People Behind the Science Podcast

By Dr. Marie McNeelyScience

People Behind the Science Podcast episodes

December 06, 2021 634: Dr. Jill Pruetz: Hunting for Answers to Explain Unexpected Chimpanzee Behaviors and Tool Use
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Dr. Jill Pruetz is a Professor of Anthropology at Iowa State University and a National Geographic Society Emerging Explorer. In addition, Jill is the founder of the non-profit organization NeighborApe that she founded in 2008. She received her BA in Anthropology from Texas State University and her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Jill then conducted postdoctoral research at Miami University before joining the faculty at Iowa State where she is today. Jill and her excellent research have been featured by NPR, BBC, CBC, National Geographic, New Scientist Magazine, The Today Show, and others. She is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (02:22)
Jill loves being outdoors, whether it’s spending time with chimpanzees in the field or hiking near home. She also enjoys traveling to tropical places, reading books, and spend time with her three dogs.
The Scientific Side (04:04)
Jill is an anthropologist who studies chimpanzees as a model system to understand behaviors in species that are related to us that existed millions of years ago.
A Dose of Motivation (05:45)
“Success isn’t permanent, and failure isn’t fatal.” – Mike Ditka
What Got You Hooked on Science? (08:04)
From an early age, Jill had a strong love of animals. She would pour over her encyclopedia about animals, and she was particularly fascinated by horses and spider monkeys. However, Jill wasn’t familiar with many career options that would allow her to incorporate her passion. In college, she began to learn more about careers in science, and she was drawn to anthropology and primatology. Taking a field course in college provided her with valuable experience that helped her to secure future positions.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (18:26)
Perseverance has been a key for Jill. Trying to habituate chimpanzees (get them used to the presence of the research team) and get funding for habituation has been a challenge. Before the habituation can begin, the research team also faces the difficult task of finding the chimpanzees. This can be quite a struggle sometimes, and the field conditions in Senegal can be brutal. It gets really hot in the summer, there are limited medical resources, and Jill gets sick with malaria nearly every year. Fortunately, being able to study the chimpanzees in the wild makes it all worth it!
A Shining Success! (22:40)
One of the most exciting reports that came from Jill’s group’s research described how the chimpanzees in Senegal use tools to hunt, and the females engaged in this behavior more than males. They have also documented other unusual behaviors in chimps such as escaping the heat by soaking in water.
Book Recommendations (30:00)
Possession by A. S. Byatt, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Most Treasured Travel (31:17)
This summer, Jill was able to travel to East Africa as a speaker for National Geographic Expeditions tours. In Uganda, she stayed in a place called Bwindi Lodge adjacent to the Bwindi National Park. While birdwatching, Jill stumbled across a few mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, and it was an unforgettable experience.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (34:27)
After returning from a long day in the field in Senegal, the research team tends recount the behaviors of the chimpanzees, such as unexpected displays of dominance or agression, like they would the happenings of a soap opera. It’s a hard balance between anthropomorphizing too much and making sure not to under-appreciate the significance of a chimpanzee’s behavior. The researchers also have a lot of fun picking names for the chimpanzees.
Advice For Us All (43:16)
Follow your passion and persevere, even if it seems impossible. Also, as you go through life, it may seem like everyone is smarter than you, but they’re not. Keep this in mind when you feel insecure.
Guest Bio
As a primatologist, Jill has studied the behavior of non-human primates such as chimpanzees, spider monkeys, howling monkeys, tamarins, patas monkeys, and vervets in various locales. Countries in which she has conducted fieldwork include Peru, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Kenya, and Senegal. Jill is especially interested in the influence of ecology on primate and early human feeding, ranging, and social behavior. She currently has a research project in southeastern Senegal which has been funded by National Geographic Society and the National Science Foundation. The goal of this ongoing project is study or conduct research on chimps in a habitat similar to that of early hominids. Jill is also involved in teaching and conservation in the Neotropics. She is the co-founder of the non-profit organization DANTA, which is affiliated with the El Zota Biological Field Station in Costa Rica where she taught field courses on primate behavior and ecology. She has taught similar courses in Nicaragua, Panama, and other locales in Costa Rica.

*This episode was originally published on February 8, 2016.
The post 634: Dr. Jill Pruetz: Hunting for Answers to Explain Unexpected Chimpanzee Behaviors and Tool Use appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
46 min
November 29, 2021 633: Dr. Sophia Hayes: Demonstrating Laser Focus Studying Materials Science with Solid-State NMR
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Dr. Sophia Hayes is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley and worked for a few years afterward as an associate for a management consulting firm specializing in energy efficiency, environmental assessments, and energy generation. Sophia interned at the Sandia National Laboratories before entering graduate school. She received her PhD in Chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She then completed a Directorate Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and UC Berkeley. She also served as an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Physics at the University of Dortmund in Germany before joining the faculty at Washington University. Sophia has received a number of awards and honors during her career, including, an NSF CAREER Award, a Washington University Graduate Student Senate Excellence in Mentoring Award, an Alfred Sloan Research Fellowship, and the Regitze R. Vold Memorial Prize from the Alpine Solid-State NMR Conference. Sophia is with us today to tell us about her journey through life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science
Sophia’s time away from science is spent with her family and her two newly adopted dogs. She enjoys sailing and skiing with her husband and 9 year old daughter.
The Scientific Side
In the lab, Sophia studies the chemistry, physics, and engineering of materials we encounter in daily life like plastics and semiconductors. As a materials scientist, she is using a technique called nuclear magnetic resonance (similar to magnetic resonance imaging or MRI) to learn more about these materials.
A Dose of Motivation
“The strongest man in the world is he who stands alone.” By Henrik Ibsen
What Got You Hooked on Science?
When she was young, Sophia was exposed to science in museums and programs like NOVA and Cosmos. Her intellectual curiosity was encouraged and she continued to take science courses through junior high and high school. Sophia actually didn’t take chemistry in high school, so starting off with chemistry freshman year of college with no background was daunting but she couldn’t resist the fields of chemistry and physics.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges
Sophia’s lab is pushing the envelope on a lot of equipment, so they regularly encounter challenges. It’s not easy pushing the instruments down to temperatures of four degrees Kelvin (basically the temperature of outer space!) using liquid helium as a coolant. Any one thing might not be working on a given day and they sometimes have to pause an experiment until equipment can be repaired.
