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

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

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. Lynn

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 Col

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 Stradivari

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 Medi

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, And

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 Aw

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 t

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 expe

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 hi