People Behind the Science Podcast

By Dr. Marie McNeelyScience

People Behind the Science Podcast episodes

June 26, 2023 714: Dr. Christy Haynes: Tiny Technology with Big Impacts: Nanoparticles for Medicine, Energy, and the Environment
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Dr. Christy Haynes is the Elmore H. Northey Professor of Chemistry at the University of Minnesota. She completed her undergraduate studies in Chemistry at Macalester College and received her MS and PhD in Chemistry from Northwestern University. Next, Christy was awarded a National Institutes of Health National Research Service Award Post-Doctoral Fellowship to conduct research at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She joined the faculty at the University of Minnesota in 2005. Christy has received many awards and honors for her research, including the Sara Evans Faculty Woman Scholar/Leader Award, the Taylor Award for Distinguished Research from the University of Minnesota, the Kavli Foundation Emerging Leader in Chemistry Lectureship, the Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award, the Joseph Black Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry, an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, the Arthur F. Findeis Award for Achievements by a Young Analytical Scientist from the American Chemical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry, the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry Young Investigator Award, the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, the NIH New Innovator Award, the NSF CAREER Award, and the Victor K. LaMer Award from the American Chemical Society Division of Colloid and Surface Science. In addition, Christy has been recognized for her excellence in mentoring through receipt of the Advising and Mentoring Award and the Outstanding Postdoctoral Mentor Award both from the University of Minnesota. She has also been listed among the Top 100 Inspiring Women in STEM from Insight into Diversity magazine, the Analytical Scientist‘s “Top 40 Under 40” Power List, and one of the “Brilliant 10” chosen by Popular Science magazine. In this interview, Christy shares more about her journey through life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (3:13)
When she’s not at work, Christy loves to go for a run around the lakes of Minneapolis and spend time with her spouse and two kids. Her son has an analytic mind and is interested in competitive sports, while her daughter enjoys art and music.
The Scientific Side (4:19)
In Christy’s research group, they are working to develop new methods to monitor small quantities of important chemicals in complex environments. Their research also aims to develop new, safe nanomaterials for applications in human health and sustainable energy.
A Dose of Motivation (5:44)
“Prove them right.”
What Got You Hooked on Science? (8:13)
Growing up, Christy didn’t know any scientists, didn’t spend her time in scientific pursuits, and didn’t have any intention to become a scientist. However, she was a hard-working student who did well in school. On her first day of high school chemistry, Christy’s teacher did a demonstration with a big combustion reaction, and this left Christy terrified. The second day, things went much better. They watched a video on chemistry careers, and she remembers seeing a woman in a hazmat suit wading through toxic waste to collect samples to analyze in the lab. Christy was delighted to see that chemistry could help the environment and lead to a job. She decided to major in chemistry in college, and while there, Christy learned about graduate school. Once Christy discovered she wouldn’t have to take out more student loans to go to graduate school, and that she would actually be paid for pursuing her interests, she was sold.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (23:45)
Being a faculty member is about generating good ideas, but also working well with the people in your group. Her biggest struggle involved a student who had a sudden transition from being bright, productive, and hard-working to being difficult, unproductive, and intimidating. Christy tried to mentor the student out of their new mental state and sought help from other resources at the university. This situation took a big emotional toll on Christy and her research group, but everyone really came together to support each other.
A Shining Success! (28:35)
Very recently, Christy and her colleagues published a collaborative study in the prestigious journal Science Translational Medicine. This work involved nanoparticles they have developed that make it possible to successfully freeze and uniformly re-warm tissue without damaging the tissue. This has important implications for organ donations, and they have been getting a lot of attention from the press to share the story of their exciting discovery.
Book Recommendations (33:53)
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond, The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Most Treasured Travel (35:39)
In 2010, Christy traveled to Italy for a scientific conference. Her spouse joined her for a wonderful week exploring Tuscany, Florence, and Cinque Terre together before the conference. After they parted ways, she was excited to immerse herself in the conference events free of jet lag. The food, down time with her husband, and the science were all amazing! Christy also talks with us about the first scientific conference she ever attended which was held in China. This was her first trip outside the U.S., and Christy was enchanted both by the culture and the communication of science at the conference. A final turning point travel experience Christy mentions was a trip to Budapest where, for the first time, she wasn’t nervous presenting her research to an audience. This was the first time Christy really felt like an expert in her field, and she decided on this trip that she would apply for faculty positions.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (38:13)
Christy’s research group attends the Minnesota State Fair together every year. They have participated in a variety of different competitions in the fair over the years, including making a vegetable car, milking cows, and eating cottage cheese. It’s quirky and a lot of fun. Another fantastic tradition has been an annual pie-baking contest at the end of summer. The contest includes blind tasting and scoring, and Christy has yet to emerge victorious.
Advice For Us All (42:13)
As a faculty member, you get invited to do a lot of wonderful things. It’s okay to say no to some of these opportunities if you can’t realistically fit them into your life. Chances are, you’ll be asked to do more great things in the future. In addition, everyone who finishes an M.S. or Ph.D. is an expert in a particular research topic. However, what distinguishes you from your competitors in the job market will often be the many other skills you pick up along the way, including communication, mentoring, and management. Make sure to hone these skills as well.
Guest Bio
Christy and her research group members focus on applications of analytical chemistry in the fields of immunology and toxicology, with much expertise in the area of single cell analysis. One major area of interest is nanotoxicology – an emerging field investigating the biological and ecological impacts of engineered nanomaterials. Another major focus in Christy’s group is on studying fundamental properties of cells involved in inflammation. In fact, Christy and her colleagues have performed the first ever real-time single blood platelet measurements, examining the chemical messenger molecules that platelets secrete upon stimulation. While most of Christy’s research in the lab employs electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques, the group is always exploring new and exciting technologies to answer pressing bioanalytical questions.

*This episode was originally published on April 3, 2017.
The post 714: Dr. Christy Haynes: Tiny Technology with Big Impacts: Nanoparticles for Medicine, Energy, and the Environment appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
48 min
June 19, 2023 713: Dr. David Liu: Combining Chemistry and Biology to Develop New Research Tools and Therapeutics
Photo credit: Juliana Sohn
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Dr. David R. Liu is the Richard Merkin Professor and Director of the Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, vice-chair of the faculty at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences at Harvard University, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator. In addition, he is the founder or co-founder of several biotechnology and therapeutics companies, including Beam Therapeutics, Prime Medicine, Editas Medicine, Pairwise Plants, Exo Therapeutics, Chroma Medicine, Resonance Medicine, and Nvelop Therapeutics. He completed his undergraduate education at Harvard College, majoring in chemistry. He was awarded his PhD in organic chemistry from UC Berkeley, and he joined the faculty at Harvard University afterwards. He has been an HHMI investigator since 2005. Over the course of his career, David has received numerous awards and accolades, including being named the 2022 King Faisal Prize Laureate in Medicine and receipt of the Ronald Breslow Award for Biomimetic Chemistry, the American Chemical Society David Perlman Award, ACS Chemical Biology Award, the American Chemical Society Pure Chemistry Award, the Arthur Cope Young Scholar Award, and other prestigious awards for his research and teaching. In 2016 and 2020, he was named one of the Top 20 Translational Researchers in the world by Nature Biotechnology, and he was named one of Nature’s 10 researchers in 2022. In addition, he is an elected Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In this interview, David shares more about his life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (3:37)
Outside of science, David’s hobbies include photography, making wooden vessels using a wood lathe, growing bonsai trees, and exploring electronic art and other homemade art projects. He enjoys blending creativity and intellectual pursuits to create something surprising and beautiful.