A Shining Success!
In the world of NMR, very few nuclei (think photos or spectra) are studied. Hydrogen and carbon are commonly used, but Sophia’s group looks at exotic nuclei like cadmium, gallium, and aluminum. They recently completed a study on gallium which has some physical properties that make it hard to study. With the help of a great synthetic team got truly beautiful gallium spectra!
Book Recommendations
The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway by Ernest Hemmingway
Most Treasured Travel
A trip to Chamonix in the Alps for the Alpine Solid-State NMR Conference was her all-time favorite science travel experience. This was a small meeting with people from all over the world, and Sophia had extraordinary scientific discussions there. By the way, it is also in a breathtakingly stunning valley with great scenery, wonderful food, and excellent company. It was just like summer camp for scientists!
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories
When each graduate student in her lab passes their dissertation, they have a reception with cake and champagne. They also adopted a tradition from her time in Germany where each person receives a “doctor’s hat”. This graduation cap is elaborately decorated with inside jokes, a personal interests, and symbols of their science. The adornments of the hat are kept a secret until the big defense day.
Advice For Us All
There is no way to make everyone happy all of the time.
Guest Bio
Sophia’s research focuses on using solid-state NMR to solve problems in materials science. She and her group study spins in semiconductors, using the unique combination of lasers and NMR (called “OPNMR” or optically pumped NMR). They work on problems in carbon sequestration and carbon dioxide capture to help reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, using elevated-pressure and elevated-temperature NMR of rocks, minerals, and special solid-supported polymers. Sophia and her team also are part of a large NSF Center for Chemical Innovation (Center for Sustainable Materials Chemistry), conducting NMR studies of quadrupolar nuclei on inorganic metal oxide films envisioned for next generation semiconductor devices. Here she is working on Jedi mind tricks while trying to draw interpretable organic structures for a Stormtrooper lecture on CO2 gas capture.

*This episode was originally published on January 9, 2015.
The post 633: Dr. Sophia Hayes: Demonstrating Laser Focus Studying Materials Science with Solid-State NMR appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
47 min
November 22, 2021 632: Dr. Glenn Rall: Injecting Humor and Optimism into the Study of Viral Infections in the Brain
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Dr. Glenn Rall is a Professor at the Fox Chase Cancer Center. He is also the Leader of the Inflammation Working Group there and Co-Leader of the Immune Cell Development and Host Defense Program. In addition, Glenn is the Associate Chief Academic Officer and Director of the Postdoctoral Program. Glenn also serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Microbiology and Immunology departments at Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University, and Drexel University. He received his PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from Vanderbilt University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at The Scripps Research Institute before accepting a position at the Fox Chase Cancer Center. Glenn 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
Glenn has been married to his wonderful wife for 19 years, and they have two daughters who have recently gone off to college. The two of them are adjusting to the empty nest and some new-found free time by doing community service and getting involved in their neighborhood. Glenn is also a big fan of listening to classical music.
The Scientific Side
Glenn’s lab studies viruses in the brain. His goal is to understand how our immune system recognizes and tries to get rid of those infections.
A Dose of Motivation
“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. “ by George Bernard Shaw
What Got You Hooked on Science?
Apollo 11 landed on the moon when Glenn was about 6 years old, and he got caught up in the thrill of space exploration. Glenn was planning to be an astronaut, and his room was decked out with stars and moon sheets on the bed and stars all over the ceiling. He realized early on though that being an astronaut meant you had to be physically fit, and this was enough of a deterrent for him to change direction.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges
When Glenn was starting to look for a permanent academic job, he had one piece of a project left to complete. This project involved collecting mouse tissues over a long period of weeks. Literally the night before he planned to start the experiments, the freezer in the lab died. The tissues degraded, and all of his experiments were ruined! This was really frustrating and set him back on his career search.
A Shining Success!
Glenn didn’t give up on his aforementioned failure though. He turned his situation around by starting over and doing the whole process again (with a more reliable freezer). It was a slow process, but eventually he finished the experiment, it worked out, and he got a fantastic job.
Book Recommendations
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, Ghostwritten by David Mitchell, Number9Dream by David Mitchell, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell, Mims’ Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease by Anthony Nash and Cedric Mims
Most Treasured Travel
One of the most memorable places Glenn has traveled to was Sardinia, a beautiful island off the coast of Italy. He ended up staying at the hotel across town from the conference, and this happy accident allowed him the luxury of strolling through the lively streets of the small town of Alghero twice each day. The way the whole town just came alive each night was a wonderful surprise!
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories
Glenn works hard to make the lab a fun environment. His lab keeps Christmas lights on all year round, and they enjoy spending time together playing darts, talking science, and dabbling in an occasional game of Boggle.
Advice For Us All
You can learn a lot by just observing and trying to incorporate other people’s traits or how they do what they do into your own life and career. It’s important to be open and receptive to learning from other people.
Guest Bio
Glenn’s laboratory studies viral infections of the brain and the immune responses to those infections, with the goal of defining how viruses contribute to disease in humans, including cancer. Over the past decade, he has developed mouse models that have enabled mechanistic insights into viral replication and spread within neurons, and the roles played by soluble immune mediators, such as chemokines and cytokines, in viral clearance. His service to the scientific community includes membership on the Autism Speaks Scientific Advisory Board, Opinions Editor of PLoS Pathogens, chairing the Education and Career Development Committee of the American Society for Virology, membership on multiple NIH grant review panels, and co-authorship on the leading virology textbook, Principles of Virology.

*This episode was originally published on January 16, 2015.
