Taylor Kidd and Julia Kirkland interview Dr. Lukasz Ciesla, a professor and researcher at the University of Alabama. Dr. Ciesla received his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Medical University of Lublin, Poland, 2011. Dr. Ciesla’s postdoctoral work includes: Department of Plant Biochemistry and Crop Quality, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, Poland; Medical University of Lublin; Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging in Baltimore. His research interests involve herbal medicines, secondary plant metabolism, isolation and structure elucidation of secondary plant metabolites, drug discovery programs from natural matrices, and novel therapies for prevention and/or treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Listen to this podcast for insight into Dr Ciesla’s lab work, his research processes, and tips on how to join a research lab.