The Scientific Side (5:02)
David’s research integrates components of biological evolution with chemistry to enable the development of new types of therapeutics and to better study biology. Through chemistry, they can change the structure of a molecule in order to change its function in anticipated ways. They also harness the power of cycles of natural selection to evolve molecules with desired tailor-made properties.
A Dose of Motivation (6:27)
Follow your curiosity. Doing this will help you produce your best work because you will be passionate about solving the mystery you are pursuing, and it won’t feel like work.
What Got You Hooked on Science? (8:01)
While his mother was a physicist and his father was an engineer, David’s parents gave him the freedom to explore the world and discover what he was most curious about. Early in his childhood, David developed an interest in the natural world, how biology worked, and how living things came to be. He had phenomenal teachers and mentors along the way, and as a high school student, he received an award for a science fair project that allowed him to attend the 1990 Nobel Prize Ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden. That year, the Nobel Laureate in Chemistry was Harvard University Professor E. J. Corey. The whole experience was inspiring for David, and he had an opportunity to ask Dr. Corey questions after hearing his Nobel lecture. David was enrolled at Harvard at the time, and when he returned from Stockholm, David asked Dr. Corey if he could do research in his lab. Being immersed in research and learning from the graduate students and postdocs in the lab was really valuable for David as an undergraduate, and it set him on the path to becoming an independent researcher himself.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (21:51)
Failure is common when you are doing ambitious science. In his first few years as a faculty member, David had a lot of uncertainty about whether he was going to succeed and whether any of his research projects would work out. His insecurities continued to grow over the course of those first three years, and it got to a point where he had convinced himself that he was going to fail. David even made a Powerpoint slide deck to present to his department chair detailing why he believed he was going to fail and the actions he could take to minimize embarrassment for the department and the university. The imposter syndrome was almost overwhelming. During that third year, however, things started to turn around. David started getting good results in the lab, he was able to publish some papers he was really excited about, he secured funding for his work, he recruited amazing students, and things started to look promising. Ultimately, David ended up not needing to present those Powerpoint slides, and it has been an honor and a joy for him to work with so many talented trainees and colleagues over the years.
A Shining Success! (26:46)
One major success from David’s lab was the development of prime editing, a versatile precision genome editing method that directly writes new genetic information into DNA at a desired location. A talented postdoc named Dr. Andrew Anzalone was instrumental in developing and executing this exciting project. When Andrew described the first iteration of the project to David during his postdoc interview, David was intrigued, but he recognized there was a lot of uncertainty, and a lot of things would have to go right for the project to succeed. That said, the potential impacts of this work were tremendous. Andrew joined the lab, and the project began. The pieces fell into place and each of the problems they faced were resolved faster than David thought possible. After only one year and eight days, they were submitting the paper with their results to the journal Nature for publication. This method of genome editing is now being used as a research tool around the world, and it has served as a basis for the development of new therapeutics that may be delivered to patients within the next year or so to treat genetic diseases.
Book Recommendations (32:29)
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Most Treasured Travel (33:20)
David has traveled to hundreds of places over the course of his scientific career, and these travel opportunities dovetail nicely with his interest in photography. In some cases, he has been able to plan visits to places to capture particularly beautiful moments in his photos. For example, David visited Oregon Health & Science University in Portland during the peak of the change in fall foliage. This allowed him to capture incredible photos of the immaculately manicured trees at the Portland Japanese Garden.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (35:34)
Being creative comes naturally to David, both within and outside of his science. During the pandemic, he taught himself how to weld, and he has used these new welding skills in a variety of art projects. There were some minor mishaps along the way (namely catching his clothes on fire multiple times), but one of the remarkable pieces he created is a sculpture of floating islands holding bonsai trees. Each island is supported by a chain with links welded together so that it looks like the chain is draping gracefully down from the island. You can see some photos and videos on David’s Twitter feed.
Advice For Us All (41:31)
Find out what stimulates your curiosity more than anything else in the world, and then devote your life to satisfying that curiosity. Also, we can spend a lot of effort trying to be who we think other people want us to be, or who we think we should be but we know deep down we aren’t. You can achieve a more peaceful and productive life if you know who you are and stay within yourself. Finally, don’t worry about things that you genuinely have no control over. There are many things in life and science that you can’t control, and by not worrying about those things, you can better focus your effort and energy on things that you can change.
Guest Bio
David’s research integrates chemistry and evolution to illuminate biology and enable next-generation therapeutics. His major research interests include the engineering, evolution, and in vivo delivery of genome editing proteins such as base editors and prime editors to study and treat genetic diseases; the evolution of proteins with novel therapeutic potential using phage-assisted continuous evolution (PACE); and the discovery of bioactive synthetic small molecules and synthetic polymers using DNA-templated organic synthesis and DNA-encoded libraries. Four examples of technologies pioneered in his laboratory are: 1) base editing (the first general method to perform precision gene editing without double-stranded breaks, and a Science 2017 Breakthrough of the Year finalist), 2) prime editing, 3) PACE, and 4) DNA-templated synthesis. These technologies are used by thousands of labs around the world and have enabled the study and potential treatment of many genetic diseases. Four base editing clinical trials are already underway to treat leukemia, hypercholesterolemia, sickle-cell disease, and beta-thalassemia, and the first clinical benefit of a base edited therapeutic in a T-cell leukemia trial has been reported. David has published more than 240 papers and is the inventor on more than 90 issued U.S. patents. Outside of the lab, David pursues a variety of hobbies at the intersection of science and art, including photography around the word, raising large bonsai trees indoors under LED light canopies he designed, creating art from wood, metal, stone, and/or electronic components, and painting.

Support for this episode of People Behind the Science was provided by Innovative Research, Inc.
The post 713: Dr. David Liu: Combining Chemistry and Biology to Develop New Research Tools and Therapeutics appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
46 min
June 12, 2023 712: Dr. Lynne Maquat: Understanding Cellular and Molecular Pathways that Contribute to Human Disease
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Dr. Lynne Maquat is the J. Lowell Orbison Endowed Chair and Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics in the School of Medicine and Dentistry, Director of the Center for RNA Biology, and Chair of Graduate Women in Science at the University of Rochester. She received her BA in Biology from the University of Connecticut and her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lynne conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and she worked as a faculty member at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute for 19 years before joining the faculty at the University of Rochester. Lynne has received numerous awards and honors during her career, including the International RNA Society Lifetime Achievement in Science Award, the Canada Gairdner International Award, the William Rose Award from the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Athena Award from the Women’s Council of the Rochester Business Alliance, a MERIT Award from the NIH, the Presidential Diversity Award from the University of Rochester, the RNA Society Lifetime Achievement Award in Service, and many others. She was also named a Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Batcheva de Rothschild Fellow of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Lynne discusses her experiences in life and science with us in this interview.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:53)
Lynne has a Labrador retriever whom she loves taking on walks through the lovely parks and woods in Rochester, New York. She also enjoys exercising through yoga, lifting weights, and doing cardio.