The post 632: Dr. Glenn Rall: Injecting Humor and Optimism into the Study of Viral Infections in the Brain appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
53 min
November 15, 2021 631: Dr. Stephanie Wear: Conducting Critical Research in Conservation Focused on Sewage Pollution
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Dr. Stephanie Wear is a Senior Scientist and Strategy Advisor at The Nature Conservancy, as well as a Visiting Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and a Visiting Scientist at Duke University Marine Lab. Stephanie received her B.A. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia and her M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Marine Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She began working with The Nature Conservancy in 2001. Stephanie and her work have been featured in numerous media outlets, and she has been named one of Women’s Health Magazine’s “Clean and Green Pioneers” and Babble.com’s “Moms Who are Changing the World”. In addition, she was selected as a member of the inaugural class of NatureNet Science Fellows—a program sponsored by The Nature Conservancy and six leading universities that brings new approaches to solving global challenges surrounding sustainable provision of food, energy, and water. In our interview, Stephanie shares more about her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:32)
When she’s not at work, Stephanie enjoys spending time out in nature with her husband and two kids, and lately they’ve been spending a lot of time hiking and searching for salamanders.
The Scientific Side (3:32)
Stephanie’s career has been dedicated to conservation, and her work has spanned a variety of threats to marine ecosystems, including overfishing and management, the impacts of climate change, and sewage pollution.
A Dose of Motivation (5:42)
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
from “The Summer Day” by Mary Oliver
What Got You Hooked on Science? (9:21)
As a kid, Stephanie loved animals, nature, and science. She also wanted to do work that was of value, so she decided she would become a veterinarian. In college, Stephanie dabbled in biology, government, poetry, and English before realizing that she could have a career where she worked outside and studied nature. Stephanie had an epiphany moment doing field research on the barrier islands off the coast of Virginia where she realized that she could do research that allowed her to work on the beach and in the ocean. Armed with this new knowledge, she decided to pursue graduate work in marine science. Afterwards, Stephanie wasn’t exactly sure whether she wanted a job working in government, conservation, or another type of organization. She soon started an internship working for The Nature Conservancy. In this position, she was asked to help lead the development in a new protected marine park in St. Croix. After a stressful experience at a public meeting, Stephanie was convinced that she had to work in conservation.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (25:09)
When you are so passionate about your work, there are big problems staring you down, and these issues very urgently need to be solved, it is easy to keep pushing yourself until you have nothing left to give. This has happened twice to Stephanie, and overcoming these periods of burnout has been a major challenge. Talking to colleagues and taking a moment to reflect on how much she enjoys her work really helped Stephanie get through these tough times.
A Shining Success! (30:54)
Shortly after beginning her internship with The Nature Conservancy, Stephanie was introduced to the community at a public meeting. After hearing that Stephanie would be helping to lead the development of a protected marine park, one of the community members named Mac began vehemently denouncing her. It was a shock to Stephanie, and it really helped her realize that it was going to be critical to work with members of the community to find common ground and work together to have a positive impact. Through this process Stephanie built trust with community members, and she even managed to befriend Mac, who had initially been a major adversary. The marine park was ultimately created, and it was the first protected marine park in the Virgin Islands. This was an enormous success because they had been trying to get this project off the ground for 30 years. During the celebrations afterwards, Mac proudly introduced Stephanie to government officials, crediting her for the success of the project. Mac continued to be an advocate for Stephanie, and this transformation of their relationship from adversarial to amiable was also a really meaningful success for her.
Book Recommendations (35:25)
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
Most Treasured Travel (37:31)
Two of the most memorable places Stephanie has visited for science were Palau and Palmyra Atoll. Both are beautiful, remote places surrounded by water. Palau is a small island nation in Micronesia with about 20,000 residents. The scenery is stunning, and Kayaking through the rock islands is an otherworldly experience. Palmyra Atoll is an island south of Hawaii that was used as an old military base in World War II. It is completely uninhabited, with the exception of a handful of staff and scientists who work at the field station there. Palmyra is home to tens of thousands of birds, and you can see manta rays and baby sharks not far off the water’s edge. Stephanie will never forget looking up at night and seeing the sky completely full of stars. It was magical to be in a place like this so far from civilization.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (40:20)
Stephanie has enjoyed working with amazing colleagues over the years. Contrary to some stereotypes about scientists, her colleagues in environmental science are social, they love to meet other people, they are brave adventurers, and they have collected remarkable stories of their travels, fantastic adventures, and near-death experiences. At The Nature Conservancy, they have a saying that “You come for the mission and stay for the people.”
Advice For Us All (43:32)
When things are difficult, sometimes it’s best to just go with the flow. Rather than fighting and resisting all the obstacles that confront you, try to find ways to work around them. Also, remember that we are part of the natural world that we are working to conserve. The world is our habitat too, and everything is inter-connected.
Guest Bio
Stephanie has applied her scientific training to address some of the biggest threats our oceans face. She has worked with local communities to establish marine protected areas, developed strategies to address global drivers that threaten coral reefs, designed and led a global learning network for reef managers, conducted research on the impacts of pollution on ocean systems, and recently co-founded the Ocean Sewage Alliance, dedicated to addressing the threat of sewage pollution. While sewage may not be the most pleasant conversation topic, it affects the lives of billions of people around the globe. Outside of work, Stephanie explores nature with her two children, marine biologist husband, and a couple of dogs, and she tries to keep a garden and care for her continuously expanding flock of chickens – thanks to their rooster, Jacques Roosteau. She aspires to have a regular yoga practice, and she loves a good poop joke. Really, who doesn’t?
Photo credit: Karin Aigner
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46 min
November 08, 2021 630: Dr. Eric Green: Mapping Our Genetic Make-Up in the Human Genome Project and Beyond
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Dr. Eric Green is the Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health. He received his B.S. in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and his M.D. and Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Washington University in St. Louis. Afterward, Eric completed his residency at Washington University in Laboratory Medicine and as part of his residency he did a postdoctoral research in genetics. Eric served on the faculty and as co-investigator in the Human Genome Center at Washington University School of Medicine before accepting a position at the National Institutes of Health where he has been now for over 20 years. Eric has been the recipient of many awards and honors during his career, including the NIH Director’s Award (multiple times), the Alumni Achievement and the Distinguished Alumni Awards from Washington University School of Medicine, as well as a Ladue Horton Watkins High School Distinguished Alumni Award. He is also a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians. Eric 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 (02:30)
While Eric’s research can be time consuming, he loves digital photography because of the technological science involved. His two teenagers also keep him busy, and he is a diehard Cardinals baseball fan.
