People Behind the Science Podcast

By Dr. Marie McNeelyScience

People Behind the Science Podcast episodes

March 16 856: Dr. Tyler Susko: Engineering Innovative Shoes to Help Feet Move Forward
Dr. Tyler Susko is Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Cadense, Inc., a company that creates groundbreaking adaptive solutions. He is also a Teaching Professor and Undergraduate Vice Chair in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. And he is Principal Engineer and Owner of Susko Engineering, LLC. Tyler received his bachelor’s degree in Integrated Business and Engineering and his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University. Afterwards, he worked as a design engineer for Ingersoll Rand for two years before returning to graduate school. He was awarded his PhD in mechanical engineering from MIT. After completing his PhD, Tyler joined the faculty at UC Santa Barbara and launched his engineering consulting company. He co-founded Cadense in 2021. Cadence has been recognized with an Innovation Award from the Pacific Coast Business Times, and it was named a finalist for Fast Company’s 2025 Innovation by Design Award. In our interview, Tyler shares more about his life and his career.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:35)
As an entrepreneur and a father of three, Tyler keeps very busy. He and his family enjoy hanging out, rock climbing, skiing, and engaging in robotics club activities together. Tyler has learned to blend his work life with his family life, so his kids sometimes come with him to the office, and sometimes he brings his work home.
The Scientific Side (3:39)
At work, Tyler is dedicated to creating useful things that solve real-world problems for people. He and his team have designed an innovative shoe that can help people who have trouble with their foot clearing the ground when they are swinging their foot forward while walking (called “foot drop”). The shoe uses relatively simple, low-cost technology that provides a high-friction surface on the bottom when it’s bearing weight, but a low-friction surface on the bottom when someone swings their foot forward. With this approach, even if the bottom of the shoe catches on the ground while taking a step, the low-friction surface will allow someone to continue moving their foot forward.
A Dose of Motivation (4:22)
“Everything should be as simple as possible, but no simpler.”
What Got You Hooked on Science? (10:24)
Math came easily to Tyler when he was growing up, and he found it really fun and satisfying. His childhood passion for math, combined with an interest in building things out of Lego and K’nex, led Tyler to pursue engineering in college. He enjoyed his courses and solving problems, but getting involved with a program called Best Buddies was truly transformative. The program provided an opportunity for Tyler to engage with people who have disabilities, and it showed him firsthand how many people’s needs aren’t met by what is available in the world today. This motivated him to pursue work on robotics solutions to help with rehabilitation for people with brain and spinal cord injuries.
After finishing college and tacking on an extra year to do a master’s degree, Tyler went into industry. To satisfy his desire to continue teaching and doing math, Tyler began teaching physics in the evenings at a local state college. While he enjoyed product development, corporate life ultimately wasn’t the right fit for Tyler. He decided to pivot and enroll in a PhD program. Tyler had a rocky start as he got back in the academic groove and got up to speed on robotics and other coursework. Looking back, becoming an entrepreneur made sense. Tyler had an early fascination with startups, and he studied business alongside engineering as an undergraduate student. After one failed attempt and a second company that still hasn’t really taken off, Cadence is Tyler’s third startup. He was particularly excited about launching Cadense because it aligns really well with his unique interests and expertise.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (25:20)
Tyler faced a few major challenges in graduate school. He worked in industry for a few years before returning to school to get his PhD. In some ways, having this real-world design experience was beneficial. However, it also meant that he had taken a long break from calculus and other coursework, and it took some time for Tyler to get caught up again.
He also struggled with his PhD qualifying exam. In the program Tyler was in at MIT, the qualifying exam involved written and oral tests spanning three subjects. The written tests went well, but his first attempt at the oral exam was a disaster. Tyler froze. Standing in front of several accomplished professors trying to solve the problem they gave him, his mind just went completely blank. He failed, and he was devastated. After a tough conversation with his advisor, Tyler decided to take the opportunity to try the oral exam one last time. This time though, he didn’t over-prepare. He slept well the night before and stayed calm. Tyler told himself that he could do it, and he was right.
A Shining Success! (29:49)
Passing his PhD qualifying exam gave Tyler the biggest feeling of accomplishment and relief. After making it through the oral exam session with the professors, Tyler’s advisor brought him into the office again. The conversation went very differently this time. Tyler was surprised to hear that he got the second best score out of the 80 people who took the exam. He didn’t just pass, he excelled. This experience taught Tyler a really important lesson. He could handle difficult things. The qualifying exam experience gave him confidence that has continued to shape the rest of his life. Whenever Tyler faces a seemingly impossible challenge, he reminds himself that he can figure it out.
Book Recommendations (33:28)
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight, The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self by Michael Easter
Most Treasured Travel (35:06)
While Tyler is not a big fan of travel, he had an interesting opportunity to visit São Paulo, Brazil, in graduate school. Tyler’s PhD advisor Hermano Igo Krebs is a Brazilian native, and he organized a conference there on rehabilitation robotics. The conference was held at Igo’s undergraduate alma mater, and he gathered a large group of people together for a great conference. Tyler enjoyed presenting his research, and it was eye-opening to experience the different culture, language (Portuguese), and food.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (37:35)
Working in the lab at MIT was a lot of fun because they built and tested a variety of cool robotic devices. Strapping on these devices felt a little bit like being Iron Man, and Tyler has some great photos of him in robotic gear. They also enjoyed getting the lab together for lab celebrations, and one involved breaking a lot of plates to celebrate a Greek lab member’s major life event. The only problem was that no one had planned in advance for the extensive cleanup required.
Advice For Us All (40:38)
Do the hardest things you possibly can while you are still young. If you’re faced with a choice between an easy path and a difficult path, taking the easy route isn’t always best. Learning how to overcome challenges will benefit you later. Also, follow your passion and do what you want to do in life.
Guest Bio
Tyler Susko is a medical device entrepreneur and researcher focused on fall prevention and mobility innovation in high-risk populations. His work centers on translating biomechanics and population health insights into practical, regulated solutions that reduce fall risk and improve confidence in movement—particularly for older adults and individuals with neurologic conditions. He is the founder of Cadense, an FDA-registered medical device company developing variable friction footwear designed to dynamically adapt to changing surfaces and gait instability. Cadense is building a condition-specific portfolio spanning clinical, senior living, and consumer markets, supported by prospective research and real-world fall outcomes data. Tyler is passionate about bridging clinical science, product development, and commercialization to create scalable solutions that meaningfully impact safety, independence, and quality of life.
The post 856: Dr. Tyler Susko: Engineering Innovative Shoes to Help Feet Move Forward appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
45 min
March 09 855: Dr. David Sedlak: Working to Purify and Preserve Our World’s Water Supply
Dr. David Sedlak is the Plato Malozemoff Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Co-Director of the Berkeley Water Center, Deputy Director of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Reinventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure, and Director of the Institute for Environmental Science and Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition, he is author of the book Water 4.0: The Past, Present, and Future of the World’s Most Vital Resource. David earned his Bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Cornell University. After college, he worked as a Staff Scientist at Environ Corporation in Princeton, New Jersey. David then attended graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison where he was awarded his Ph.D. in water chemistry. Prior to joining the faculty at UC, Berkeley, David conducted postdoctoral research at the Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology in Dübendorf, Switzerland. Throughout his career, David has received numerous awards and honors, including a National Science Foundation CAREER Development Award, the Paul L. Busch Award for Innovation in Applied Water Quality Research, a Fulbright Senior Scholar Award, a Fulbright Alumni Initiative Award, the U.S. National Academy of Engineering Gilbreth Lecture Award, and the Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize for Excellence in Water Research. He has also been named an Elected Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, as well as a Rydell Distinguished Visiting Professor at Gustavus Adolphus College and the Francqui Foundation Chair, Ghent University. In our interview, David shares more about his life and research.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (3:01)
When David isn’t working, he enjoys long-distance running. He often runs along the many trails in the Berkeley area, and he participates in an annual local trails marathon.
The Scientific Side (3:44)
David is working to create technologies that will allow future generations to have access to adequate amounts of clean, safe water.
A Dose of Motivation (4:28)
“If it were easy and obvious, someone would have done it already.”
What Got You Hooked on Science? (6:51)
Interest in the environment is what first drew David towards science and engineering. He grew up close to the water in Oyster Bay, NY, and he spent a lot of time outside around the bay. As the years passed, David saw and experienced pollution issues in the water, and it made him wonder how we could better live in harmony with the natural environment. He recognized that science could be one path towards solving these problems. David began college as a natural resources major, but he quickly realized that he would rather solve larger scale environmental problems than focus on the management aspects. In his second year of college, David got involved in research, and it was a great experience. After graduating, David worked for an engineering company that helped clean up hazardous waste sites around New York City. Working in these real-world polluted sites and interfacing with communities dealing with these problems, he realized how much he still had to learn. He decided to go to graduate school to pursue a career developing ways to destroy chemicals that contaminate our environment and our water.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (18:14)
In one project, David and a graduate student in the lab were trying to measure very low concentrations of a synthetic estrogen compound (the active ingredient in birth control pills) in water. The techniques they were using worked well in the lab and when they were working with relatively clean water. However, after reviewing data the graduate student spent months in the field collecting and processing, they realized they had a problem. He had to go back to the drawing board. At the same time, David was preparing to be considered for promotion and tenure. David and the student adjusted the methods to better purify their samples, and they spent the next year in the field repeating the experiments from the previous year. Ultimately, the project was successful, but the year-long delay was incredibly stressful.
A Shining Success! (22:51)
About 8 years ago, a postdoc in David’s lab did a series of experiments trying to break down a simple organic chemical called benzene. In textbooks, this is done with a simple oxidation reaction that creates only one product called phenol. They designed an experiment where they would monitor the disappearance of benzene and the formation of phenol. At the end of the experiment, they could only account for about half of the benzene that was lost. This unexpected finding launched a project that has taken seven years to solve. They discovered that there are actually several different reactions that occur, and the products that are created are more complex, and in some cases much more toxic, than the single product they originally expected. This has important implications for how wastes containing benzene should be treated before being released into the environment. David and his team discovered something no one had ever seen before, and they also came up with a solution where the products could be subjected to a second biofiltration step with bacteria to break down the toxic chemicals produced by the initial reaction.
Book Recommendations (26:51)
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World — and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Anna Rosling Rönnlund, Hans Rosling, and Ola Rosling; Water 4.0: The Past, Present, and Future of the World’s Most Vital Resource by David Sedlak
Most Treasured Travel (29:45)
The campus at the University of California, Berkeley has been the most meaningful place that David’s work has taken him. The school has employed many inspiring researchers and has a great history of amazing discoveries. Stepping onto the Berkeley campus for the first time as a new faculty member was intimidating, but this environment has been incredibly intellectually stimulating. If you visit UC, Berkeley, you should definitely walk through the center of campus to visit the clock tower. From the top of this tower, you can get an excellent view of the campus and listen to the ringing of the bells. Also, take the opportunity to walk around campus and step into different lecture halls. There is something interesting going on in every building every day.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (33:02)
When David was a postdoc, he worked on a project analyzing the chemistry that occurs in cloud droplets. Cloud droplets are exposed to sunlight and they contain trace amounts of metals and soil. Interesting reactions occur within these droplets, and they are good models for processes that could be used to purify water. As part of the project, David had to go out into the high hills of Northern England to collect cloud water samples. He didn’t really know what to expect, but he packed up his equipment, rented a van, and convinced his wife to accompany him as a field technician. When he arrived, David saw that all of the other field research groups were outfitted with recreational vehicles with electricity, heat, refrigerators, music, and other useful amenities. In contrast, David and his wife spent their time sitting in a cold, dark van for 36 hour intervals, and they couldn’t run the engine to turn on the heat during the experiments. They were miserable, and this was the first and last time David ever collected cloud droplets.
Advice For Us All (39:07)
Never write a textbook or feel pressured to do something else that you feel is expected of you, but isn’t really necessary. Instead, do the things that make you happy, that other people aren’t doing, and that you think are going to have the biggest contribution to solving big problems. Also, if you like to dream and be creative, a career in research is a great fit. The sky is the limit.
Guest Bio
David’s career has been focused on the development of new technologies to provide a safe and abundant water supply to future generations. To achieve this goal, he directs a team of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who study everything from the mechanisms through which chemicals are degraded in advanced water treatment plants to the ways in which nature-based treatment systems can be integrated into water treatment. Recognizing that change requires a lot more than simply conducting research, David serves on various government advisory panels and works with water utilities and cities around the world to implement new approaches for obtaining and treating water. He also engages with members of the public and decision-makers to build support for these approaches whenever he can reach a large number of people (e.g., writing books, op-ed pieces, magazine articles, TED talks). In his remaining time, he chases his energetic dog around the many trails running through the Berkeley Hills and spends his time discussing ways of protecting the environment with his wife (MS in environmental engineering), daughter (BS in chemistry) and son (working on BS in Chemistry).

