The Biology of Trauma — Episode 1 of 3

We talk about trauma like it's a wound to the soul. But what if it has a price tag? And what if you're already paying it without knowing?

$458 billion. That's what our society spends every year managing the ripple effects of childhood adversity alone. A $14,000 hospital bill for a single crisis. A 15% pay cut over a decade after a workplace injury. $450,000 in wealth that survivors of childhood trauma never get to build. Trauma is a thief — it doesn't just take your peace, it takes your future.

This is Episode 1 of a 3-part mini-series on the biology of trauma and its measurable cost on health, work, and wealth.

Featured guests:

• Marco Vallejo Jr — CFC Foundation
• Isidro Torres, MBA — NAMI El Paso, mental health support & advocacy
• Diana G. Yañez, MA, CFP® — financial wellness & the real cost of trauma
• …with many more guests across the mini-series.

Brought to you by: Behind Our Science · MitoGenix Therapeutics LLC · Vik Meadows · Daisy Shu · The Histochemical Society

Special thanks: Stephanie Schilling, Beto Pallares, and everyone at 1881 Ventures; the City of El Paso Economic & International Development Department; Mayor Renard Johnson; Dave's Hot Chicken; and Jorge Frausto for the accommodations, help, and support with this important episode and topic.

Please share — this has been a fantastic episode with guests who helped us understand what it takes to deal with trauma and the biology behind it.

ADVERTISING DISCLOSURE Diana Gisel Yañez is an Investment Advisor Representative of Natural Investments PBLLC (http://www.naturalinvestments.com/). Natural Investments is an independent Registered Investment Advisor. Behind Our Science is not a registered entity and is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Natural Investments. See our Disclosures and Disclaimers (https://www.naturalinvestments.com/disclosures-disclaimers/) and read our Form CRS (https://www.naturalinvestments.com/form-crs/).

Diana Gisel Yañez, CFP® (she/her) — Money Coach at All the Colors (http://www.allthecolors.net/), Investment Manager at Natural Investments (https://naturalinvestments.com/advisors/diana-g-yanez/). Highly Sensitive Money Podcast: https://highlysensitivemoney.podbean.com/ Curious about your money archetype? Take the "What Tree is Your Money" quiz: https://form.jotform.com/241009510882855

#BehindOurScience #mentalhealth #elpasotx #traumainformedcare

Welcome to Episode 35 of Behind Our Science! In celebration of Black History Month, we are incredibly honored to sit down with Dr. Dennis Jones, Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Boston University’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Dr. Jones is a distinguished leader in cancer research, whose lab focuses on how tumors manipulate blood vessels to escape the immune system. We discuss his groundbreaking strategies to help immune cells infiltrate and fight metastatic breast cancer, and celebrate his recent honor as the recipient of the 2026 ASIP Cotran Early Career Investigator Award!

🌴 Speaking of ASIP 2026: We are headed to sunny Fort Myers, FL, for #Pathobiology2026! The meeting will be held at the beautiful Luminary Hotel & Co., Autograph Collection, located right on the Caloosahatchee River in the vibrant River District. Learn more and join us: https://pathobiology2026.asip.org/

🧠 Coming Up Next: "The Biological Cost of Trauma" (3-Part Mini-Series)
Trauma isn’t just a memory; it’s a biological event. Launching this March, our new mini-series investigates how trauma rewrites our biology—from our cells to our city streets.
• Part 1: The Human Cost
• Part 2: The Biological Cost
• Part 3: The Community Cure

🔥 Join Us LIVE: Heat, Heroes & Healing Event!
We are taking Behind Our Science on the road for a live recording of our trauma mini-series! Come for the heat, stay for the healing.
When: Saturday, March 14th | 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: Dave’s Hot Chicken | 7729 Paseo del Norte, El Paso, TX 79912
Hosts: MitoGenix Therapeutics LLC & CFC Foundation
Featuring: NAMI-El Paso Director Isidro Torres, and CFC Foundation CEO Marco Vallejos Jr.
Activities: $20 Reaper Challenges every 30 mins (win CFC 6 floor tickets!), free CFC 6 GA tickets for the first 10 people who spend $25+, and a massive $5K stretch-goal raffle for a VIP table!