The Scientific Side (4:03)
Research in Lynne’s lab focuses on human diseases and what causes diseases in our cells. She is working to understand how cells function normally, determine what causes diseases, and develop treatments for diseases. In particular, she has been studying a process in cells that causes about one third of all inherited diseases, like cystic fibrosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, as well as one third of all acquired diseases, including cancer.
A Dose of Motivation (5:14)
If you really believe in what you are doing, it makes it easier to do it.
What Got You Hooked on Science? (10:39)
Growing up in the country in Connecticut, Lynne was fascinated by nature. As a kid, she knew the names of all the native birds and plants, but she wasn’t necessarily committed to science then. Lynne was fluent in Spanish, she was good at writing and English, and she loved math as well. She was the first person in her family to go to a four year college, and she didn’t know much at the time about careers in research. During her sophomore year, Lynne worked up the courage to ask her professor if she could do research in his cell biology lab. He said yes, and she was thrilled to spend the summer learning more about what goes on in cells when proteins are made.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (19:10)
Lynne’s lab is financially supported through taxpayer dollars via funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The process of getting grants, including writing the proposals, justifying all aspects of the projects she would like to do, conveying the work they have done, projecting the science they will do, and undergoing peer review, is very rigorous and challenging. Unfortunately, the budgets for the NIH aren’t as large as they used to be, so it is becoming more and more difficult to get funding. To be competitive for grants, scientists also need to publish numerous scientific papers, each of which can take years to complete. Lynne is proud to report that her work has been continuously funded, and for the past 25 years, she has held at least two simultaneous NIH grants. For Lynne, perseverance is one of the keys for success.
A Shining Success! (23:45)
Lynne’s research group has discovered many interesting things that people hadn’t anticipated. It has been traditional practice in research to study one small thing that a cell does in isolation, but by working within living cells and doing the kinds of experiments that Lynne has done, they realized that things happening in other parts of the cell may impact the one small thing you are interested in studying. How things work in a vacuum isn’t necessarily how they work in real life. For instance, they discovered that there are some important monitoring and quality control processes within cells that can fix problems that may occur in the first step of an important pathway. Though it was initially difficult for Lynne to convince her colleagues of the validity of her findings, other groups have now independently confirmed and expanded upon their discoveries.
Book Recommendations (28:12)
The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Most Treasured Travel (29:17)
Lynne is an enthusiastic adventure traveler whose journeys have taken her across the globe, and she is looking forward to an upcoming trip this fall to Sri Lanka. In addition, every other year, Lynne teaches students from underprivileged countries and countries with developing scientific programs as part of the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Trieste, Italy. This experience is especially rewarding because some of the students keep in contact after the workshop. Lynne has helped students by mentoring them, connecting them with training programs, getting them to attend conferences, and serving on their thesis committees. She enjoys being able to follow their careers. Beyond, the wonderful interactions with students, Lynne adores Italy. Her favorite clothing designer is Italian, the food is delicious, and the people are outstanding.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (33:31)
When Lynne was a graduate student, they used to have a quote board in the lab. Any funny phrases or sentences would be taken out of context and put up on the quote board. In Lynne’s lab now, they still use a darkroom to develop images of their work using x-ray film. A while ago, one of her graduate students spent a long time exposing his experiment to what he thought was x-ray film, but it was really the pieces of cardboard that come on either side of the x-ray film. When he dipped the cardboard into one of the developing solutions, it completely disintegrated. The student revealed the story to Lynne when he presented in lab meeting. A lot of the learning experiences of scientists have funny stories that go along with them.
Advice For Us All (38:47)
Not every day is going to be great and there will be many challenges, regardless of the career you choose. Use your time wisely, be perseverant, push yourself beyond your limits, and if you believe in something, do it in spite of your fears. Be sure to understand your weaknesses and compensate for them, as well as know your strengths and utilize them.
Guest Bio
After obtaining her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and undertaking post-doctoral work at the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, she joined Roswell Park Cancer Institute before moving to the University of Rochester. Through her studies of human diseases, Professor Maquat discovered nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) in 1981, a quality-control mechanism that eliminates potentially deleterious RNA molecules. Her laboratory has worked out how our cells recognize potentially deleterious RNAs, which are produced all of the time by mistake in normal cells. Subsequent studies have focused on other types of disease-associated RNAs, including two types of regulatory RNAs: long non-coding RNAs and very short regulatory RNAs called microRNAs.

*This episode was originally released on August 21, 2017.
The post 712: Dr. Lynne Maquat: Understanding Cellular and Molecular Pathways that Contribute to Human Disease appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
43 min
June 05, 2023 711: Dr. Blake Meyers: Researching RNA Regulation of Reproduction in Plants
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Dr. Blake Meyers is a Member Principal Investigator at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and a Professor in the Division of Plant Sciences at the University of Missouri. He received a B.A. in Biology from the University of Chicago, and went on to receive his MS and PhD in Genetics from the University of California, Davis. Afterwards, Blake completed postdoctoral fellowships at Dupont Genomics and at the University of California, Davis. Before accepting his current positions, Blake was the Edward F. and Elizabeth Goodman Rosenberg Professor and Chair of the Department Plant and Soil Sciences of the University of Delaware. Blake 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 (02:12)
When he’s not conducting research in the lab, Blake loves to travel both for work and for fun. Blake strives to balance his family life with his science, and he also enjoys reading cookbooks and experimenting in the kitchen at home.
The Scientific Side (03:24)
The focus of Blake’s research is on small RNAs in plants. His lab studies how RNAs are used to regulate the complex machinery of cells, particularly in the context of plant reproductive biology.
A Dose of Motivation (07:05)
“You snooze, you lose.”
“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% percent perspiration.” by Thomas Edison
What Got You Hooked on Science? (11:38)
Blake grew up in an academic family, so he was interested in becoming a professor from a young age. He spent a lot of his time outside, and his choice to pursue science was a departure from his family’s background in the humanities. After taking a biology class his freshman year of college, Blake began to think science might be a good fit for him. During his sophomore year, he became more interested in agriculture and discovered his passion for plants.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (24:33)
Blake’s lab has characterized unusual pathways for production of RNA in plant reproductive organs (the anthers). They discovered there were rapid and extreme bursts of RNA production (especially small RNAs), whose functions were still unknown. This work was really challenging to get published. He and his colleagues thought the project was novel and exciting, but the reviewers and editors of journals were not as impressed. Blake spent a year submitting the paper, getting rejected, making changes, and re-submitting. Eventually everyone’s hard work paid off, but it was a long process.
A Shining Success! (27:49)
Getting the paper on small RNAs in plants published was a huge success. They used different genetic mutants and microscopy techniques to provide a spatiotemporal map of small RNAs to show where and when these were produced. Current projects in Blake’s laboratory are continuing to build off this work now.