*This episode was originally published on March 2, 2020.
The post 855: Dr. David Sedlak: Working to Purify and Preserve Our World’s Water Supply appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
42 min
March 02 854: Dr. Carla Finkielstein: Studying How Disruptions in Circadian Control of Cell Division May Cause Cancer
Dr. Carla Finkielstein is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences within the Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech. She is also Director of the Integrated Cellular Response Laboratory at Virginia Tech, a Member of the Executive Committee of the Susan G. Komen Blue Ridge Board, and past member of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation. Carla received her B.S. and Ph.D. both in Molecular Biology from the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. Afterwards, she worked as a Research Associate at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Carla then conducted further postdoctoral research at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center before joining the faculty at Virginia Tech. Carla has been recognized for her research accomplishments with the L. Chely Award for Best PhD Thesis, a Howard Hughes Institute Fellowship for Research, an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship, the Karin Noss Scholarship for Research Advocacy in Breast Cancer, the Susan G. Komen Award for Junior Investigators, and a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. In our interview Carla shared more about her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:35)
Carla’s favorite hobby is cooking. She loves making new and creative dishes that bring together different colors, flavors, and taste profiles. Cooking is relaxing for her, and it’s fun to share dishes she creates with her friends and family. In addition, Carla enjoys reading a wide variety of books about history.
The Scientific Side (6:36)
In the lab, Carla is interested in understanding the mechanisms cells use to measure time to regulate cell division. Evidence supports that people with circadian disorders have a higher incidence of cancer. Carla hypothesizes that cancer may occur when the clocks within cells don’t function properly. In these cases, the clocks may signal to the cell to divide too frequently. Carla’s goal is to understand how this process occurs so that we can fix the issue, detect the problem early to provide treatment, or prevent it from happening.
A Dose of Motivation (10:07)
“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” – Babe Ruth
“Talent is like the marksman who hits a target which others cannot reach; genius is like the marksman who hits a target which others cannot even see.” – Arthur Schopenhauer
What Got You Hooked on Science? (14:55)
Science is something that Carla has been interested in ever since she was a kid growing up in Argentina. Her father was a chemist, and he made a thrifty homemade chemistry set as a gift for Carla when she was eight years old using a few items from his lab. He also wrote out a booklet of experiments that she could do with her new chemistry set. When Carla received this gift and saw all of the neatly labelled bottles, she was so excited. Carla and her father did an experiment that day where they mixed together two clear transparent liquids, and the solution turned purple. This was absolutely fascinating for Carla, and it sparked her curiosity for chemistry. Later that year, Carla had a conversation with one of her older cousins about cancer. Her cousin proclaimed that cancer was a complicated disease, and no one would ever be able to find a cure for cancer. Determined to prove her domineering cousin wrong, Carla announced that she would find the cure. From that day forward, she has been committed to studying cancer.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (22:29)
Some of Carla’s biggest career struggles occurred during the early years of her graduate thesis work. She was working crazy hours and was still getting no results three years into graduate school. After spending countless hours trying the same things over and over again in the lab, Carla had nothing to show for it. She was in utter despair. At that point, Carla decided that she had to change her approach. She sat down and comprehensively evaluated everything she was doing in the lab to try to understand why things weren’t working. Taking that time to think and reach a conclusion was key. Looking back, she was at her breaking point then. She could have either sat down and figured out the problem or given up and walked away from her career in science. Having to work through these challenges has helped carla learn and grow as a scientist, and now she views all of the problems they have in lab as puzzles to solve rather than catastrophes.
A Shining Success! (25:32)
The most recent research paper that Carla and her lab published was a major success. One of Carla’s previous graduate students was incredibly hard working and came up with an interesting hypothesis during her dissertation. This student published other aspects of her thesis, but the main work related to this hypothesis remained unpublished when she graduated. Though the student had moved on to her next position, Carla believed this student’s hypothesis was correct and encouraged her to continue trying to get this work published. The paper needed some additional work and expertise to be complete, so Carla enlisted one of her current students to help. This second student has done excellent work collecting additional data, and they discovered that the story was even more interesting than they originally thought. They published the paper in a top tier journal at the end of last year, and it has been well-received by the scientific community. Carla is particularly proud of this work because a lot of belief, trust, and hard work went into the project.
Book Recommendations (5:05)
The Emperor of all Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee, Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck by Adam Cohen
Most Treasured Travel (28:42)
Carla’s favorite place she visited for science was Thailand. She was invited by the government to come as a representative from her university for a joint project. Her trip involved giving a presentation about her work, visiting biotech organizations, visiting universities, and meeting with many different scientists. It struck Carla when she was talking about her research that there weren’t any major cancer research institutes in the areas she visited. Through conversations with researchers there, Carla learned more about the research priorities of the people of Thailand and how their country approached doing research. Many of their major research priorities were related to food production, such as studying infectious diseases in plants and fish. It was interesting to get this cultural perspective, and it has helped Carla think about the context of her own research a little differently.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (32:50)
When Carla was an undergraduate student, she had an opportunity to attend a workshop at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. One of the lecturers in this workshop was Dr. Paul Nurse who is a leading geneticist and expert on cell cycle regulation. Carla absolutely idolized Paul, and when the day finally came for his lecture (October 31, 1991), she was sitting in the front row eagerly awaiting his presentation. One of the other exceptional speakers introduced Paul, and Carla was befuddled as he got up on stage dressed as an elephant with an big elephant trunk. While Carla enjoyed the lecture, she couldn’t help wondering what was going on with all of these weirdly dressed people she had seen around the laboratory all day. Carla didn’t realize that it was Halloween and that it was customary for people in the U.S. to dress up in costumes for Halloween since this was something they didn’t celebrate in Argentina. After the presentations were over, everyone went to Manhattan to watch the Halloween parade, and it was fun to celebrate alongside some very distinguished scientists.
Advice For Us All (38:04)
Both Carla and her husband are scientists, and she received the valuable advice from a senior colleague to make sure that she and her husband grew professionally together. Careers in science can be intense and demand a lot of time, and it has been helpful for them to make this journey together. For our listeners who are scientists, make sure to enjoy every minute of your career because there is nothing more beautiful than the joy of knowledge. For listeners who are not scientists, believe in scientists. Scientists will solve many of the problems that people struggle with today. Some of these problems will take longer than others to solve, but researchers are working hard to find solutions.
Guest Bio
Research in Carla’s lab focuses on understanding cancer development and progression and in finding novel therapeutic strategies for improving the efficacy of cancer treatment. Because the circadian clock regulates so many cellular processes, including cell division, the control points for the circadian clock within the cell cycle could occur at many stages. Carla is interested in examining whether patients suffering from circadian disorders show a higher predisposition to develop cancer, how the expression of clock genes is affected in the case of tumors, and how all this information can be used to generate novel therapies to improve the efficacy of cancer treatment. The current grand challenge for Carla’s research group is to harmonize the work of epidemiologists, physicians, and basic scientists to conceive new principles that explain the high incidence of cancer observed in individuals experiencing circadian disorders. Carla is a researcher who understands that science must remain an important cultural activity in our society, especially as it becomes increasingly interdisciplinary, global in scale, and technologically challenging for most of the public. As such, Carla is pro-active in furthering science dissemination and public engagement at various levels. She is engaged in training and education and is also an outspoken advocate for breast cancer awareness through her work as a fundraiser, activist, daughter, and mother.

