For our Season 1 finale, Shannon and Leena interview each other! 

Don’t worry, though! We’ll be back soon with new episodes, and we’ll be re-releasing some of our favorites from Season 1 in the meantime.

Today on the show we interview Dr. Daniel McGehee who was Shannon’s PhD advisor. Dan got his undergraduate degree in Biology at Guilford College and his PhD in Physiology at UNC Chapel Hill. After receiving his PhD he did his postdoc at Columbia University and is now a full professor at the University of Chicago where he runs a lab studying nicotine addiction. We talked about his old life as a sailboat captain in the Caribbean (yes, really), why he left paradise to pursue science, and how science has changed over the years. We hope you like it!

Today on the show, we are talking with astronomer and biodiversity writer Dr. Daniel Hudon. Daniel got his Master’s in Astronomy at the University of British Columbia, followed by his PhD in Astronomy from the University of Toronto. He currently lectures in Astronomy and Mathematics at Boston University and Northeastern University, while also making time to write books like The Bluffer’s Guide to the Cosmos and most recently Brief Eulogies for Lost Animals. We talked about how an astronomer turned his focus to life on earth and the biodiversity crisis, what astronomers actually do, and which extinct animal he mourns the most. We hope you like it!

Today on the show, we are joined by biostatistician Dr. Abidemi K. Adeniji. Abi got his undergraduate degree in Mathematics at the University of Maryland, College Park. He then got his Master’s and PhD in Biostatistics from the University of Pittsburgh, and is currently the Associate Director of Biostatistics at EMD Serono. He tells us about his childhood in Lagos, Nigeria, what it’s like to work at a biopharmaceutical company, and most importantly, he tells us what Biostatistics actually is. So if you’ve ever wondered about people who like math and statistics so much that they make it their job, this is the show for you! We hope you like it!

Today on the show we interview Professor Anthony Holtmaat who is currently Leena’s Principal Investigator or her supervisor. Anthony received his Masters in Science in Medical Biology and his PhD in Molecular Neuroscience from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. He is currently a full professor and has his own laboratory at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. We talked about everything from growing up in the Netherlands to using a process known as synaptic plasticity to reorganize working brain circuits, to compensate for damaged brain circuits. This type of work could for example improve recovery after a stroke.

Today on the show, we are joined from Germany by Dr. William Taylor, a real life archaeologist! William got his undergraduate degree in International Relations from Carleton College. He then got his Master’s and PhD in Anthropology-Archaeology from the University of New Mexico. He is currently a post-doctoral researcher in the Archaeology department at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. We talked about what it’s like in Mongolia, why we should care about ancient horses, and the damage done to science by Indiana Jones. We hope you like it!

On this episode, Dr. Iboro Umana, a neuroscientist and Medical Student and a good friend of Shannon joins us from Chi town. Iboro got his B.A. in Philosophy, Neuroscience and Psychology from Washington University in Saint Louis. He got his PhD in Neurobiology from the University of Chicago and is now in his final year of medical school. During his PhD Iboro was studying novel pathways for controlling pain by targeting the nicotinic receptor, which is the same receptor activated by nicotine. We talked about everything from amazing Nigerian weddings to being Not that Kind of Doctor while being that kind of doctor.

"What is a particle?" with Dr. Matthew McCullough

Today on the show, we are joined in the home studio with Dr. Matthew McCullough. Matthew got his Masters of Physics and his doctorate in Theoretical Particle Physics from the University of Oxford in the UK. He is currently working as a theoretical physicist at the CERN laboratory coming up with cool new theories about Dark Matter and our universe.  As a theorists, not to be confused with previous pod guests that were experimental physicists, his job is to think deeply about the rules that govern the universe and to come up with brand new theories about how it all works. We talked about growing up in Belfast, Ireland; getting kicked out of his band; how we know Dark Matter exists; and ultimately, how math underpins the nature of our universe.

Today on the show, we're joined from Abaco, Bahamas by the future Dr. Enie Hensel! Enie got her undergraduate degree in Zoology / Ecology wildlife and conservation at the University of Florida (where she met her husband and former podcast guest Dr. Marc Hensel). She is currently working on a PhD in Biology with a concentration in Ecology and Evolution in the Department of Applied Ecology at North Carolina State University. She is currently a Global Change Fellow under the Southeast climate Science Center. We talked about restoring coral reefs, using drones for research, and of course, sharks! We hope you like it.