Book Recommendations (31:59)
George Beadle, An Uncommon Farmer: The emergence of genetics in the 20th Century by Paul Berg and Maxine Singer, Tuxedo Park by Jennet Conant
Most Treasured Travel (29:48)
New Zealand was Blake’s all-time favorite travel destination. He went there about 10 years ago for a conference, and his wife was able to travel with him. They took a vacation afterwards, visiting the North and South Islands. Blake was blown away by the incredible geography of the country. He saw breathtaking coasts, pristine forests, volcanic regions, and lakes. His stay in the town of Rotorua was one of the major highlights of the trip.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (34:01)
Blake maintains a supportive and fun atmosphere in his lab. The lab is very culturally diverse, and it has been fun to share different things that are unique to each person’s own cultures. One thing that blake has enjoyed is teaching international students the quirks and weird expressions in our language.
Advice For Us All (39:00)
Careers in science are exciting and rewarding, and it’s important to stick with it even during the tough times.
Plants are sometimes underappreciated, but they are critical to our survival. There are so many exciting unanswered questions in plant research.
Guest Bio
Blake’s work focuses on genome-scale studies of RNA and components of RNA silencing pathways, with a recent emphasis on plant reproductive biology and the evolution of plant small RNAs. Blake has been involved with next-generation DNA sequencing since its earliest days, and he has developed a number of applications of this technology, including computational methods, that have had a deep impact on plant genomics.

*This episode was originally released on April 4, 2016.
The post 711: Dr. Blake Meyers: Researching RNA Regulation of Reproduction in Plants appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
43 min
May 29, 2023 710: Dr. Jennifer Wilcox: Investigating Carbon Capture Solutions from Cars to Coal-Fired Power Plants
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Dr. Jennifer Wilcox is an Associate Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines and an Investigator within the Clean Energy Conversions Laboratory there. She received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Wellesley College and her PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona. She served on the faculty at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and at Stanford University before joining the faculty at the Colorado School of Mines. Jen has received numerous awards and honors, including an Army Research Office Young Investigator Award, an American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund Young Investigator Award, and an NSF CAREER Award. She also was awarded the Stern Award for Distinguished Paper from the Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association. Jen is with us today to tell us all about her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:22)
Jen keeps busy spending time with her family including her husband and three year old daughter. She also loves being active outdoors through hiking, running, and bicycling.
The Scientific Side (3:08)
The research in Jen’s group focuses on carbon capture and trace metal pollution. On the carbon capture side, she tries to better understand and reduce CO2 emissions from coal and gas-fired power plants. In terms of trace metals, the most common source of trace metals like mercury in the fish we eat is burning coal in coal-fired power plants. Jen’s research examines how to capture trace metals and reduce their emission into the environment.
A Dose of Motivation (5:26)
“The force that through the green fuse drives the flower
Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees
Is my destroyer.
And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose
My youth is bent by the same wintry fever.” – Dylan Thomas
What Got You Hooked on Science? (12:25)
Jen spent her childhood in a rural area in Maine, and she was fascinated by the natural world. Her grandfather bought her a microscope early on, and Jen found examining the many samples she collected from a nearby stream absolutely enthralling. She wanted to absorb all the information she could on insects, rocks, plants, and the human body. For Jen, knowledge was power and independence. In college, Jen majored in math and was also on the pre-med track. Towards the end of her time there, Jen realized that pursuing a PhD was a better fit for her goals, so she decided to go to graduate school for mathematics.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (29:01)
It was a challenge going from her undergraduate studies at a women’s college to graduate school at the University of Oregon where she was the only woman in her program. Portland was also very rainy, and she just wasn’t happy in her program. Jen tried to make it work because she didn’t want to give up, but it just wasn’t working out. One of Jen’s friends suggested she should move out to Tucson with them, and Jen decided to go. She started off waiting tables there for about six months to a year while she sorted out what to do next. After conversations with faculty members at the University of Arizona, Jen decided to pursue their PhD program in chemical engineering. This field was a perfect fit.
A Shining Success! (32:51)
Jen is really excited about some of the outreach opportunities she has had. One example is her participation in a group through The National Academy of Sciences where they are writing a report to determine the research areas and needs for carbon dioxide removal methods. The report is geared towards policy makers and the public. Once they complete the report, they can communicate it to government and non-government organizations to get funding allocated to allow scientists to do this work. Jen has also had the opportunity to be a part of The Oppenheimer’s Leadership Program for Energy and Science. There is a cohort of 14 people who will travel over the course of a year to all of the national labs to learn how they are run, managed, and operated. The group then provides recommendations on how to improve these national labs. Through this process, Jen has been learning a lot about the national labs and their history.
Book Recommendations (6:35)
The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler by Thomas Hagar
Most Treasured Travel (42:20)
Jen’s parents moved to Italy a few years ago, and Jen was recently asked to chair a conference on carbon dioxide removal. She decided to hold the conference in Italy because it was a relatively central location for the international attendees, and it was good to choose a location outside of the U.S. because this is a global issue. The conference was in May in Calabria in Southern Italy. About 70 scientists from around the world stayed in a hotel situated on a 400 foot cliff above the ocean, enjoyed fantastic farm to table food, and had a wonderful and productive time. It was great to be removed from their everyday busy lives so they could focus and do their best to make progress in their field.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (45:50)
An ongoing joke in Jen’s lab has been that they needed to modify the lab to install trundle beds because all of the students work so hard. If they did this, they could just take a quick nap and then get back to work. Another quirk in Jen’s lab is that no matter where you are in the lab, there is a periodic table in view. She has been obsessed with the periodic table since she was a kid, so there is always a periodic table nearby.
Advice For Us All (50:18)
Recognize the importance of mentorship. No matter what your career stage, find someone you want to emulate, and learn as much as you can from them. Also, sometimes you have to make your own opportunities. If you need something, figure out a way to get it. You may have to think outside of the box to get there, but if you want it bad enough, you can make it happen. It is important to remember that no single individual effort is meaningless. It might have a much greater impact than you realize.
Guest Bio
Jen has received multiple early investigator awards to study topics associated with clean energy conversions. Within her research group now, Jen focuses on trace metal and CO2 capture. Her research involves the coupling of theory to experiment to test newly designed materials for sorbent or catalytic potential. She has served on a number of committees including the National Academy of Sciences and the American Physical Society to assess CO2 capture methods and impacts on climate. She is also the author of the first textbook on Carbon Capture, published in March 2012.

*This episode was originally published July 17, 2017.
The post 710: Dr. Jennifer Wilcox: Investigating Carbon Capture Solutions from Cars to Coal-Fired Power Plants appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
54 min
May 22, 2023 709: Dr. Tim Buschman: Examining How the Brain Controls Our Thoughts and Actions to Reach Our Goals
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Dr. Tim Buschman is Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Princeton University. He received his B.S. in Biology from the California Institute of Technology, and Tim was then awarded a Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) to conduct research at the National Institute of Mental Health’s Laboratory of Neurophysiology. Next, he completed his PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Tim remained there to conduct postdoctoral research before joining the faculty at Princeton University. He was awarded the NIH Director’s “New Innovator” Award in 2014, and he holds multiple patents related to his research. In our interview, Tim shares more about his life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:38)
When he’s not in the lab, Tim enjoys spending time outdoors with his family. In particular, they have been doing a lot of hiking, and Tim finds it a great activity for stimulating thoughts and drawing out his creativity.