*This episode was originally published on January 21, 2019.
The post 854: Dr. Carla Finkielstein: Studying How Disruptions in Circadian Control of Cell Division May Cause Cancer appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
41 min
February 23 853: Dr. Donald Smith: Getting to the Root of How Microbes Help Plants Thrive Under Stress
Dr. Donald L. Smith is the Distinguished James McGill Professor in the Department of Plant Science at McGill University. He is also CEO of BioFuelNet Canada, Head of Biomass Canada, and Head of the McGill Network for Innovation on Biofuels and Bioproduct. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Acadia University and his PhD from the University of Guelph. Afterwards, he worked as an Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Postdoctoral Fellow at Agriculture Canada before joining the faculty at McGill University in 1985. Over the course of his career, Don has received many awards and honors, including, the Clean50 award for contributions to sustainable development and clean capitalism in Canada and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, in this case for significant contributions to intelligent agriculture . He is also a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Agronomy, and he served as a Member of the Canada-US think tank on climate change and agriculture in North Eastern North America. In our interview, Don shares more about his life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (3:20)
Outside of the lab, Don loves to unwind and recharge by going on walks and reading great novels. He is also an avid traveler who enjoys blending work with trips to new places whenever possible, turning conferences and collaborations into opportunities to explore the world.
The Scientific Side (4:40)
Don’s research examines relationships between plants and the microbes that live in association with them, particularly in the roots. He and his collaborators have discovered evidence of signaling between plants and microbes, including microbial signaling that causes plants to grow better. They also uncovered that plants respond much more strongly to signals in the presence of drought or cold stress. Now they are expanding their investigations to examine a wide range of plant-associated microbes to better understand the signals they send and how they may impact plant health and resilience.
A Dose of Motivation (11:58)
Evolution never sleeps. If there’s some problem that’s presented, evolution will try to find a way around it. It doesn’t care about any human rules on what can and can’t be done. It’s whatever works.
What Got You Hooked on Science? (13:53)
Growing up on a rural apple farm in Nova Scotia, Don was always intrigued by plants, biology, and how the natural world works. However, the long days of physical work didn’t leave much time to imagine a future in science. After a rocky first year of university, a summer job doing repetitive, backbreaking work in a fertilizer factory became a turning point. Don realized he didn’t want to do this forever. He returned to school with renewed focus, and his grades reflected his new-found resolve. Don’s longtime interest in plants steered him towards studying biology and getting involved in research.
As the first in his family to attend university, Don never expected to pursue graduate school, let alone a PhD or a career as a professor. But a mix of curiosity, travel, and well-timed mentors helped him chart his path. During a summer scuba diving for Natural Resources Canada off of Prince Edward Island, Don stumbled across a book about Australia. He decided to go. After an interesting year abroad working in a steel mill in Australia and then traveling through Southeast Asia and Europe, he returned home ready to give graduate school a try. This led to a master’s degree, followed by a PhD. Along the way, Don learned to keep his eyes open for opportunities and seize them when they arose, ultimately leading him to a productive and rewarding career in academic research.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (26:47)
Don did some groundbreaking research on soybeans, identifying a new way to leverage signaling processes between the soybean plants and their associated bacteria to enhance growth so they can produce beans in the shorter growing season in Canada. In particular, they identified lipo-chitooligosaccharides (LCOs) were critical signaling molecules from bacteria that help start the nitrogen fixation symbiosis in plant roots.
However, their results with LCO treatments were inconsistent, both in the field and in the lab. Sometimes they saw a strong growth response, but sometimes nothing happened. They kept trying different things, but nothing seemed to explain the variability in their results. The breakthrough came on a cold, wet spring day doing field work in a cornfield. Don began to wonder if temperature was important. Indeed, it was. Soil temperature plays a critical role in the establishment of the plant-microbe interactions within the first twelve hours, particularly the interactions relevant for nitrogen fixation. And it wasn’t just temperature, other stresses like limited water could also strengthen the effect of their LCO treatments. These discoveries have had major impacts on agriculture.
A Shining Success! (28:54)
Don has also done important work in biocontrol, tackling Clavibacter michiganensis michiganensis (CMM), a major tomato pathogen. By isolating a set of beneficial bacteria that strongly suppressed the disease, he and his team discovered that one bacterial strain released a compound that either stopped CMM from growing or actively harmed it. With a talented student leading the charge and help from chemist collaborators, they isolated and identified the structure of two related compounds involved. Getting to this point was a long process though. One of the compounds has a side chain with an extra methyl group, and they still haven’t figured out its orientation. After three years of working on the project, Don decided to move on and publish what they had, and this was an exciting success.
Book Recommendations (3:39)
Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
Most Treasured Travel (30:47)
Travel has played a major role in Don’s life. Visiting Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia and Malaysia, were particularly impactful because it was his first time experiencing a non-Western culture. It was eye-opening and awe-inspiring. The remarkable biodiversity of the Galápagos Islands and the dramatic geology of Iceland also left lasting impressions on Don. In addition, as part of his field work, Don had the opportunity to travel to a stunning oasis in the Sahara Desert in Egypt and to experience the rich culture of Nigeria.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (34:04)
Life in the lab can get intense, so Don makes a point of organizing events to get everyone together throughout the year to connect, decompress, and temporarily escape the pressures of lab life. These events have led to some memorable moments, including a late-autumn walk to the pier near McGill’s campus to watch comets streak across the sky.
With trainees from all over the world, lab members have also had to adapt to the new climate and culture in Montreal where the winters are long, cold, and snowy. One student from Kenya was delighted to witness her first snowfall there, but she also struggled to wrap her head around the prospects of temperatures dropping down to about -40°C, which is twice as cold as the deep freezer in the lab. Being cooped up indoors when it’s cold and daylight is scarce can take a toll though, and Don encourages his lab members to get outside for a brisk walk whenever possible.
Advice For Us All (40:01)
When you get a result that doesn’t conform to what you expect, don’t just brush it off. You need to look at it hard and you need to make sure it’s repeatable. But if it is, it could be more interesting than what you thought would happen. Be persistent. Things don’t always work out as you expect in science or in life more broadly. Many things will pop up, and you just have to persist to get through them.
Guest Bio
During his 40 years at McGill, Don has conducted research in the production and physiology of crop plants, with an emphasis on plant-microbe interactions, related to both food production and biofuel feedstock production. Specific areas of research have been: nitrogen metabolism, nitrogen fixation, low temperature stress and legume nodulation, methods for injection of metabolites into plants, cereal production, plant growth regulators, intercropping, inter-plant competition, plant-microbe signaling, plants and climate change, biofuel crops, cannabis, crop stress responses, and biochar as a soil amendment. Work on microbe-to-plant signals and plant stress responses is leading to climate change resilient crop production systems. He has trained 86 graduate students, ~2/3 at the Ph.D. level, published >410 papers, generated fourteen patents, started a spin-off company (Bios Agriculture Inc.), and commercialized technologies now applied to ~100 million hectares of cropland per year. These technologies are based on microbe-to-plant signals, particularly in the area of crop plant stress mitigation; his laboratory has been a pioneering group in this work. He has been cited more than 26,000 times and his current H index (Research Gate) is 81. He has been principal investigator on research grants totaling ~$100 million. He currently leads BioFuelNet, which recently finished a 5-year cycle of funding ($50M), which led to an additional $12M to fund the Biomass Canada research cluster through AAFC.

