People Behind the Science Podcast

People Behind the Science Podcast

By Dr. Marie McNeelyScience
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People Behind the Science Podcast episodes

  • 754: Dr. Joel Fodrie: Hooked on Researching Marine Coastal Ecosystems and Fish Abundance

    Dr. Joel Fodrie is an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Marine Sciences and Department of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his undergraduate training in Biology and History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and went on to receive his Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. Afterward, Joel conducted postdoctoral research with the Marine Sciences Consortium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Joel served on the faculty at the University of South Alabama before joining the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he is today. Joel is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

    People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes

    Life Outside of Science (02:09)

    Joel has always loved going out on the water for activities like fishing, surfing, and boating. He got his first boat when he was only 13 years old! In addition, Joel is also an enthusiastic basketball player and reader of Revolutionary Era history books and biographies. These days he spends most of his free time with his two little boys (9 and 4 years old).

    The Scientific Side (04:05)

    Joel studies estuaries which are habitats where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with the salt water of the ocean. He acts as a sort of detective to investigate how things like salt marshes, sea grasses, and oyster reefs keep this habitat healthy and to determine what may be driving observed changes in fish abundance in these areas.

    A Dose of Motivation (05:19)

    “We can’t guarantee success, but we can deserve it.” by John Adams

    What Got You Hooked on Science? (08:40)

    As an undergraduate student, Joel was a history major, but he was worried that he might not be successful writing history books. He thought that pursuing a career in science might land him a good job, but he wasn’t really sure what to do. In search of a summer job, Joel stumbled across a job posting in marine science in a hallway of the science building. He was stunned that this was the sort of thing someone could do for a living. Joel got connected with scientists in the field, started working in a lab, and found out that he really enjoyed doing research.

    The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (16:48)

    Moving West Coast for his PhD was really tough for Joel. He felt like the oceans on the West Coast were so different from the water he was used to studying. It was frustrating to constantly feel like he was having to play catch-up, but it made him work really hard. Joel also shares a story about a project on carbon in oyster reefs that he and his collaborators were excited to submit as a manuscript and also develop further into an NSF grant proposal. After submission, Joel had a revelation where he realized that they had been thinking about the project completely wrong. This was a disappointing setback, but realizing how the system worked allowed them to start asking other interesting questions.

    A Shining Success! (21:40)

    There have been many exciting successes in Joel’s laboratory over the years. For example, he and his colleagues were thrilled to have determined the rate an oyster reef can grow vertically (an impressive 10 cm per year!). He was also excited to work with a former graduate student to quantify coastline hardening (being built up with walls and other solid structures). They discovered that 14% of our coasts in the lower 48 states of the U.S. have been hardened, and this has important habitat and environmental implications.

    Book Recommendations (25:00)

    The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
, The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 by David McCullough, Truman by David McCullough
, John Adams by David McCullough
, The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough
, any book by Joseph Ellis

    Most Treasured Travel (26:21)

    Joel’s favorite place to travel to has been Port Saint Joe in St. Joseph Bay, Florida. It is beautiful and relatively undeveloped with a wonderful combination of temperate and tropical habitat and fauna. The breathtaking beaches even feature sand with a pinkish hue. He was able to conduct research there as a postdoctoral fellow with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

    Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (30:47)

    A lot of the field work Joel and his colleagues do can be very intensive. They’ve had to be out late at night surveying fish, collecting samples in the salt water in the hot summer sun, and battling with messy, smelly equipment. In particular, they all hated working with these fish traps that cumbersome, sharp, and difficult to work with. It seemed fitting to sacrifice these traps at the end of the summer, so they stacked them up in a pyramid, shot the pile of fish traps with a flaming arrow and burned them to commemorate their struggles.

    Advice For Us All (38:55)

    Follow your gut. You know what you want best and what is best for you and what your priorities are in life. This is important for helping you make those critical decisions you will encounter.

    Guest Bio

    Joel studies the population dynamics of fishes and shellfish. He has conducted research along all three major U.S. coastlines, as well as in the Baltic Sea and around the Galápagos Islands. Dr. Fodrie earned his Ph.D. in Oceanography in 2006 from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (University of California, San Diego), where he was supported as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, and was presented with the E. W. Fager Student Award (14 recipients since 1976). He then began fisheries research in the northern Gulf of Mexico as a post-doctoral researcher at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Joel has maintained active research in the Gulf continuously since then. In 2009, Dr. Fodrie returned to UNC as a member of the faculty. He has contributed 42 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and manuscripts that explore mechanisms of population variability for fishery species. These articles appear in journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, BioScience, Global Change Biology, Limnology & Oceanography, Ecology, and Ecological Applications.

     

    *This episode was originally published on November 16, 2015.

    The post 754: Dr. Joel Fodrie: Hooked on Researching Marine Coastal Ecosystems and Fish Abundance appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.

    42 min
  • 753: Dr. Taylor Hutchison: Getting a Glimpse into the Most Distant Galaxies in the Universe

    Dr. Taylor Hutchison is an astrophysicist and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She received her bachelor’s degree in physics from Southwestern University and her Master’s and PhD degrees in Astronomy from Texas A&M University. She was the recipient of the Dr. Joseph Newton Graduate Service Award, a University Prestigious Fellowship Scholarship, the Leadership in Equity and Diversity (LEAD) Award, and the Graduate Diversity Excellence Award from Texas A&M University, and she also received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship as well. In this interview, Taylor shares more about her life and science.

    People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes

    Life Outside of Science (2:12)

    When she’s not working, Taylor engages in a variety of hobbies, crafts, and opportunities to learn new skills. She particularly enjoys reading, hiking, sewing her own clothing, and creatively reusing items that may have otherwise been thrown away. For example, she uses recycled cardboard and newspapers to make baskets and other tools.

    The Scientific Side (4:20)

    Taylor uses large telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to study the most distant galaxies that we can detect in the universe. Her goal is to answer questions like what kinds of stars are inside these galaxies, how massive the galaxies are, and what elements are present.

    A Dose of Motivation (5:45)

    “You become strong by doing the things you need to be strong for.” – Audre Lorde

    What Got You Hooked on Science? (8:26)

    Growing up, Taylor was inspired by her parents who were self-taught in website development and IT. Their efforts showed her that a person could pursue whatever path they wanted if they worked hard and persevered. Taylor was fascinated with sci-fi, fantasy, astronomy, and solving puzzles as a kid. She excelled at problem solving in her math classes, and when she was introduced to physics, she quickly realized that it involved all of her favorite things about math and allowed her to explain what was happening in the world. During college, one of Taylor’s professors invited her to help out at the observatory at the school. He showed Taylor how astronomy and astrophysics used all of her favorite parts of physics and math, and it could explain aspects of the universe. She really enjoyed spending summer nights opening up the observatory dome and using the telescope to observe distant galaxies. This professor also urged her to consider graduate school. With encouragement from her professor and her mom, Taylor decided to apply for two nearby graduate programs. Ultimately, she enrolled in the astronomy program at Texas A&M University, and this put her on a path to pursue academic research.

