Science Lives

In the episode, I talk with Natasha Wadlington, Medical Writer for a medical affairs consulting company.  Always passionate about making science accessible for lay audiences, Natasha became a scientist so she could better communicate science to the public.  In this episode, we’ll talk about how her passion for science began at an early age, her educational and career path, challenges she has faced, particularly after earning her PhD, and of course about her current job as a medical writer.

Resource: #BLACKandSTEM on Twitter

In this episode, I talk with Ohimai Unoje, Business Development Manager at a clinical diagnostics company.  After earning a B.S. in Biochemistry, Ohi went to graduate school but quickly discovered that academic science was not for him.  Nevertheless, he stayed in his program and completed his PhD.  He then took a job as an application scientist for a diagnostics company, and more recently got into sales.  We’ll talk about his experience in grad school, how he got his first job, and the events that led to his current position.

In this episode, I talk with Adriana Lippy, a freelance Medical Illustrator and Animator.  Adriana completed her B.S. in Microbiology from Washington State University, intending to go on to graduate school and a career in research.  Instead, she ended up on a different path, which at various points has included night school, studying overseas to earn an MSc Medical Art degree, and working as an illustrator both full time and as a freelancer.  We’ll find out more about her journey and what her current job is like.

In this episode, I talk with Keenan Morrison, Senior Data Scientist at an online real estate marketplace company.  Before getting into the field of data science, Keenan earned a PhD in evolutionary biology and had every intention of following the traditional academic career path.  We’ll talk about his current job, how his training prepared him for a career in a different field, and factors that led to his move away from academia.

In this episode, I talk with Harinder Singh, Program Director of GPS-STEM, a career and professional development program for graduate students and postdocs at the University of California, Irvine. After growing up in India, Harinder came to the United States to attend graduate school, where he earned a PhD in cardiovascular biology.  He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in neuroscience.  During his training, he became increasingly interested in assisting his peers with their career and professional development, and this ultimately led him to his current role at Irvine. 

Links to topics and resources discussed in this episode:
University of California, Irvine GPS-STEM
Career and professional development program for PhD students & Postdoctoral fellows in STEM.  The Health and Wellness podcast can be found at the second link:
https://gps.bio.uci.edu/
https://gps.bio.uci.edu/gps-stem-radio/

CHIentist
Networking for life scientists and professionals in the Chicago area
http://www.chientist.com/

Futures of Research
Empowering early career scientists with evidence-based resources to improve the scientific research endeavor
https://www.futureofresearch.org/

American Society for Cell Biology infographic on current workforce sizes and annual fluxes before and after a PhD in the biomedical sciences in the US (includes references for source material)
https://www.ascb.org/careers/where-will-a-biology-phd-take-you/

Self-reported information on postdoc salaries at various institutions around the world:
https://postdocsalaries.com/

In this episode, I talk with Flojaune Cofer, Senior Director of Policy for Public Health Advocates, a non-profit focused on improving justice, equity, and health across the state of California.  In her current role, Flojaune oversees PHA’s state policy efforts and the All Children Thrive-CA local trauma policy initiative.  We’ll find out about her current work, what it's like to combine research and policy, and the educational and career experiences that led to her current position.

In this episode, I talk with Caitlin Looby, a science writer and freelance editor, and also a postdoctoral research associate studying soil microbes in cloud forests.  We’ll find out about her current work, and also discuss some of the experiences and events that informed her educational and career decisions.

In this episode, I talk with Ish Perez, a Medical Laboratory Scientist.  The son of immigrants, Ish was the first person in his family to graduate both from high school and college, and he followed that by completing a year-long clinical laboratory program and then obtaining his MLS certification.  We’ll talk about his educational journey, but first we’ll find out about his job and what his day-to-day is like. 

In this episode, I talk  with Pattie Aron, a biochemist, food scientist, and hop chemist  specializing in commercial beer brewing.  Pattie’s educational and career path has had several twists and turns, and we’ll discuss her philosophy around making decisions in the face of unexpected change and opportunity.  But first we’ll find out about her job and what it’s like to work in the beer industry.

In this episode, I talk with Mike Jones, a research analyst for an investment bank.  After earning his PhD in Microbiology and Immunology, Mike went to a biotech start-up where he was first a postdoc and then a research scientist.  But he was also interested in business and so began working towards a Chartered Financial Analyst designation and a career in finance.  We’ll talk about his transition from bench scientist to analyst, but first we’ll find out what his current job entails and what his day-to-day is like.