Support for this episode of People Behind the Science was provided by Innovative Research, Inc.
The post 853: Dr. Donald Smith: Getting to the Root of How Microbes Help Plants Thrive Under Stress appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
43 min
February 16 852: Dr. Andrew Friedman: Using Astrophysics to Unravel the Enigma of Quantum Entanglement
Dr. Andrew Friedman is an Assistant Research Scientist at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He is also a Research Affiliate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Andy received his bachelor’s degree in physics and astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley and his master’s and PhD degrees in Astronomy and Astrophysics from Harvard University. Afterwards, Andy worked as a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT, a National Science Foundation funded Research Associate at MIT, and a Visiting Research Scientist at the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics. He joined the Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences at UCSD in 2017. In our interview, Andy tells us more about his life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:19)
When he’s not at work, you can find Andy hanging out with his wife and dog, or enjoying good food and good conversation with friends and family.
The Scientific Side (4:17)
As an astrophysicist and cosmologist, Andy is studying the history of the universe from the Big Bang through present day. Andy and his colleagues use the universe as a laboratory to learn more about how things work. Specifically, Andy uses observations of astronomical objects in other galaxies to learn about fundamental physics and quantum mechanics.
A Dose of Motivation (7:11)
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” – Arthur C. Clarke
What Got You Hooked on Science? (13:46)
Andy grew up in a house full of books and movies, and his parents encouraged him to explore his interests and think critically. He enjoyed many visits to the science museum with his parents and was also inspired by Carl Sagan’s books and the original Cosmos TV series. Because Andy had broad-ranging interests, it was difficult to narrow down what path to pursue in college. He decided to focus on physics and astronomy because he had dreamed of going into space as a kid. The work of an astronaut sounded too difficult and dangerous, so he reasoned that studying astrophysics would be the next best way to connect with the universe. During college, Andy had a fantastic opportunity to work in a research group that was searching for exploding stars in images of space. This experience paved the way for his subsequent graduate and postdoctoral research. Andy knew he ultimately wanted to return to the San Diego area to be close to family, but there weren’t many job opportunities available when he was ready to take the next step in his career. Not ready to give up, Andy and his phenomenal collaborators found a way to create and fund a research position that has allowed him to continue doing exciting research in astrophysics.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (30:11)
Andy and his colleagues worked on a really exciting project called the Cosmic Bell Experiment. In this experiment, they used light from distant objects in space to help us better understand the underlying mechanisms of an unusual phenomenon called quantum entanglement. When particles exhibit quantum entanglement, measuring the state of one of the particles allows you to also know the state of the other entangled particle. Their unique approach of using light from distant objects to determine the measurement settings used to measure entangled particles help close some of the loopholes through which quantum entanglement might be able to be explained by classical physics theories (versus quantum mechanics). This experiment turned out to be really exciting, but it was incredibly difficult to get the funding to support it. Andy and his colleagues submitted application after application for funding, and they received a steady stream of rejections. Ultimately, their many failures led to a resounding success!
A Shining Success! (33:33)
After completing the Cosmic Bell Experiment, their group published a great paper, and there was a lot of media coverage of the project. Being involved in writing the paper and engaging with the public through a variety of media opportunities was really fun. Andy was particularly delighted to work with PBS’s TV program NOVA to create a documentary on the experiment because this was a TV show that he loved watching as a kid. He also got to participate in a panel discussion about the documentary and share his insights at San Diego Comic-Con. These were excellent opportunities to talk about the science Andy is so passionate about and to extend the reach of his work.
Book Recommendations (36:19)
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage by Carl Sagan, Uplift: The Complete Original Trilogy by David Brin
Most Treasured Travel (37:53)
One of the most memorable trips Andy has taken for science brought him to Vienna, Austria. The goal of this trip was for U.S. scientists who were working on the Cosmic Bell Experiment to meet with collaborators in Austria who would also be working on the project. This was a multi-day collaboration meeting in which Andy was scheduled to give a detailed presentation and answer questions about plans for the experiment. Beforehand, Andy and a group of his colleagues went to lunch at a restaurant in what looked like an old bank building. The bathrooms were located in the basement vault with heavy metal doors. Upon trying to leave the bathroom, Andy had the horrifying realization that the lock wouldn’t budge. Andy tried to text his friends upstairs, but he had no cellular reception through the thick metal of the vault. He was trapped. After about 20-30 minutes someone finally came to his rescue. They had to find a restaurant worker who spoke English, and they were able to open the door from the outside. Andy made it in time to give his presentation, and it went really well. The rest of his time in Austria was amazing. Andy enjoyed exploring the beautiful, historic city of Vienna and having remarkable scientific conversations with colleagues.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (41:20)
In graduate school, Andy ran the school’s comedy magazine called the Harvard Satyrical Press, which featured funny and sarcastic news stories. Contrary to what people might have expected, many of the writers for the magazine were scientists. There were so many creative and funny people studying science at Harvard.
Advice For Us All (45:53)
Be kind to your future self. Do what you can right now to help make your life easier and better in the future. Working hard and being proactive are critical for success, but it is also important to acknowledge the role of luck in our lives and to approach everything with humility. Doing so helps us be less judgmental of others who might be less fortunate.
Guest Bio
Andrew is an astronomer, cosmologist, and data scientist. His main research interests include several different theoretical and observational projects to devise and implement fun experiments that use the entire universe as a laboratory to test fundamental physics. These include novel tests of quantum theory and entanglement using with astronomical observations, searches for exotic new physics with optical polarization studies of distant galaxies, as well as infrared and optical studies of supernovae with ground and space based telescopes to measure the expansion history of the universe, cosmic acceleration, and dark energy. Overall, Andrew enjoys exploring fascinating scientific questions at the intersection between observational astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, and the philosophy of science through research, science writing, art, animation, public outreach, and science media engagement. For more about Andrew’s work, see his UC San Diego research website, and follow him on Twitter.
When not doing science, Andrew also enjoys good food and good conversation, spending time with friends and family, and he and his wife love playing with their dog (who they are convinced is a small, fuzzy, alien in disguise). He also enjoys composing electronic music purely through software, having long forgotten how to play the piano or any other instrument. In another life (grad school), he was the editor in chief of the Harvard Satyrical Press, Harvard’s only official grad school comedy magazine, now retired, but archived here for posterity, to highlight the news format satire contributions of various nerds.

