People Behind the Science

We started putting together a Starter Pack for science podcasts & podcasters to help everyone find new shows and connect with old favorites. Reply or send us a message to be added or removed from the list! We're excited to see the science community growing on Bluesky! go.bsky.app/3TRnvZS #scicomm 🧪

This was a fun conversation! We covered a lot of ground including how bacteria eat, overcoming the fear of asking for help, retro games, Star Trek-inspired lab traditions, sights to see in Stockholm, and life advice! #scicom #biology #microbiology

How do bacteria find & break down food for fuel? Dr. Jeffrey Gardner shares how this process is essential for the planet, the economy, & human health. He discussed his career path, his research, how his lab celebrates success, hobbies, & more! www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-jeffrey-g... @umbc.edu

Dr. Jessica Tracy conducts research in the field of social and personality psychology. Her lab focuses on better understanding the self-conscious emotions we feel when we evaluate ourselves. Some examples of self-conscious emotions are pride & shame. www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-jessica-t...

Dr. Franklin West is developing & testing stem cell therapies to treat stroke & traumatic brain injury (TBI). He uses induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be reprogrammed to develop into any kind of cell in the body. More in this episode: www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-franklin-... #scicomm

Dr. Saad Bhamla develops very low-cost scientific tools & medical devices that are more accessible & affordable. He also examines how animals move very rapidly & how organisms form aggregates that sense their environment & share information. www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-saad-bham... #scicomm

Dr Verónica Pérez Rodríguez studies how people lived many years ago in the highlands of the Mixteca Alta in Mexico, what brought them to cities, what made them stay, & what were the tradeoffs & environmental impacts. 👩‍🔬 www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-veronica-... #anthropology #archeology #scicomm

Dr. Erica Walker shares how she went from struggling with noisy neighbors to studying how sound & other exposures impact communities. She described the research that brought her back to her home state of Mississippi, major challenges, her passion for ceramics, advice, & more. 👩‍🔬 tinyurl.com/myn52du9

Dr. Chris Cederroth studies hearing loss and #tinnitus, which is the perception of ringing in the ears. Over 300 million people in the world have hearing problems, & he is dedicated to understanding the causes & developing treatments. www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-christoph... #scicomm #science

The US is home to 1000s of native bee species that are key for agriculture & natural ecosystems. Dr. Lauren Ponisio studies how to preserve & restore bee populations. She's interested in understanding the distribution & health of native bee populations. www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-lauren-po...

What were mammals living with dinosaurs like? @gpwilson11.bsky.social didn't start his path to paleontology obsessed w/ fossils, but a summer of fieldwork sealed the deal. He discussed his career, a fossil that may shed light on how mammals survived the mass extinction, & more: tinyurl.com/3hr5nj5x

Dr. Julia Bailey-Serres is investigating how plants survive water extremes with the goal of improving the ability of crops to survive a temporary flood. She shared more about her career, life, and research in this podcast episode: www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-julia-bai... #scicomm #science

I enjoyed my recent chat with @harrislab.bsky.social! We talked about how he got to where he is today, the important people who have shaped his journey, advice, his research on why high-dose antioxidant supplements may sometimes promote #cancer rather than prevent it, and more. #science #scicomm

From childhood rock hunting trips to research on the roles of antioxidants, @harrislab.bsky.social shares stories from his life & science on our podcast! He describes how he became a scientist, people who have shaped his journey, advice & more. www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-isaac-har... #scicomm

How do bacteria living inside our gut affect our health? Dr. Mariana Byndloss studies how things like diet, antibiotics, & infection may change how our body behaves. This, in turn, can change how bacteria in our gut behave & lead to disease. www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-mariana-b... #scicomm 👩‍🔬

Dr. Simon Sponberg studies how the brain works with muscles to make bodies move. He uses animal models to study how the body and the muscles inform the brain in terms of the information we take in & how we react to the environment. Learn more: www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-simon-spo... #scicomm

So glad to see this about SICBer @marthamunoz.bsky.social 🙌

Why do some features & branches of organisms evolve really fast, while others are nearly inert for millions of years? Dr. Martha Muñoz is working to better understand how & why evolution proceeds unevenly across the tree of life. Learn more: www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-martha-mu... #scicomm 👩‍🔬

From studying crocodiles in Belize to conserving turtles in Myanmar, Dr. Steve Platt's work has taken him around the world to help save species from extinction. Steve shares stories from the field, his path to wildlife biology, hobbies, advice, & more. www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-steven-pl...

