STEM Tea

In this episode of the STEM Tea podcast, AJ Hinton is joined by guest co-host Andrea Marshall, a Staff Scientist in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Vanderbilt University (TN, USA) studying age-related changes in mitochondrial networks. The pair speak with David Drake (left), Professor of microbiology and infectious diseases in the Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry (IA, USA), where his research focuses on the development of the oral microbiome in young children.

In this episode, however, the focus is on mentoring. Throughout David’s 35-year professorship, he has given back to the scientific community by mentoring junior faculty and teaching others how to be the best mentors they can be. He highlights the importance of finding work–life harmony, setting boundaries and having empathy for those starting their scientific careers. With references to Neil Young and Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, David shares the life lessons that have stuck with him throughout his career.

• Introductions: 00:00–01:51
• A day in the life of David Drake: 01:51–03:54
• Why mentoring is important to David: 03:54–07:00
• A musical meander down memory lane – the relevance of Neil Young’s “Old Man”: 07:00–07:57
• What are David’s most significant accomplishments as a Professor? And how does he share lessons from these accomplishments with his mentees? 07:57–12:10
• What advice would David give to an early career scientist? 12:10–14:31
• What should early career scientists look for in a mentor? And how can senior faculty be the best mentors they can be? 14:31–18:46
• Meet the mentors who influenced David’s life and career: 18:46–22:00
• The life lessons that have stuck with David throughout his career: 22:00–24:53
• Why is learning how to be a better mentor a worthwhile pursuit? 24:53–27:02
• The “welcome to science, most of your stuff’s not going to work” lesson and how to teach it: 27:02–33:00
• A mentor’s guide to setting boundaries and communicating them without discouraging mentees: 33:00–36:39
• How does David spend his free time? 36:39–40:06
• Navigating personal time, boundaries and breaks from work: 40:06–41:03
• How does David encourage mentees to slow down? 41:03–45:17
• The importance of reading: 45:17–48:37
• What is David drinking? 48:37–50:14
• Outro: 50:14–51:48

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In this episode of the STEM Tea podcast, host AJ Hinton is joined by Ashley Campbell. After being an Assistant Professor and working in EDI at the University of Rochester (NY, USA), Ashley is now Chief Impact Officer at United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes (NY, USA), a charity bringing together local people, companies, nonprofits and leaders to address the region’s biggest human services challenges to help the community thrive.

In this episode, Ashley discusses her career, what led her to her current role and her favorite accomplishments. Ashley and AJ also explore how to create space for people to thrive, the biggest obstacles in leadership and the importance of impressing yourself, not others.

·      Introductions: 00:00–04:33

·      What led you to where you are today? 04:33–08:30

·      Favorite accomplishments: helping students to “dream with their eyes wide open”: 08:30–12:23

·      Using life experiences as a driver for mentoring: 12:23–15:10

·      Creating space for people to thrive: 15:10–19:46

·      The biggest obstacles in leadership: 19:46–21:20

·      Focus on impressing yourself, not others: 21:20–23:10

·      Gaps in education: 23:10–26:33

·      What do you do for fun? 26:33–29:21

·      Balancing work and life: 29:21–30:25

·      Upcoming events: 30:25–32:47

·      Life in Rochester: 32:47–34:28

·      Bringing in more layers of perspective: 34:28–37:13

·      Thank yous: 37:13–38:27

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In this episode of STEM Tea, host AJ Hinton is joined by Quinton Smith, an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Irvine (CA, USA). Quinton’s lab focuses on distilling the complexity of early human development to controllable factors, creating synthetic biomaterials that support the differentiation and expansion of stem cell-derived organoids and building small and large-scale vascularized tissues from single donor iPSCs for regenerative medicine applications.

Here, Quinton discusses his journey into academia, his lab’s research and how he balances life with work, blocking out time to look after his mental health. Quinton and AJ then delve into leadership, including how to lead a lab, transitioning to a leadership role and the challenges that come with it. We also hear about academic life on the sunny West Coast!