The Scientific Side (04:27)
Eric works in the field of genomics. Everything from cars to houses has a blueprint of information that defines its creation and operation. The field of genomics studies DNA, the information molecule of living cells, to understand how living organisms are created and operate.
A Dose of Motivation (06:30)
“If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called research.”- Albert Einstein.
What Got You Hooked on Science? (11:35)
Eric was born into a scientific family and would often hang out with his father, a virologist, in the lab on the weekends. Though Eric briefly considered a career in law, he ultimately chose to pursue science. By his junior year in college, Eric realized that he loved being in a lab more than anything else, but he stresses that there was no master plan that led him to where he is today. Eric encourages aspiring scientists to understand that discovery is a journey, and that much of his own journey in genomics was about making the right connections at the right time.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (24:22)
Eric was studying a rare genetic disease with a trainee to look for the relevant mutation that caused the disease. One of the reasons that they couldn’t find the mutation was because they allowed their biases to drive where they were looking in the DNA. This led to six months of frustration that didn’t end until they opened their mind to consider different possibilities. Once that happened, they were able to find the answer they sought. While successful in the end, Eric notes the risks of bias in scientific endeavors.
A Shining Success! (28:00)
The human genome project, beginning in 1990, involved sequencing the building blocks of the human genome for the very first time. By 2003, all three billion building blocks necessary to make up one human genome were sequenced. It cost upward of a billion dollars, but was possibly one of the most influential developments in any health-related scientific field. This development provided a remarkable foundation, and the cost of sequencing a genome has dropped to a little over a thousand dollars today. Their goal is to get the price of sequencing below that thousand dollar mark in the future.
Book Recommendations (34:09)
The Double Helix by James Watson
Most Treasured Travel (36:19)
Eric was invited over ten years ago to be a part of a multi-disciplinary scientific delegation for a new medical school in Ecuador. He attended a celebration in Quito, Ecuador and was able to travel to the Galapagos Islands with esteemed scientists, including Ian Wilmut from Scotland, the first person to ever clone an animal. Eric loved the biodiversity they witnessed from island to island and wants to go back to take better pictures than he could with his camera from ten years ago.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (39:29)
Eric has had a lot of fun as a scientist, and he describes how his former labmates used to squirt him with water pistols to keep him away from working at the bench. He also shares another memory from his postdoc days with Maynard Olson. During the construction of Maynard’s new lab, Eric was enlisted at the last minute to help design the lab. Five minutes into the meeting with the architect, Maynard left and never came to another meeting. It was ironic in hindsight because when Eric received his first faculty position after Maynard had left, the lab Eric designed then became his own.
Advice For Us All (46:10)
The most foundational skills you can have are learning how to write well and speak well. Communication skills are critical in science, which is more social than stereotypes lead people to believe. It is also important to be a life learner throughout your professional life.
Guest Bio
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest organization in the world solely dedicated to genomics research. While directing an independent research program for almost two decades, Dr. Green was at the forefront of efforts to map, sequence, and understand eukaryotic genomes. His work included significant, start-to-finish involvement in the Human Genome Project. These efforts eventually blossomed into a highly productive program in comparative genomics that provided important insights about genome structure, function, and evolution. His laboratory also identified and characterized several human disease genes, including those implicated in certain forms of hereditary deafness, vascular disease, and inherited peripheral neuropathy. As Director of NHGRI, Dr. Green is responsible for providing overall leadership of the Institute’s research portfolio and other initiatives. In 2011, Dr. Green led NHGRI to the completion of a strategic planning process that yielded a new vision for the future of genomics research. Since that time, he has led the Institute in broadening its research mission; this has included designing and launching a number of major programs to accelerate the application of genomics to medical care. With the rapidly expanding scope of genomics, his leadership efforts have also involved significant coordination with multiple components of the NIH, as well as other agencies and organizations.

*This episode was originally published on January 18, 2016.
The post 630: Dr. Eric Green: Mapping Our Genetic Make-Up in the Human Genome Project and Beyond appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
52 min
November 01, 2021 629: Dr. Mariana Wolfner: Egg-cell-ent Research in Reproduction, Fertilization, and Embryonic Development
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Dr. Mariana Wolfner is the Goldwin Smith Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics and a Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow at Cornell University. She received her BA in Genetics and Chemistry from Cornell University, and her PhD in Biochemistry from Stanford University. She did postdoctoral work at UCSD, before joining the Cornell faculty in 1983. Mariana has received many awards and honors during her career. For example, she is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and was a Lady Davis Fellow. She has given numerous named or distinguished lectures, and has also received awards for her teaching and advising of students. In addition to research, teaching, and advising, Mariana is very active in service to her field, serving on many Society Boards, Editorial Boards and organizing many conferences. Mariana is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science
Mariana enjoys spending time with her family including her two grown children. They like to go hiking, birdwatching, and generally being out in nature. When the weather’s not cooperating, Mariana stays inside doing crossword puzzles and other kinds of puzzles as well as baking sweet treats. We were also delighted to discover our shared love of terrible puns.
The Scientific Side
In the lab, Mariana studies reproduction, focusing on interactions between male and female molecules throughout the reproductive process and how these interactions evolved. Also, how does an egg switch from being a differentiated egg cell to a brand new organism that is going to divide and make every kind of cell in the organism.
A Dose of Motivation
“It doesn’t matter if you fall down, as long as you pick up something useful from the floor when you get up.” by Efraim Racker from Cornell University
What Got You Hooked on Science?
Mariana grew up in New York City, and she remembers spending a lot of time in the natural history museum there. They had so many great exhibits about life, cells, how animals worked, and what was out there in nature. She also used to go on hikes and try to identify all the animals and plants that she saw along the way.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges
In her first few years as an assistant professor, and Mariana was studying the genes and processes that cause a fertilized egg to become a male or a female. She was working with fruit flies to find the genes that were expressed differently in males and females. They found some genes, but literally the day before she left for her first conference as an Assistant Professor, they discovered the genes were expressed in a tissue only in male flies that they thought had nothing to do with behavior. This was a major disappointment, but a tip from a senior scientist in the field that she met turned it all around.
