Her Royal Science

In this episode, we speak with our featured guest from 02 Get a Cat, a close friend of mine who recently completed her PhD in Engineering. We talk about the value of outreach work, and the challenges she faced wrapping up her PhD during the COVID pandemic. Part of our conversation covers the drawbacks of staying in academia post-PhD, and the importance of an advocate, a person who can be honest with and supportive of graduate students walking the last mile towards the doctoral finish line.

Episode transcript available here: www.herroyalscience.com/post/16-phdone

In this episode, we speak with Dr Marguerite Matthews, Scientific Program Manager within the Office of Programs to Enhance Neuroscience Diversity at the National Institutes of Health. In addition to speaking with Dr Matthews about her STEM journey, from the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, and on to the University of Pittsburgh for her PhD, she talks about the growth she experienced attending an HBCU. We also discuss 2020 at length, touching upon how Dr Matthews predicts the conversations surrounding racial inequality, which were propelled to the surface of our social discourse in 2020, will effect change in academia and the world at large.

Episode transcript available here: www.herroyalscience.com/post/15-20-20

In this episode, we speak with Morgan Coburn, graduate student at the University of Califonia, Irvine. Though we recorded this episode in September, we decided to hold off release until November, in commemoration of Diabetes Awareness Month. Here, we touch upon Morgan’s exciting work, investigating the role of microglia in Alzheimer’s disease. We also talk about Type 1 Diabetes, how she was diagnosed, and how her STEM story is intimately intertwined with her diabetes story.

Episode transcript available here: www.herroyalscience.com/post/14-flourish

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Simone Webb, PhD researcher at Newcastle University. Here, we speak about what it means to live with a chronic illness and the advice she wishes to share with others in a similar position.

Episode transcript available here: www.herroyalscience.com/post/13-connections

In this episode, we speak with Simone Webb, PhD researcher at Newcastle University. In addition to talking about her work, which uses bioinformatics to understand human immunology during development, we also chat about the importance of creating a supportive community, and the reality of being Black in academic spaces.

Episode transcript available here: www.herroyalscience.com/post/12-connections

In this episode, we speak with Brazilian neuroscientist Thiago Arzua, PhD student at the Medical College of Wisconsin. In addition to talking about his exciting research, we also chat about the ups and downs of being an international student, the origin story of #BlackInNeuroWeek, and where academic diversity committees are falling short.

Episode transcript available here: https://www.herroyalscience.com/post/11-origin-story

In this episode, we chat with Anne Chisa, host of the Root of the Science podcast and recent Masters graduate in Agricultural Science. Anne is about to embark on her PhD journey, so here, we reflect on the path she has been on for the last decade, also discussing the power of building a supportive community and the beauty of mentoring and being mentored.

Episode transcript available here: https://www.herroyalscience.com/post/10-retrospection

Welcome back to Her Royal Science, a podcast created to feature individuals from minoritised groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In this episode, we briefly reconnect with Her Sci listeners after our inter-season hiatus.

Episode transcript available here: https://www.herroyalscience.com/post/09-new-beginnings

In this episode, we continue our chat with Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair at Simon Fraser University, Dr Angela Kaida. We discuss the concept of balance, and the undue pressure that is placed on women in academia (and women in general) to be superwomen. Tune in for a joyous conversation about family, career, and the interplay between the two.

Episode transcript available here: https://www.herroyalscience.com/post/08-the-kaida-path-part-ii

In this episode, we chat with Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair at Simon Fraser University, Dr Angela Kaida. We candidly discuss her captivating research, which focuses on the links between HIV and sexual/reproductive health, also touching upon how she and her team try to avoid the 'saviour complex', as they, a team based in the Western world, travel to Eastern and Southern Africa for parts of their research.

Episode transcript available here: https://www.herroyalscience.com/post/07-the-kaida-path-part-i