Eat the crust

Eat the crust? No, we’re not talking bread, we are talking about that layer of our planet earth, because our guest is geoscientist, Beth Bartel. For someone who’s worked a lot with GPS, much of Beth’s career has been pretty meandering. For now though she’s settled on a job she loves, helping communicate the science of geology and natural hazards, while training other scientists to share their work.

We talked to Beth about the challenge of tackling pseudoscience, and the need for including social sciences to inform other fields of research.

Season 7ScientistsIncApril 16, 2020science, scicomm, #2scis, Women in STEM, geologyComment

The doctor will see you now

Oz Ismail went from being a research scientist taking pictures of bones, to a doctoral scientist, taking pictures of brains. He spent his PhD imaging as part of a project on Alzheimer’s disease. We talked to him about what’s known about the disease and the difficulties in treatment and diagnosis.

We also talked about how along the way he’s performed stand-up, worked with friends to create the Minorities in STEM community, and how he himself is co-host of a science podcast called Why aren’t you a doctor yet? Thankfully, Oz now is Dr. Ismail and currently playing up his Britishness in Portland, OR.

Season 7ScientistsIncApril 9, 2020The Carpenter's Armsscience, scicomm, #2scis, neuroscience, Alzheimer's, comedyComment

The H.E.A.R.T. doctor

How many people knew what they wanted to do when they were 9? Sure, maybe you wanted to be a rockstar or a fire fighter, but a psychologist? Well we know one person at least! Dr. Lindsey Rodriguez is a social psychologist interested in the science underlying close relationships. As the director of Healthy Emotions and Relationship Theories (HEART) Laboratory she and her colleagues are looking for new ways to help people with difficult relationships.

We talked to Lindsey about her work studying how alcohol can be harmful and helpful in romantic relationships, and how to do that in a scientific manner.

When science gets political

Science, genetics, teaching and policy. Four things that easily define our guest Dr. Amy J Hawkins. She’s studied the ways that DNA can be damaged in cancer. She’s worked on curricula to help teach genetics at the Genetics Science Learning Center in Utah. She’s worked with policy makers to help improve the lives of fellow Utahans.

All makes sense because science, people and politics are all connected. Find out how in this episode with Amy.

Season 7ScientistsIncMarch 26, 2020Pegasus City Breweryscience, scicomm, #2scis, genetics, teaching, policy, politicsComment

Academic stand-up

Knock knock.
Who’s there?

Since this is the extent of our joke-telling ability, we’ll leave the real thing to the experts and one of our favorites is Kyle Marian. She began her scientific career as an anthropologist, but has since transitioned into communicating science through…comedy?

Find out more about the parallels between academia and stand-up, and how Kyle uses her art as a powerful tool to include those most disenfranchised.

Before we go on though, this episode contains a lot of strong language and explicit content. Now that you’ve been warned, go forth and enjoy!

Season 7ScientistsIncMarch 19, 2020Railgartenscience, scicomm, #2scis, comedy, anthropology, inclusionComment

The power of words

What’s the shape of a word? How do you save a dying language? How is studying languages a science anyway?

All excellent questions for our guest Prof. David Adger a linguist at Queen Mary University of London. He is interested in what underlies the patterns found in the grammar of human languages.

Why would anyone study this? As David states, just to better understand the world. But there are also more practical applications like saving dying, often Indigenous languages which hold within them stories and knowledge that can help everyone’s understanding of the world.

Mental health in Mandarin and modeling in Montréal

Julian (Zunping) Xue is an MD/PhD (so good they doctored him twice!). He’s a mathematician trying to understand evolution. Why does it set off down a certain path, but not others?

He’s also a psychiatrist, in fact the only Mandarin speaking one in all of Montréal. We spoke to him about the connections between two seemingly very different fields, his work to create a network of health professionals for the local Chinese community, and his disgust for the last season of Game of Thrones.

The eccentric nucleus

Ankita Patil studies mircrotubules, which as the name suggests are small tube-like structures. They can assemble and disassemble in neurons to transport things around cells. Outside of her research though, Ankita is a mentor to other women in STEM as part of the Philadelphia chapter of the Association for Women in Science. She is also the City Coordinator for taste of science in Philadelphia and in whatever time she has left, she draws cartoons, often about science.