    The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (18:24)

    A recent challenge that Taylor encountered was related to her research using the James Webb Space Telescope, which was launched into space in 2021. Taylor works with a type of data called spectroscopy which is like a light fingerprint. Every cosmic object in space has a unique light fingerprint that provides information about the chemical composition of a galaxy or star, its size, and other characteristics. However, the data that were collected were really hard to process. There was a lot of “noise” in the data that needed to be removed during data processing (things like stray light from the sun or heat from the instruments), but they didn’t have the tools needed to properly clean and process the data. This was really difficult because she really wanted to get to work answering her scientific questions, but the data had to be cleaned first. Taylor worked with her collaborators to create the machinery for certain steps in the process, and it took about a year. However, it was a wonderful collaborative experience, and the tools they developed have been a valuable resource for the astronomy community.

    A Shining Success! (22:11)

    When Taylor was wrapping up her graduate work, she began searching and applying for jobs. This transition from graduate school to a postdoctoral fellowship or other position is notoriously difficult. As she went through the process, Taylor realized that there wasn’t really a repository of tools for trainees in her field to make the jump to the next step of their careers. People who had good mentors or access to more resources were more likely to be successful in finding a position than people who didn’t. Taylor decided to aggregate all of the resources and advice she received into a repository for academic postdocs in astronomy and astrophysics, and she shared it with the community. At the time, she wasn’t sure how useful it would be for others. It has been exciting to continue getting feedback, even years later, from people who have benefitted from the resources she shared. Knowing that she helped people apply for and get jobs in the field has been really rewarding

    Book Recommendations (3:10)

    Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage by Heather Rogers

    Most Treasured Travel (25:19)

    When she was in graduate school, Taylor had an opportunity to travel to Northern Chile to conduct research using the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), one of the big telescopes at the top of a mountain there. When she arrived in Chile, they spent one night in the small town of La Serena where they enjoyed delicious food and pisco sour cocktails. Then she spent two weeks at the observatory working with colleagues for a large, collaborative international project. Seeing the sun set each night over the horizon from the top of this massive mountain range was beautiful and ethereal, and then they spent the nights observing the cosmos.

    Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (28:25)

    One fun activity that became a tradition amongst her graduate school cohort was cooking competitions. They had impromptu competitions to determine who could make the best soup, or rice dish, or other type of cuisine. Each student made their own version of whatever theme was chosen, and then they all got together for a taste test and vote. It was silly, fun, and a great way to try a lot of delicious food.

    Advice For Us All (32:13)

    Don’t let other people saying something can’t be done stop you from trying to do it. Don’t let others limit you. Also, stay creative and curious, and find joy in what you do. Whether it is science or anything else you are doing in life, make time to revel in the joy of it.

    Guest Bio

    Taylor studies some of the most distant galaxies in the known Universe, using some of the most massive telescopes on the ground and in space to do so. Most recently, she works with data from the fancy new NASA/ESA/CSA space observatory, JWST, which launched in December 2021. In her work, she studies the characteristics of these distant, ancient galaxies — diving into details such as the types of massive stars that exist within them, measuring the number of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium in the nebular gas, and learning as much as she can about how these galaxies formed and evolved. Outside of her research, Taylor has been described as a frenetic crafter… collecting hobbies as if it’s her second job. Some hobbies include sewing her own clothes, crafting with recyclable & non-recyclable materials (constructing with cardboard, weaving rolled magazine cutouts, making rope from plastic bags, etc), propagating her plants using repurposed plastic bottles, and experimenting with zero waste cooking. She works on these and other hobbies next to her two fluffy cats, occasionally sipping on a warm cup of coffee regardless of the time of day.

    The post 753: Dr. Taylor Hutchison: Getting a Glimpse into the Most Distant Galaxies in the Universe appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.

    36 min
  • 752: Dr. Ken Dawson-Scully: The Science Behind the Survival Skills of Cells Under Stress

    Dr. Ken Dawson-Scully is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University. He received his Master’s degree in Neurobiology from Queen’s University and his PhD in Neurophysiology from the University of Toronto. Ken then conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Toronto before joining the faculty at Florida Atlantic University. In our interview, Ken shares more about his life and science.

    People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes

    Life Outside of Science

    Much of Ken’s free time is spent with his two kids. His daughter plays basketball and the trombone, and his son is into tennis and the baritone. This means he gets to go to a lot of practices, games, and concerts with his family. Moving from Canada to Florida has turned them into avid beach-goers as well, so they like to enjoy as much sand and sun together as possible.

    The Scientific Side

    Ken uses the fruit fly as a model to understand how animals have adapted to different kinds of changes in the environment and how they can cope with it. He uses neurophysiology and behavioral genetics approaches to study the impacts of different kinds of stresses, including high temperature and low oxygen. This work has important applications for human conditions like febrile seizures that can occur when the body temperature rises or complications from stroke that deprive parts of the brain of oxygen.

    A Dose of Motivation

    “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”  by Maya Angelou

    What Got You Hooked on Science?

    In high school, Ken had a fantastic teacher who taught him physics. He really liked the subject and how the teacher presented the material. Initially in undergrad, Ken didn’t even initially know that neuroscience existed, but he got connected with another phenomenal teacher who introduced him to the subject and also got him involved in working in a lab doing independent research.

    The Low Points: Failures and Challenges

    In his graduate research, Ken made a finding that was opposite from what was published in the literature (by some highly respected scientists). He did the experiments over and over again because everyone thought he had done something wrong, but even after many repetitions and approaching the question from different angles, the opposite results persisted. Publishing these results led to a lot of uncomfortable moments at conferences and even at his own university.

    A Shining Success!

    As a postdoc, Ken combined his previous experience from undergraduate with a particular genetically controlled molecular mechanism with recent publications from another research group on another gene related to feeding behavior to develop an interesting integrative hypothesis. He tested this hypothesis, and the results turned out exactly as expected. This was one of those rare, picture-perfect examples of the scientific process leading to discovery!

    Book Recommendations

    Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

    Most Treasured Travel

    Ken’s campus at Florida Atlantic University is the site for the first North American Max Planck Institute. Ken was able to go to Germany to visit the Max Planck Institutes there to learn about how to further collaborations with their nearby Institute. There, he met so many fantastic neuroscientists, including a few Nobel Laureates. Visiting the labs of these brilliant scientists was amazing, and this was one of the most memorable trips of his life.

    Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories

    The lab where Ken did his PhD had tea time every Wednesday at 3pm. They alternated who would bring dessert and would meet around a lab bench to enjoy tea and cake. Once, instead of a small cake, Ken brought an enormous gingerbread house. This was partially eaten during tea time, and then remained in the lab on top of a fridge for eight years before it finally disappeared.

    Advice For Us All

    To do science you have to have the passion, but you also have to have tenacity and tolerance for the mundane.

    Guest Bio

    Dr. Dawson-Scully was born and educated in Canada where he received his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 2003 and his M.Sc. from Queen’s University in 1998. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University, a Visiting Investigator at The Scripps Research Institute in Florida, and a faculty member of the newly formed International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS). His laboratory investigates ways to protect the brain from neurodegeneration as a result of acute and/or chronic cellular stress using the genetic model organism, the fruit fly D. melanogaster. His research has identified a number of molecular targets that can rescue high temperature, low oxygen, and oxidative stress in the fruit fly nervous system, as a model for human diseases such as stroke and epilepsy. Dr. Dawson-Scully’s research program has translated his findings from fly, to zebrafish, fresh water turtle, and mouse successfully, which has led to the submissions of three novel US patents for the medical treatment of febrile seizure, migraine, and stroke in humans (two of which were recently granted). His research program is poised to move discovered pharmaceutical therapeutics from the bench-side to the bed-side through the commercialization of the technologies he has uncovered in his research, solidifying commercial interests. Most recently, he was granted $353,000 in funding from Eco Neurologics Inc., a recent FAU start-up that has licensed his intellectual property. Dr. Dawson-Scully is currently the senior scientific consultant of Eco Neurologics Inc.