*This episode was originally published on December 23, 2019.
The post 852: Dr. Andrew Friedman: Using Astrophysics to Unravel the Enigma of Quantum Entanglement appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
50 min
February 09 851: Dr. Kristen Rasmussen: Examining Extreme Weather Events and Earth’s Most Intense Storms
Dr. Kristen Lani Rasmussen is Assistant Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. Kristen received her bachelor’s degree in meteorology and mathematics as well as music from the University of Miami. She then attended the University of Washington where she was awarded her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Atmospheric Sciences. Afterwards, Kristen conducted postdoctoral research at the National Center for Atmospheric Research before joining the faculty at Colorado State University. She has received a number of awards and honors in her career, including the Peter B. Wagner Memorial Award for Women in Atmospheric Science from the Desert Research Institute, the College of the Environment Outstanding Community Impact Award from the University of Washington, and the Very Early Career Award from the American Meteorological Society’s Mesoscale Processes Conference. In addition, she was recently awarded the Graduate Mentoring and Advising Award from Colorado State University as well as the George T. Abell Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award from the College of Engineering at Colorado State University. In our interview, Kristen tells us more about her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:37)
In addition to spending quality time with her fantastic family, Kristen enjoys playing jazz trumpet. She has played jazz and bluegrass music with various bands in Colorado.
The Scientific Side (3:44)
Research in Kristen’s lab focuses on studying extreme events, particularly weather events such as heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, hail storms, and other events that have a big impact on humans and society. She is interested in examining these extreme event systems in the context of our current climate and how they may change in the future.
A Dose of Motivation (4:24)
Kristen has an intense work ethic, and she is motivated by Malcolm Gladwell’s idea that you need to deliberately practice skills for about 10,000 hours to become an expert and be successful.
What Got You Hooked on Science? (6:34)
A passion for weather research was passed down to Kristen from her father. He studied winter weather in Colorado and absolutely loved his career. Kristen remembers jumping in the car with her dad every time there was a blizzard to go collect data on the snow at his field site. As an undergraduate student, Kristen participated in a large field campaign in which they studied clouds in the Caribbean. While launching weather balloons in the middle of the night on a boat out in the middle of the Caribbean, Kristen realized that she loved being in the field doing research. This passion for research compelled her to apply to graduate school, and it continues to drive her in the work she does today.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (16:37)
In her first year of graduate school, Kristen struggled to transition to the new way of thinking that was needed to be a successful graduate student. In her earlier years of school, there was always a known answer that she and her classmates had to find. Now, she was faced with a situation where she had a question, she and her adviser didn’t have an answer, and they didn’t know if they would ever have an answer. However, Kristen was expected to make meaningful progress towards answering the question. She approached her advisor a few times with different data analyses, and each time, he would ask her what was the point. What question was she answering with these data? After one of these sessions, Kristen returned to her desk and realized she had been thinking about the process of science all wrong. After re-framing her thinking, she started to make progress on her project.
A Shining Success! (19:53)
When Kristen was a postdoctoral fellow, she decided to shift the focus of her research to apply the skills she learned in graduate school to a different topic. She wanted to investigate how convective storms of varying strengths may change in a future climate. This involved applying her cloud dynamics expertise to the field of climate change. The paper she published on this work has been very important and garnered a lot of attention in the field. Originally, Kristen viewed this as a side project she was pursuing to broaden the scope of her research, but it has evolved into an entirely new line of research that she continues to pursue in her lab today.
Another exciting success occurred during Kristen’s field work in Argentina. One of their main goals was to observe and collect measurements on a very large mesoscale convective system during their field campaign. They were nearing the final few days of their trip, and they still had not observed this weather event. Then, on the second to the last day, there was a large storm system developing in the region, and they were able to place their instruments to capture exactly what they needed to observe. The whole research team was nervous about whether that particular type of storm would occur and whether they would be able to collect all of their measurements, but it turned out to be a huge success for them.
Book Recommendations (23:36)
The Professor Is In: The Essential Guide To Turning Your Ph.D. Into a Job by Karen Kelsky , Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
Most Treasured Travel (25:43)
Argentina has been Kristen’s favorite place that her science has taken her. She studied severe storms in the foothills of the Andes mountains remotely using satellite data for about 10 years before she was able to see these storms firsthand in the field in Argentina. It was so exciting to be there to witness these storms, but it was also amazing to interact with the local people who regularly experience this extreme wether. Kristen participated in outreach events for local K-12 students in Argentina to talk about the weather they were studying and help the students appreciate the remarkable magnitude of these weather events.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (30:32)
Music has been an important part of Kristen’s life, and she even double majored in music and science in college. She has been surprised to find that many high level scientists are also great musicians. When she was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington, they had a tradition of having scientists in their department play music during their holiday party. They ended up having to cut out songs because they didn’t want the program to go longer than an hour, but there were so many musicians in the department who wanted to participate.
Advice For Us All (34:57)
Don’t stress too much about your career path. Take the best opportunity that is provided to you, and you never know what doors will open. Also, try to work with people who have your best interests in mind. Being a scientist is really exciting. You get to study things you never thought were possible, but there will certainly be ups and downs in your career. Build your perseverance, cultivate a strong work ethic, and you will be successful.
Guest Bio
Kristen’s research interests include investigating the global population of convective storms using data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Global Precipitation (GPM) spaceborne precipitation radars, extreme deep convection in South America, flooding in Pakistan and India, cloud and mesoscale processes, high-impact weather, hydrometeorology, cloud-climate interactions, and convection-permitting regional climate modeling. Her graduate research primarily focused on cloud and mesoscale processes of high-impact weather in South America using the TRMM satellite and flooding in India and Pakistan. She has participated in field campaigns in the U.S. Great Plains, Caribbean, Maldives, Colorado, Argentina, and British Columbia to sample weather around the world.