(Disclosure: 20% of proceeds from sales on Saturday, March 14th from 4-8 PM from Dave’s Hot Chicken Westside location will be donated directly and uniquely to the CFC Foundation for upcoming clinical studies for TBI in the region.)

In this episode, we spoke to Dr. Anu Balogun were we discuss:
The Fundamentals of Effective SciComm: How to ditch the jargon and use storytelling, analogies, and the "big picture" to captivate any audience.
Building Your Professional Brand: Why a strong online presence and public engagement are becoming essential for modern scientists.
SciComm for Career Growth: How effective communication can lead to increased funding, industry interest, and unique networking opportunities.
Overcoming "Expert Blindness": Techniques for simplifying your work without "dumbing it down".
Platform Strategies: Whether it's social media, podcasting, or public speaking, we discuss which medium fits your personality and career goals best.

We are grateful for your continued support of our podcast! Without you, we wouldn't be able to serve our community by sharing behind-the-scenes stories from scientists, providing advice and tips on thriving in research, and practicing honest science communication.

We are now raising funds to keep sharing behind our science: https://gofund.me/3cbc92a62

Thank you for tuning in!

Thank you for joining us for Episode 32, where we celebrate Hispanic/Latin Heritage Month and discuss the importance of culture and authenticity in mentoring.

In this episode, our co-hosts meet with Dr. Alejandro Adam and Dr. Ramon Bossardi Ramos from Albany Medical College to discuss the importance of celebrating heritage and honoring culture in the lab. From mentoring and holistic lab management to maintaining relationships with past mentors, we explore how being your authentic self is crucial for a successful research career. 

We are grateful for your continued support of our podcast! Without you, we wouldn't be able to serve our community by sharing behind-the-scenes stories from scientists, providing advice and tips on thriving in research, and practicing honest science communication.

We are now raising funds to keep sharing behind our science: https://gofund.me/3cbc92a62

Thank you for tuning in!

Welcome to Episode 33 of Behind Our Science! As we close out the year, Roberto, Vik, and Daisy come together to reflect on a fantastic season of science, outreach, and discovery.

In this episode, we share a little bit about where we are now and rewind to discuss the highlights of our last 7 episodes—from NIH policies and microplastics to science-based board games. The hosts break down their personal favorites of the year, including the Science Education & Outreach episode, Organ on a Chip, and Corneal Bioengineering.

We also take a moment to discuss what we are grateful for this year, our experience at ASIP, and the importance of Hispanic Heritage Month.

🎉 Special Guest Segment:
Stay tuned for an inspiring interview with Robin Isabella Mota! At just 10 years old, this El Paso, TX native is the Founder and CEO of ThermoGuard. She joins us to discuss her district science fair-winning invention—a thermosensitive wristband that detects fevers in kids—and shares her thoughts on her future in STEM.

#BehindOurScience #STEM #SciencePodcast #YearInReview #YoungInventor #ThermoGuard #ScienceEducation

Welcome to Behind Our Science! In Episode 31, our cohosts Daisy Shu and Vik Meadows chat and reflect on attending Pathobiology 2025 the Annual ASIP Meeting in Portland, OR in May 2025. 

From planning trainee get-togethers outside of the scientific program to preparing for scientific travel and presenting your work - Behind Our Science has you covered. Daisy and Vik share their tips and best practices for ensuring a smooth conference attendance and how to maintain your spark in the lab after returning from conference travel.

Have any topics you want us to cover? Let us know in the comments below!

Thank you for listening and stay curious!

In this episode, co-host Dr. Daisy Shu chats with Dr. Jingjing You about 3D bioprinting, biomaterials, and the future of corneal bioengineering. They also talk about their collaboration on a special issue of The American Journal of Pathology focused on innovations in ocular disease.

👁️ From custom collagen bioinks to AI-driven tissue engineering, this is a peek into the future of vision science.

Thank you for listening to our 28th episode, focusing on the recent federal budget cuts and what that means for biomedical research.

In this episode, the Behind Our Science team has two very important interviews with Dr. William Coleman and Ms. Dani Burns on how cuts to the NIH and indirect funds affect biomedical research as a whole and in academic settings. 

