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

Dr. Mario Thevis is Vice President of Research, Professor, and head of the Centre for Preventive Doping Research at the German Sport University of Cologne. He is also Director of the European Monitoring Center for Emerging Doping Agents (EuMoCEDA), a forensic chemist, Editor and Chief of the journal Drug Testing and Analysis, and a Research Scientist with the Partnership for Clean Competition. Mario’s time in the lab is split between research and performance of routine doping control work. On the research side, he is developing novel means and analytical methods to test athletes for the use of banned substances and methods of doping. Substances tested for include stimulants, steroids, blood doping, and others. The routine doping control side of Mario’s work involves testing samples for banned substances and investigating positive test cases. When he’s not working in the lab, Mario enjoys spending time with his family and watching soccer matches. He received his undergraduate education in organic chemistry fro

Dr. Dennis Riley is Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Galera Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company discovering and developing innovative cancer treatments. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. Dennis and his colleagues have been developing synthetic enzymes that target undesired or toxic metabolic byproducts. One compound Dennis has developed protects healthy tissue from radiation damage during cancer treatment. When he’s not doing work, Dennis enjoys mountain biking, golfing, and amateur astronomy. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in chemistry and mathematics from Heidelberg College and his PhD in inorganic chemistry from The Ohio State University. Afterwards, Dennis conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Chicago. Dennis began his career working in research and development with Proctor and Gamble, and he spent much of his career working at Monsanto where he held the positions of Senior Science Fellow and Manager of Metal-Mediated C

Dr. Kathryn (Katie) Whitehead is an Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University where she also holds a courtesy appointment in Biomedical Engineering. Research in Katie’s lab group focuses on therapeutic drug delivery. Their goal is to make the process of drug delivery more efficient by sending medicine only to the specific parts of the body where they are needed. Katie is also working to create new precision medicines using RNA and DNA and to develop the drug delivery systems for these future medicines. Since she was a PhD student, Katie has been interested in gardening. She started with just a single tomato plant, and now she grows over 20 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes, as well as other vegetables, fruits, and berries. Katie received her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware and her PhD in chemical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Afterwards, she conducted postdoctoral research in the Koch Institute for

Dr. Satesh Bidaisee is a Professor of Public Health and Preventative Medicine and Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies at St. George’s University in Grenada. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Center for Global Health at Old Dominion University and a Visiting Professor at Chitkara University in India and at Kasetsart University in Thailand. Many aspects of human health are linked with conditions in our environment. Satesh’s research aims to identify and understand environmental factors that can impact human health, both positively and negatively. One of Satesh’s passions outside of science is aviation. He has been fascinated by aircraft since childhood, and for the past decade, Satesh has enjoyed flying throughout the Caribbean region as a private pilot. Satesh received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree (D.V.M.) from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, a Master’s of Science (M.S.) degree in Public Health from St. George’s University, and a Doctor of Education Degree (Ed.D.) from

Dr. Philip Moriarty is a Professor of Physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Nottingham. In addition, he is an avid contributor to the Sixty Symbols YouTube video project and author of the book When the Uncertainty Principle Goes to 11: Or How to Explain Quantum Physics with Heavy Metal. Philip is an enthusiastic heavy metal music fan, so he spends his free time listening to rock and other types of music. He also plays a few instruments, including guitar and Aerodrums. The work in Philip’s research group focuses on imaging and moving single atoms on different surfaces. He is a nanoscientist, and an important tool for Philip’s research is a scanning probe microscope which uses an extremely sharp probe to create images of different surfaces and to modify matter down to the level of single chemical bonds. Philip received his Ph.D. in Physical Sciences from Dublin City University, and he conducted postdoctoral research in physics at the University of Nottingham before joining the facu

Dr. Jamie Voyles is an Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Nevada, Reno. Research in Jamie’s lab focuses on diseases of wildlife. This is an exciting area that spans many different subdisciplines of biology including immunology, physiology, microbiology, ecology, and evolutionary biology. With so many spectacular mountains nearby, Jamie loves spending her free time outdoors skiing, rock climbing, or mountain biking. Her adorable 6 month old puppy often accompanies her on these adventures. She received her B.A. in Zoology and Anthropology from the University of Washington, her M.S. in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and her Ph.D. in Public Health from James Cook University in Australia. Afterwards, she conducted postdoctoral research at University of Idaho and at the University of California, Berkeley before accepting her current position. In our interview, Jamie speaks more about her experiences in life and science.