The Scientific Side (4:05)
Tim studies cognitive control, a process in the brain that allows you to control your own thoughts and actions toward achieving your goals. There are a lot of factors that can influence cognitive control that must be integrated to direct your behavior. He uses animal models to better understand aspects of cognitive control, and his work has relevant applications for improving machine learning and artificial intelligence as well as developing new treatments for neurological diseases that impact cognitive control.
A Dose of Motivation (6:28)
Something that Tim finds really inspiring is that in science, you could have an idea that nobody has ever had before. It is exciting to know that you can make a unique contribution that adds knowledge and value to the world. Tim was also passionate about baseball as a kid, and he was inspired by Cal Ripken Jr. Cal showed that perseverance, drive, and hard work were critical for achieving great things.
What Got You Hooked on Science? (12:06)
For as long as Tim can remember, he wanted to either be a professional baseball player or a scientist. Baseball didn’t work out for him, so he decided to pursue science. His mother is a chemical engineer and his dad is a physicist, so science was in his life from an early age. In high school, Tim had an opportunity to get involved with research studying red blood cell aging in an army research lab. He worked in the lab for three years, and this is where he first learned how to do science. In college, Tim first planned to study the genetics of cancer biology in a worm model. However, he really struggled with this research because it was difficult for him to handle and manipulate the worms because they were so tiny. After enrolling in a class on machine learning, he knew he found his niche. Tim wanted to combine biology and computer science, and he began working on neuroscience research in the lab of Christof Koch. Tim became fascinated with the brain, and he has continued doing neuroscience research ever since.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (25:34)
Despite starting his research career early in high school, Tim didn’t write his first academic research paper until graduate school. When the time came, he was so excited because he was finally going to publish his first paper, and he thought the results from his study were interesting. Thinking about his inspiration for the study, there were a handful of more senior researchers in the field who Tim was sure would be impressed by the paper. The paper was rejected at the first journal they submitted to, but then it was published in the second journal. It seemed like the paper was generally well-received, but later he saw a letter to the editor came out written by one of the people he thought was going to really like the paper. They provided harsh criticism of Tim and his work, and he felt really deflated. At the same time, Tim and his wife were ready to welcome their first son. He’ll never forget sitting in the hospital trying to respond to this letter in the breaks shortly after his son was delivered.
A Shining Success! (29:04)
Over the years, Tim has had a few thrilling “ah-ha” moments where the pieces fell into place, and they figured out home something works. In one of these cases, they had just collected data from mice listening to sequences of sounds in an effort to understand how the brain builds associations in sequences. To do this, the brain has to know what it is experiencing now (sensory input) and know what it has experienced in the past (information from memory) to establish the association. They wanted to know the mechanism by which this happens in the brain, and how current sensory input transitions into becoming a past memory. Looking at the data from this study, two types of neurons came to the forefront that explained how the brain is able to accomplish these tasks, and it was thrilling to put these pieces together to get a better understanding of how the brain works.
Book Recommendations (33:04)
Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson, What If books by Randall Munroe
Most Treasured Travel (34:41)
While Tim appreciates the wonderful opportunities he has had to travel for science, he is generally more of a homebody who prefers to be working in his own lab and staying at home. That said, some of the places he has enjoyed visiting most are places where there is a deep history of science. So much of science involves building on the discoveries of other researchers who came before you, so being able to walk around places like the University of Oxford is remarkable. There is so much history, and it is amazing to think about all of the renowned scientists who have been there, and how he is also contributing a piece of scientific history through his work.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (36:09)
Some of Tim’s fondest memories from graduate school are from playing softball with fellow scientists. Since there were a lot of novices, they had to start with the basics, and everyone was kind of bad at it. This lack of competition was refreshing because even in supportive lab environments, there is always some undercurrent of competition in science. In softball, the stakes were low, the bar was low, and everyone performed badly together. Their games also brought together a mix of graduate students, postdocs, and faculty, and there was no sense of hierarchy. Tim will never forget the day he accidentally knocked over Nobel Laureate Dr. Susumu Tonegawa while rounding first base after a base hit.
Advice For Us All (40:34)
Think about what your long-term goals are and what you want to achieve. Sometimes you may have to accept some things that aren’t fair so you can move on and focus on what’s most important. Be perseverant and have faith that you have a unique voice and your way of contributing to the world. Luck plays a role, but if you continue to work hard and do good work, you’ll be recognized for it, and good things will happen.
Guest Bio
Tim’s research aims to understand how the brain controls our thoughts and actions. At each moment in time, we are faced with a nearly infinite number of sensory inputs to process, thoughts to think, and actions to take. Cognitive control allows one to focus on those stimuli, thoughts, and actions that are important for achieving one’s goals. Tim uses a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches to understand the mechanisms by which the brain control cognition. Armed with this understanding, Tim hopes to better understand, and treat, the many neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases that impair cognitive control. Outside of work, Tim enjoys cooking and exploring the outside world with his family.

Support for this episode of People Behind the Science was provided by Innovative Research, Inc.
The post 709: Dr. Tim Buschman: Examining How the Brain Controls Our Thoughts and Actions to Reach Our Goals appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
44 min
May 15, 2023 708: Dr. Charles Hohenberg: Tales of Ion Detection: The Making of a Mass Spectrometry Mastermind
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Dr. Charles Hohenberg is a Professor of Physics at Washington University in St. Louis. He received his PhD in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley and has been on the faculty at Washington University since 1970. Charles has received many awards and honors during his career, including election as Fellow of the Meteoritical Society and a Fellow of the St. Louis Academy of Science. He has been awarded the NASA Principal Investigators Award, the NASA Exceptional Achievement Award, and recently the James B. Eads Award honoring engineering or technology from the St. Louis Academy of Science. Charles 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
Charles has always been a tinkerer, and he often spends his free time working on various projects around the house. For example, one of Charles’ hobbies is woodworking. He built his own kitchen table and several other pieces of furniture.
The Scientific Side
In the lab, Charles does mass spectrometry of noble gases like Krypton and Xenon. He designed and built his own mass spectrometer which is one of the best in the world. With this instrument, Charles measures noble gas isotope ratios in various sources. A major focus is studying meteorite samples to understand early solar system processes.
A Dose of Motivation
A main motivating factor for Charles is curiosity. He is motivated to try to understand how the universe came to be and how there can be so much order in a seemingly chaotic universe.
What Got You Hooked on Science?
As a kid growing up in Alabama, Charles and his friends liked to build things. They built a ramjet engine once in his backyard, and Charles also made some enhancements to the family car so it generated blue flames out of the exhaust when he was on the highway. He started off studying engineering in college, but ended up becoming enthralled with physics along the way.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges
When Charles started as a faculty member, he remembers teaching his first astrophysics course. At that time he and his colleagues thought they knew most of what there was to know about the universe. Since then, researchers have discovered dark matter and dark energy which make up the majority of the universe. This inspired a lot of scientific humility and made everyone in his field realize that they didn’t know as much as they had thought.
A Shining Success!