Season 7ScientistsIncFebruary 27, 2020Good Karma Cafescience, scicomm, #2scis, neuroscience, structure, protein, sciartComment

Same same but different

Despite our physical differences, humans are genetically 99.9% the same. Graduate student Renée Fonseca is fascinated by why this is, and how it is important in the case of human health. Part Colombian, part Puerto Rican and part American, Renée’s background is partly responsible for her scientific interests.

We discussed her Fulbright Scholarship, outreach in research and the importance of respecting local communities. We also talked to her about her local advocacy.

Season 7ScientistsIncFebruary 20, 2020Mermaid Tavernscience, scicomm, #2scis, genetics, immigrant, health, demographicsComment

Breathing and bugs and biofilms...Oh my!

Bugs of a biofilm flock together, or so says Dr. Sophie Darch.

Sophie and her lab study how bacteria interact with each other. She’s interested in what these interactions mean for chronic infections in diseases like Cystic Fibrosis.

We talk about her journey through science, moving from the UK to the US, and “basic” research.

Season 7ScientistsIncFebruary 13, 2020World of Beerscience, scicomm, #2scis, bacteria, disea, cystic fibrosis Comments

Stem by name, stem by nature

She enjoys STEM advocacy, she works on stem cells, she is: Dr. Kristi Stemler. While she works at MD Anderson, she isn’t a cancer researcher. Rather she looks at the role of stem cells and diet in making cancer sufferer’s lives more comfortable.

We talked to Kristi about being a first generation college graduate, an artist and thrower of sharp implements!

This episode also features a guest appearance from cancer scientist, Stanford postdoc, and our SF taste of science coordinator: Saumyaa.

Season 6ScientistsIncApril 10, 2019science, scicomm, #2scis, stem cells, cancer, chemotherapy, artistComment

23 and them

In the immortal words of Jeff Goldblum (well, his character anyway) “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” This feels like a recurring theme in today’s world of technology that has the power to change our very DNA. Enter Dr. Katherine Drabiak, a doctor of jurisprudence and a bioethical scholar. What are our rights once we spit in a tube for 23 and me? How do we decide when science is being done for the greater good or just for profit? These are the kind of questions Katherine has considered in the course of her work.

Season 6ScientistsIncApril 3, 2019World of Beerscience, scicomm, #2scis, bioethics, legal, genomics, law, ethicsComment

What a scientist looks like

Picture a scientist. Do you see the typical white lab coat, and a researcher trying to cure diseases? Who do you consider to be a scientist? Could it be a teacher? A girl scout leader? A comedienne? Our friend Ana Zambrana, says yes to all of the above. Whether talking to school children, or delivering monologues, Ana keeps those scientific principles in mind. Find out more about her outreach activities with Bardo Científico, or follow her antics on Twitter.

Science out in the open

Anson Mackay studies the effects of climate change on freshwater ecosystems. His work often takes him way out to areas like Lake Baikal in Siberia, but openness in his work is not limited to geography. He understands his privilege as a white male professor at a prestigious university. He is an advocate for more open access to scientific information. He also supports efforts for gender equality, increased diversity and inclusion of ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ community. Don’t believe us? Check out his Twitter!

Statistically speaking

Ask the average scientist about statistics and watch them squirm. Not Dr. Karen Lamb though, she loves applying her training to real life problems. We met up with her in Melbourne to talk stats, scicomm and Superstars of STEM. You can follow Karen and her adventures on Twitter.

Season 6ScientistsIncMarch 13, 2019Grigons and Orrscience, scicomm, #2scis, podcast, Mathematics, maths, stats, mathComment

Stars in indigenous eyes

How does seeing monsters in the stars help scientists understand where ancient wildlife could be found? Much in the same way that a cultural man and astrophysicist can become friends. Australian aborigines have been telling stories for tens of thousands of years, but only now are researchers starting to find the science within them. In this story we talked to Muruwari man Willy Stevens and his scientific partner in crime Dr. Duane Hamacher.

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.

Season 6ScientistsIncFebruary 27, 2019popolo science, scicomm, #2scis, biology, podcast, neuroscience, brain, women, exercise, physiology, contraceptiveComment

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.

Season 6ScientistsIncFebruary 22, 2019Stanford universityscience, scicomm, #2scis, biology, podcast, neuroscience, brain, addiction, attachment, monogamy, relationshipsComment

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?

Season 6ScientistsIncFebruary 21, 2019Stanford universityscience, scicomm, #2scis, biology, podcast, neuroscience, brain, electronics, bioelectronicsComment

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.