Dr. Jonathan Payne is a Professor and Chair of Geological Sciences at Stanford University. He also holds a courtesy appointment in Biology, is a Member of Stanford’s interdisciplinary biosciences institute Bio-X, and is an Affiliate of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Jonathan studies the history of life on Earth. He is interested in the interactions between the changes in earth’s environments and the evolution of life on earth. In particular, Jonathan focuses on large extinction events like asteroid impacts and volcanic eruptions, and how these impacted life in the oceans. When not working, Jonathan is often going to sporting events, traveling, and playing Nerf basketball in his house with his wife and two kids. He also enjoys hiking and working out at the gym. Jonathan received his B.A. in Geosciences from Williams College. Afterwards, he worked as a high school math and science teacher in Switzerland for two years before returning to graduate school. Jonathan was awarded his Ph.D. in Earth

Dr. Marcia Bjornerud is Professor of Geology and the Walter Schober Professor of Environmental Studies at Lawrence University in Wisconsin. In addition, she is a writer for “Elements”, the New Yorker’s science and technology blog, and she is the author of the textbook The Blue Planet: An Introduction to Earth System Science, the popular science book Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of the Earth, and the recently released book Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World. Maria is a structural geologist who studies the deeply eroded roots of mountain belts and ancient plate boundaries to better understand the long-term effects of tectonic processes and rock deformation in Earth’s deep crust. Cross country skiing is a passion for Marcia, and she loves getting out in the winter to ski, including participating in ski marathons. Marcia is also an urban forager who enjoys making jams and preserves from wild berries and grapes that she picks. Marcia received her B.S. degree in geophysics fr

Dr. Richard Ivry is Professor of Psychology and Professor of the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on what makes certain individuals really good at skilled, coordinated movements. He also seeks to better understand what goes wrong in the nervous systems of people with neurological conditions that affect their ability to make skilled movements. When he’s not at work, Rich loves going hiking with his dogs at a giant canyon near his home in the East Bay area in California. He also enjoys unwinding by hiking and surfing along the coast. Rich received his B.A. in Psychology from Brown University, and he was awarded his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Psychology from the University of Oregon. Afterwards, he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Oregon and Good Samaritan Hospital before accepting a faculty position at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Rich joined the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley in 1990. Over th

Dr. Eric Kmiec is Director of the Gene Editing Institute of the Helen F. Graham Cancer and Research Institute at Christiana Care Health System. He also holds faculty appointments at the University of Delaware and the Wistar Institute. Eric and his colleagues are working to develop new ways to treat cancer by destroying the genes that cause cancer cells to be resistant to typical therapies like chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy. Throughout his life, Eric has enjoyed sports. He particularly likes playing baseball and hockey, and he still plays baseball competitively in a league in Philadelphia. Eric also spends much of his time doing landscaping and yardwork. He Received his B.A. in Microbiology from Rutgers University, his M.S. in Cell Biology and Biochemistry from Southern Illinois University, and his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Florida School of Medicine. He conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Rochester before joining the faculty at the Universi

Dr. Rebecca Wattam is a Research Associate Professor in the Network Dynamics and Simulation Science Laboratory within the Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech. Rebecca is the outreach and biology lead for a bioinformatics research center that scientists use to share and analyze their data on bacteria and bacterial genomes. She is particularly interested in examining the similarities and differences between groups of bacteria. Rebecca received her B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of New Mexico in Biology. Next, she attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned a joint Ph.D. degree in Entomology and Veterinary Science. Rebecca received a MacArthur Fellowship to conduct postdoctoral research at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and she completed a second postdoctoral fellowship there as well before accepting a position on the faculty at Virginia Tech. In our interview, Rebecca speaks more about her experiences in life and science.

Dr. Deepak Singh is an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri and Principal Investigator of the Magnetism and Superconductivity Research Laboratory there. Deepak’s research aims to better understand magnetism and superconductivity in new and existing materials. One of the magnetic materials they are studying has a honeycomb lattice structure that gives the material unique properties. Deepak and his lab are working to better understand the fundamental physics and mechanisms that underlie these properties, but also to investigate potential applications of this material. Deepak has a variety of interests outside of science, including playing tennis, traveling, and spending time with his family. In particular, he and his family love exploring National Parks, and the Badlands National Park is his favorite thus far. He received his PhD in condensed matter physics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Afterwards, Deepak conducted postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts

Dr. Carmel Majidi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. There, he also holds courtesy appointments in the Robotics Institute and in Civil and Environmental Engineering. In Carmel’s soft machines lab, they are engineering new types of materials that can be used to make machines and robots soft, flexible, and more lifelike. The goal is for these machines to move more like natural organisms. When not working, Carmel is often out engaging in physical activities including hitting the gym or walking/jogging in nearby parks and along river trails. He also enjoys the arts and travel. Carmel travels frequently for work, and he likes to block off extra time on these trips to to visit museums and cultural landmarks. Carmel received his B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley. He completed postdoctoral fellowships at Princeton