     

    *This episode was originally published on February 11, 2015. 

    The post 752: Dr. Ken Dawson-Scully: The Science Behind the Survival Skills of Cells Under Stress appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.

    52 min
  • 751: Dr. Stacey Harmer: Timely Research on Circadian Clocks and Rhythmic Reorientation in Plants

    Dr. Stacey Harmer is a Professor of Plant Biology in the College of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Davis. She received her BA in Biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley and was awarded her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of California, San Francisco. Afterwards, Stacey conducted postdoctoral research at the Scripps Research Institute in La Joya before joining the faculty at UC, Davis where she has been since 2002. She is the recipient of the American Society of Photobiology’s New Investigator Award and was selected as a Chancellor’s Fellow at UC Davis. Stacey is with us today to share her exciting experiences in life and science.

    People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes

    Life Outside of Science (2:13)

    As a researcher, you spend a lot of time doing and thinking about science. Stacey likes to take her mind off research when she’s not in the lab by doing yoga and road biking. She and her husband also enjoy cooking and eating their delicious kitchen creations.

    The Scientific Side (3:26)

    Stacey studies different biological rhythms and the circadian clocks within organisms that create and maintain those rhythms. Circadian clocks can be found in a wide variety of organisms, from bacteria to people. In particular, Stacey is interested in understanding why plants have circadian clocks, how these clocks work in plants, and what aspects of physiology and development these clocks control.

    A Dose of Motivation (6:17)

    “If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called research, would it?” – Albert Einstein

    What Got You Hooked on Science? (9:48)

    Early on, Stacey wanted to be a veterinarian. Though she loved animals and the outdoors, Stacey didn’t enjoy her biology classes in high school. However, after exposure to phenomenal teachers in college, she realized she was fascinated by how living things worked, especially at a molecular level. Stacey wanted to get experience working in a lab as an undergraduate to help her decide if research was something she really wanted to do. She had an amazing experience working in a research lab, and this helped her decide to pursue a career in academic science.

    The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (19:25)

    As a graduate student, Stacey went through a phase for a year or two where nothing was working. She had problems with experiments including mistakes in setting up protocols and equipment breaking, but what was especially frustrating was that the biology wasn’t working the way she thought it was. Stacey put in a lot of time and effort, but didn’t have much to show for it. Ultimately, she made it through by keeping multiple lines of experiments going and focusing on the projects that started to yield interesting data.

    A Shining Success! (21:47)

    Stacey has been trying for the past few years to understand the function of a gene in which mutations cause the circadian clock in a model plant to run at a different pace. This gene is highly conserved across many types of organisms, but no one really knows what it does at a molecular level. By looking at previously collected data, Stacey and her colleagues have developed a hypothesis that this gene may code for a protein involved in repairing damaged DNA. They are excited to be running new types of experiments to follow up on this possibility.

    Book Recommendations (24:35)

    Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann

    Most Treasured Travel (26:19)

    Stacey and her husband were both invited to give presentations at the Umeå Plant Science Centre in Sweden where one of their friends works. The trip was a phenomenal experience both scientifically and socially. It was fun to travel with her husband, and they were able to spend some time exploring Sweden. Hiking through the spectacular forests in the Abisko National Park in September when the birch leaves were turning gold was particularly memorable.

    Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (28:57)

    At UC, Davis they used to have a summer cook-off competition where each lab took making snacks for a departmental coffee break. They assigned judges who would taste the entries each week, and the winning lab was given a trophy at the end of the summer. It was fun to get everyone together to share their scientific and culinary creativity.

    Advice For Us All (33:12)

    Remember, it’s your career. As a scientist, you are responsible for your own productivity, but you also have the freedom to pursue the research questions you are excited about. Try not to focus on chasing the next big thing in your field. Take the time to identify a problem you are really interested in. If you do this, you’ll work harder and will probably be more successful and happy in your job.

    Guest Bio

    Stacey earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley, graduating with Highest Honors and Highest Distinction in General Scholarship from the Department of Biochemistry. She then went on to earn a PhD at the University of California, San Francisco, in 1998. While at UCSF, she was a Howard Hughes Predoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Tony DeFranco, where she studied mechanisms underlying B cell receptor signal transduction. For her post-doctoral studies, she switched from immunology to plant biology to work with Dr. Steve Kay at the Scripps Research Institute as an NIH National Research Service Award post-doctoral fellow. In the Kay lab, she studied the molecular basis of circadian rhythms in Arabidopsis thaliana. She joined the faculty of UC Davis in 2002, where she was recently named a Chancellor’s Fellow. Her lab uses genetic, biochemical, and functional genomics approaches to investigate mechanisms underlying the plant clock and its role in the coordination of plant physiology. Her research is funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. She is an active member of the broader research community, currently serving on the editorial boards of the Journal of Biological Rhythms, Plant Physiology, and PLoS Biology.

     

    *This episode was originally published on October 3, 2016.

    The post 751: Dr. Stacey Harmer: Timely Research on Circadian Clocks and Rhythmic Reorientation in Plants appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.

    37 min
  • 750: Dr. Alan Saltiel: Studying How Cells Control Energy Use and Storage in Response to Hormones and Nutrients

    Dr. Alan R. Saltiel is Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, Maryam Ahmadian Endowed Chair in Metabolic Health, Director of the Institute for Diabetes and Metabolic Health at UC, San Diego, and Director of the UCSD/UCLA Diabetes Research Center. He received his bachelor’s degree in zoology from Duke University, and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of North Carolina. Afterwards, he conducted postdoctoral research at the Wellcome Research Laboratories. Alan served on the faculty at Rockefeller University before joining Parke Davis Pharmaceutical Research in 1990, where he remained until 2001 when he accepted a position at the University of Michigan. He transitioned to his current positions in 2015. Alan has received numerous awards and honors, including the Rosalyn Yalow Research and Development Award from the American Diabetes Association; the Hirschl Award from Hirschl Trust; the John Jacob Abel, Goodman and Gilman, and Pharmacia-ASPET Awards from the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and he was named a Fellow of the Society in 2022. In addition, Alan is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an elected Member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation, and an elected Member of the National Academy of Medicine. In this interview, Alan shares more about his life and science.

    People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes

    Life Outside of Science (3:21)

    When he’s not working, Alan enjoys exercise and physical activity, including tennis and occasionally basketball. He also likes to read fiction and non-fiction, spend time with friends and family, and experiment with cooking Mediterranean cuisine.

    The Scientific Side (8:23)

    Alan studies how cells that are involved in metabolism decide to take up and store energy, burn energy, or release energy for other cells to use in response to hormones, nutritional cues, and metabolic stress. He is particularly interested in studying cells in liver and fat tissues and better understanding the pathways involved in controlling the metabolic activities of these cells.

    A Dose of Motivation (9:38)

    “It’s not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you free to neglect it.”