Charles worked on the NASA Genesis Mission which was launched to study solar wind. They were looking forward to the return of the space craft and were horrified when it crash-landed in the Utah desert after its parachute failed to deploy. It was a relief and a great victory that nearly all of the data for the mission’s scientific objectives was recovered and they have used this data to understand more about the solar system.
Book Recommendations
The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes
Most Treasured Travel
A favorite travel memory for Charles is a Meteoritical Society meeting that was held in Rome in 2001. He took two weeks off and they rented a house in Tuscany and enjoyed a wonderful vacation afterwards. The different communities, food, and wine were superb.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories
In graduate school, Charles and his labmates had to handmake all their own glassware, and the pieces were really fragile. They were constantly concerned about the safety of their precious glassware, particularly around a certain clumsy lab member. The accidental destruction of glassware by this individual resulted in the creation of an award in his name (made of colorful blown glass) that was passed around every time someone did something wrong or clumsy in the lab.
Advice For Us All
We are observers on this journey, and it is important to enjoy the journey and not worry about the destination.
Guest Bio
In 1974, Charles designed and built a unique noble gas mass spectrometer, achieving what continues to be the most sensitive magnetic sector instrument in the world, one capable of single atom detection and of analyzing the isotopic structures of micro-samples of noble gases. The instrument, the heart of his world-famous lab, allows Charles, his colleagues and students to achieve a better understanding of early solar system chronology, to put a strict upper limit to the neutrino rest mass, to determine the working details of a natural nuclear reactor that operated 2 billion years ago in Africa, to decipher irradiation records of meteorites and lunar soils, to discover “anomalous adsorption” and active capture of noble gases in nature, to analyze tiny particles from a comet nucleus and the noble gases from the solar wind. His work was the first to reveal the early “T-Tauri” phase of our own Sun in its journey toward the “Main Sequence” of stars. His lab developed and refined the I-Xe chronometer which uses the 129Xe daughter of now-extinct 129I as the clockwork to trace formation and evolution of the early solar system. His use of Kr-Kr cosmic-ray dating provided the ages of many lunar craters and other features. He was one of the key science team members on numerous NASA missions, world-renowned scientists have flowed into his research lab and his PhD students have taken key roles at Universities and National Labs, yet Dr. Hohenberg views science in the way an art student might view art while strolling through a museum. Science describes the complexities of nature, and it does so with increasing clarity. Every stroke of the artist’s brush may well be well understood and, although the art student himself is no Rembrandt, he can now more fully appreciate his work.

*This episode was originally released on June 19, 2015.
The post 708: Dr. Charles Hohenberg: Tales of Ion Detection: The Making of a Mass Spectrometry Mastermind appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
45 min
May 08, 2023 707: Dr. Diana Aga: Applying Analytical Chemistry Approaches to Better Understand Chemicals of Concern
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Dr. Diana Aga is the Henry M. Woodburn Chair and a State University of New York (SUNY) Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University at Buffalo. She also serves as the Director of RENEW (Research and Education in eNergy, Environment and Water) Institute at the University at Buffalo. Diana received a B.S. degree in agricultural chemistry from the University of the Philippines, Los Baños and her PhD in analytical chemistry from the University of Kansas. Afterwards, she conducted postdoctoral research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology. Diana worked on the faculty at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and then in industry at Bayer before joining the faculty at the University at Buffalo. She has received numerous awards for her research, teaching, and mentoring, including the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, the Koh Lectureship Award in Science from the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering, the Jacob F. Schoellkopf Medal of the Western New York Chapter of the American Chemical Society (ACS), a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Menzie Environmental Education Award from The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and the Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring Award from the University at Buffalo. Diana has also been named a Fulbright Fellow, an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Fellow, an ACS Fellow, and an ACS AGRO Fellow. In this interview, Diana shares more about her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:51)
When it’s warm outside, Diana enjoys biking and hiking, and when it’s cold she spends more time indoors watching movies. Cooking is another one of Diana’s hobbies, and she is particularly fond of making Filipino food, creatively reusing leftovers, and recreating restaurant favorites at home.
The Scientific Side (3:56)
Diana is an environmental chemist. She studies sustainable agriculture and pollutants such as the “forever chemicals” (Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS)) that we frequently encounter in our everyday lives.
A Dose of Motivation (5:20)
“You have to know the past to understand the present.” — Carl Sagan. Also, “You have to know the past to understand the future.”
What Got You Hooked on Science? (6:06, 10:16)
Diana’s parents were an important force in nurturing her curiosity, piquing her interest in teaching, and establishing her sense of the importance of working hard. She and her five siblings grew up in a poor, rural village in the Philippines. Her parents juggled multiple jobs to support their family, including being teachers, driving public vehicles on the weekends, and growing vegetables to sell in the local market. Seeing their efforts really inspired Diana and made her want to become a teacher too. In particular, her father was an agricultural scientist who taught kids how to grow crops for food and how to care for chickens and pigs. At the dinner table, he would quiz Diana and her siblings on the scientific names of all the plants they were eating. Diana really enjoyed her first chemistry classes, and she was able to work at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines during college. These experiences shaped her scientific interests in chemistry and agriculture, as did comparing the polluted rivers of the capital city of Manila with the pristine rivers she played in as a child. Diana chose to go to the U.S. to study environmental chemistry, and she continues to work in this research area today.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (25:19)
Some of the challenges that Diana has faced include the rejection of grants that she has worked really hard on, a particularly tough situation with an unpleasant collaborator, and struggles to keep her research going when instruments break in the lab. The instruments she works with are very expensive and specialized, and they are costly to repair when the instruments go down. There was a point in Diana’s career where her department stepped in to provide the support needed to fix the instruments, allowing her to maintain her research program when she didn’t have grant funding. This departmental bridge funding was critical for Diana and is something she was extremely grateful for.
A Shining Success! (29:44)
One of the first major successes of Diana’s career was getting her NSF CAREER Award when she was at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. This was a small school, and she was the first person at the University to receive a CAREER Award. Diana didn’t realize how big of a deal the grant was (or how rare it was to get the award on your first submission) until everyone was celebrating with her afterwards, including the Dean and the Chancellor. She poured her heart into writing that grant, and it gave her confidence that she could be successful in academia.
A recent success Diana is really proud of is an NSF Partnerships in International Research and Education (PIRE) grant that was funded last year. With this grant, they will travel to different environments around the world conducting research to inform the design of resilient buildings that will allow people to continue to live and operate, even in environments without power or clean water. This project addresses important issues related to climate change, and it will help to develop more climate-aware students.
Book Recommendations (34:18)
The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
Most Treasured Travel (35:28)
As a postdoc, Diana lived in Switzerland for two years, and it is still one of her favorite places to visit. It is a smaller country, and you can travel from one border to the opposite side by train in a day, but there are four official languages. It is remarkable to see the scenery change from the rolling landscape of the Swiss Plateau to the striking peaks of the Swiss Alps. The city of Lugano is especially breathtaking with its lakes, mountains, and castles.