·      00:00–01:00: Introductions

·      01:00–04:05: Quinton’s journey into academia and life as an Assistant Professor on the West Coast

·      04:05–06:00: Looking after your mental health in academia

·      06:00–09:35: Quinton’s lab focuses and his mentoring style

·      09:35–11:47: Challenges of balancing leading a lab with a faculty role

·      11:47–13:45: Why choose this career path?

·      13:45–16:30: Curating an inclusive lab

·      16:30–18:30: Transitioning to a leadership role

·      18:30–24:14: Howard Hughes Medical Institute

·      24:14–27:55: Life outside science

·      27:55–35:36: How has DEIA impacted your career?

·      35:36–38:43: Breeding success and making an impact

·      38:43–39:59: Communicating science

·      39:59–43:19: Favorite experiments

·      43:19–44:47: What are you drinking?

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Host AJ Hinton is joined by Alhaji N’jai, a man wearing many hats; Alhaji is a Senior Scientist, Associate Professor, Pan Africanist and philanthropist. Alhaji currently teaches at the University of Sierra Leone (Freetown, Sierra Leone) and the California University of Science and Medicine (CA, USA) while maintaining the position of Director of the Global Health Institute – One Health, West Africa, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (WI, USA). Additionally, he is the Founder and Chief Strategist of Project1808 (WI, USA), an organization that forms partnerships with universities to foster community development through education.

In this episode of the STEM Tea podcast, Alhaji and AJ discuss the role that Project1808 is playing in building global and local partnerships for young people in Sierra Leone, reaching out to communities to equip young people with the skills and knowledge to thrive in STEM. Plus, find out how you can get involved in Alhaji’s global initiative.

Contents

• Introductions: 00:00–01:40
• How Alhaji’s journey brought about the formation of Project1808: 01:40–08:27
• Project1808 and its university partners: 08:27–14:30
• What educational needs exist? 14:30–21:30
• How you can support Project1808: 21:30–24:40
• Learning more about Alhaji’s research career, from genomics to Ebola virus to Head & Shoulders: 24:40–32:40
• What is the next step for expanding global health, based on Sierra Leone’s public health reforms? 32:40–38:42
• Opportunities for virtual and in-person collaborations: 38:42–42:44
• Are there international internship opportunities for students to get involved? 42:44–47:23
• Redefining the classroom: the Gola Rainforest for training students: 47:23–48:33
• Potential for pathogen discovery in the Gola Rainforest as climate changes: 48:33–52:36
• Concluding remarks and social media handles! 52:36–54:09

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In this episode of STEM Tea, host AJ Hinton is joined by Ricardo Correa, an endocrinologist and the Director of Diversity in Graduate Medical Education at the University of Arizona College of Medicine (AZ, USA). After becoming a doctor in Panama and relocating to the USA to focus on research, Ricardo discovered a passion for health equity and decided to focus on helping underserved communities.

Here, Ricardo discusses his journey into medicine and academia, the network of mentors he built along the way and how to increase minority representation in medical school. Ricardo also explains the concept of health disparities and talks about some of the projects he’s involved in, including collecting data for neglected transgender populations and addressing vaccination disparities in minority communities.

·        Introductions: 00:00­–01:10

·        Ricardo’s journey into medicine and academia: 01:10–04:20

·        Focusing on health equity: 04:20–05:49

·        Defining health disparities and providing interventions for communities: 05:49–10:32

·        Ricardo’s role models and mentors: 10:32–15:50

·        Getting money for interventions: 15:50–20:17

·        Affirmative action and getting minorities into medical school: 20:17–24:08

·        Medical school application tips: 24:08–30:56

·        Choosing the right medical school: 30:56–34:14

·        Gathering health data for transgender populations: 34:14–37:25

·        Ricardo’s work on adrenal glands: 37:25–39:42

·        Disparities and vaccination uptake: 39:42–42:39

·        Discrimination in healthcare for LGBTQIA+ individuals: 42:39–47:00

·        Balancing work and life: 47:00–48:50

·        Picking and prioritizing opportunities: 48:50–52:48

·        The importance of empathy: 52:48–54:20

·        Finding career development opportunities: 54:20–56:53

·        What are you drinking? 56:53–59:57

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In this episode of STEM Tea, host AJ Hinton is joined by Annet Kirabo, an associate professor at Vanderbilt University (TN, USA). Annet research focuses on uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying activation of the immune system in response to hypertensive stimuli including excess dietary salt, sympathetic nerve outflow and oxidative stress, and how this impacts cardiovascular disease.

