Posts tagged biology
Dr Schaumberg (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the pill)

Mia Schaumberg always loved science, but she also loves exercise, so it would seem natural that she would end up as an exercise physiologist. Having received her doctorate she works as a lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast, whilst researching links between exercise and brain health in the ageing brain. During her PhD, though, she focused on how the contraceptive pill might affect athletic performance.

Read More
Addiction and attachment in monogamous mammals

Part III of our Stanford Special.

Dr. Natalie Nevárez is first generation Mexican, the first in her family to go to college, but only the second to receive a scholarship from Pornhub (yes you read that right), and she’s proud of all of these things! She talked to us about her past and present research looking at how animals form attachments, and the importance of social networks in tackling problems like addiction. Natalie also talked to us about struggling through grad school, getting therapy and her love for community colleges. You can follow her fighting the good fight on twitter.

Read More
When brain meets machine

Part II of our Stanford Special.

No one wants someone poking around in their head and neither does your brain. This is a puzzle for scientists like Dr. Marc Ferro, who are interested in bioelectronics. He’s trying to develop brain implants to help in conditions like Parkinson’s disease, but how to do that when the brain wants to reject them?

Read More
The protein folding biologist: Marie Kondo of the cell

Part I of our Stanford Special.

Dr. João Rodrigues decided early on that as much as he loved biology, he didn’t want to get his hands too dirty, so now he studies the shapes that proteins make by using computer models. He works with biologists and chemists to look at the way the proteins in our cells go from being like beaded necklaces to more complex structures to help them do what they need to do.

Read More
Engineering the human machine

What do you get if you cross an engineer with a love for tiny blood vessels? Shayn Peirce-Cottler: a professor at the University of Virginia studying the role of microvasculature in disease. She's looking at how we can engineer treatments from raw materials including  fat cells from liposuction!

We discuss novel technologies, Women in STEM, and midlife collaboration crises.

No chinchillas were harmed in the recording of this podcast.

Read More
Making it hard to resist

Resistance is futile! Or not, if you're a disease causing parasite or mosquito. This is where evolutionary biologist Silvie Hujiben comes in. She is looking for new ways to prevent and maybe even eradicate diseases like malaria but without just throwing drugs at the problem. Listen to her explain how controlling evolution might be the answer.

Read More