People Behind The Science Podcast - Stories From Scientists About Science, Life, Research, And Science Careers

Dr. Ayse Turak is Associate Professor and Associate Undergraduate Chair of the Department of Engineering Physics at McMaster University. Ayse develops and studies plastic-based electronic materials, such as solar cells and light-emitting diodes. Her goal is to create affordable, sustainable, and ubiquitous plastic materials to provide power and light for people around the world. In her free time, Ayse loves to travel, visit new places, see new things, explore new cultures, and seek adventure. She also enjoys theatre, writing, and volunteering with various social justice organizations. Ayse received her B.Sc. in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Queens's University and her PhD from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto, where she was a Canada Graduate Scholar. Afterwards, Ayse conducted research as a Marie Curie Fellow at the Max-Planck-Institute for Metals Research and subsequently worked as a visiting professor at Sabanci University in Istanbul, Turkey be

Dr. Umesh "Umi" Venkatesan is an Institute Scientist and Director of the Brain Trauma and Behavior Laboratory at Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (MRRI). Umi is trained as a clinical psychologist, and he currently studies behavior and cognition in people with neurological disabilities, particularly following traumatic brain injury. He is interested in how interactions between our physiology, our behavior, how we experience the behavior of others, and how others behave may impact our medical health, mental health, and general well-being. Outside of science, the arts have always been a big part of Umi’s life. He has practiced Indian classical dance since the age of five, and Umi even danced professionally in New York City during graduate school. In addition, Umi is a classically trained singer, and he enjoys singing R&B and soul music. Beyond music and dance, Umi loves exploring new cuisine from around the world and trying food from local restaurants. Umi received a bachelor’s degree in psychology fro

Dr. Joe Baio is an Assistant Professor in the School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering at Oregon State University. In the lab, Joe studies how materials function in the natural world to determine if principles from natural materials can be applied to solve important problems in medicine, biotechnology, engineering, and other fields. In particular, Joe is interested in understanding the characteristics and interactions on the surfaces of materials. Surfaces of interest range from cell membranes to artificial hips to sticky frog tongues. To clear his mind and get a break from the stresses of work, Joe enjoys cycling on local trails and going surfing on the nearby Oregon coast with his neighbor. He received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington. Afterwards, Joe was awarded an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct research in the Department of Molecular Spectroscopy at the M

Dr. Ileana Soto is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences at Rowan University. She studies how disruption of brain development leads to neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders. Her goal is to identify defects at the cellular level before signs and symptoms of the disease can be detected. These defects may be promising targets for early treatment and prevention. Much of Ileana’s work focuses on Niemann-Pick disease type C. This is a rare neurodegenerative disease that causes dementia in children. When Ileana isn’t doing research or teaching, she enjoys going out to dinner and spending quality time with friends and family. Ileana also always looks forward to road trips with her family where they can visit new places, explore nature, go hiking, ride bikes, and recharge. She received her BS in general sciences and her PhD in biology from the University of Puerto Rico. Afterwards, she conducted postdoctoral research at Johns Hopkins University and The Jackson Laborator

Dr. Martha Muñoz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University. Martha is an evolutionary biologist who is working to better understand how and why evolution proceeds unevenly across the tree of life. Some features and branches or organisms are evolving really quickly, while others remain inert or nearly inert for millions of years. Her research is uncovering the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. For Martha, nature is a wonderful source of peace and inspiration for her research. When she’s not working, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, hiking, seeing amazing views, and observing wildlife. She also spends her free time reading, going to museums, and visiting her family in New York City. She received her B.A. in biology from Boston University. Afterwards, Martha worked as a Fulbright Research Scholar at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid, Spain. She was awarded her Ph.D. in Organismic & Evolutionary Biology from Harvard University. Ne

Dr. Wes Gilson is Artificial Intelligence Lead for North America at Siemens Healthineers. Wes and his colleagues use artificial intelligence in the context of healthcare to gain insights on how to improve treatments for patients and how to improve the ways in which clinicians can deliver care. Wes is trained in medical imaging, and he looks at healthcare data in different ways to learn how they can improve healthcare outcomes and help patients recover faster. When he’s not at work, Wes enjoys quality time with his two teenage daughters. He also spends his free time traveling, exploring the outdoors, hiking, camping, and playing sports like soccer, basketball, and tennis. Recently, Wes has been taking scuba lessons with the goal of diving on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. He was awarded his B.S. in biomedical engineering from Vanderbilt University and his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and medical imaging from the University of Virginia. Afterwards, Wes conducted postdoctoral research at J

Dr. Robert Dudley is President and CEO at Clarus Therapeutics, Inc. and is a clinical pharmacologist and board-certified toxicologist. With a background in clinical pharmacology and toxicology, Bob has dedicated his career to developing new drugs to promote men’s health. Over the years, Bob has worked on developing a variety of testosterone products, including the first testosterone gel and an oral testosterone replacement drug. Outside science, Bob and his wife enjoy building new houses together because they love being involved in choosing the details and design of their home. Some of Bob’s other hobbies include reading, golfing, and cycling. Riding his bike along the scenic trails in Tennessee is a great way to enjoy quiet time, think, and get exercise. Bob received his B.S. degree in biology from Pepperdine University, his M.S. in biology from the University of New Mexico, and his PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Prior to founding Clarus Therapeutics, Bob