    What Got You Hooked on Science? (14:00)

    Science was interesting to Alan throughout high school and college, but he was slow to decide he wanted to pursue a career in research. Alan majored in Zoology in college, and he was particularly interested in signaling pathways and metabolism. However, he didn’t think he was smart or creative enough to become a scientist. He went to graduate school because it seemed like a natural next step, and he figured he could check it out and maybe find something else that might work out for a career. During graduate school and his postdoctoral fellowship, Alan began to discover that he could do science. By the middle of his postdoc, Alan was excited and energized by the questions he was answering, and it became clear to him that this was what he wanted to do for his career. He started his first faculty position at Rockefeller University in New York, and things were going pretty well for him. Another twist in Alan’s career path came in 1990 when his postdoctoral mentor moved to Michigan to become the president of research and development at a pharmaceutical company. When this mentor asked Alan if he would join him, initially Alan thought it wouldn’t be a good fit. After visiting the company, Alan decided that working in drug discovery could be an interesting opportunity after all. He made the jump to industry and worked there for about ten years before returning to academia.

    The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (24:56)

    In the 1990s, one focus in the field was trying to understand how signaling proteins that control metabolism are restricted in space within cells and how hormones accomplish specificity in their signals within cells. Alan’s lab used a screening procedure to find proteins that bound to their two proteins of interest. This approach was really useful, and they published their new findings in great papers. However, there were a few situations where they thought they had a really fascinating finding, but it turned out to be not very cool. For example, a postdoc in the lab worked on a project to identify a protein that was interacting with one of their proteins of interest. They got a positive result when they ran a screen for binding, and the result looked really exciting initially. Based on these promising results, they spent a year trying to figure out the nature and significance of this interaction, and what it could mean in the context of cell biology. Alan and this postdoc came up with grand ideas about a new pathway and a new way of controlling metabolism. While the interaction was real, ultimately, they had to admit that it wasn’t really interesting and didn’t really impact the biology of the cell in a meaningful way.

    A Shining Success! (27:09)

    Alan and his lab members have been really interested in the role of inflammation in controlling the action of insulin in obesity. Individuals who are obese commonly become resistant to insulin, and Alan thought inflammation may be a key part of the mechanism for the development of insulin resistance. In studying the inflammation pathways, they discovered a molecule that was important for translating inflammation to insulin resistance, and they thought this molecule was the link between obesity and insulin resistance. Additional experiments confirmed their findings. They also identified a drug that could inhibit the molecule that was already approved for use to treat asthma. The drug was effective in animal models and it underwent a clinical trial, which showed that it could help control blood sugar in humans. Alan thought they had the whole story, but there were some nagging details about the pathway that still didn’t make sense. After presenting their work at a scientific conference, someone from the audience approached Alan during the coffee break with some questions. This conversation gave Alan the nudge he needed to bring the project back to the lab and have the group do a deep dive on what exactly was happening. Finally, they were able to fill in the missing pieces, and the story they uncovered about the mechanism was even more interesting than the initial story they put together. Seeing the process all the way through from the initial discovery of the molecule, unraveling the mechanism, and running a clinical trial for a drug treatment over a period of about ten years was really rewarding.

    Book Recommendations (4:34)

    Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey, Between Parent and Child by Dr. Haim G. Ginott

    Most Treasured Travel (31:20)

    In the early 2,000s, Alan visited the city of Naples and the island of Capri in Italy for scientific meetings. During the trip, he enjoyed a luncheon overlooking the sea in the village of Positano, a tour of Pompeii, exploring the grottos of Capri, and boating in the Bay of Naples in addition to the wonderful scientific discussions at the meetings. These kinds of trips are best when you can explore the destination with an insider who can show you all of the cool local places.

    Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (33:30)

    Over the course of his career, Alan has had opportunities to meet many wonderful scientists, many of whom have become great friends. These people are zealots about their science, but they are also active, interesting people who do lots of different things. When he and his colleagues get together at conferences, they enjoy the scientific sessions, but they also hike, play tennis, and engage in some good natured teasing. In his current lab, Alan has a weekly journal club where the students and postdocs present a paper for the group to discuss. At the beginning of each session, the presenter has to spend about five minutes talking about scientific history. This has helped raise awareness in the group of some of the important people in their field, the personalities of famous scientists, the circumstances surrounding important discoveries or the development of a key lab instrument, and the role of chance and serendipity in scientific discoveries. The lab has really enjoyed this tradition.

    Advice For Us All (38:05)

    Find your own way. Not everyone approaches work and science in the same way, and there isn’t one single best approach. Find the questions that you are most excited about. If you aren’t excited about the questions, then they are either not the right questions for you, or this may not be the right career for you.

    Guest Bio

    Alan is a cell biologist who researches the hormone insulin and how it relates to obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders. He and his lab members are investigating how metabolically active cells control energy storage and utilization in response to hormones and nutrients in health and disease. Diabetes and obesity arise from dysregulation of energy metabolism. In order to make progress towards new treatments, we require a better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. To this end, the Saltiel lab investigates the molecular events involved in the regulation of nutrient uptake and storage by insulin, as well as regulation of mobilization and utilization by catecholamines and glucagon. The lab seeks to understand how energy metabolism is controlled in fat and liver cells, and how these cells talk to each other, with special attention to mechanisms underlying the specificity of the actions of hormones, and the inflammatory links between obesity and diabetes. Alan holds 19 patents, has published more than 300 original papers, and has successfully developed drugs for diabetes and cancer.

     

    Support for this episode of People Behind the Science was provided by Innovative Research, Inc.

    The post 750: Dr. Alan Saltiel: Studying How Cells Control Energy Use and Storage in Response to Hormones and Nutrients appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.

    41 min
  • 749: Dr. Erica Golemis: Progressing Towards an Understanding of the Genes Contributing to Cancer Malignancy

    Dr. Erica Golemis is a Professor, Deputy Chief Science Officer, Co-Leader of the Molecular Therapeutics Program, and Director of the High Throughput Facility at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. In addition, Erica is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University School of Medicine, and the Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine. She completed her undergraduate studies in biology and English at Bryn Mawr College and was awarded her PhD in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Afterwards, Erica conducted postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Molecular Biology and Harvard Medical School department of Genetics before joining the Fox Chase Cancer Center. In this interview, Erica speaks about her experiences in both life and science.

    People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes

    Life Outside of Science (2:22)

    When Erica finds free time, one thing she loves to do is read. She reads broadly and has been an avid reader since her early childhood. Erica also has fun attending theatre performances. There are multiple excellent theaters in her home city of Philadelphia, and she especially enjoys shows by British playwright Tom Stoppard.

    The Scientific Side (8:14)

    For most of her scientific career, Erica has been conducting cancer research. Her recent work investigates why some cancers are particularly malignant. The type of cancer and whether it is diagnosed early or late can affect a patient’s outcome. Cancers discovered later are often more problematic because they have gone through changes that allow them to move to other parts of the body that may be more difficult to treat, and they are resistant to many drugs. These cancers look different and have different growth properties than early stage cancers. Erica’s research examines what genes cause cancer to change and progress, whether there are genes that can be targeted directly with different treatments to reverse this process, and if there is a therapeutic time window in which they could potentially reverse this process.

    A Dose of Motivation (11:25)

    “This too shall pass.”

    What Got You Hooked on Science? (12:56)

    Erica’s parents were both engineers who worked in technology, so she was exposed at an early age to the idea that working in technology was interesting and rewarding. She attended a small, non-traditional Anglican school where many of the nuns had PhDs and were exceptional teachers. Erica always liked science, and she was fascinated by her grade school biology lessons with scientific readings, dissections, and impromptu microscopy sessions. Though she was excited about biology, Erica was also deeply interested in English and literature. When the time came, she applied to graduate programs both in English and biology. She ultimately chose her graduate program based on the city and reputation of the programs she was admitted to. Admission to the MIT PhD program in biology propelled Erica towards a career in science.

