Penn Talks Science

Join us for an interview with Dr. Phillip Scott, a professor of immunology at Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine studying leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease affecting millions of people worldwide.

We discuss how the immune system determines whether the disease resolves or turns severe, the state of therapies and his lab's research, and why neglected tropical diseases like this one remain so underfunded despite their global impact.

Join us for a conversation with Dr. Dani Bassett, a professor of Bioengineering, Physics, Neurology, and more studying the connectivity of the brain.

We discuss Dr. Bassett's journey into academia, interdisciplinary approaches to asking scientific questions, and their perspective on scientific communication and advocacy.

Listen to Dr. Franklin Staback Rodríguez talk about his science and personal journeys in our newest Scientist Spotlight episode. As a former Penn immunology graduate student and now a postdoc at CHOP in Janis Burkhardt’s lab, Dr. Staback Rodríguez tells us about his beginnings in science, being an HHMI Gilliam fellow, and the community he’s helped foster by advancing the program Hablemos Ciencia.

Welcome science adventurers!

In Episode 3 of this mini-series, we break down our playthrough of PSPDG’s SciComm Dungeons & Dragons adventure on neurodegenerative disease, “A Misfolding Misfortune,” written by Dimitris Boufidis, Freddy S. Purnell, Tammy Ray, David Sidibe, and Amanda N. Weiss.

Join our DM, Amanda Weiss, and our players Diego Mendez, Gabriel Vega-Bellido, Miles Arnett, and Joseph McGaunn as they discuss the ideas and scientific concepts behind A Misfolding Misfortune, and how our understanding of neurodegenerative disorders helped inspire this adventure. The TTRPG team set out to make this module both fun and educational—and accessible for anyone interested in giving it a try.

This module is available for free here: https://www.pspdg.com/ttrpgs/2025/1/7/a-misfolding-misfortune-dampd-5e-adventure-about-neurodegenerative-disease

Credits for Promotional and Social Media Art ~"Real Estate Flyer via Canva.com"

Welcome science adventurers!

In episode 2 of this mini series, we finish our playthrough of PSPDG's SciComm Dungeons & Dragons adventure about neurodegenerative disease, "A Misfolding Misfortune". Join our adventurers as they uncover and defeat the mysterious ailment that has been afflicting the Coimead, the Fey patron.

"A Misfolding Misfortune" was written by Dimitris Boufidis, Freddy S. Purnell, Tammy Ray, David Sidibe, and Amanda N. Weiss.

The module is available for free here: https://www.pspdg.com/ttrpgs/2025/1/7/a-misfolding-misfortune-dampd-5e-adventure-about-neurodegenerative-disease

Music Credits:

"Constance" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Ancient Mystery Waltz (Presto)" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Failing Defense" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Danse Morialta" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Join us for an interview with Dr. Peter Agre, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University and Nobel laureate. A former President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Dr. Agre has served as a science diplomat promoting international cooperation, including work with Cuba, Iran, and North Korea. His new book, Can Scientists Succeed Where Politicians Fail?, offers a firsthand perspective on how scientific expertise can play a critical role during moments of diplomatic tension.

Welcome, science adventurers!

In episode 1 of this mini-series, we begin a playthrough of PSPDG’s SciComm Dungeons & Dragons adventure about neurodegenerative disease, “A Misfolding Misfortune”, written by Dimitris Boufidis, Freddy S. Purnell, Tammy Ray, David Sidibe, and Amanda N. Weiss.

The module is available for free here: https://www.pspdg.com/ttrpgs/2025/1/7/a-misfolding-misfortune-dampd-5e-adventure-about-neurodegenerative-disease. 

In this actual play, Amanda N. Weiss runs the adventure for players Diego Mendez, Gabriel Vega-Bellido, Miles Arnett, and Joseph McGaunn.

Music Credits:

Danse Morialta Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Heart of Nowhere Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Ancient Mystery Waltz (Presto) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Credits for Promotional and Social Media Art ~ "©Real Estate Flyer via Canva.com"

Join us for an interview with Dr. Claire Wardle, Cornell University associate professor and misinformation expert, where we explore the complex world of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation. From communication missteps during COVID-19 to the explosive spread of AI-generated falsehoods, Dr. Wardle breaks down why public trust in experts and institutions is eroding and what we can do about it! Tune in for a thoughtful conversation on how scientists, governments, and platforms can work together to fight misinformation and protect our society.

“The Misinformation Toolkit”

Learn how to separate fact from fiction in today’s info-overloaded world.

From vaccines to AI deepfakes, misinformation is shaping our health, our politics, and our future. In this episode, we dive into how false narratives spread, why our brains are wired to believe them, and the tools you can use to fight back. 🧠🔍

Let us know what you think!

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Pankhuri Singhal, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Singhal works in the lab of Dr. Anurag Verma, where she develops AI driven algorithms to help diagnose people at risk for complex diseases, such as hereditary cardiac conditions, using electronic health records from hospital systems.

We explore her unique path transitioning from a wet lab background to computational research during graduate school, her practical advice for students making a similar switch, and her approach to mentorship. Dr. Singhal also shares her experience balancing major life changes during her postdoc and offers insights for early career scientists.