicago Cubs baseball. Teresa is also a former cellist, and she loves listening to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She started playing the cello when she was seven years old, and the last time she ever played a cello was about fifteen years ago. Yo-Yo Ma was visiting Northwestern, and his niece worked in Teresa’s lab, so Teresa had the opportunity to meet him. She was given the opportunity to play Yo-Yo Ma’s Stradivarius Cello, and after that amazing experience, she never played the cello again. Research in Teresa’s lab focuses on understanding how the ovary and the female reproductive cycle work. The ovary contains all of the eggs that women will have for their entire reproductive lifespan. Teresa is interested in understanding how follicles are selected to be part of a particular reproductive cycle throughout a woman’s reproductive life. She completed her undergraduate studies at Olivet Nazarene University and received her PhD in Biochemistry From Northwestern University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Genentech, Inc. Teresa has received many awards and honors in her career. She has been awarded the Society for Endocrinology Transatlantic Medal, the Journal of Women’s Health Award for Outstanding Achievement in Women’s Health Research, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the American Women in Science Innovator Award, the American Medical Women Association Gender Equity Award, the Speaking of Women’s Health Distinguished Service Award, the Endocrine Society Outstanding Leadership in Endocrinology Award, the Endocrine Society’s Richard E. Weitzman Memorial Award, the Women in Science Award from the Weitzman Institute, the Beacon Award from Frontiers in Reproduction, the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mentoring, and in 2013, she was named in Time Magazine’s Most Influential Persons list. In addition, Teresa has received the Distinguished Teaching, Faculty Mentor of the Year, Distinguished Woman in Medicine and Science, Alumni Association Merit, and Distinguished Alumnae Awards from Northwestern University. She is an elected member of The Economic Club of Chicago and an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Teresa was also recently elected to the College of Fellows at the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. Teresa is with us today to tell us about her life and science.

Dr. Peter Campochiaro is the Eccles endowed Professor of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience, as well as Director of the Retinal Cell and Molecular Laboratory at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He attended the University of Notre Dame for his undergraduate training in Preprofessional Studies. Peter was awarded his MD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed his residency in Ophthalmology with the University of Virginia Health System. He completed postdoctoral research fellowships at Johns Hopkins prior to joining the faculty at the University of Virginia where he worked for about seven years before returning to Johns Hopkins as a faculty member. Peter is the recipient of the Research to Prevent Blindness Senior Scientist Award, the Macula Vision Research Foundation Merit Award, the Alcon Research Institute Recognition Award, and the Rosenthal Award from the Macula Society. Peter has also been named a member of the Johns Hopkins University Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honors Society. He was also elected to the National Academy of Inventors. Peter joined us to talk about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Zach Eilon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and he is also conducting research at Brown University. He hails from the United Kingdom where he completed his undergraduate and masters degrees in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Afterwards, he was awarded the Herchel Smith Scholarship to attend Harvard University for a year for a Special Studentship. Zach was next received his MPhil and PhD in Seismology from Columbia University. He recently completed his position as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Brown University. Zach has joined us today to talk about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Jennifer Wilcox is an Associate Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines and an Investigator within the Clean Energy Conversions Laboratory there. She received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Wellesley College and her PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona. She served on the faculty at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and at Stanford University before joining the faculty at the Colorado School of Mines. Jen has received numerous awards and honors, including an Army Research Office Young Investigator Award, an American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund Young Investigator Award, and an NSF CAREER Award. She also was awarded the Stern Award for Distinguished Paper from the Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association. Jen is with us today to tell us all about her life and science.

Dr. Andrew Alleyne is the Ralph and Catherine Fisher Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as the Director of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center on Power Optimization for Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS) headquartered there. Andrew grew up in Jamaica and came to the United States when he was in high school. He received his B.S. in Engineering degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University. He went on to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley where he was awarded his M.S. in Engineering and Ph.D. degrees. In 1994, Andrew joined the faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he remains today. Andrew has received many awards and honors throughout his career, including an NSF CAREER award, the Xerox Award for Faculty Research, a Fulbright Fellowship, and the SAE International Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award. In addition, Andrew was also named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and he has received their Gustus Larson Award, Charles Stark Draper Award for Innovative Practice, and Henry Paynter Outstanding Investigator Award. Andrew has joined us today to talk about his experiences in life and research.