Dr. Alexandra Martiniuk is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine of the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney, an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and a Senior Research Fellow at the George Institute for Global Health. Alex is an epidemiologist, and her work involves applying mathematics to answer questions in health and medicine. In particular, Alex is interested in better understanding and improving child health, global health, and the health of indigenous people. Beyond spending her time doing science, Alex loves hanging out with her husband and two young children. She often travels internationally for her work, to visit family, and to attend a variety of events. In addition, Alex enjoys the outdoors, sports, and long-distance running. Prior to pursuing a career in research, Alex worked for the Trillium Childhood Cancer Support Center. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and life sciences as we

Dr. Michael Levin is Professor and Vannevar Bush Endowed Chair in the Department of Biology at Tufts University. He is also Director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts and Director of the Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. In addition, Mike is a Visiting Scholar at the Wyss Institute at Harvard. Mike seeks to better understand how living things work. Specifically, he studies how cells and tissues make decisions, computations that occur in living systems, and the mechanisms that allow cells and complex structures to arise through evolution and to be created during development and regeneration. When he’s not thinking about science, Mike spends his time with his wife and kids, enjoys the outdoors, goes kayaking, and takes lots of photos of the natural world. His photo portfolio includes many striking panoramic shots and microphotography of insects. Mike received his B.S. in Computer Science and Biology from Tufts University and his Ph.D. in Genetics from Harvard University Medical Schoo

Dr. Tuomo Suntola is a co-owner and Board Member of the Finnish atomic layer deposition technology company Picosun Ltd. He is also Chairman of the Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy, Chairman of the Physics Foundations Society, and author of the books The Short History of Science, The Dynamic Universe, and Theoretical Basis of the Dynamic Universe. Most of Tuomo’s career has been spent working on a technology called atomic layer deposition (ALD). This technology is based on a saturated reaction that occurs on the surface of a material that allows the production of highly ordered material layers one atomic layer at a time. These layers are essential for the modern integrated circuits that are found in all of our electronic devices, but they are also used for various other applications including solar cells, lithium ion batteries, luxury watches, coins, and telescope mirrors. In addition to ALD technology, Tuomo is passionate about studying fundamental physics as well as the philosophy and history of scienc

Dr. Jo Dunkley is a Professor of Physics and Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University. Jo is a cosmologist who conducts research to approximate how space behaves as a whole. This includes looking into space and taking measurements to determine how the universe began, what it’s made of, how it’s growing, and what is going to happen to it in the future. Physics and family are two of the major pieces in Jo’s life. She loves spending time with her two young daughters. Lately, her older daughter enjoys running, drawing, singing, and learning about space. Jo received her MSci with First Class Honors in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and her PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Oxford. Afterwards, she conducted postdoctoral research and was subsequently a Visiting Research Fellow at Princeton University. Before joining the faculty at Princeton University, Jo served on the faculty at the University of Oxford. Over the course of her career, Jo has received numerous awards and honors incl

Dr. Kurt Hankenson is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School. Kurt is a veterinarian and a scientist. His research focuses on developing new treatments to improve bone healing as well as to treat bone loss conditions like osteoporosis. Outside of research, Kurt enjoys running, spending time with his wife and son, eating good food, drinking West Coast IPAs, traveling, listening to music, and reading. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois. Afterwards, Kurt practiced equine veterinary medicine for a few years before returning to graduate school for his MS in Basic Medical Sciences from the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. Kurt went on to earn his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Washington, and he remained at the University of Washington to conduct postdoctoral research before accepting a faculty position at the University of Michigan. Kurt then served on the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Marcie O'Malley is the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Mechanical Engineering, as well as a Professor of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University. Marcie is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine and at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. In addition, she is Director of the Mechatronics and Haptic Interfaces Lab at Rice University, Director of Rehabilitation Engineering at TIRR-Memorial Hermann Hospital, and co-founder of Houston Medical Robotics, Inc. The goal of Marcie’s research is to use robotic systems to maximize what people can achieve. She creates wearable and interactive robots to rehabilitate and restore function in people after spinal cord injury or stroke. Another area of Marcie’s research focuses on the use of robots for training via surgical simulations. Outside of her scientific interests, Marcie loves to travel and explore new cities. She is also a mom of el

Dr. Justin Barad is the CEO of Osso VR, a virtual reality surgical training software company. Justin and the team at Osso VR are developing a surgical training platform that uses virtual reality and gaming technology to solve critical training challenges for surgeons and healthcare providers around the world. In his free time, Justin enjoys sipping on a good cup of coffee, going for a run with his dog, and playing the piano and flute. He also enjoys traveling to new places around the world and exploring the local cuisine. He received his bachelor’s degree in bioengineering and biomedical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and was awarded his MD from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Afterwards, Justin completed his residency in orthopedics at UCLA and his fellowship in pediatric orthopaedics at Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital. Justin was subsequently awarded a Biodesign Innovation Fellowship at the Stanford Byers Cen