Saturday Morning Lab

On this week's episode, I interview Mariana Weber, a kind and enthusiastic Medical Science Liaison.  We talk about her journey from a small town in Brazil to a PhD in microbiology, surviving layoffs and setbacks to land her first Medical Science Liaison role. Her secret? Resilience, mentorship, and taking ownership of her career. 

On this week's episode, I have the distinct privilege of sitting down with Professor Jen Heemstra. Jen is the chair of the chemistry department at  Washington University. She is also the author of the highly acclaimed book “Lab Work to Leadership”. She recounts her conservative upbringing, mentors who changed her path, finding research and academia, and wrangling with a surprising tenure setback. We also imposter syndrome, gratitude, and fostering kind and productive lab cultures where trainees drive ideas. 

On this week's episode, I chat with the insightful Kim Prince, an expert in functional neurology and creator of Neuro Resilience Training. We talk about her early years in a small town in Southern Illinois, her early passion for medicine, discovering occupational therapy and cognitive therapy. We discuss her important work using physical movement as a therapeutic strategy for mental health therapy. In our discussions, themes of faith, purpose, kindness, and grace come up as principles of her practice and life. 

On this week's episode, I have the joy of chatting with Jennifer Bezaire, a talented and kind cardiovascular perfusionist and movement educator. We discuss her experiences in the performing arts, her transition to nursing and ultimately cardiovascular perfusion. In this thoughtful discussion, we reflect on themes of self-exploration, care, what it means to provide healing to oneself and others and the universal values that matter. 

On this week's episode I have a deep and thoughtful conversation with Teresa Sellinger, a Physician's Weekly Editor for Formedics. We discuss her early life in the Midwest, her early passion for journalism, transition to communications and marketing, and her rich professional life that led her to a career in medical writing and editing. Teresa's wealth of life experience is inspiring and her personal story is one of fortitude, vulnerability, and just genuine kindness. I learned so much, but I also dug up some old feelings.

On this week's episode I have the privilege of chatting with Dr. Mel Thacker, an ear, nose, and throat surgeon, TED speaker, and founder and Master Coach at The Surgeon Coach. She is also one of the leading voices for reform in the field of surgery and medicine in general. We discuss how a childhood surgery set her on a path to the profession. We also delve into her experiences with the systemic challenges and pressures facing the surgeons and the profession. This was one of my favorite episodes as the topics are not only relevant to surgery but to system reform at large. 

On this week's episode, I speak to the visionary Dr. Catharine Young, Senior Fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health and former Assistant Director of the Cancer Moonshot Program under former President Biden. We discuss her early beginnings in South Africa, and her incredible career path through biomedical research, scientific policy, fellowship at the National Academy of Sciences and current role at Harvard Public Health. We also reflect on health policy and what inspires her during these singular times. 

This week, I speak to the thoughtful and passionate Kamil Gorecki, a biochemist/microbiologist at the University of California Irvine. We talk about his formative years in his native Poland and his passion for STEM. We also discuss his scientific training across Europe, completing his thesis work in the midst of his mentor's battle with cancer, and moving to Southern California to continue his investigation of microbial proteins. Throughout our conversation, Kamil reminds us of the importance of chasing after an interesting scientific question for its own sake and the innovations disruptive innovations that inevitably follow. 

This week, I talk to my long time friend Kristin Luther an industry specialist in extracellular vesicles (EVs). We talk about her broad interest early in life, her foray into medical illustration, PhD years, and ultimate transition into industry. We also talk about the challenges facing EV biology (a topic near and dear to my own heart). Unexpectedly, we have a thoughtful conversation on the nature of vocation, facing challenges, and maintaining one's sense of curiosity-driven optimism. 

On this episode, I have the sincere pleasure of speaking with the incredibly creative and talented Emma Vidal. Emma is a scientific illustrator, art director, and founder of Draw Impacts where she and her team help scientists from academia to industry effectively convey their message and brand through art. We talk about her early years in a small fishing village in France, her fateful entry into scientific illustration and her creative process!