Dr. James Landers is a Jefferson Scholars Fellow and Commonwealth Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of Virginia. He is also Director of the Center for Nano-Biosystems Integration. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Guelph in Canada. Afterwards, James conducted postdoctoral research at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, the University of Toronto School of Medicine, and the Mayo Clinic. He served on the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh before joining the faculty at the University of Virginia where he is today. James has been awarded the University of Virginia’s Jefferson Scholars Award for Excellence in Teaching, and he has been named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He has joined us today to talk about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Richard M. Myers is the President, Science Director, and a Faculty Investigator at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. In addition, Rick is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Genetics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He received is B.S. in biochemistry from the University of Alabama and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. Afterwards, Rick conducted postdoctoral research at Harvard University. He served on the faculty at the University of California, San Francisco as well as at Stanford University where he contributed substantially to the efforts to sequence the human genome as part of the Human Genome Project. Rick accepted his current position at HudsonAlpha in 2008. He has received many awards and honors throughout his career including an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the University of Alabama, the Blount Initiative Award from the University of Alabama, the Pritzker Foundation Award from the University of Michigan, and the Darden Lecture Award from the University of Alabama. He has also been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Rick has joined us today to talk about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Marcie Harris-Hayes is an Associate Professor in the Program in Physical Therapy and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. She received her Bachelor's degree in biology from Missouri State University and was awarded her Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from Northwestern University. Marcie then worked as a physical therapist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital before joining the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis. While serving on the faculty at Washington University, she completed her doctoral degree in Physical Therapy (DPT) as well as a Master’s degree in Clinical Investigation (MSCI). Marcie is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.

Dr. Young-Hui Chang is a Professor of Biological Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology where he directs research in the Comparative Neuromechanics Laboratory. Young-Hui received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and his M.S. in Animal Physiology from Cornell University. Next, he conducted his doctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley, earning his PhD in Integrative Biology in 2000. Prior to joining the faculty at Georgia Tech, Young-Hui was a postdoctoral researcher at Emory University. While at Emory, he was awarded the Association of Korean Neuroscientists President Outstanding Research Hanwha Award. Young-Hui has also been awarded an NSF CAREER Award. He has joined us today to talk about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Joshua Z. Rappoport is Director of the Center for Advanced Microscopy and Nikon Imaging Center as well as Research Associate Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. In addition, he is the author of the recently published book The Cell: Discovering the microscopic world that determines our health, consciousness, and our future. Josh completed his undergraduate studies in Biology at Brown University, and he received his PhD from the Mount Sinai Graduate School of Biological Sciences of New York University. Afterwards, Josh conducted an NIH National Research Service Award postdoctoral fellowship at Rockefeller University and subsequently served on the faculty at the University of Birmingham before coming to Northwestern University. Josh was the recipient of a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) New Investigator Award, and his research has also been supported by the EU and other UK Research Councils. Josh has joined us to talk about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Dominic D’Agostino is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of South Florida. He is also a Research Scientist Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. Dominic received his B.S. in Nutritional Sciences and Biological Sciences as well as his Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Physiology at Rutgers University. Afterwards, Dom conducted postdoctoral research at Wright State University and at the University of South Florida before joining the faculty at the University of South Florida. Dom is here with us today to talk about his research and tell us about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Debbie G. Senesky is an Assistant Professor in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department at Stanford University. She received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California. Debbie was next awarded her M.S. and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Before joining the faculty at Stanford, Debbie held positions at GE Sensing, the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center, GE Global Research Center, Hewlett Packard, and Delphi Automotive Systems. In recognition for her excellence in research, Debbie has received many awards and honors, including an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Ph.D. Fellowship, a Galiban Faculty Fellowship at Stanford University, the Frederick E. Terman Faculty Fellowship at Stanford University, and the Space Technology Early Faculty Award from NASA. Debbie is with us today to tell us about her life and science.