Dr. Coleman is the Executive Officer of the American Society for Investigative Pathology, a proud sponsor of our podcast, and a member of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Dr. Coleman is a former academic researcher with over 140 peer-reviewed publications and 11 books published on his research covering liver stem cells and liver and breast cancer. During our interview, Dr. Coleman describes what the current budget cuts at the NIH mean to the state of biomedical research in academia and professional societies and how the attack on DEI policies impacts the next generation of scientists.

Ms. Dani Burns is a clinical department administrator with over 10 years of experience in research administration and an MBA with a focus on healthcare administration. Ms. Burns is responsible for oversight of all research expenditures and indirect allocations in her current role. In this episode, Ms. Burns covers the importance of indirect funds in supporting universities and research success and debunks common misconceptions on what indirect funds really are. 

We end our episode with a short highlight from cohost Dr Vik Meadows and her experience at the 2025 Capitol Hill Day in Washington, DC. As a representative for the Histochemical Society at this advocacy event organized by FASEB, Vik met with the offices of Pennsylvania senators and congressmen to advocate for increase of federal funds and stand up for science!

Want to find out more about how federal funds impact your state and district? Visit https://www.faseb.org/science-policy-and-advocacy/federal-funding-data to find out more. Don’t forget to also check out the SCIMap: View Impact of Federal Health Research cuts  https://scienceimpacts.org/ shared by @joshuasweitz.bsky.social .

Interested in advocating for the increase of federal research funds for biomedical research? Check out the resources organized by FASEB at https://www.faseb.org/science-policy-and-advocacy/become-an-advocate. 

We want to hear from you! Have you been impacted by the federal research fund cuts? Has your institution reacted to the indirect funds cut? Let us know in the comments or on social media. We stand with you and stand up for science! Stay curious!

#SciencePolicy #FASEB #ASIP #HSC #DEI #CapitolHillDay #FASEBOnTheHill

Welcome to Behind Our Science! In Episode 29, we sit down with Dr. D. Lansing 'Lans' Taylor from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Taylor is a renowned scientist, entrepreneur, and innovator whose pioneering work bridges academic discovery and biotech entrepreneurship. We hope you enjoy as Dr. Taylor shares his journey through decades of groundbreaking research and leadership across various sectors of biomedical science.

With the recent NIH focus on in vitro and organoid systems, we explore Dr. Taylor's work on biomimetic microphysiology systems (MPS), sophisticated “organs-on-chips” that function as personalized human organs to study drug development and effectiveness. By using MPS, Dr. Taylor aims to revolutionize drug discovery, precision medicine, and disease modeling by providing more accurate, human-relevant data compared to traditional cell culture or animal models.

Dr. Taylor also discusses his transitions between academia and industry, including founding multiple biotech companies and returning to academia to build interdisciplinary teams that focus on drug development using MPS and tackling complex diseases like cancer. He offers insights into the benefits of entrepreneurial thinking in academia, the hurdles of translating innovation, and the future of predictive, human-relevant preclinical models.

Whether you're interested in cutting-edge bioengineering, translational science, or navigating a career that spans the laboratory and the boardroom, this conversation delivers insight and practical wisdom from a leader who has experienced it all.

Stay curious!

Thank you for joining us on this journey to our 27th episode! 

In this episode, the Behind Our Science team interviews Dr. Nakisha Rutledge. Dr. Rutledge is an Entrepreneurial Scientist at Temprian Oncology and founder of both Sci in the City (formerly Sci in the Chi) and STEMulating Potential, two non-profit organizations promoting science education and outreach in the Chicago area. She is the recipient of the 2024 Young Scientist Leadership Award from the American Society for Investigative Pathology and is a fearless innovator in the field of biomedical therapeutics development. We are excited to champion the importance of science education and science outreach in allowing our community to make informed decisions about their health and environments. Our conversation with Dr. Rutledge also highlights the detriment scientific innovation faces with the loss of DEI initiatives from the NIH, academic institutions, and companies. Humanity needs diversity to thrive.

We want to hear from you! Do you have a favorite science outreach memory? Have you led or been impacted by science education? How has the removal of DEI initiatives impacted you or your peers? Let us know in the comments below or tag us on our social media! Thank you for tuning in. Stay curious! 

#ScienceOutreach #ScienceEducation #Diversity #DEI #SciintheChi #STEMulatingPotential