In this episode, podcast host Dr. Dwight Stoll talks with Dr. Emanuella Gionfriddo, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toledo, Ohio. Dr. Gionfriddo is an expert in bioanalysis and analyte extraction technologies, and works on both the development of new technologies, and the application of those technologies to contemporary analytical challenges. In their conversation, they discuss the origins of Dr. Gionfriddo’s interest in science, and several recent papers, including topics including extraction of neurotoxins from water, markers of hydraulic fracturing activity in wastewater, and development of thin-film extraction for improved performance of DNA amplification assays. Finally, Dr. Gionfriddo shares several pieces of advice for young and aspiring scientists.