*This episode was originally published on January 20, 2020.
The post 851: Dr. Kristen Rasmussen: Examining Extreme Weather Events and Earth’s Most Intense Storms appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
39 min
February 02 850: Dr. Dave Jackson: Investigating the Biology and Genetics of Plant Growth, Form, and Cellular Communication
Dr. Dave Jackson is Professor of Plant Genetics at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from the University of Leeds and was awarded his PhD from the John Innes Institute. Afterwards, Dave conducted research as a NATO and USDA Postdoctoral Fellow at the Plant Gene Expression Center in Berkeley, CA, before joining the faculty at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in 1997. He was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2018. In our interview, Dave shares more about his life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:07)
Outside the lab, Dave works to keep a healthy balance by getting outdoors to go hiking, backpacking, and camping. He also dedicates time to art and music, which are abundant in New York City. Dave loves supporting emerging artists and musicians, particularly bio-art and jazz music. Artistic creativity is a lot like the creative process in science. He’s especially excited by how artists can translate scientific ideas into forms that feel more accessible and inviting to the public.
The Scientific Side (3:33)
Dave is driven to understand what makes plants grow and why various types of plants look different from each other. His research examines how genes control plant shapes, including investigations into the role of genetics and stem cells. The long-term goal is to turn this foundational knowledge into tools that can improve agriculture.
A Dose of Motivation (4:39)
“Fortune favors the brave.”
What Got You Hooked on Science? (8:00)
In the north of England where Dave grew up, the Industrial Revolution has a lasting legacy. His dad was an engineer who fixed machines at the local factories and tinkered in a workshop at home. Making and breaking things in the workshop alongside his dad sparked Dave’s early fascination with how things work. This desire to understand how things work by taking them apart merged with the acceleration of new developments in biotechnology that were occurring around the same time.
As he learned about new biotech companies forming, Dave began to dream about a career in biotech. He went to college at the University of Leeds because it had one of the UK’s earliest undergraduate biotech degrees. However, Dave’s plans changed shortly after beginning work in a lab on his own independent research project. Pursuing his own research projects and having his own lab sounded like a better fit, so he pivoted to an academic research path. Dave was drawn to plant genetics because it provided opportunities to spend time out in nature with the plants during field work in addition to doing exciting research in the lab. He ultimately found a wonderful, collaborative community in the field of maize genetics.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (16:06)
In science, it’s important to stay positive through the many challenges involving rejected papers, unfunded grants, and the uncertainty in research support. An exciting project in Dave’s lab was rejected for funding three times, despite positive reception by the reviewers. Despite these setbacks, they kept trying to work on the project with funding from other sources to keep pushing it forward. The project involved a gene that controls maize development and how the plant responds to heat stress, which is a major issue in agriculture. Studying this gene led to the unexpected discovery that it may help the plant balance growth with how they respond to heat or drought stress. To bounce back after a challenge or failure, Dave spends time with family and also to talk through challenges with others both within and outside of science.
A Shining Success! (19:06)
Seeing the successes of his trainees is really rewarding for Dave. For example, one of his graduate students was selected for a “best poster” award at a conference this past summer. This underscored the excellent science the student is doing, and it was fun to see the student engaging with other scientists at the conference.
In terms of research successes, Dave and his team have been working on a project investigating how genes interact in plants. If a gene is inactivated or disrupted, you may not see an effect on the growth of the plant because genes may have backup copies called “paralogs” that can fill in. Using CRISPR, Dave’s team created a complete deletion of one gene, so it is no longer in the genome and can’t make RNA. They’re eager to see how the paralog gene responds and whether the response in plants is similar to or different from what has been reported in animal models.
Book Recommendations (22:10)
A Feeling for the Organism: The Life and Work of Barbara McClintock by Evelyn Fox Keller
Most Treasured Travel (26:41)
Japan has been one of Dave’s favorite travel destinations. When Dave’s postdoc advisor was invited to present at a conference there but was unable to attend, Dave had the opportunity to fill in. There, he discovered a vibrant scientific community, rich culture, and stunning countryside. Over two weeks, Dave visited different labs and explored Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, and Nagoya. He met researchers who have become lifelong colleagues and friends. This was Dave’s first international conference, and the vast majority of the presentations were in Japanese. Even though he couldn’t understand the presenters, Dave was still able to ask insightful questions based off of the graphs and figures. David returned to Japan this past summer for a conference and after the meeting ended, he and some friends went to the Northern Alps. The excellent public transportation made it easy to get around, and they enjoyed hiking and exploring the outdoors.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (25:06)
Dave’s lab has a tradition of going ice skating in New York City around the holidays. It’s a chance to step away from work, enjoy some laughs, and see labmates try something new. While Dave isn’t an expert skater, he has gotten better over the years and falls less than most of his team.
Advice For Us All (32:21)
Don’t be afraid to try things. Often, you won’t know if you like something or if something will work unless you try it. Also, we’re at a major inflection point in biology. There are incredible new technologies, and we’re facing some critical, large-scale challenges. There are great opportunities to make really big discoveries that can substantially improve people’s lives. So, now is a great time to enter biology, and you should consider reaching out to colleagues and professors to learn more.
Guest Bio
Dave’s research is focused on understanding the growth and development of plant form. He combines cell biology and genetic approaches in model systems maize and arabidopsis. Dave’s recent work has expanded into single cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to identify factors that control plant stem cells. His group also studies how plant cells communicate, by exchanging informational molecules—transcription factors and mRNAs—through plasmodesmata, as well as identifying genes that control stem cell identity, branching and plant regeneration. His group’s work has suggested ways to improve crop yields through subtle manipulations in stem cell pathways. Dave is also passionate about science education, and he directs a high school research program at CSHL, as well as mentoring non-scientists in a community Biolab, Genspace in Brooklyn, NY, where he is also developing collaborations with bioartists. Outside of the lab, Dave enjoys hiking, travel, art, and live jazz concerts by emerging local artists. He lives with his wife, an accomplished designer, son, and 2 cats in Brooklyn, NY.
The post 850: Dr. Dave Jackson: Investigating the Biology and Genetics of Plant Growth, Form, and Cellular Communication appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
36 min
January 26 849: Dr. Joyce Ohm: Examining the Role of Epigenomics in Development and Disease
Dr. Joyce Ohm is an Associate Professor of Oncology in the Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. She was awarded her PhD in Cancer Biology from Vanderbilt University. Afterwards, Joyce conducted postdoctoral research in oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Prior to joining the faculty at Roswell Park, she served on the faculty at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. In our interview Joyce tells us more about her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:08)
In her free time, Joyce enjoys cycling, as well as hiking and kayaking with her two adorable dogs. She recently cycled 500 miles from New York City to Niagara Falls in the Empire State Ride, and it was an amazing experience.
The Scientific Side (3:32)
Joyce’s research examines the epigenomics involved in development and disease, particularly in cancer. Epigenomics is the study of how your cells package and store the information in your genome. Individual cells within your body package the genome differently to be able to most efficiently use the genes they need. This is important during development, but there are also problems with the epigenome in cancer.
A Dose of Motivation (5:53)
“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” – Albert Einstein
What Got You Hooked on Science? (8:38)
Joyce lost her mother at a very young age to a rare form of cancer, and this tragedy sparked her desire to learn more about cancer and to make a difference for people with cancer. Initially, Joyce planned to go to medical school after college. Her only exposure to research as an undergraduate student was a summer project where she studied the mating habits of tree swallows. This involved spending long hours in the field waiting for birds to fly into bird boxes. The work was interesting, but she knew this was not what she wanted to do. When it came time to apply for medical school, Joyce really struggled with the essay questions that asked her to explain why she wanted to become a physician. Her medical school applications sat incomplete for weeks. Joyce just couldn’t articulate why she wanted to be a physician. She planned to apply to a few graduate schools as a backup plan in the event that she didn’t get accepted into medical school. It struck her how much easier it was for her to describe her scientific and research interests in the graduate school applications. As she thought more about life as a physician, Joyce realized she didn’t want to do it. She submitted her graduate school applications and started her journey as a cancer researcher.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (24:12)
Towards the end of graduate school, Joyce’s advisor asked her to work on a patient’s sample that came into the lab. This was a really unusual patient with stage 4 carcinoma who was among the first to be treated with a particular drug. The patient responded incredibly well to the drug initially. However, the patient later relapsed and passed away. Joyce’s task was to try to understand why the patient stopped responding to therapy. She began by trying to look for mutations in the tumor that may have occurred over the course of treatment and could have caused the lack of therapeutic response. Joyce found a mutation, and they thought they were on the right track. However, when they reviewed the original sample from when the patient was responding to therapy, the mutation was detected in that sample as well. They analyzed the original sample over and over again under varying conditions for the next six to nine months because they were convinced had been an error. In the end, they had to re-think their hypothesis.