    The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (30:15)

    In graduate school, Erica studied how leukemia-causing viruses cause red blood cell versus white blood cell leukemia. As part of this work, she was making complex DNA constructs that would allow her to make viruses and move pieces of DNA from one virus to another. The work was finicky, and there were two or three clones she needed to create to finish her thesis work. She failed repeatedly for more than four months. Things that should have been easy just didn’t work, and setting the whole process up after each failure was extremely hard. In the protocol, there were long gaps of time where Erica had to wait for reactions to complete. During these gaps, she went to the library to learn as much as possible about retroviruses. The fruits of these library trips manifested in sheets and sheets of graph paper in which she lined up the sequences of these retrovirus genomes by hand. The end result was about fifteen feet long, and it turned out to be the most-cited work from her thesis. This guide on retrovirus sequences also helped colleagues in her field.

    A Shining Success! (36:22)

    Erica is excited about recent research in head and neck cancer that they have not yet published. One of her bioinformatician collaborators identified a new way of analyzing large data sets that involves integrating information on how genes are expressed, copy number, variation, DNA methylation, and other large data sets that are publicly available. They applied these new approaches to head and neck cancer and discovered a specific gene mutation that has a strong effect on the prognosis and therapeutic response of one kind of head and neck cancer. By collaborating with scientists outside of the Fox Chase Cancer Center, Erica and her team were able to confirm their findings in a large and completely independent dataset. This was really exciting because now they can begin doing mechanistic experiments to better understand this gene and examine whether it could be targeted by therapeutic treatments.

    Book Recommendations (4:28)

    The Last of the Wine by Mary Renault, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein, Sewer, Gas, and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy by Matt Ruff, books by Neal Stephenson, Neuromancer by William Gibson, Technopoly by Niel Postman, Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows, The Limits to Growth by Donella Meadows.

    Most Treasured Travel ( 41:00)

    Traveling to Moscow in Russia has been particularly memorable for Erica. She has been there several times now to build and strengthen collaborations between the Fox Chase Cancer Center and laboratories there that have been a source of talented graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. It was exciting to have the opportunity to go to a new city and learn about how people do science there. Elements of what Erica experienced in Moscow were both very familiar and very different from the places she has visited in the United States. They were even able to squeeze in a sightseeing trip to St. Petersburg to visit the Hermitage Museum and the beautiful Peterhof Palace. All the scientists Erica met were fantastic. They worked hard and were extremely cultured with knowledge of Russian history, literature, and poetry.

    Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (44:01)

    When Erica was a postdoctoral fellow, they used to have lab outings frequently. They would play mini-golf, go hiking, and indulge in Friday beer hour together. In Erica’s lab now, they have an annual holiday lunch celebration where they go out to a restaurant, bring food in, or have a potluck. While most people celebrate the holidays and the end of the year in December or January, Erica’s lab always holds their annual celebration in February. With people from different parts of the United States, as well as lab members from China, India, and Russia, there isn’t really a time when they are all in the lab together during the normal holiday months, so they wait until everyone is back in town in February to hold their annual lunch.

    Advice For Us All (51:47)

    Sometimes it is easier to get forgiveness than permission. If you are sure something is going to work, sometimes you should just do it, and then show people it was a good idea. In addition, a large part of the daily work of scientists involves creativity. People shouldn’t feel put off or alienated by the technical terminology used in science because the concepts behind the vocabulary are often simple and accessible. As a scientist, you have to do a lot of reading, writing, and public speaking, but there are many more great aspects of careers in science than people may realize.

    Guest Bio

    In disease states such as cancer, tumors reprogram their signaling to support abnormal growth processes. Erica’s laboratory is interested in defining the changes in cell signaling that occur as tumors initiate, progress, and develop resistance to drugs, with the ultimate goal of inhibiting these processes. They hope through these studies to better define the interactions of signaling pathways in malignant versus normal cells, allowing improvements in cancer diagnosis and treatment. In specific projects, Erica’s research is split between a body of translational studies focused on the optimal use of therapeutic drugs, and more basic investigations into fundamental cell signaling mechanisms. Members of the laboratory actively collaborate with numerous clinical investigators at Fox Chase Cancer Center on topics including definition of biomarkers for cancer risk and therapeutic response, and mechanisms of resistance to targeted inhibitors of EGFR, Aurora-A, Src, and other proteins relevant to the core interests of the laboratory. Studies in the lab are increasingly incorporating analyses of underlying genetic features of tumors through use of next generation sequencing and bioinformatic interpretation.

     

    *This episode was originally published October 16, 2017.

    The post 749: Dr. Erica Golemis: Progressing Towards an Understanding of the Genes Contributing to Cancer Malignancy appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.

    57 min
  • 748: Dr. David Fitzpatrick: Figuring Out the Functional Organization and Development of Cortical Circuits in the Brain

    Dr. David Fitzpatrick is Chief Executive Officer, Scientific Director, and Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. David received his B.S. degree in Biology from Pennsylvania State University and his PhD in Psychology and Neuroscience from Duke University. He conducted postdoctoral research at the Medical University of South Carolina and then returned to Duke University as a member of the faculty. Before accepting his current positions at the Max Planck Florida Institute, David was the James B. Duke Professor of Neurobiology and Director of the Institute for Brain Sciences at Duke University. David has received numerous awards and honors over the course of his career for his outstanding research and teaching, including the 2011 Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, the Alfred P. Sloan Research Award, the Cajal Club Cortical Discoverer Award, the McKnight Neuroscience Investigator Award, and the Excellence in Basic Science Teaching Award from Duke University School of Medicine. David joined us for an interview to share his experiences in life and science.

    People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes

    Life Outside of Science (2:39)

    When David isn’t hard at work at Max Planck, he spends his time hiking, biking, kayaking, and immersing himself in nature. He has also become a keen photographer, capturing captivating photos of the natural world and memorable moments in his life.

    The Scientific Side (3:38)

    The brain is important for so many aspects of our daily experiences, including what we perceive, what we think about, how we move, the decisions we make, and more. However, we still know relatively little about how the brain works and how it develops. David’s goal is to dive deep into these basic science questions of how the brain works and how it develops.

    A Dose of Motivation (4:49)

    “Insight must precede application.” – Max Planck

    What Got You Hooked on Science? (9:39)

    When David went to college, he was considering becoming a veterinarian. After working in a veterinary hospital during the summer, the routine nature of the work started to make him wonder if he should pursue a different career altogether. David was fortunate to take two neuroscience courses taught by a remarkable teacher at his school. In these courses, the teacher really brought the material to life, and it was this engaging way of presenting the science that made David want to study the brain. Doing a lab rotation and getting hands-on research experience sealed the deal.

    The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (22:51)

    In David’s lab, they are doing cutting-edge imaging on the dendritic spines of neurons. These dendritic spines are where the input signals to a neuron arrive. To image dendritic spines, they wanted to use two-photon imaging in live cells so they could use fluorescent calcium sensors to visualize changes in calcium. These changes in calcium signaling are highly correlated with changes in the activity of neurons. Initially, they had to work through a lot of challenges with the methods for this research. The laser intensity of the two-photon microscope was harming the cells they were trying to study, so they had to change the kind of microscope they used. In addition, there were a lot of different issues with the molecular reagents they needed to use to look at the calcium signaling in neurons. With great effort and ingenuity, the group was able to work through these challenges. However, when you read a scientific paper, these efforts and long days of problem-solving often go unappreciated.