A Shining Success!
In another area of Mariana’s research they are examining what turns an egg on to start developing as an embryo. This process is not well understood because it is very brief, and there is no new gene expression during this time. In insects, even unfertilized eggs can start forming embryos, and she wanted to know why. They discovered that the same exposure to increased calcium that triggers the process in mammals occurs in fruit flies, but through a different mechanism.
Book Recommendations
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver, State of Wonder by Ann Patchett, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Most Treasured Travel
One place that Mariana is very fond of is the island of Crete. She has attended a conference there that is held in a monastery right on the coast. It was delightful to see groups of scientists swimming together talking science. The location is absolutely stunning, and she enjoys the scenic walks, kind people, and wonderful food.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories
As someone who studies fruit flies, it has become somewhat of a tradition for people in the field come up with the weirdest and most creative names for their genetic mutants. For example, Methuselah and INDY (I’m Not Dead Yet) are genes involved in longevity and Tin Man mutants have no heart. Mariana has even had the opportunity to make a fun gene name with one of their collaborators in the field.
Advice For Us All
You need to work on what you love and what excites you. It is also really important to find mentors and labs that care about you and will support you in this quest. Also, it is okay to switch your research if you find something that interests you more.
Guest Bio
Mariana is interested in understanding the molecules and mechanisms that result in successful fertilization and early embryonic development. Her research focuses on two general questions, which she and her lab approach through the power of Drosophila molecular genetics. First, successful reproduction requires not simply the union of egg and sperm, but also physiological changes in the female that increase the likelihood of fertilization and, in some animals, affect the health of the offspring. These changes are caused by molecules in the male’s seminal fluid. Mariana and her lab investigate how seminal proteins cause these changes. Their research showing how male proteins signal to the tissues and cells in the female to facilitate reproduction could help to uncover the nature of some human infertilities, and can also point to potential methods to control the spread of insects that transmit diseases. The second area that fascinates Mariana is how an embryo begins its development. She and her lab focus specifically on how a fertilized egg activates its cell divisions and development, becoming an “ultimate stem cell” that can generate all the cell types of the organism. They investigate the physical and ionic changes that trigger this dramatic change in the egg. They also identify and study the proteins that are regulated by this trigger and function to initiate embryo development. The results of this research help to explain how cell division and developmental potential are controlled. In addition their findings may provide tools to help diagnose or alleviate certain forms of infertility.

*This episode was originally published on March 20, 2015.
The post 629: Dr. Mariana Wolfner: Egg-cell-ent Research in Reproduction, Fertilization, and Embryonic Development appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
39 min
October 25, 2021 628: Dr. Cassandra Quave: Investigating Plant-Based Medicines to Battle Infectious Disease and Antibiotic Resistance
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Dr. Cassandra Quave holds a joint appointment as Associate Professor of Dermatology in the Emory University School of Medicine and Emory Center for the Study of Human Health. She is also Director/Curator of the Emory University Herbarium, CEO of CLQ Botanicals (a company providing consulting services on botanicals for personal care, skin health, and cosmetics), CEO and Chief Scientist of PhytoTEK LLC (a start-up biotech company dedicated to R&D and commercialization of novel anti-infective technologies), host of the Foodie Pharmacology Podcast, and author of the recently released book The Plant Hunter: A Scientist’s Quest for Nature’s Next Medicines. Cassandra received B.S. degrees in Biology as well as Anthropology and Human Biology from Emory University, and she was awarded her PhD in Biology with a focus in ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology from Florida International University. Next, Cassandra conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Emory University. She joined the faculty at Emory University in 2013, and she has been awarded the Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award for her excellence in teaching. In our interview, Cassandra shares more about her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:54)
When she’s not working in the lab or out in the field, Cassandra loves spending time with her husband and their four kids. They enjoy going to sporting events, hiking, canoeing, and being outdoors. You can also find Cassandra relaxing with a good book, swimming, and hiking with friends in her free time.
The Scientific Side (4:44)
As a medical ethnobotanist, Cassandra studies how people relate to plants, and how they use plants as medicine. Her research takes her around the world to document traditional medicinal practices and collect plant samples. In her lab, Cassandra and her team analyze plant samples to assess their pharmacological activity against infectious disease targets.
A Dose of Motivation (6:38)
“I was taught to strive not because there were any guarantees of success, but because the act of striving in itself is the only way to keep faith with life.” – Madeleine Albright
What Got You Hooked on Science? (7:58)
As a result of a number of birth defects, Cassandra had one leg amputated at the age of three and underwent several surgeries before she was able to walk with a prosthetic. Between the surgeries, rehabilitation, and a life-threatening infection, Cassandra spent a lot of time in a clinical setting as a kid. She developed an early interest in medicine, but she also loved being outdoors and losing herself in books. Cassandra remembers climbing up the big oak tree in her backyard to read and observe the beatles, squirrels, birds, and plants. She was fascinated by the natural world. In third grade, Cassandra participated in her first science fair, and she was blown away when she first saw all of the microscopic life swimming around in water samples. Her interest in science continued to develop, but she really admired the surgeons who helped her, so she decided to become a surgeon. She volunteered in the local emergency room in high school and started on the pre-med track in college. During college, Cassandra discovered her passion for anthropology and ethnobotany. Though it was difficult to make the decision to shift her focus from medicine to research, Cassandra loved how ethnobotany combined her interests in medicine, nature, culture, and different systems of health, and she decided to pursue a career as an ethnobotanist.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (26:50)
During graduate school, Cassandra spent months away from her husband doing field work. She brought her six month old son with her into the field to collect plant samples. This was an intense and exhausting field project where she collected and processed many boxes of plants that would be shipped back to the lab for her dissertation research. The first box was delivered to the lab, but the remaining boxes were nowhere to be found. The records show they arrived in the U.S. only to be shipped back to Italy by boat, and that is where the paper trail stopped. Cassandra was in trouble. She couldn’t complete her graduate work without these samples, she didn’t have enough money for another field season, and she didn’t want to go through another long period of separation with her young family. When Cassandra approached her advisor for advice, there wasn’t much he could do. She started working on the samples from the first box, and eventually the remaining boxes were delivered back to the home of her in-laws in Italy. They graciously agreed to bring the precious cargo with them back to the U.S. in their luggage so they wouldn’t be lost again. Cassandra’s passion for her research has always kept her going through the many tough times.
