People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers

Dr. Jon Butterworth is a Professor of Physics and Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at University College London. He received his B.A. in Physics and his Ph.D. in Particle Physics from the University of Oxford. Afterwards, Jon was hired by Pennsylvania State University to conduct postdoctoral research at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg, Germany before joining the faculty at UCL where he is today. John is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and recipient of their Chadwick Prize. He has also been awarded a Wolfson Research Merit Award from the Royal Society, an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, and a Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council Senior Research Fellowship. In addition, Jon is the author of the book Most Wanted Particle and author of a blog for The Guardian called Life and Physics. Jon is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

Dr. Simon DeDeo is external faculty at the Santa Fe Institute and Assistant Professor at Indiana University in Complex Systems and in Cognitive Science. He completed his undergraduate studies in Astrophysics at Harvard University and received a Master's Degree in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics from Cambridge University. Simon went on to receive his PhD in Astrophysical Sciences from Princeton University and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Tokyo, the University of Chicago as a Kavli Fellow, and also at the Santa Fe Institute as an Omidyar Fellow. Simon is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

Dr. Jennifer Grandis is a Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Director of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and Associate Vice Chancellor of Clinical and Translational Research at the University of California, San Francisco. She is also an American Cancer Society Professor. Jennifer received her B.A. in Biology and Art History at Swarthmore College and was awarded her M.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She completed her residency and an Infectious Disease Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and went on to serve on the faculty there for over 20 years before accepting her current position at UCSF. Jennifer has received many honors and awards during her career, including the Peggy Wheelock Award for Excellence in Research, Mentoring, and Promotion of Women in Science from the University of Nebraska, as well as the University of Pittsburgh’s Provost’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring, Philip Hench Distinguished Alumnus Award, Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award, Scientific Leadership Award, promotion to Distinguished Professor of Otolaryngology, and more. Jennifer is also an Elected Member of the Association of American Physicians, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Jennifer is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.

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. Mike is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

Dr. James O'Dwyer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Plant Biology and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He was awarded a master's degree in Physics from the University of Durham, as well as a master's and PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of Cambridge. James was awarded an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship conducting research at the University of Oregon and the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, and he was also awarded an Omidyar Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Santa Fe Institute before accepting his current position. James is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

Dr. Stanley Maloy is Dean of the College of Sciences, Associate Director of the Center for Microbial Sciences, and Professor in Biology at San Diego State University. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the University of California, Irvine and conducted postdoctoral research in Genetics at the University of Utah. Stanley then served on the faculty at the university of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign for about 18 years before accepting a position where he is today at San Diego State University. Stanley is a former President of the American Society for Microbiology, is an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, has authored several books on microbial genetics, and has been widely recognized for his excellence in teaching. Stanley is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

Dr. Susan Krumdieck is a Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Advanced Energy and Material Systems Lab at the University of Canterbury. She is also Research Leader with the Geothermal Energy Conversion Research Group, Founder of the Global Association for Transition Engineering, and Director of the From the Ground Up Research Consortium. She received her B.S. and M.S. Degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Energy Systems Engineering from Arizona State University and her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Susan is the recipient of the Gold and Silver Sustainability Awards from the University of Canterbury, as well as a Member of the Royal Society of New Zealand and former Member of the Royal Society of New Zealand President's Energy Panel. Susan is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.

Dr. Hélène Morlon is a Research Scientist with the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) at the Institute of Biology at the Ecole Nomale Supérieure in Paris. She is also affiliated to the Interdisciplinary Center for Research in Biology at the Collège de France. She received her M.S. in Ecology from the University of Paris and her Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Bordeaux. Helene conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, Merced, the University of Oregon, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of California, Berkeley. She was hired by the CNRS afterwards and worked at the Center of Applied Mathematics at Ecole Polytechnique before accepting her current position. Hélène is the recipient of the 2012 CNRS Prize for Outstanding Research and the 2015 CNRS Bronze Medal. Hélène is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.

Dr. Moselio Schaechter is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Tufts University School of Medicine, Adjunct Professor at San Diego State University, and an Adjuct Professor at the University of California, San Diego. In addition, he is author of the American Society for Microbiology Small Things Considered blog and co-host of the This Week in Microbiology podcast with Vincent Racaniello. Elio received his M.S. in Bacteriology from the University of Kansas and his Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Pennsylvania. He was drafted into the Army with the U.S. Army Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and conducted postdoctoral research at the State Serum Institute in Copenhagen. Elio served briefly on the faculty of the University of Florida Medical School and subsequently joined the faculty at Tufts University where he remained for 33 years. He was named a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, a Tufts University Distinguished Professor, an Honorary member of the American society for microbiology, Honorary Member of the Ecuadorian Society for Microbiology, and an Honorary Member of the Spanish Society for Microbiology. He is the recipient of the Tufts University Medical Students’ Teaching Award 11 times, is the Past President of the American Society for Microbiology, and has received many other honors. Elio is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

Dennis is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Neurobiology, and Otolaryngology at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also the Founder and President of Bonauria, a company that applies machine learning to create hearing tests. Dennis received his Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Afterwards, Dennis earned and M.D. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. He conducted postdoctoral research at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies before joining the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis. Dennis is a recent winner of the Washington University Bear Cub Challenge that helps researchers move their ideas from the bench to a business. He is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.