    A Shining Success! (26:27)

    Some of David’s most meaningful successes are having students and postdocs who work in his lab go on to do great things. For example, one of his graduate students recently defended his thesis, and this was a really special occasion. This student took a risk by coming to the Max Planck Florida Institute in the very beginning when the labs were just getting set up. When he started, the student had never done research techniques like viral injections and two-photon imaging, but he became an accomplished scientist using these methods. Multiple labs were interested in recruiting him to work there as a postdoc, and he chose an excellent lab at Harvard University. In addition, the student is having an impact on the field and building a network of people who want to be part of the work he is doing. Seeing students like this reassures David that there will be another generation to carry the flag of fundamental basic science when he retires.

    Most Treasured Travel (28:42)

    David has traveled to many places in South America, including Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. The Max Planck Society partners with some of the universities and institutes there, and as part of this initiative David helps recruits scientists and provides scientific mentorship. Most recently, David traveled to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The environment was wonderful, there were many beautiful natural attractions, the city of Rio de Janeiro was amazing, and it was exciting to meet so many young people who were driven, creative, and deeply interested in science. After his presentation, there was a long line of people wanting to ask him questions about his work. The economy there is difficult for scientists, so David encourages aspiring scientists to keep an open mind and explore international training opportunities at Max Planck and other institutions.

    Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (31:23)

    David and his lab will be featured in an upcoming documentary about the development of the brain. The videographers came through the lab, spoke with David, and then stayed around a while longer to film different things in the lab. He recently received a draft of the movie, and he was surprised to see that the pyramidal cell tattoo of one of his postdocs made it in the final version. David had no idea that this was filmed when the team was onsite, but he liked how it captured the passion of the people doing research in his group.

    Advice For Us All (34:52)

    Follow your nose because so much of science is serendipity. Finding the most interesting questions to answer in neuroscience can be challenging because we know so little about the brain, but if you are curious and vigilant in looking for the unexpected, you may stumble upon new discoveries and opportunities for innovation.

    Guest Bio

    Dr. Fitzpatrick’s scientific contributions have earned him international recognition as a leader in systems neuroscience, with a focus on the functional organization and development of neural circuits in the cerebral cortex–the largest and most complex area of the brain, whose functions include sensory perception, motor control, and cognition. His current research utilizes state-of-the-art in vivo imaging techniques to probe the cellular and synaptic architecture of circuits in primary visual cortex, with a particular focus on the role that experience plays in the maturation of these circuits. He is the author over 80 scholarly papers including articles in journals such as Nature, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, Science and the Journal of Neuroscience, and he has received a number of awards for his research accomplishments including The McKnight Neuroscience Investigator Award, an Alfred P. Sloan Research Award, and The Cajal Club Cortical Discoverer Award. In addition, Dr. Fitzpatrick was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2011. He has served on numerous scientific advisory boards including the Wellcome Trust, the National Institutes of Health, the Searle Scholars Program, the Riken Brain Science Institute, and the Society for Neuroscience. He has served as an editor for a number of scientific journals, including Senior Editor for the Journal of Neuroscience. Outside of work, David enjoys hiking, biking, kayaking and capturing the wonders of nature with his camera.

     

    *This episode was originally published on January 1, 2018.

    The post 748: Dr. David Fitzpatrick: Figuring Out the Functional Organization and Development of Cortical Circuits in the Brain appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.

    40 min
  • 747: Dr. Jennifer Ramp Neale: Conducting Research to Conserve Colorado’s Rare Plants

    Dr. Jennifer Ramp Neale is Director of Research and Conservation at the Denver Botanic Gardens. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Biology at the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Colorado Denver. She received her B.S. in Biology from Rhodes College and her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado. Afterwards, Jenny conducted postdoctoral research in community genetics at the University of Colorado. Jenny’s previous positions include Manager of Research Programs and Associate Director of Research at the Denver Botanic Gardens, as well as Conservation Genetic Consultant with LSA Associates and Solano County Water Agency through the University of Colorado Museum. Jenny is the recipient of the 2012 Partners in Mission Recovery Champion Award as part of the Rare Plant Conservation Initiative from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She joined us for an interview to talk about her experiences in life and science.

    People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes

    Life Outside of Science (2:58)

    Jenny is a wife, mother, and outdoors enthusiast outside of work. She enjoys being active outdoors with her family playing soccer, skiing, camping, hiking, and generally having fun outside. Jenny’s passion for identifying plants and mushrooms is contagious, and as a result, her family has also become quite knowledgeable about the plants of Colorado.

    The Scientific Side (4:10)

    The Denver Botanic Gardens is an accredited museum, a public nonprofit organization, and a research institution, so Jenny has a variety of different roles. She oversees the research conducted there, communicates their findings and the importance of science to different audiences, and works closely with land managers/owners to provide information on the local plants to help guide land management decisions. Jenny’s research focuses on applied conservation of plants, particularly rare and endangered species in Colorado.

    A Dose of Motivation (6:05)

    “This is serious. This is science.” – from George and Martha: The Experiment.

    What Got You Hooked on Science? (12:02)

    Growing up in Colorado, Jenny spent a lot of time camping, skiing, and being outdoors as a kid. She loved her high school summer job working at a cut flower farm, and this experience had a big impact on her. It was fun to learn the scientific names of all the plants and how to grow them. Entering college, Jenny knew she wanted to major in biology, and her first semester botany class sealed the deal for plant science. Jenny enjoyed participating in undergraduate research on plants, and she decided to go to graduate school to take the next step in her research career. In graduate school, Jenny became fascinated by conservation genetics in plants, and she continues to work in this area today.

    The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (21:46)

    One of Jenny’s biggest challenges was publishing the second chapter of her dissertation. She submitted the paper to journal after journal, received numerous requests for revisions, and made multiple rounds of revisions, but each time, the paper was ultimately rejected. Jenny ended up with feedback from over 20 editors and reviewers, and the reviews were often contradictory. During this time, Jenny also started her new job at the Denver Botanic Gardens, so it was a particularly stressful time in her career. After 18 long months, the paper was finally accepted for publication, and it was even chosen as the best paper of the year from the journal!

    A Shining Success! (24:57)

    Last year, one of Jenny’s papers was published, and this marked an important first step in a project they are working on related to the rare North Park Phacelia plant. This paper described the microsatellites they developed to track these plant populations, and now they can move on to writing up the research on what they did with these microsatellites. Earlier this year, researchers in her department also published a paper in a great journal where they used herbarium specimens to examine climate change in the alpine region of Colorado.They discovered that over a 61 year timeframe, most plant species they studied are blooming earlier in the year. This was a fascinating finding, and the project represented a lot of hard work from her team members.

    Book Recommendations (27:27)

    The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure, The Song of the Dodo by David Quammen

    Most Treasured Travel (29:07)

    A few years ago, Jenny traveled to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa to attend a conference. For the conference, scientists from botanic gardens across the world came together to discuss topics including public outreach, research, conservation, and the role of botanic gardens today. Connecting with the international botanic garden community was wonderful, and the location was stunning. The island has unique flora, and she was excited to visit the botanic garden there to see their facilities. After the conference, Jenny and a colleague spent a few days catching up and exploring the island.

    Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (32:45)

    One quirk of their research group is that they always bring Cheetos as a field work snack. Their cars don’t leave the parking lot unless they have Cheetos. When working in the field, all kinds of unexpected things can happen. On one occasion, Jenny was conducting field work with her graduate advisor in Hawaii. They were searching for a particular fern, but the ground was extremely wet and muddy. She stepped in a thigh-deep mud puddle, immediately got stuck, and had to be pulled out by her colleagues.

    Advice For Us All (36:36)

    You don’t have to know from the beginning what career path you will follow. Pursue what you’re interested, and you’ll figure it out along the way. Having support from your friends, family, and mentors can be a big help. For early career scientists, figure out what skills or tools you are missing, and make sure to fill those gaps. Sometimes you have to look in non-traditional places for training and tools, but they will increase your confidence and make you more effective at your work.

    Guest Bio

    Jenny serves as the Director of the Research & Conservation at Denver Botanic Gardens. She leads the team of scientists working to investigate and explain biodiversity patterns and processes. Working collaboratively, the team documents and conserves our natural heritage working towards a vision of a biodiverse world. A regional leader in rare plant conservation, Jenny is an author of the Colorado Rare Plant Strategy and works towards its implementation. Jenny’s area of expertise is in utilizing genetic tools to address questions related to Colorado’s most rare and imperiled plants. She collaborates with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to address genetic questions in several federally listed species through the use of molecular tools. In addition, she conducts long-term demographic monitoring of several species to track population dynamics over time as well as to inform management activities. A Colorado native, and mom of two daughters, Jenny spends most of her free time outside either playing or coaching soccer, skiing, or camping.

     

    *This episode was originally published on April 9, 2018. 

    The post 747: Dr. Jennifer Ramp Neale: Conducting Research to Conserve Colorado’s Rare Plants appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.

    40 min
  • 746: Dr. Eric Skaar: Investigating the Intersection of Nutrition and Bacterial Infection and Pathogenesis

    Dr. Eric Skaar is Director of the Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Director of the Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, the Ernest W. Goodpasture Chair in Pathology, and Vice Chair for Research and a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at Vanderbilt University. He earned his B.S. in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his Ph.D. in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis from Northwestern University, and his M.P.H. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Northwestern University. Afterwards, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in microbiology at the University of Chicago before joining the faculty at Vanderbilt in 2005. Eric has received numerous awards and honors for his research including being named an American Asthma Foundation Scholar, receipt of Vanderbilt University’s Stanley Cohen Award for Excellence in Research Bridging Disciplines, the Pfizer ASPIRE Young Investigator Award, the Vanderbilt Chancellor’s Award for Research, and more. He has also won a variety of awards for exceptional mentorship and teaching, including the Vanderbilt Molecular Pathology and Immunology Graduate Program Teacher of the Year Award, the F. Peter Guengerich, Ph.D., Award, the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Postdoc Mentor of the Year Award, and others. In addition, he is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Microbiology. In our interview, Eric shares more about his life and science.

    People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes

    Life Outside of Science (2:58)

    When he’s not working, Eric likes playing golf, mountain biking, and spending time with his family cooking and enjoying great food.

    The Scientific Side (4:00)

    Eric is a bacteriologist who studies the impact of nutrition on infectious disease. His research examines how the food we eat affects our susceptibility to bacterial infection and how the bacteria that infect us get food once they are inside our bodies.

    A Dose of Motivation (4:55)

    Work hard. Be nice.

    What Got You Hooked on Science? (6:36)

    As a kid, Eric wasn’t particularly interested in science. However, he was drawn to the natural world and enjoyed playing outside. He was also especially fond of solving puzzles, and he later discovered that this is what biological research is all about. Eric attended high school at a public school in the suburbs of Chicago, and he was fortunate to have a biology class that was half anatomy and half microbiology. His high school teacher was fascinated by microbes, and this sparked Eric’s curiosity about microbiology as well. At the time, Eric didn’t know about research careers, so he assumed he would become a physician studying infectious diseases. To earn money in college, Eric started working in a media prep lab where he poured petri dishes and made test tubes full of liquid media for the large lab classes. The person who ran the facility was a great mentor, and she encouraged him to look for a position in a research lab to gain valuable experience. Getting involved in research and realizing that he could be a scientist without going to medical school had a big impact on Eric and his career. He decided to pursue a PhD degree to become an academic scientist.

    The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (25:31)

    A prior graduate student in Eric’s lab was studying bacteria that cause pneumonia using mice as a model system. She was a talented and ambitious student enrolled in the MD/PhD program who was also training to compete in an Ironman Triathlon. Because of her Ironman training schedule, she completed experiments in the lab at odd hours. This resulted in a very interesting discovery. Her data showed a clear pattern that mice that were infected at different times had different bacterial loads in their lungs, suggesting that circadian rhythms were potentially impacting susceptibility of infection. They started getting all the pieces in place to do an important experiment to definitively test this, but they weren’t able to get the necessary mouse models at the time. Meanwhile, the graduate student who had been working on the project finished their PhD and moved on to the next step of their career. Since then, no one has wanted to do this very involved project that required coming into the lab every three hours for many days. Afterwards, important papers were published in prestigious journals showing that circadian rhythms have major impacts on immune response and infection. Eric views this as a failure of execution where they should have been at the leading edge of those discoveries, but they just couldn’t get all the pieces together.

    A Shining Success! (31:52)

    For Eric, one of the most memorable moments in his lab was the first time he ran a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on a gel in his own lab with buffers and chemicals he ordered, and there was a band that he could see. Being able to do something from start to finish by himself in his own lab was a really rewarding milestone. More recently, they published a paper in 2022 describing the identification of the first known zinc metallochaperones in nature. This was a protein that puts zinc into other proteins. Up to ten percent of proteins in the vertebrate proteome are zinc proteins, and it wasn’t known how the proteins that require zinc obtained it. The paper was special because they showed unequivocally that particular proteins transfer metals to other proteins, and this discovery had a big impact on the field.

    Book Recommendations (38:32)

    The Eighth Day of Creation: The Makers of the Revolution in Biology by Horace Freeland Judson, Eyewitness to History by John Carey

    Most Treasured Travel (40:50)

    One of Eric’s favorite trips brought him to Spain to attend a Gordon Research Conference in Barcelona. A week before the conference, Eric, one of his close friends and colleagues who was also attending the meeting, and their wives went on a week-long vacation through Northern Spain before heading to Barcelona. It was amazing to see that part of the world, and it was fantastic to blend his work and life together in this trip that combined vacation and travel for work. Visiting the coastal town of San Sebastián was particularly memorable. While there, Eric recommends eating pintxos (small plates), sampling their remarkable seafood, and enjoying the phenomenal atmosphere.

    Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (35:33)

    Eric has a fairly large lab of about twenty people. There is a wide variety of personalities, and they have a lot of fun together. The group typically goes out for lunch to celebrate birthdays of lab members, and then they enjoy homemade cake back in the lab. They made it a tradition that the person with the most recent birthday is responsible for making a cake for the next person’s birthday, and this has resulted in some interesting culinary creations. It has also become a tradition to go out as a group to happy hour when someone is leaving the lab. In addition, each year Eric hosts The Northern Party. This is a party at his house where he prepares foods associated with the northern Midwestern U.S., such as Chicago-style Italian beef, Chicago hot dogs, and Wisconsin bratwursts. Other lab traditions include a holiday white elephant gift exchange where everyone brings a gift that you can drink out of (e.g. mugs, cups, etc), and they also frequently do March Madness style taste-offs of different foods and drinks like carbonated water, food you can get at Trader Joe’s, and desserts from Costco.