A Shining Success! (30:48)
Cassandra and her lab have isolated and discovered compounds that act against staphylococcal virulents. These compounds don’t destroy the bacteria, but instead they target the bacteria’s ability to produce the virulence factors that cause damage to skin and red blood cells. Typically when evaluating whether a plant is useful for treating infection, researchers test to see if the plant inhibits growth or destroys the bacteria or other pathogens. If a plant doesn’t kill the bacteria or slow bacterial growth, then the plant is considered not an effective treatment and the tradition of using this plant for medicine is cast into doubt. Their recent success is exciting for Cassandra because she was able to show that plants that may have been dismissed as not having clinical value using classical approaches still may be effective in medicinal applications. It also brings to light the important notion that there is more than one way to treat infection, and it opens the door to explore other mechanisms that could be targeted for future drug development. Cassandra is looking forward to finding ways to translate this discovery into clinical applications for people with atopic dermatitis and other clinical populations.
Book Recommendations (3:34)
On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist by Clarissa Ward, Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard, Feasting Wild: In Search of the Last Untamed Food by Gina Rae La Cerva
Most Treasured Travel (38:34)
One of her most memorable trips for science was to attend a conference in Sumatra in Indonesia. As part of the conference activities, the group went on a field trip to an orangutan preserve. Everyone there was scanning the trees hoping to catch a glimpse of the red-furred great apes, and when Cassandra let out an excited squeal, they thought they had found them! Unfortunately for the other conference attendees, what had caught Cassandra’s eye was a titan arum plant (commonly called the “corpse flower”). This plant produces an enormous flower that smells like rotting flesh, and there is a lot of fanfare whenever one of these flowers is in bloom in botanical gardens because they produce flowers rarely and at unpredictable intervals. The plant has fascinating chemistry, and it creates a really unique perfume to attract pollinators. Even though the plant wasn’t in bloom when she saw it in Sumatra, it was a thrill to see it in the wild. Cassandra and her comrades also ended up seeing orangutans on the excursion, and overall it was an amazing trip.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (41:00)
Years ago, Cassandra and a postdoc in her lab traveled to the Western Cape province of South Africa to attend a conference. Before flying back to the U.S., they visited the town of Stellenbosch to see some of the remarkable vineyards there. The view at one of the wineries was breathtaking. It was up on a hill with the forest on one side and the fields of grapevines on the other side. They sat at a table outside, and one of the staff explained the vintages and poured samples for them to taste. Right in the middle of telling them about a beautiful rosé, the staff member suddenly put the bottle down and started jumping, yelling, and waving his hands around in an absurd way. They turned to see what had prompted this display, and a troupe of baboons was approaching them. Apparently the baboons have been known to take food and belongings from unsuspecting tourists. The staff member’s odd dance was successful this time in deterring the baboons, and they resumed their tasting. When Cassandra got back to the U.S., she ordered more of the rosé wine, and it has become a tradition to do the baboon dance and drink a bottle of this fantastic rosé whenever they have a big success to celebrate in the lab.
Advice For Us All (46:29)
Don’t neglect your own wellness and health. When you are busy, often the first thing you let go is self care, but it is really important to find that balance. Prioritize yourself and your relationships with the people who are important to you. In addition, stay organized, and think about all of the different players in your network. These can include mentors, colleagues, peers, and sponsors who can help open up new opportunities for you.
Dr.Guest Bio
Cassandra’s research is focused on the documentation and pharmacological evaluation of botanicals used in traditional systems of medicine for treating infectious disease. She takes an interdisciplinary approach to research, integrating tools from the fields of anthropology, biology and chemistry. In addition to her work in research and teaching, Cassandra is an avid science communicator. She created the Teach Ethnobotany YouTube Channel to share educational resources from the field with students and the broader public. She is the co-creator and host of Foodie Pharmacology, a podcast now in its third season which explores the connections between food and medicine. In her free time, Cassandra can be found exploring the outdoors with her four children, swimming or hiking with friends, or with her nose in a book. Read more about her life and adventures in science in her new highly acclaimed book, The Plant Hunter: A Scientist’s Quest for Nature’s Next Medicines. Find out more about her work on her author website and research group website, or follow her on social media (Twitter/Instagram: @QuaveEthnobot).
Photo Credit: Emory Photo/Video
The post 628: Dr. Cassandra Quave: Investigating Plant-Based Medicines to Battle Infectious Disease and Antibiotic Resistance appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
53 min
October 18, 2021 627: Dr. Michael Dickinson: Sorting Out the Science of Fruit Fly Flight and Behavior
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Dr. Michael Dickinson is the Esther M. and Abe M. Zarem Professor of Bioengineering at the California Institute of Technology. He received his PhD in Zoology from the University of Washington and afterwards worked briefly at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany. Michael has received numerous awards and honors during his career, including the Larry Sandler Award from the Genetics Society of America, the Bartholemew Award for Comparative Physiology from the American Society of Zoologists, a Packard Foundation Fellowship in Science and Engineering, a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, and the Quantrell award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching from the University of Chicago. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Michael shares more about his journey through life and science in this interview.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science
In addition to being an excellent scientist, Michael is quite the enthusiastic musician. He played guitar for many years, and has been strumming on the ukulele for about 10 years as well. Much of his free time is spent gardening native plants and enjoying the company of his family.
The Scientific Side
On one hand, his work focuses on the biomechanics and the biophysics of life with a particular focus on how animals fly. He looks at these questions through a neuroscientific lens, trying to understand behavior and flight control.
A Dose of Motivation
Strive for self honesty.
What Got You Hooked on Science?
As a self-described nerdy kid, Michael loved all of the old National Geographic shows, especially the Jacques Cousteau and Jane Goodall specials. Michael initially wanted to be a marine biologist, but as he went through school, he turned his attention towards art, leaving high school early to focus on art in college. He quickly realized being an artist might not be the best fit. Shortly afterward, he discovered neurobiology.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges
Michael was doing research on long-term depression as a postdoc, and it was going poorly. He didn’t get along with his advisor, and it just seemed like the wrong project, wrong lab, and wrong everything. After 14 months, he was ready to give up and leave science because he was having such a terrible experience.
