People of Science with Jon Choy

In this episode, we chat with Sarah Vandal, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Dartmouth’s Molecular and Cell Biology program. She shares her journey as a grad student, giving a behind-the-scenes look at her daily life, balancing experiments, lab meetings, and leadership in Dartmouth’s SACNAS chapter. Sarah reflects on the highs and lows of research, highlighting the power of resilience and community while embracing the growth that comes with the Ph.D. journey. She also offers valuable advice for aspiring researchers, encouraging them to explore opportunities early and stay open to the possibilities a Ph.D. can offer. 

In today’s episode, we chat with Nathalie Alomar, a fourth-year PhD student in Yale’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology program. She shares how her undergraduate research and the mentorship she received through the MARC program ignited her passion for ecological research and steered her towards pursuing a PhD. We also dive into her fascinating thesis work studying the environmental factors affecting the evolution of salamander species in the Appalachian Mountains. Along the way, Nathalie elaborates on the challenges of graduate school, the power of collaboration, and the joy she’s found in mentoring aspiring scientists. 

In this episode, we speak with Jeremy, a 6th year PhD student in Harvard’s Molecular, Cells and Organisms (MCO) PhD program. He discusses his non-traditional educational background as an undergraduate student to pioneering a new bioimaging method as a PhD student. Jeremy also details how interdisciplinary research and teaching have been integral parts of his research experience. As he nears the end of his program, he also recounts the challenges and successes during his thesis project while offering advice to aspiring scientists along the way.  

In this episode, we chat with Ya’el, a 5th-year PhD student in Harvard’s Program in Neurosceince Program. She shares how her childhood curiosity, from repairing broken VCRs to questioning the brain's mysteries, led her to a career in neuroscience. We explore her research on how class one drug affect cerebral spinal fluid signaling in the womb, her unexpected pivot to studying psychedelics, and her personal drive to understand brain fog. Along the way, Ya’el reflects on the importance of work-life balance, the support systems that shaped her success, and the lessons she’s learned from setbacks in the lab.

In this episode, we speak with Davy Deng, a third-year MD PhD student in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program. Deng shares his unique background, growing up as a nomad in the Gobi Desert and his path from studying chemistry at UC Berkeley to researching whole brain emulation for small model organisms. He offers insights into balancing hobbies, dealing with imposter syndrome, and the importance of resilience. Deng also discusses his long-term goals in mind uploading research and emphasizes the value of maintaining one’s humanity and to succeed in their scientific careers.

In this episode, we hear from Naa Asheley Afua Adowaa Ashitey who is an incoming MD-PhD student at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her parents immigrated from Ghana and worked 9-5s to support Naa throughout her academic and professional career. She is a first-generation college graduate and will begin her journey to becoming a double doctor after the completion of her post-baccalaureate program at UCSF this fall. Although her journey here is marked by several racist experiences in academia, they’ve motivated her to become a strong and proud proponent of diversity equity inclusion initiatives. Tune in as she discusses her experiences being an underrepresented individual navigating the education and academia, as well as how she’s been able to combat the struggles as a part of this population. 

In this episode, we speak with Sarah Cai who is a 5th year biomedical engineering PhD student at Columbia university. With her graduation around the corner, Sarah reflects on her research and living experiences thus far while providing some valuable lessons along the way. Tune in as she speaks about the fruits of New York, how she drew inspiration from covid vaccines to complete her research thesis, and the unconventional career path that’s in store for her post-graduation. 

In this episode, we speak with Kensi Hartman who is applied to graduate school (PhD) this past application cycle. This fall she will be a first year at Berkeley's Cell Biology, Developmental Physiology (CDP) program. Tune in as she walks us through her journey to science, provides advice for PhD applications and interviews, and why she chose to stay in the west coast instead of moving to the east coast to attend schools like NYU and Cornell! 

In this installment, we chat with Lucas who is a 4th year neuroscience PhD student at Stanford university. Join us as we discuss his hobbies outside of science, journey to science, research projects, struggles/successes, mentors, the neuroscience program, and future career outlook. 

Caroline is a first year PhD student in Stanford's BioSci program. In this episode, we learn some of the unique aspects of the program, how her valuable research experience at the University of Michigan led her pursuing a PhD, and how to optimize the timing of your PhD application process to mitigate burnout.