    Advice For Us All (46:23)

    Don’t make decisions based on what you think will happen if you fail. Make decisions based on what could happen if you succeed. This opens many more doors to move in exciting new directions and achieve more than you may have otherwise. A career in discovery in any industry is remarkably rewarding if you are intellectually curious. Don’t be discouraged from pursuing this career path based on a handful of loud, negative voices that you may encounter on social media. Talk to people who are engaged in these kinds of careers to really understand what it is like.

    Guest Bio

    Eric’s research is focused on the intersection of nutrition and infectious diseases. He and his laboratory work to understand how bacterial pathogens and their vertebrate hosts compete for trace nutrients and how this competition dictates the outcome of infection. His expertise comes from a combination of microbiology and biochemistry, and he and his team apply techniques that are typically associated with the fields of geology and nanoscience to answer important questions in microbial pathogenesis. Instead of focusing on a single organism, Eric’s team compares and contrasts processes used across bacterial pathogens in an effort to understand how evolution has driven this molecular arms race for nutrients. The long-term goal of the Skaar lab is to exploit cutting edge technologies from diverse disciplines to uncover new targets that can lead to the creation of novel classes of antibiotics to fight infectious diseases. Outside of work, Eric enjoys golfing, mountain biking, and generally anything that keeps him moving while outdoors. Living in Tennessee supports these interests thanks to the mild weather and easy access to nature.

     

    *Photo by Donn Jones/Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

    The post 746: Dr. Eric Skaar: Investigating the Intersection of Nutrition and Bacterial Infection and Pathogenesis appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.

    50 min
  • 745: Dr. Ellen Zweibel: Astrophysicist Radiating Enthusiasm for Research on Plasma Physics and Cosmic Rays

    Dr. Ellen Zweibel is the W. L. Kraushaar Professor of Astronomy and Physics, and the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She received her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Chicago and her PhD in Astrophysical Sciences from Princeton University. Ellen served as a faculty member at the University of Colorado for over 20 years before joining the faculty at the University of Wisconsin in 2003. Ellen has received numerous awards and honors during her career, including being elected as a Fellow of the American Physical Society and being awarded the American Physical Society’s Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics. Ellen joined us for an interview to talk about her experiences in life and science.

    People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes

    Life Outside of Science (2:19)

    Ellen’s interests outside of science include creative writing, art, and exercise. She has recorded her thoughts and sketches in a journal since 1977, and drawing is a wonderful way for Ellen to see details in her surroundings that she might otherwise miss. In addition, Ellen has explored her artistic side through sculpting clay and painting. As far as exercise, Ellen runs at least 45 minutes every day, and each year on her birthday, she extends the duration of her run to match the minutes to her age in years.

    The Scientific Side (4:41)

    Ellen is a theoretical astrophysicist who specializes in plasma astrophysics. Her studies examine electricity and magnetism in the cosmos, including phenomena like sun spots, the solar cycle, and high energy electromagnetic emissions (e.g. x-rays, gamma rays, and radio waves) from stars and galaxies.

    A Dose of Motivation (5:56)

    The research Ellen does is curiosity-driven, and she is motivated by the opportunities she has to explore her curiosity to better understand the components of our world and our universe.

    What Got You Hooked on Science? (9:53)

    Curiosity was encouraged by Ellen’s father who was a machinist and had a deep love of popular science. She recalls her dad explaining to her when she was three years old why people got sick. He talked about bacteria and viruses, and she really wanted to see them. When her dad said Ellen couldn’t see them because they were too small, she was so dismayed that she even had a dream about microbes that night. Ellen’s father also kept a collection of science fiction magazines in their attic, and she would sit up in the unfinished attic for hours reading through the science column of the magazines. One issue with an astronomy article was especially memorable because it was the first time she really appreciated how the regularity of the universe and the physical laws that govern it allow scientists to make impressively accurate predictions about what will occur in the future.

    The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (24:18)

    A career in science is full of small failures. Most of the things Ellen has tried to do and the ideas she has been interested in pursuing didn’t work out. She has filled her recycling bin up many times with failed science, but this is part of the job. She has learned that no question is stupid and all ideas are worth paying attention to, even if they turn out to be wrong. The ideas she comes up with in the middle of the night or on airplanes tend to be less fruitful than those that develop in her mind while out running.

    A Shining Success! (25:51)

    One of her previous postdoctoral fellows had studied magnetic fields inside the sun before joining her research group. He used a detailed computer program in his studies that was written long before his time. They decided to apply this computer program to a new experiment they were starting to study magnetic fields. As they began removing elements of the program that were specific to stars and updating them to work for plasma, the behavior of the computer program became stranger and stranger. After detailed review, they discovered contradictions in some of the equations in the computer program, and they managed to fix it. The postdoc was then able to bring this issue to the attention of his former lab as well as deliver a good solution.

    Book Recommendations (27:35)

    The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel

    Most Treasured Travel (28:49)

    The Center for Physics in Trieste, Italy is a place where people from developing countries can go to work on physics. Ellen traveled there a few years ago for a conference, and she was impressed by the diversity in the physicists that she saw and met there. In the cafeteria, there was a wide array of spicy condiments from all over the world as well to cater to the global community that was there. Visiting Trieste for this conference was also meaningful for Ellen because her grandfather was born there, and it was the first time she visited that part of Italy.

    Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (31:38)

    Scientists are multifaceted. In addition to research and the other hobbies she mentioned previously, Ellen really enjoys classical music. Many of her colleagues in astronomy and physics share this interest in classical music as well. In comparing her experiences attending conferences with other astronomers and physicists to her husband’s conferences with his fellow philosophers, they discovered that the philosophers they knew tended to be adventurous and try lots of different restaurants, while the astronomers and physicists tended to pick a place the first night and keep going back for the rest of the conference.

    Advice For Us All (35:27)

    Live your dream. Very few women became scientists when Ellen was going through her career path, and this is still a problem today. Don’t listen to people who tell you you can’t do something. Learn as much as you can, satisfy your curiosity, don’t expect it to be easy, but don’t accept the idea that it’s not possible because of who you are. Also, eat right, get plenty of exercise, and keep your sense of humor.

    Guest Bio

    Ellen has a broad research program in plasma astrophysics. She studies astrophysical phenomena and plasmas physics of the sun, stars, galaxies, and galaxy clusters. A substantial portion of Ellen’s recent research efforts have focused on cosmic rays. Cosmic rays are a type of high-energy radiation composed of atom fragments. These protons, electrons, and atomic nuclei can be detected both in space and on earth. Ellen is working to improve our understanding of cosmic rays and what they can do. When cosmic rays were first discovered, researchers weren’t sure whether they were high energy particles or high energy light. Projects in Ellen’s lab are currently examining differences in how cosmic rays and light act in the galaxy. In some ways, cosmic rays behave similar to light, and in some ways they behave very differently. For example, cosmic rays respond to the magnetic fields of a galaxy while light does not. Ellen is exploring the consequences of these similarities and differences in how cosmic rays behave. She is a founding member and former director of the Center of Magnetic Self-Organization of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and of the Department of Energy (DOE).

     

    *This episode was originally released on January 15, 2018.

    The post 745: Dr. Ellen Zweibel: Astrophysicist Radiating Enthusiasm for Research on Plasma Physics and Cosmic Rays appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.

    39 min

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