A Shining Success!
He was able to turn the aforementioned dark time into a success by calling a former mentor from the Max Planck Institute. Within a month, Michael was on his way to Germany to tackle a new adventure. He decided to investigate how the biomechanics and neural components fit together for flapping wings. These projects worked out really well and rejuvenated his interest in continuing in science.
Book Recommendations
An Army at Dawn by Rick Atkinson, Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James McPherson, The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes.
Most Treasured Travel
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is among his favorite travel destinations. Many fruit fly species are specialized for life in the deserts of southwest America, and Michael went with lab members to collect samples of these fruit flies. The fruit flies’ ability to survive in such an inhospitable part of the world really gave Michael an appreciation for the flies as more than just a model organism.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories
Michael and his lab typically have an annual camping trip to a beautiful location. During a hike one year, they had all stopped for a water break when to their surprise a guy came down the trail wearing hiking boots and nothing else. It was such an unexpected and bizarre occurrence that all it takes is a mention of the “naked hiker” for anyone in the lab to crack up laughing.
Advice For Us All
Don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone.
Guest Bio
Michael Dickinson was born in Seaford, Delaware in 1963, but spent most of his youth in Baltimore and remains a lifelong Orioles fan. He attended college at Brown University, originally with the intent of majoring in Visual Arts, but eventually switched to Neuroscience, enticed by a fascination for the mechanisms that underlie animal behavior. While in college, he studied the roles of neurons and neurotransmitters in the control of feeding behavior in leeches. He received a Ph. D. in Zoology at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1991. His dissertation project focused on the physiology of sensory cells on the wings of flies. It was this study of wing sensors that led to an interest in insect aerodynamics and flight control circuitry. Dickinson worked briefly at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany, and served as an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Anatomy at the University of Chicago in 1991. He moved to University of California, Berkeley in 1996 and was appointed as the Williams Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology in 2000. Dickinson served on the faculty at Caltech from 2002 to 2010. From 2010 to 2014, he was the Ben Hall Professor of basic life science in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington. He is now the Abe and Esther Zarem Professor of Biology and Bioengineering at Caltech.
Dickinson’s research interests broadly concern the mechanistic basis of animal behavior. Specifically, he has studied the flight behavior of insects simultaneously at several levels of analysis, in an attempt to integrate cellular physiology, biomechanics, aerodynamics, and behavior. He has published over 150 scientific papers in journals including Science, Nature, Current Biology, and Proceedings of the National Academy. His work has been featured in many television programs including NOVA and Discovery Channel in several countries including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and Japan.

*This episode was originally published on January 12, 2015.
The post 627: Dr. Michael Dickinson: Sorting Out the Science of Fruit Fly Flight and Behavior appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
45 min
October 11, 2021 626: Dr. Michael Archer: Digging into the Fossil Record to Understand our Planet’s Past and Aid Present Conservation Efforts
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Dr. Michael Archer is a Professor of Paleobiology in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of New South Wales in Australia. Mike received his undergraduate education from Princeton University in Geology and Biology. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Australia and remained there to earn his PhD in Zoology from the University of Western Australia. Mike has since worked at the Western Australian, Queensland, and Australian Museums, and he joined the faculty at the University of New South Wales in 1978. Mike has received many awards and honors, including being named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Sydney in 2008, receipt of the Riversleigh Society Medal, the TH Huxley Award from the Australian Museum, and the Australian Centennial Medal from the Federal Government of Australia. He is a Member of the Australia Institute of Biology, as well as a Fellow of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, the World Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Australian College of Educators, The Australian Academy of Science, the Royal Society of New South Wales, and Australia 21. In this interview, Mike tells us more about his journey through life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (02:25)
Mike spends his free time watching Sci-Fi movies, including classics like Jurassic Park (one of his all-time favorites).
The Scientific Side (04:31)
Mike is a paleontologist who is fascinated with understanding the continuity of life over billions of years.
A Dose of Motivation (05:45)
“We are studying the past in order to understand the present, in order that we can use both to better secure the future for ourselves and for our kids and for the rest of the planet.” by Professor John Shine
What Got You Hooked on Science? (13:08)
As a kid, Mike felt a strong connection with animals and the natural world. He was delighted to discover a boulder in his backyard that had likely been dropped there by a glacier. This boulder was packed with fossils and was his first introduction to the fossil world. Mike used to travel by train to the American Museum with suitcases full of fossils to be identified. It turned out he had discovered fossils that were over 370 million years old!
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (32:30)
Mike developed back problems after years of moving fossil-filled limestone in sacks across a site called Riversleigh. To immobilize his back enough to allow it to heal, Mike had to wear a plaster jacket that looked like a turtle shell. However, this shell couldn’t stand between Mike and his science. He continued working in the field, giving lectures, and going about his normal activities. While visiting Cairns to deliver a lecture, Mike caused quite a scene at the hotel fervently pursuing cane toads while wearing his shell.
A Shining Success! (35:29)
In 1983, Mike began to suspect that the fossil deposits at Riversleigh in Queensland may be more extensive and remarkable than they imagined. His team began to experiment with explosives to try to unearth new areas to explore. One member of the team retreated to a quiet area in preparation for the next explosion and happened to sit on a rock with tiny backbones embedded in it. This exciting find was just the beginning. They went on to discover 34 different never before seen mammals in a rock the size of a human head. This work likely contributed to Riversleigh becoming a World Heritage Site.
Book Recommendations (42:45)
Green Mansions by William Henry Hudson, Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin
Most Treasured Travel (46:28)
Patagonia tops the list of Mike’s favorite places. While there, a student stumbled across an unusual tooth that resembled what they were finding from ancestral platypuses in Riversleigh. It was so bizarre to see fossils from an animal that is so distinctly Australian turning up halfway around the world. This was striking evidence of how these lands had been connected many years ago. Mike was also deeply impressed by the beautiful desert and powerful winds of Patagonia.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (51:15)
Practical Jokes are a big part of paleontology. He participated in an elaborate prank involving the creation and launch of imitation giant crocodile eyeshines in one of the rivers they were working near. During an evening canoe ride with an unsuspecting co-worker, they encountered the decoys. Mike made sure to get quite close (to the terror of his fellow researcher) before “accidentally” tipping the canoe.