There are over 1,400 species of bats that fulfill a variety of ecological roles. Dr. Sharlene Santana explores questions about why some groups of organisms, like bats, are more diverse in terms of their number of species, appearance, or behavior. 👩‍🔬 Learn more: tinyurl.com/msanjfmk #scicomm #science

Dr. Ayse Turak is developing plastic-based electronic materials, such as solar cells & light-emitting diodes. Her goal is to create affordable, sustainable, & ubiquitous materials to provide power & light for people around the world. www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-ayse-tura... #scicomm #science 👩‍🔬

Wildfires can have devastating effects, but microbes and fungi play key roles in helping ecosystems recover. Dr. @sydneyglassman.bsky.social discusses some of her latest research, stories from her scientific journey, advice, & more: www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-sydney-gl... #science #scicomm 👩‍🔬

Dr. Ted Bergin is an astrochemist who studies how & why stars, planets, & living things came to be. He examines the formation of stars & planets to better understand the origins of Earth & life on Earth. Learn more in his podcast interview: www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-ted-bergi... #scicomm

Dr. Cori Richards-Zawacki studies ecology, evolutionary biology, behavior, and conservation in frogs. She aims to understand how frogs use different body forms, colors, and other features to survive partially on land and partially in water. www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-cori-rich... 👩‍🔬 #scicomm

In case anyone is interested in me or my science, give this a listen. Some highlights include: * My love of karaoke * Talking about the work we are doing in the lab - e.g. trying to build better animal models of compulsivity and, most recently, relapse-resistant behavioural protocols 1/3

Can we build better models to study compulsivity? @bradfield-neuro.bsky.social shares her exciting work on how inflammation in brain areas affects compulsive behaviors, as well as her career path, current challenges, favorite hobbies, advice & more! 👩‍🔬 🧪 www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-laura-bra...

Dr. Tim Long studies how novel macromolecular structures can tailor the properties & processing of polymers. His work has applications in many industries, including new chemotherapy treatments & electro-active devices for prosthetics. #scicomm #science www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-tim-long-2/

Dr. Eric Pop's research spans electronics, electrical engineering, physics, nanomaterials, and energy. He applies materials with nanoscale properties to engineer better electronics like transistors, circuits, & data storage mechanisms. #scicomm #science www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-eric-pop-2

Dr. Ana Luisa Trejos is an engineer who is designing wearable mechatronic technologies that are comfortable for users & can restore mobility & quality of life for people with upper body movement problems. Learn more about her life & work here: www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-ana-luisa... #scicomm

Curiosity is critical for success in #science, but you also need determination & passion. Dr Lawrence Uricchio shared stories from his career path, his modeling research on how evolutionary & ecological processes work in snails, advice, & more! www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-lawrence-... #scicomm

Dr. Doug Fields studies how the brain develops and the mechanisms involved in changes to the brain’s structure and function (plasticity). He wants to know how experience regulates brain development & plasticity, and the mechanisms of learning. #scicomm www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-douglas-f...

Dr. Talithia Williams is a mathematician creating models of the rates at which groups of people develop cataracts over time. Cataract surgery isn't accessible for everyone around the world, & identifying areas w/ the greatest need for treatment is key. www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-talithia-...

I enjoyed this conversation with a fantastic engineer and entrepreneur! Worth a listen for researchers weighing their options in academia, industry, and startups. Tyler has done it all, and he shares some helpful insights and advice! #scicomm #robotics #engineering #academia #sciencecareers

For people w/ mobility issues, walking can be a major challenge. With a background in #engineering & #robotics, Dr. Tyler Susko designed adaptive shoes that may make it easier for people to take their next step. Learn more about Dr. Susko & his career: www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-tyler-sus...

Dr. David Sedlak is dedicated to creating technologies that will allow future generations to have access to adequate amounts of clean, safe water. Learn more about his life, his career, and his research in this podcast episode! #scicomm www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-david-sed...