A Shining Success! (28:19)
Joyce and her team are studying soft tissue sarcomas. Researchers in other laboratories discovered that mature cells can be re-programmed back to an embryonic state where they could then go on to become any kind of cell. Joyce was interested in the cells that began this process but didn’t completely re-program. They discovered that these partially de-differentiated cells are similar to cancer. Joyce and her team grew these cells out and discovered that they formed small round blue cell tumors that had a lot of non-coding RNA fusions. It took months to confirm that these non-coding RNA fusions were real and not just a sequencing artifact. They submitted a paper on this project, and Joyce also submitted a few small grant applications. She was excited that these grant applications were discussed by the review group and received pretty good scores. The lab still has a lot of work to do in this area, and Joyce will be re-submitting these grants, but it was a victory to be acknowledged and taken seriously by RNA biology experts.
Most Treasured Travel (32:36)
A few years ago, Joyce traveled to India with a few of her colleagues from the University of North Dakota to give a presentation at the Indian Science Congress. They flew in to Delhi, went to Bangalore, and attended the conference in Mysuru. After the conference ended, they took a few extra days to see the Taj Mahal in Agra and the spice markets in Delhi. The food, the different smells, and the people were all amazing.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (34:55)
Early in Joyce’s career, she and her lab mates had fun with dry ice and shooting pipette tips at targets in the lab. She also remembers attending a conference where one guest spent most of the evenings of the event using an illuminated hula hoop. At Roswell Park where Joyce currently works, they have three fantastic annual fundraising events that bring everyone together. One is the Ride for Roswell, a single day cycling event that draws in about 8,000 cyclists. Another is their 11 Day Power Play event where about 2,500 people participate in shifts to play hockey non-stop for eleven days. The event Joyce most recently participated in with her colleagues was the Empire State Ride event where they cycled across New York State.
Advice For Us All (39:47)
One way to make a difficult decision is to flip a coin. You don’t necessarily do what the coin tells you to, but you gage your reaction in that moment when you first see the result. There is either that moment of confirmation or that feeling like maybe you should try again. That is the voice you listen to. Then embrace your choice. With the right attitude, you could be happy in a lot of different places and situations. Also, if science is something you are thinking about or could be passionate about, give it a shot. For many scientists, a research career is a labor of love, and you never know what you may be able to contribute until you try.
Guest Bio
After completing a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology with Dr. David Carbone at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2003, Joyce accepted a post-doctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Stephen Baylin at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine studying abnormal epigenetic gene silencing of tumor suppressor genes in cancer. Dr. Baylin is a pioneer in the field of epigenetics and this was a tremendous opportunity for Joyce to initiate a series of projects which link aberrant epigenetic programs with the normal epigenetic remodeling that is essential in order for a stem/progenitor cell to properly differentiate. Joyce then established her independent laboratory at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences and helped to build an NIH funded Center of Biomedical Research Excellence focused on studying the epigenomics of development and disease. Her overall training has helped to lay a strong foundation in epigenetics, as well as genome-wide expression, methylation, and chromatin analysis platforms.
*This episode was originally released on September 30, 2019.
The post 849: Dr. Joyce Ohm: Examining the Role of Epigenomics in Development and Disease appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
43 min
January 19 848: Dr. Bryan Cassone: Exploring Molecular Entomology from Pervasive Pests to Plastic-Eating Caterpillars
Dr. Bryan Cassone is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Biology at Brandon University in Canada. Bryan received his B.Sc. in biology, specializing in environmental science, from the University of Western Ontario, his M.Sc. in integrative biology from the University of Guelph, and his Ph.D. in biological sciences from the University of Notre Dame. After completing his PhD, Bryan conducted postdoctoral research at the Corn, Soybean, & Soft Wheat Unit at the United States Department of Agriculture. Next, he was a CAPS Herta Camera Gross Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Plant Pathology at Ohio State University. He joined the faculty at Brandon University in 2015. In this interview, Bryan shares more about his life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:16)
Outside the lab, Bryan is a big football fan. After playing football and wrestling in college, Bryan now loves watching both college and NFL games. He also enjoys staying active with swimming and weight training, and he loves traveling to new places.
The Scientific Side (2:57)
Bryan is a molecular entomologist. Drawn to the sheer variety of fascinating questions insects can help answer, he is more of a generalist than many scientists in his field. His work spans agricultural and medical pests, plus curiosity-driven projects like studying waxworms (plastic-eating caterpillars).
A Dose of Motivation (4:01)
To stay motivated, Bryan tries to put things in perspective and dwell on the things that are going really well. He focuses on the peaks instead of the valleys.
What Got You Hooked on Science? (6:34)
Growing up, Bryan wasn’t especially drawn to insects or any other field of science in particular. When he went off to college, he decided that becoming a pharmacist would give him a stable, in-demand career. Halfway through the program though, Bryan realized he wanted something more dynamic. His longtime love of nature documentaries and the life sciences drew him towards biology.
Bryan’s first exposure to research was during his undergraduate honors thesis. Studying birds and getting his first taste of independent research helped him see that he could make a career out of doing science. From there, Bryan pursued a master’s degree focused on genetics in crabs, which steered him toward invertebrates. Entomology came into Bryan’s life later when he was a postdoc. After interviewing for faculty positions at a range of different institutions, Bryan was excited to accept a position at Brandon University. This has allowed him to return home to Canada, and he has enjoyed being at a liberal arts institution that focuses on undergraduate and master’s education.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (18:01)
Scientists need to be resilient. Even strong papers and exciting projects can be rejected repeatedly because editors or funders deem them “too niche” or outside of their current priorities. Bryan’s early work on waxworms degrading plastic was turned away by multiple journals before finally being published. Once published, it was well-received and attracted significant media attention. Bryan’s work has been investigating how these waxworm caterpillars can consume plastic and break it down within a remarkably fast period of only 24 hours.
Uncertainty in funding and publishing can be especially stressful for early-career scientists, but now as a tenured professor, Bryan recovers from these kinds of setbacks faster. He puts everything into perspective and uses reviewer feedback to improve his work and identify the best fit for his submissions.
A Shining Success! (21:59)
One of Bryan’s most memorable “wins” came right after he started at Brandon University. The very first grant he ever led was funded on the first try, much to his surprise. The positive reviews and confidence the group had in the project made the award especially validating as he launched his own research lab.
With that support, Bryan helped pioneer an early application of next-generation sequencing in crops, using it to detect soybean pathogens and investigate genes involved in the invasion process. This approach revealed previously unreported pathogens in Manitoba and provided growers with a much clearer picture of what was actually in their fields. This allowed them to move beyond unreliable visual diagnosis and enabled more targeted control strategies.
Book Recommendations (24:53)
The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood by David Simon and Edward Burns
Most Treasured Travel (25:48)
Travel and fieldwork have shaped Bryan’s scientific career and provided flexible opportunities to experience new places and culture. His research has taken him to Costa Rica for viral detection and discovery in local hot springs, and to conferences around the world, including Japan and Belgium. One of Bryan’s most impactful trips happened during his PhD, when he traveled to Mali to study mosquitoes that carry malaria. They used nets at dusk to capture swarming mosquitos in order to study the genes involved in reproduction. While there, Bryan visited remote villages and saw firsthand how a single insect species can drive enormous morbidity and mortality.
During his master’s research on crab genetics, Bryan and a friend went on a six-week road trip from Vancouver down into Mexico to collect crabs for his project. This involved lifting a lot of rocks in search of crabs, and it took a long time to get the number of crabs needed for his population genetics study. Along the way, Bryan had to manage complex logistics, including permits. They picked up their collection permit in Sacramento, which was fortunate timing, because wildlife authorities stopped them to see their permit the very next day.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (30:32)
The culture in Bryan’s lab is intentionally relaxed and community-focused. Lab members don’t fit the “scientist stereotype,” and everyone makes time to connect beyond research. From lab bowling nights to casual parties, the goal is to unwind and talk about life—not science—when they’re together. While Bryan’s not a bowling pro, he still loves getting everyone together to hang out at the bowling alley.
Advice For Us All (33:00)
The best advice Bryan has ever received came from his dad: just do your best. Success isn’t only about winning a grant or coming out on top. It’s about knowing you did the best you could do under the circumstances. Also, when choosing a career, it’s important to enjoy what you do. Work takes up so much of your life. If you’re genuinely interested in what you’re doing, it doesn’t feel like “work.” And if you’re not happy with your career, ,it’s never too late to take a risk and pursue something that feels more fulfilling.