Dr. Mariana Byndloss is Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Research in Mariana’s lab investigates how the bacteria that live inside our gut can affect our health. She is interested in how things like diet, antibiotics, or infection may change how our body behaves. This, in turn, can change how the bacteria in our gut behave and lead to disease. Mariana loves animals, and she spends a lot of her free time with her dog and new puppy. They are both German Shorthair Pointers, and she trains them to hunt and to participate in American Kennel Club competitions. Mariana also enjoys quality time with her husband and son, listening to live music, and exploring all the great restaurants in Nashville. Mariana earned her DVM, MSc in veterinary pathology, and PhD in veterinary pathology from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil. She was awarded the Brazilian National Prize for best PhD thesis in Veterinary Medicine. Afterwards, Marian

Dr. Dylan Edwards is Director of the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute as well as an Institute Scientist and Director of the Human Motor Recovery Laboratory there. In addition, he is Professor of Neuroscience at Edith Cowan University in Australia, and Faculty at Harvard Medical Schools Continuing medical education program in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. In his research, Dylan studies the recovery of movement following damage to the nervous system that may occur after stroke or spinal cord injury. He and his team use rehabilitation robots to assess and train motor function. They also apply noninvasive stimulation to test the circuitry of the nervous system and as an experimental treatment to augment function. When he’s not at work, you can find Dylan hanging out with his family, enjoying fantastic food, playing the guitar, observing nature, traveling, and thinking about the future of technology and human civilization. He stays active through running and hitting the waves at his favorite surfing des

Dr. Ada Tang is a physical therapist, an Associate Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University, and a Clinician-Scientist with the Ontario Heart and Stroke Foundation. We know that exercise is an important part of healthy living for everyone, but it can be more difficult for people with stroke to exercise as a result of mobility problems and other factors. Unfortunately, exercise is typically not a strong focus in stroke rehabilitation. Ada and her research team are assessing the impacts of exercise on the cardiovascular health of people with stroke, as well as other populations, and they are working to develop safe and effective exercise programs for people with stroke. Sport and exercise have always been important in Ada’s life. In addition to studying exercise in the lab, Ada loves being active outdoors. She spends her free time hiking, enjoying nature, and traveling. Ada is also an avid sports fan, and she enjoys watching sporting events, particularly basketball games with the

Dr. Ana Luisa Trejos is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering as well as Biomedical Engineering at Western University in Canada. She is also an Associate Scientist at the Lawson Health Research Institute. Ana Luisa’s research is in the area of mechatronic systems engineering. This field combines mechanical, electrical, computer, and software engineering to develop smart machines that can perceive what is happening in the environment and react intelligently. In particular, she is designing wearable mechatronic technologies that can help people recover from mobility problems due to a musculoskeletal injury or a movement disorder like Parkinson’s disease. Her goal is to make these technology solutions more comfortable for users and to restore mobility and quality of life for people with upper body movement impairments. When she’s not at work, Ana Luisa enjoys hanging out with her family, reading, putting together jigsaw puzzles, hiking, swimming, running, and renovating her house. Ana Lui

Dr. Tim Behrens is Senior Vice President of Human Genetics at the biotech company Maze Therapeutics and Adjunct Professor of Medicine in Rheumatology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. In his research, Tim is working to apply lessons and insights from human genetics to develop new drugs for different diseases. For example, Tim and the team at Maze Therapeutics are working on developing a drug that activates the immune system in new ways to fight cancer. Tim is an avid outdoors enthusiast, so he loves spending his free time canoeing, fishing, and going on wilderness trips. He also enjoys spending time playing the guitar, hanging out with his wife and two children, and playing fetch with the family dogs. Tim received his B.S. in biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his M.D. from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Rheumatology/Immunology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Afterwards, Tim worked as an

Dr. Paul Changelian is Vice President of Biology at Aclaris Therapeutics and Director of Biology at Confluence Life Sciences. He is working to discover new drugs to treat autoimmune disease and inflammation in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and multiple sclerosis. In these conditions, the immune system inadvertently attacks cells in your body. He and his team are working to identify and test small molecule drugs that patients could take by pill that would inhibit this abnormal activation of the immune system to slow down damage to joints or other areas that may be under attack. They have also recently begun working on potential cancer treatments that can impact inflammation around tumors to improve the body’s ability to clear tumors. Some of Paul’s passions outside of science include exercising, walking around in nature, and music. He listens to hard rock and jazz music, and he enjoys playing jazz music on the trumpet. Paul received his B.S. in chemistry from the Un