Advice For Us All (58:30)
If most people are convinced something is true, it is probably wrong. Also, if you can imagine it, try it.
Guest Bio
Mike was born in Sydney, Australia, but grew up in Appalachia in the USA where, while learning to play the banjo and make moonshine, he became obsessed with fossils from the age of 11. After graduating from Princeton University he returned to Australia, did his PhD in the University of Western Australia, became Curator of Mammals at the Queensland Museum, Lecturer in the University of New South Wales, Director of the Australian Museum in Sydney, Dean of Science at the University of New South Wales and now a Professor and leader in the Evolution of Earth & Life Sciences Research Group at UNSW. His research projects focus on the deep past such as the World Heritage fossil deposits at Riversleigh, the fragile present such as conservation through sustainable use of native resources including having native animals as pets, securing the future based on the wisdom of the fossil record, and trying to bring extinct species (e.g., the Gastric-brooding Frog and the Thylacine) back into the world of the living. He has supervised more than 50 higher degree research students, produced over 300 scientific publications including 15 books and received 25 awards including Fellowships in the Academy of Science, Royal Society of NSW, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, Australian College of Educators, World Academy of Art and Science, Eureka Prize for the Promotion of Science, and Member of the Order of Australia. To learn more about Mike, visit his profile at the University of New South Wales, read about exciting discoveries at one of their dig sites, review a short interview from the Australian Academy of Science, or tune in to his TED talk on resurrecting extinct animals.
Photo by Zoe Archer
*This episode was originally published on September 2, 2015.
The post 626: Dr. Michael Archer: Digging into the Fossil Record to Understand our Planet’s Past and Aid Present Conservation Efforts appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
1 hr 4 min
October 04, 2021 625: Dr. Nancy Mills: An Organic Chemist Leading the Charge Studying Antiaromatic Ions
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Dr. Nancy Mills was a Murchison Professor (2011-2014) at Trinity University. She received her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Arizona and she spent a few years teaching at Carleton College in Minnesota before joining the faculty at Trinity. Nancy has received many awards and honors during her career, including selection as a Council on Undergraduate Research Fellow, the Distinguished Achievement Award in Scholarship from Trinity University, the American Chemical Society Award for Research at an Undergraduate Institution, and the Piper Professor state-wide teaching award. She has also been elected as a Fellow of the American Chemical Society, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Z. T. Scott Faculty Fellow at Trinity in recognition of outstanding teaching. Nancy joined us for an interview to tell us all about her journey through life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science
In addition to her love of science, Nancy enjoys reading mystery books, cooking, and ultralight backpacking.
The Scientific Side
She works at a primarily undergraduate institution as an organic chemist. Typically organic chemists make things like drugs or polymers. When trying to make things, they really focus on making stable compounds. Nancy has actually created a rare unstable (anti-aromatic) compound that does not turn into a stable one.
A Dose of Motivation
“Remember, the journey is the reward.” from Nancy’s husband.
What Got You Hooked on Science?
Surprisingly, Nancy wasn’t actually that enthusiastic about chemistry as a child. She had her dad’s old chemistry set, but spent more time doing “girl stuff” than mixing chemicals. In college, Nancy decided she should do science because chemists were considered smart and if she became a chemist, she would be considered smart.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges
One of her biggest struggles involved the unstable anti-aromatic compounds which were essentially compounds other people didn’t believe could exist. First she had to convince herself what she was seeing was right by making a lot of the compound, but then she had to figure out how to convince others that she was right. Nancy spent four years doing every experiment she could think of before publishing her findings.
A Shining Success!
She views training students as one of her biggest successes.
Book Recommendations
The Science of Good Cooking by The Editors of America’s Test Kitchen and Guy Crosby, Why So Slow? The Advancement of Women by Virginia Valian
Most Treasured Travel
When Nancy first started as a faculty member, she attended the American Chemical Society meetings, and it was an incredible and transformative experience. Some of these early meetings were also in Hawaii which was nice and probably explained why there weren’t always very many people in the audience.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories
Nancy usually has a group of students working in her lab over the summer and they made a tradition of Friday Fun Days. They usually appoint one or two social chairs who plan the themes and outings each weeks. They do tie day and go out for Thai food and they always have a pirate day. They now have an extensive collection of pirate attire in the lab that they all wear out to lunch to celebrate.
Advice For Us All
Think about finding mentors who will help you further your career and if you are further along in your career, think about being a mentor for younger colleagues.
Guest Bio
Trinity University, a predominantly undergraduate institution in San Antonio. As a result, Nancy’s career at Trinity University has allowed a great balance of teaching, research, and service. Her research program involves the discovery of antiaromatic ions. These species were anticipated to be so unstable that they were rarely considered as research subjects and even less frequently prepared. But, due to an unexpected experimental result, Dr. Mills has developed the largest group of antiaromatic dications and dianions, and is using them to provide insight into some of the “workhorse” principles of organic chemistry. She has had continuous external funding since 1980, from the Research Corporation, the Petroleum Research Fund of the American Chemical Society, the National Science Foundation, and the Welch Foundation, which supports chemical research in Texas. In the area of service, she was a Councilor of the Council on Undergraduate Research (www.cur.org) for a decade and chair of the chemistry division. During this time she started a Mentor Network in Chemistry, which guides faculty at undergraduate institutions who are interested in starting a research career with those undergraduates. She followed that with a decade of service on the Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society and was fortunate to participate in a dramatic modification of the guidelines that shape chemistry curriculum in the US. Since 2010, she has chaired the first strategic planning process at Trinity University for more than 40 years.
Photo credit to Don Hamerman of Trinity University.
*This episode was originally published on December 1, 2014.
The post 625: Dr. Nancy Mills: An Organic Chemist Leading the Charge Studying Antiaromatic Ions appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
38 min

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