Guest Bio
Bryan earned his PhD from the University of Notre Dame in 2011 and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the United States Department of Agriculture and The Ohio State University prior to beginning his faculty position at Brandon University in August 2015. Bryan’s research bridges the scientific disciplines of entomology, microbiology and genomics. This includes management of tick- and mosquito-borne diseases, development of diagnostic tool for pathogen identification, and application of insects for plastic biodegradation. Bryan has published more than 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts and is principal investigator on research grants currently funded by commodity groups and provincial and federal agencies. In his free time, Bryan enjoys working out, table tennis, cooking Italian food, travel, and watching football.
The post 848: Dr. Bryan Cassone: Exploring Molecular Entomology from Pervasive Pests to Plastic-Eating Caterpillars appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
36 min
January 12 847: Dr. Natalia Vergara: Scientist with Her Sights Set on Using Stem Cells to Study and Treat Retinal Degeneration
Dr. Natalia Vergara is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Natalia received her B.S. in biochemistry from the National University of the Litoral in Argentina. She worked as an instructor and research intern at the National University of Entre Ríos for about three years before beginning graduate school. Natalia was awarded her PhD in retinal regenerative biology from Miami University in Ohio. Afterwards, she conducted postdoctoral research at the Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She served as a Research Associate Faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine for about two years before joining the faculty at the University of Colorado. Natalia has received awards for research and for mentoring, including the Ruben Adler Research Award from the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2012, and she was selected as an Emerging Vision Scientist to participate in the Third Annual EVS day on Capitol Hill by the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research in 2017. In our interview, Natalia tells us more about her life and science.
People Behind the Science Podcast Show Notes
Life Outside of Science (2:39)
In her free time, Natalia loves hanging out, cooking, and enjoying food with friends and family, including her husband and two young kids. Natalia is also an avid traveler, and she delights in the thrill of discovery that comes along with exploring new places.
The Scientific Side (5:05)
Natalia uses stem cells to understand how the retina forms during development and how it degenerates during disease with the goal of developing therapies to help patients who suffer from vision loss. For her research, Natalia uses a type of stem cells called induced pluripotent stem cells which can be reprogrammed so they can form any type of cell in the body. With these cells, they can make human retina tissue using any individual’s cells in a petri dish in the lab to better understand diseases, test treatments, and potentially prepare retinas for transplant.
A Dose of Motivation (7:48)
“Each person lives in the universe that they are capable of imagining.”
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.” – Richard Feynman
What Got You Hooked on Science? (11:17)
The thrill of discovery, the ability to ask interesting questions, and the opportunity to go to new places and see new things all drew Natalia to science. In tenth grade, Natalia took a cell biology class in high school, and this was the first time she was introduced to the idea that all cells in your body come from one undifferentiated cell. She was fascinated by how this could happen. Natalia grew up in a small city in Argentina, and she was able to attend a free public university for college. However, at that time, the economy was in a recession, she didn’t know any scientists, and she didn’t know that being a scientist was a career option. Natalia knew she wanted to do something challenging that could benefit society. She chose to major in biochemistry, and the biochemistry program had a strong focus on both science and clinical applications. After college, Natalia taught biology classes for nursing students and volunteered as a researcher in a biology lab. This was her first exposure to research. Through a Rotary Club scholarship, she had the opportunity to travel to the U.S. to do a research internship at the University of Miami in Ohio. It was there that she fell in love with research. Natalia returned to the same lab for graduate school, and she has continued to work in the field of retinal biology ever since.
The Low Points: Failures and Challenges (22:29)
The last year of her PhD graduate program was one of the most difficult times for Natalia. She had a fantastic experience in graduate school until her final year where she began feeling the pressure to finish her degree. At that point, she had started several projects, but many of them weren’t going anywhere. She had been in the program for five years, and she had no idea how she was going to finish putting together a story that she could defend as her thesis. It took a lot of determination and hard work to pull everything together. Natalia started many different experiments and spent a lot of time in the lab. In the end, she was able to assemble a story and publish two papers during her final year before successfully defending her thesis. After making it through this experience, Natalia felt like she could do anything.
A Shining Success! (25:05)
Natalia is very happy to have been awarded her first grant to pursue research in Down syndrome. Retinal biology has not been well-studied, but evidence has shown that people with Down syndrome have lower visual acuity and that their retinas may be larger than people without Down syndrome. They are also at high risk for developing early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Many people may know that Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain, but it also affects the retina, causing issues with visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and color perception. These visual problems can make activities in everyday life more challenging and ultimately impact quality of life. Combining the visual problems in people with Down syndrome with the problems that develop in Alzheimer’s disease makes this population particularly vulnerable. As a result, Natalia’s work in this area could have a big impact in helping people and making a difference in their lives. She had never done research in Down syndrome previously, so it was really meaningful to have her work modeling Down syndrome using stem cell-derived retinas selected for this opportunity. In addition to receiving research funding, Natalia is excited to become a member of the funding agency’s community of investigators studying a variety of aspects of Down syndrome. The group meets each month to talk about their research, and this is a great chance to troubleshoot, collaborate, and get new ideas.
Book Recommendations (28:08)
The Last Sword Maker by Brian Nelson, Lab Girl by Hope Jahren, Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo and the Making of the Animal Kingdom by Sean B. Carroll.
Most Treasured Travel (30:52)
A few years ago, Natalia went to an eye development conference in Tuscany in Italy. This was her first time visiting Italy, and she was entranced by the beautiful mountains, the old cities, and the sense of history. She traveled to Rome after the conference, and it was amazing to see modern architecture mixed with Renaissance art and ruins from the Roman Empire. The food was also phenomenal. Going to Japan for a conference as a graduate student was another memorable travel experience. It was really striking how out of place she felt there because she couldn’t speak the language, many people at the conference didn’t speak English or Spanish, and she couldn’t even read the characters on a map or street sign to sound out words or orient herself. Exploring Japan was a wonderful experience, but it was also very humbling.
Quirky Traditions and Funny Memories (35:04)
In a previous lab, Natalia and her colleagues celebrated successes with champagne. These included having grants awarded, papers published, and students graduating. The group would pop the cork towards the ceiling so it made an indentation in one of the ceiling panels. Then they would circle the dent and write a note about the success. It was cool to have a record overhead of all the good things that happened in the lab. In her current lab, Natalia loves celebrating everyone’s birthdays. They take turns bringing in cake to share with their department, and it is a fun way to make everyone in the group feel valued.
Advice For Us All (40:25)
You have to be proactive and make your own opportunities. You can do good work and be an excellent scientist, but if no one knows about your work, and you wait for opportunities to come to you, you might miss out on a lot. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for what you want or need. Often, there are many people out there who are willing and able to help.
Guest Bio
Natalia’s research team uses stem cells to understand the mechanisms of retina development and degeneration and to develop treatments for retinal diseases. Born in Argentina, Natalia obtained her PhD in biology at Miami University in Ohio, where she studied the mechanisms of lens and retina regeneration in amphibians. Later, during her postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, she was introduced to stem cell research, and she was part of a team who developed the first 3D human retina derived from stem cells that was able to respond to light. She joined the Faculty at the University of Colorado in 2017 as part of CellSight, the ocular stem cell and regeneration program in the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, where she applies this technology to the development of treatments for retinal degenerative diseases. Natalia is also involved in education and outreach, as well as in activities to promote diversity and inclusivity in science, to further advance her goal of serving society through science. Outside of work, Natalia spends time with her husband, Brian, and their two young kids. She enjoys traveling and learning new things, as well as hiking, reading, baking, and eating good food (especially chocolate!).

Photo Credit: Brooks Canaday
*This episode was originally published on March 9, 2020.
The post 847: Dr. Natalia Vergara: Scientist with Her Sights Set on Using Stem Cells to Study and Treat Retinal Degeneration appeared first on People Behind the Science Podcast.
44 min

About People Behind the Science Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Science Podcast - Journey through the minds of today's brilliant scientists

Share People Behind the Science Podcast

Sign up to save your podcasts

People Behind the Science Podcast

People Behind the Science Podcast episodes

About People Behind the Science Podcast