Curiosity is at the heart of great science and great storytelling. In this episode, we’re joined by Laura Baisas, science news writer at Popular Science, to explore how curiosity fuels her work and shapes the way science is shared with the public. Tune in to hear about her process for finding story ideas, the importance of fact-checking in the age of AI, how journalists balance engaging narratives with accuracy, and why embracing science as an ever-evolving process is key to building public trust. Laura also reflects on her own “aha” moment that solidified her career in science journalism and offers advice for young listeners on charting meaningful paths forward.

​Laura Baisas is a science news writer and reporter at Popular Science. Prior to joining PopSci, she worked in children’s news programming and has built her career around making complex scientific topics accessible and engaging for broad audiences. Her work spans subjects from ocean science and paleontology to health and climate change, with a focus on curiosity-driven storytelling and accurate, impactful journalism.

Check out Laura's writing: https://www.popsci.com/authors/laura-baisas/

Throughout this season in the podcast, we have explored the unique role of cutting-edge technology in driving innovation for medicine. But what about the other way around? It turns out that the unique makeup of the healthcare system is crucial in the context of leading changes in digital health. Today, we're hearing from Noelle Eder, CIO at The Cigna Group, for her insights through a career of over 30 years. Tune in to hear about the verticalization of American healthcare, how the fragmentation of this space affects the demand for innovation in medical technology, and the importance of empathy in leadership.
Noelle Eder is the Executive Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer (CIO) at The Cigna Group. Prior to this role, she served as the Chief Information and Digital Officer at Hilton Worldwide Holdings, the Chief Card Customer Experience Officer for Capital One Financial Corporation, as well as other technology leadership roles at Intuit and TeKnowledge.

As technology gets better than ever, we're unlocking new medical discoveries with the potential to earn billions. However, it's important to not lose sight of what drove us towards these discoveries in the first place: the needs of the patients, and in the case of diseases such as Alzheimer's, their caregivers. Today, we're joined by Dr. Brandy Matthews on behalf of Eli Lilly, which is currently the largest pharmaceutical company in the world with a market cap of over $800 billion. Join us as Dr. Matthews talks us through the recent FDA approval of Alzheimer's drug Kisunla, learning from negative trials, and adopting a treatment approach centering patients and caregivers through the LillyDirect program.
See more of Lilly's work: www.lilly.com/
Dr. Brandy Matthews is the Vice President of Global and US Medical Affairs for Alzheimer's disease at Eli Lilly and Company. She has a background in clinical neurology with a medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine and a completed neurology residency at the Mayo Clinic.

It's always exciting to see flashy headlines about the next revolutionary drug approved by the FDA or how a biotech startup is making millions for a diagnostic test. However, it's equally important to not lose sight of what gets us to the most important discoveries in the first place: basic research. Today, we're interviewing Dr. Marc Kirschner, a renowned cell biologist and biochemist known for his research on the cytoskeleton, cell cycle, and embryo signaling. Join us to hear his thoughts on how scientific disciplines have become more intertwined over time, the crucial role of technological advancements such as electron microscopy in the field of biochemistry, and the dire need for approaching scientific discovery with curiosity instead of going straight for the money.

Dr. Marc Kirschner is the founding chair of the Department of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School and is known for major discoveries in cell and developmental biology. He has also coauthored 2 books on the biological basis of evolution and helped launch the peer-reviewed journal PLOS (Public Library of Science) Biology.