Dr. Verónica Pérez Rodríguez is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). Verónica is an archaeologist and anthropologist who is interested in studying people and life in cities over time. Through her work, she examines how people lived many years ago, what brought them to cities, what made them stay, what were the tradeoffs, and what were the environmental impacts. Her work focuses on the highlands of the Mixteca Alta in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. This region was a cradle of urbanism, innovation, and complex societies as early as 300 BC. When she’s not working, Verónica loves relaxing at home, watching movies, and hiking with her children and her husband. She also loves running outdoors, knitting, and reading fiction books in her free time. She earned a B.A. in Anthropology as well as a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Texas at El Paso. Verónica then attended graduate school at the University of Georgia where she was awarded

Dr. R. Douglas Fields is Chief of the Nervous System Development and Plasticity Section at the National Institutes of Health and Adjunct Professor in the Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program at the University of Maryland, College Park. In addition, Doug is the author of numerous books and magazine articles about the brain, including the recently released book Electric Brain: How the New Science of Brainwaves Reads Minds, Tells Us How We Learn, and Helps Us Change for the Better. Doug studies how the brain develops and the mechanisms involved in changes to the brain’s structure and function (plasticity). He is particularly interested in how experience regulates development and plasticity in the brain as well as the mechanisms at a cellular level that are involved in learning. When he’s not doing research or writing about science, Doug enjoys rock climbing, mountain climbing, building acoustic guitars, and making his own beer and wine. He received his B.A. in biology from the University of California, Ber

Dr. Ayanna Thomas is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Graduate Program in Psychology at Tufts University. Ayanna conducts research to answer a wide variety of questions related to memory. She aims to better understand how our memories work, how our memories fail, how we perceive our memory function (metacognition), how memories change over time, and what are the impacts and implications of these aspects of memory for our everyday lives. In her free time, Ayanna loves watching movies. She and her husband have a tradition where they watch a different horror movie every night throughout the month of October to celebrate Halloween. Ayanna was awarded her B.A. in psychology from Wesleyan University and her Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from the University of Washington. Afterwards, Ayanna conducted postdoctoral research at Washington University in St. Louis. She worked as an Assistant Professor at Colby College before joining the faculty at Tufts in 2007. In our interview, Ayanna tells us more about her

Dr. Michael Hochella is a University Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Virginia Tech. Michael’s research is at the intersection of nanoscience and environmental geochemistry. He studies very small things that can impact the health of the planet and the health of humans. Since childhood, Mike has been fascinated by airplanes and flying, and he received his pilot’s license as an undergraduate student. Over 45 years later, Mike still delights in seeing Earth from the pilot’s seat thousands of feet above ground. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Geological Sciences from Virginia Tech, and was awarded his Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from Stanford University. Michael served on the faculty at Stanford University before joining the faculty at Virginia Tech. He has been the recipient of many awards and honors throughout his career. Michael is an elected Fellow of the Geological Society of America, the Mineralogical Society of America, the American Geophysical Union, the European Association of Geochemistry, the G

Dr. Rodolphe Barrangou is the Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University. He is also Editor-In-Chief of The CRISPR Journal and co-founder of Intellia Therapeutics, Locus Biosciences and TreeCo. Rodolphe’s research is focused on CRISPR gene editing technologies that allow us to modify the DNA in organisms ranging from bacteria to trees to humans. His lab primarily works to study and apply CRISPR technologies in bacteria to make food healthier, promote beneficial gut microbes, and help us be healthier. When he’s not working, Rodolphe enjoys spending time with his wife and three teenage children. He typically wakes up early and gets energized to greet each day with high intensity cardiovascular exercise as well as yoga. Rodolphe received his B.S. degree in biological sciences from Rene Descartes University in France, a M.S. in biological engineering from the University of Technology in Compiegne in France, a M.S.

Dr. Natalia Vergara is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Natalia uses stem cells to understand how the retina forms during development and how it degenerates during disease with the goal of developing therapies to help patients who suffer from vision loss. In her free time, Natalia loves hanging out, cooking, and enjoying food with friends and family, including her husband and two young kids. Natalia is also an avid traveler, and she delights in the thrill of discovery that comes along with exploring new places. Natalia received her B.S. in biochemistry from the National University of the Litoral in Argentina. She worked as an instructor and research intern at the National University of Entre Rios for about three years before beginning graduate school. Natalia was awarded her PhD in retinal regenerative biology from Miami University in Ohio. Afterwards, she conducted postdoctoral research at

Dr. David Sedlak is the Plato Malozemoff Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Co-Director of the Berkeley Water Center, Deputy Director of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Reinventing the Nation's Urban Water Infrastructure, and Director of the Institute for Environmental Science and Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition, he is author of the book Water 4.0: The Past, Present, and Future of the World's Most Vital Resource. David is working to create technologies that will allow future generations to have access to adequate amounts of clean, safe water. When David isn’t working, he enjoys long-distance running. He often runs along the many trails that go through and around the city of Berkeley, and he participates in an annual local trails marathon. David earned his Bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Cornell University. After college, he worked as a Staff Scientist at Environ Corporation in Princeton, New Jer