Barcelona, Spain is another one of Diana’s favorite travel destinations. She goes there nearly every year to meet with collaborators and attend conferences. For her first trip in 2005, Diana was in Spain for three months with a student and her young daughter as part of an NSF grant. They were able to travel around Spain and really learn about the culture during this time. The experience was particularly memorable because the culture of Spain is similar to Filipino culture in many ways, so Diana really felt at home. The people were wonderful, the food was great, and the Sagrada Família was a sight not to be missed!
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (39:55)
Diana’s lab is usually home to about 10-15 students, and being a good mentor is very important to her. It has been a tradition for her to host lab parties at her house throughout the year, including an annual Halloween party. When it comes to costumes, the only rule is that guests can’t dress up as a scientist. It has been great to see how creative the students get with their costumes, and it’s always fun to indulge in karaoke and dancing after dinner.
Advice For Us All (46:37)
Don’t be afraid to mix pleasure with business. For Diana, one of the joys of her job is the travel. On these trips, she tries to plan some time to explore a new city, try local food, go to a show, or otherwise experience the culture. These experiences keep her inspired, give her a chance to get to know people better, and provide valuable opportunities to learn about other cultures.
Also, to enjoy your career, there are three requirements: 1) You should enjoy your work, 2) It should pay well enough to support you and what you like to do, and 3) It has to be legal. Follow what makes you happy, and don’t make money your only driving force.
Guest Bio
Diana’s research involves studying the fate, transport, effects, and treatment of Chemicals of Emerging Concerns and Persistent Organic Pollutants in the environment. She is an expert in developing trace analytical methods for organic contaminants and heavy metals in complex environmental matrices based on chromatography and mass spectrometry. She is very active in developing methods for non-target analysis of unknown contaminants in the environment, especially in identifying degradation products and novel forms of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “Forever Chemicals”. Her research includes evaluating the efficiencies of various advanced biological, physical, and chemical treatment processes in removing PFAS, pharmaceuticals, antimicrobials, and antibiotic resistance genes in municipal wastewater treatment plants, and in agroecosystems. She is involved in studies that assess bioaccumulation and toxicity of environmental contaminants in humans, fish, and wildlife. She served as Editor of the Journal of Hazardous Materials for 10 years, until December 2021. Diana recently received a Fulbright Global Scholar award to support her research visits at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto, Portugal) and at the University of the Philippines at Diliman (Manila, Philippines).

Support for this episode of People Behind the Science was provided by LAMPIRE Biological Laboratories.
The post 707: Dr. Diana Aga: Applying Analytical Chemistry Approaches to Better Understand Chemicals of Concern appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
54 min
May 01, 2023 706: Dr. Andrew Alleyne: Using Algorithms to Automate Decision-Making in Energy Management, Automobiles, and Manufacturing
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Dr. Andrew Alleyne is the Ralph and Catherine Fisher Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as the Director of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center on Power Optimization for Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS) headquartered there. Andrew grew up in Jamaica and came to the United States when he was in high school. He received his B.S. in Engineering degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University. He went on to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley where he was awarded his M.S. in Engineering and Ph.D. degrees. In 1994, Andrew joined the faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he remains today. Andrew has received many awards and honors throughout his career, including an NSF CAREER award, the Xerox Award for Faculty Research, a Fulbright Fellowship, and the SAE International Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award. In addition, Andrew was also named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and he has received their Gustus Larson Award, Charles Stark Draper Award for Innovative Practice, and Henry Paynter Outstanding Investigator Award. Andrew has joined us today to talk about his experiences in life and research.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:50)
Andrew’s interests have evolved over time. In his younger years, he used to play a lot of sports, especially basketball. Now, he spends much of his time with his wife and two teenage boys when he’s not at work. This translates to a lot of driving back and forth to soccer games, but also going on road trips and having fun together.
The Scientific Side (6:08)
He is an engineer who works on control systems. Control systems basically provide an automated way of making decisions. They take in relevant information and use algorithms to make correct decisions based on the information gathered. This can be challenging because they don’t always have all the information they need to make the right decisions. Andrew’s group designs algorithms that make the best decisions possible with the information available to keep systems stable and performing well.
A Dose of Motivation (9:36)
“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?” – Albert Einstein
What Got You Hooked on Science? (15:03)
Andrew’s father was a medical doctor and his mother was a social scientist, so he always had a sense of what the life of a faculty member was like. From a young age, he was fascinated by mechanical things and spent his time playing with legos, learning about cars, reading about cool aircraft, and trying to build things that flew. In particular, Andrew remembers experimenting with different shapes of kites to optimize flight and building his own models. He was determined to become an engineer. Andrew’s parents didn’t know a lot about engineering, but they supported his interests and curiosity, even when his experiments went awry.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (30:03)
Though it is much more common in the scientific literature to find papers about success stories, Andrew has had a handful of well-received papers describing projects that didn’t work. In one case, he was working with a large company, and they were trying to optimize their product to work better at higher speeds. They just weren’t getting the performance they wanted when the system was operating above a certain speed threshold. Competing companies also couldn’t seem to resolve this issue. With their analyses, Andrew and his students demonstrated there was a fundamental mathematical reason why this was the case. The upper management of the company really appreciated their description of why it wasn’t working because then they could abandon that project and spend their time and money addressing other areas that would give them a competitive advantage over other companies.
A Shining Success! (36:27)
For Andrew, the important successes at this stage of his career involve mentoring the graduate students in his lab. Andrew’s goal is to help students find their path in life and to ensure they know that there isn’t just one set path for their career. He tries to figure out what they want to do and what they are passionate about. Then, they work together to develop a plan to achieve those goals. For example, a former student came to the lab with great practical skills, but was struggling with some of the theoretical and mathematical components. They were able to identify his weaknesses, address them, and he has now gone on to accept an excellent faculty job. In another case, a really intelligent student came in with a strong background, but things just didn’t seem to click research-wise. After talking it through, Andrew discovered that the student enrolled in graduate school more because he thought he was supposed to than because he wanted to. He didn’t need a PhD to get the job he wanted, so he changed his path and now has a fantastic job working for a company.
Book Recommendations (42:15)
The Essential Drucker: The Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker’s Essential Writings on Management by Peter F. Drucker
Most Treasured Travel (44:04)
The places that have the biggest impact on Andrew during his travels are museums that show the history of science. These reveal that science is dynamic and has a big impact on civilization. Visiting the Gutenberg Museum in Germany was phenomenal because Andrew was able to reflect on the invention of the printing press and how it revolutionized the transfer of information and allowed for more widespread sharing of knowledge. On another trip to Europe, Andrew visited the Royal Observatory Clocks and Timekeeping Museum in Greenwich. Before visiting the museum, he hadn’t appreciated how telling time was critical for the success of the British Empire. Being able to keep accurate time at sea allowed them to coordinate naval operations and made them a dominant global force. These museums make you reflect on how one invention can have an enormous impact on society.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (48:34)
About ten years ago, Andrew’s lab started a tradition where they exchange gifts at an annual holiday party. This is a great ice breaker for students and provides a window into what they are interested in. Andrew’s kids usually come in to participate in the game, so it is also a great way for students to see that he is human and has a life outside of science as well. One of the most memorable gifts brought in was a five pound gummy bear.
