From where does it STEM?

Mass spec, mentorship, and making science more inclusive—Dr. Ben Garcia does it all. In this episode, we talk about his journey through proteomics, pushing the boundaries of epigenetics, and lifting up the next generation of scientists.

This episode was co-hosted with Jovan Tomes Vaquerano, a talented graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill.

Trailblazer, community builder, and scientist—Mayor Barbara Foushee wears many hats. In this episode, we talk about making history in Carrboro, leading with purpose, and staying rooted in service every step of the way

In this episode, I chatted with Dr. Kaitlyn Sadtler, who is pushing the boundaries of biomedical science. Co-hosted with HHMI Gilliam Fellow and ChemE PhD Candidate Sydney Floryanzia, we talk about their groundbreaking research, the twists and turns of their scientific journeys, and the power of collaboration in tackling big challenges.

More on Dr. Sadtler, per the NIBIB:

Kaitlyn Sadtler, Ph.D. joined NIBIB as an Earl Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator and Chief of the Section for Immunoengineering in 2019. Prior to her arrival to the NIH, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Daniel Anderson, Ph.D. and Robert Langer, Ph.D., focusing on the molecular mechanisms of medical device fibrosis. During her time at MIT, Dr. Sadtler was awarded an NRSA Ruth L Kirschstein Postdoctoral Fellowship, was listed on BioSpace’s 10 Life Science Innovators Under 40 To Watch and StemCell Tech’s Six Immunologists and Science Communicators to Follow. In 2018, she was named a TED Fellow and delivered a TED talk which was listed as one of the 25 most viewed talks in 2018. She was also elected to the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 List in Science, selected as a 2020 TEDMED Research Scholar, and received multiple other awards. Dr. Sadtler received her Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where her thesis research was published in Science magazine, Nature Methods, and others. She was recently featured in the Johns Hopkins Medicine Magazine as an alumna of note. Dr. Sadtler completed her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, followed by a postbaccalaureate IRTA at the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology at NIAID.

In this episode, I chat with Jaida Elcock, a marine biologist studying basking sharks, and co-host with HHMI Gilliam Fellow Danny Olivares-Cordero, a researcher studying coral and coral reefs. We dive into their journeys, their research, and what keeps them hooked on the ocean’s mysteries!

In this episode, we chatted with Sabrina Imbler, a science writer exploring the wonders of the natural world. They also wrote one of my favorite books of all time: How Far the Light Reaches! Co-host, Angelique Allen, a scientist and HHMI Gilliam Fellow made their podcast debut. She is passionate about communicating science with the public.

The three of us discussed science writing, journalism, and ways to make science more accessible and engaging.

In this episode, I co-hosted Zingfa Wala with fellow Occidental Alumnus Julissa Larios. Both work at the Organization of Tropical Studies (OTS) and are passionate about science outreach, education, and community.

In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Sheila Teves (UBC) and Dr. Lawrence David (Duke U) with a fellow graduate student at Duke, Enya (@DewarsEnya)! Words cannot explain how fun it was chatting with other Filipino scientists 😊🇵🇭 #representationmatters

In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Harmit Malik.

In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Bryan Dewsbury, an Associate Professor of Biology at Florida International University (FIU).

Per the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI):

He is the Principal Investigator of the Science Education And Society (SEAS) research program, which blends research on the social context of teaching and learning, faculty development of inclusive practices, and programming in the cultivation of equity in education. He is an Associate Director of the STEM Transformational Institute where he directs the Division of Transformative Education. He is also a Fellow with the John N. Gardner Institute where he assists institutions of higher education cultivate best practices in inclusive education. Dewsbury grew up in Trinidad and Tobago and immigrated to the United States in 1999. He received a BS in biology from Morehouse College and an MS and PhD in biology from FIU. 

In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Michael Johnson, an Associate Professor of Immunobiology and Associate Dean for Basic Science Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona.

He is also the Director of the National Summer Undergraduate Research Project (NSURP), the program that helped me recruit the first two guests I've ever had on this podcast! Check out NSURP here.