Dr. Jim Trefil is the Robinson Professor of Physics at George Mason University. He received his PhD in Physics from Stanford University. Postdoc at CERN in Geneva and at MIT. Jim served on the faculty at the University of Illinois and the University of Virginia before joining the faculty at George Mason University where he is today. Jim is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the World Economic Forum. He is also the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Science Writing Award and Andrew W. Germant Award from the American Institute of Physics, as well as the Westinghouse and Subaru Awards from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has authored numerous books for scientists and general audiences alike, including very recently the book Exoplanets: Diamond Worlds, Super Earths, Pulsar Planets, and the New Search for Life Beyond Our Solar System with co-author Dr. Mike Summers. Jim has joined us today to talk about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Aaron T. Dossey is the President, Founder, and Owner of All Things Bugs LLC, a company developing sustainable insect-based technologies and products in agriculture, food, and medicine. He is also the Founder and President of the Invertebrate Studies Institute and editor of the book Insects as Sustainable Food Ingredients. Aaron received his B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Oklahoma State University. He was awarded his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Florida College of Medicine and conducted postdoctoral research there afterwards. Aaron worked as a Research Entomologist for the United States Department of Agriculture for two years before launching his company. Aaron is here with us today to talk a little about his research and tell us all about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Tessa Hill is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Davis. She is part of the Bodega Ocean Acidification Research group there at the Bodega Marine Laboratory. Tessa received her B.S. in Marine Science from Eckerd College and her Ph.D. in Marine Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Next, Tessa was awarded a University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC Davis before joining the faculty there. Tessa has received many awards and honors during her career, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, as well as an NSF CAREER Award. She is also a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, an American Association for the Advancement of Science Leshner Public Engagement Fellow, and a panelist on the West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Panel. Tessa is with us today to tell us about her journey through life and science.

Dr. Chase Spurlock is CEO of IQuity, a specialty diagnostic technology company in Nashville, TN, as well as a faculty member in Medicine at Vanderbilt University. He received his B.S. in Biology at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN. Chase then completed his PhD in Microbiology and Immunology at Vanderbilt University for which he was awarded the Sidney P. Colowick award for outstanding research. Chase is here with us today to talk about his research, his company, and his life.

Dr. Mike Summers is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at George Mason University. He majored in Physics, Mathematics, and Russian in his undergraduate studies at Murray State University. Afterwards, Mike was awarded his M.S. in Space Physics from The University of Texas at Dallas and later his PhD in Planetary Science from the California Institute of Technology. Mike next conducted postdoctoral research at Johns Hopkins University. He worked as a Research Physicist at the Naval Research Laboratory before accepting a position as a full time faculty member at George Mason University. Mike has received many awards, including the NASA Group Achievement Award: (as a part of the ) New Horizon Mission, as well as the Alan J. Berman Research Publication award from the Naval Research Laboratory. In addition, he is co-author of the recently published book Exoplanets: Diamond Worlds, Super Earths, Pulsar Planets, and the New Search for Life Beyond Our Solar System. Today, Mike joins us to discuss his life and science.

Dr. Melissa Franklin is the Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics at Harvard University. She completed her undergraduate studies in Physics at the University of Toronto and received her PhD in Physics from Stanford University. Next, Melissa conducted research as a postdoctoral fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She served on the faculty of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and was a Junior Fellow in the Society of Fellows at Harvard before joining the faculty there. Melissa has been named a Fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and she has been awarded the Spark Award for Women in Science from the Women in Science at Harvard-Radcliffe, as well as a Doctorate Degree in Law from Queens University in Canada. Melissa is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.

Dr. Christy Haynes is the Elmore H. Northey Professor of Chemistry at the University of Minnesota. She completed her undergraduate studies in Chemistry at Macalester College and received her MS and PhD in Chemistry from Northwestern University. Next, Christy was awarded a National Institutes of Health National Research Service Award Post-Doctoral Fellowship to conduct research at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She joined the faculty at the University of Minnesota in 2005. Christy has received many awards and honors for her research, including the Sara Evans Faculty Woman Scholar/Leader Award, the Taylor Award for Distinguished Research from the University of Minnesota, the Kavli Foundation Emerging Leader in Chemistry Lecturship, the Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award, the Joseph Black Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry, an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, the Arthur F. Findeis Award for Achievements by a Young Analytical Scientist from the American Chemical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry, the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry Young Investigator Award, the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, the NIH New Innovator Award, the NSF CAREER Award, and the Victor K. LaMer Award from the American Chemical Society Division of Colloid and Surface Science. In addition, Christy has been recognized for her excellence in mentoring through receipt of the Advising and Mentoring Award and the Outstanding Postdoctoral Mentor Award both from the University of Minnesota. She has also been listed among the Top 100 Inspiring Women in STEM from Insight into Diversity magazine, the Analytical Scientist's “Top 40 Under 40” Power List, and one of the “Brilliant 10” chosen by Popular Science magazine. Christy is with us today to share stories from her journey through life and science.