Advice For Us All (53:23)
No one is indispensable. Don’t put people on such a high pedestal that the organization sacrifices the good of the whole for the benefit of one or a few. Also, remember that though you are important, you are not indispensable. You can take breaks, you don’t have to let work control your life, and the organization will continue to function while you are attending to other areas of your life. For your career, find something you really like doing, and do it to the best of your ability. Chances are it will be successful, and opportunities will come to you.
Guest Bio
Andrew’s work consists of dynamic modeling of complex systems as well as the development and implementation of advanced control algorithms on a number of different experimental test beds. Control theory is the science of how to make systems behave in a particular way by supplying particular inputs to achieve the desired outputs. Andrew has supervised over 80 M.S. and Ph.D. students and has approximately 400 conference and journal publications. He has been a Distinguished Lecturer of the Institute for Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE) and a National Research Council (NRC) Associate. In addition, Andrew has held several editorial positions for American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), IEEE, and the International Federation of Automatic Control. He recently chaired the ASME Dynamic Systems and Controls Division, is a member of the IEEE Controls Systems Society Board of Governors, and has been active in several external advisory boards for universities, industry and government including the Scientific Advisory Board for the U.S. Air Force. Andrew’s record of campus service includes the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Engineering and the Associate Head for Undergraduate Programs in Mechanical Science and Engineering. In addition to research and service, he has a keen interest in education and has earned the College of Engineering’s Teaching Excellence Award, the UIUC Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Education and the UIUC Campus Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring.

*This episode was originally released on July 10, 2017.
The post 706: Dr. Andrew Alleyne: Using Algorithms to Automate Decision-Making in Energy Management, Automobiles, and Manufacturing appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
59 min
April 24, 2023 705: Dr. Mary Jo Ondrechen: Engineering New Enzymes and Predicting the Biochemical Activity of Proteins
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Dr. Mary Jo Ondrechen is Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Northeastern University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Reed College, and she was awarded her PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Physics from Northwestern University. Afterwards, Mary Jo completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago and subsequently a NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship at Tel Aviv University in Israel. She joined the faculty at Northeastern University in 1980. Mary Jo was awarded the Outstanding Native American Student Mentor in 2018 from the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and she has been dedicated to advocacy and activism for underrepresented communities in science and society, as well as conservation and stewardship of the Earth. In our interview, she shares more about her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:38)
When she’s not at work, you can often find Mary Jo out running, tending to her vegetable garden, and cooking. She is also interested in herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, and she has enjoyed engaging in advocacy for science, tribal communities, and the environment.
The Scientific Side (5:15)
In the lab, Mary Jo uses theory and computation to better understand how molecules work. In particular, she works on enzymes, which are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. Mary Jo and her team also develop methods and theories to interpret genomic data, and they work on the computational side of drug discovery, helping medicinal chemists develop new drugs, treatments, and diagnostics.
A Dose of Motivation (6:09)
“There’s light above me, there’s strength within me, and there’s security beneath my feet.”
What Got You Hooked on Science? (7:57)
In the 1950’s, Sputnik 1 garnered a lot of attention, and there was a heavy emphasis in pop culture to get kids interested in science. Mary Jo always thought science was cool and interesting, but it was a particularly talented high school chemistry teacher who showed her how fun chemistry could be. During college, Mary Jo knew she wanted to be a professor, and she knew she needed to get a PhD to achieve this goal. At the time, it wasn’t as common for women to pursue careers in science, and not all professors were accepting female students in their labs. Fortunately, Mary Jo found a great advisor at Northwestern University who encouraged and supported her. After finishing her PhD, she furthered her skills as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Chicago and then at Tel Aviv University in Israel. Working abroad as a postdoc was an adventure, and so was applying for faculty positions in the U.S. while she was in Tel Aviv. Mary Jo was thrilled to get an offer at Northeastern University, and she has remained there ever since.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (16:59)
Mary Jo has experienced a variety of challenges throughout her career. Sometimes grant projects ultimately turn out a bit different than what they originally proposed because the science may take them in a different direction. As theorists, they use computational and theoretical approaches, so her group doesn’t conduct experiments at the bench in the lab. However, they often work in collaboration with experimentalists, and they have had projects where their colleagues ran into challenges purifying the proteins they needed. In addition, Mary Jo has had the unfortunate experience of discovering something wonderful, but having another research group publish the same findings before she could. Being in science requires persistence, but for Mary Jo, most of the time things go really well, and the work is fun.
A Shining Success! (19:53)
One really exciting project in Mary Jo’s lab resulted in the discovery of a way to predict which amino acids in a protein are biochemically active. This method has numerous potential applications because it works for any protein where the three-dimensional structure is known. With the genome sequencing project, the 3-D structures of thousands of previously unknown proteins have been reported, many of which have unknown or uncertain biological function. They are now characterizing and trying to determine the biological functions of some of these proteins, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, they used their method to look at alternative targets on proteins from the SARS-CoV-2 virus where molecules could bind.
Most Treasured Travel (24:42)
Some of Mary Jo’s most memorable trips for science have brought her to the cities of Aarhus in Denmark, Zurich in Switzerland, and Budapest in Hungary. In 2021, she had an opportunity to travel to Budapest for a sabbatical on a Fulbright Fellowship. Each morning, she enjoyed a scenic walk to work along the Danube River. Mary Jo learned a lot of new things, had a lot of fun, and continues to collaborate with her amazing host there. One thing she will never forget is the music scene in Budapest. There were so many excellent concerts, orchestras, and live musicians at restaurants.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (27:16)
Chemists are a fun bunch of people. Mary Jo recently attended the Spring 2023 Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Indianapolis, and she had a great time. At these meetings, they have a person dressed up in a costume of a mole in a lab coat as a play on words for the commonly used unit of measurement in chemistry (1 mole = 6.02×10²³ of something). She and other attendees enjoyed getting their photos taken with Professor Molenium at the meeting.
Advice For Us All (30:57)
Believe in yourself, and keep going. If you are interested in science, you should go for it.
Guest Bio
Mary Jo’s research deals with understanding enzyme catalysis, inventing methods to predict the function of proteins from their 3D structure, developing design principles for novel enzymes, and the molecular modeling aspects of structure-based drug discovery. Some of her current projects include using machine learning for functional genomics, understanding how coupled amino acids contribute to enzyme catalysis, developing probes to detect diseases of the central nervous system, and studying SARS-CoV-2 protein targets. A member of Mohawk Nation and an advocate for STEM diversity, she was the 2011-2013 Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and is a co-PI on the 2014-2024 AISES project “Lighting the Pathway to Faculty Careers for Natives in STEM,” an initiative to provide guidance and support to Native STEM students who want to become faculty members at colleges, universities, and tribal colleges. She also co-directs an Inclusive Excellence project, funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, at Northeastern University. In 2021 she was on sabbatical leave as a Fulbright Faculty Research Fellow at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, performing research on a cancer-associated kinase. Outside of science, Mary Jo’s hobbies include running, cooking, and geocaching.

Support for this episode of People Behind the Science was provided by LAMPIRE Biological Laboratories.
The post 705: Dr. Mary Jo Ondrechen: Engineering New Enzymes and Predicting the Biochemical Activity of Proteins appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
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