Here, Annet discusses how her experiences growing up influence her work, how she sets up and maintains international collaborations and the importance of looking at someone’s potential rather than their track record. AJ and Annet also talk about how they both foster a growth mindset, competing with themselves rather than their peers.

Contents

• Introductions: 00:00–01:40
• Annet’s background and what inspired her to research cardiovascular disease: 01:40–03:45
• Annet’s research on inflammation and how it impacts cardiovascular disease: 03:45–06:15
• Picking and maintaining international collaborations: 06:15–10:55
• Looking at what people can do, rather than what they have done: 10:55–13:00
• Assessing the impact of collaborations: 13:00–17:10
• Communicating research to affected communities: 17:10–18:10
• Choosing mentors and taking opportunities: 18:10–27:05
• Being inclusive when choosing a mentor: 27:05–28:45
• Important lessons: teamwork, inclusivity and a growth mindset: 28:45–32:15
• Look to others for inspiration, not comparisons: 32:15–35:25
• Identifying pitfalls: 35:25–38:50
• Finding fun in everything: 38:50–43:00
• What’s the tea? 43:00–44:53

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Host AJ Hinton is joined by Brian Aguado, an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at UC San Diego (CA, USA). Brian’s lab investigates sex differences in cardiovascular disease, using biomaterial and tissue engineering techniques to dissect the mechanisms that underly these sex differences. He is also the co-founder of LatinXinBME, a virtual community where LatinX individuals in biomedical engineering can connect.

In this episode of the STEM Tea podcast, Brian shares the experiences that brought him to a career in research, the importance of authenticity in a leadership position and the goals he has for resolving the sex disparities observed in past and current research.

Contents

• Introductions 00:00–02:03
• What made you fall in love with science and pursue a career in bioengineering? 02:03 –05:12
• Tell us more about your research examining sex-specific cardiovascular differences 05:12–10:28
• What role have your lived experiences played in your science? 10:28 –12:07
• What are your greatest scientific accomplishments to date? 12:07–15:37
• Read Brian’s paper here: Genes that escape x chromosome inactivation modulate sex differences in valve myofibroblasts
• How have you utilized your leadership skills to diversify science? 15:37–20:02
• What goals are you currently working towards? 20:02–23:24
• Can you tell us more about LatinXinBME? 23:24–27:49
• How do you choose who to collaborate with, and how do you think creatively in your research? 27:49–31:12
• How are we going to continue our DEI work in science? 31:12–33:54
• How does your lab foster diversity and inclusivity? 33:54–36:45
• What are you sipping on? Plus, social media! 36:45–39:16
• Outro 39:16–39:36

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In this episode of the STEM Tea Podcast, AJ speaks with Kaye Thomas (University of Rochester, NY, USA) and Feather Ives (University of California, Berkley, CA, USA) about the career paths that led them to their respective microscopy cores. Feather and Kaye detail the value that cores can impart on your career and how they can be critical sources of hands-on, practical learning. Discover the work of communities such as PAIR-UP and BioImaging North America – operating to improve DEAI in the microscopy space – and how scholarships such as the Meyerhoff Scholars Program can impact a career.

Feather and Kaye talk candidly about the importance of maintaining DEAI support through to adulthood, getting comfortable with talking about race in public and professional contexts and the peace that can be found in the reading and writing of romance novels…

Contents:

• Introduction: 00:00–01:00
• Introducing Kaye Thomas and Feather Ives: 01:00–02:40
• Feather’s career path: 02:40–05:50
• Kaye’s career path: 05:50–10:15
• The impact of mentoring on both Feather (10:15–12:30) and Kaye’s careers (12:30–16:10)
• How cores can be a source of kindness and real learning for early career researchers: 16:10–19:50
• Introducing Pair-Up and BINA: 19:50–25:00
• DEAI committees and programs at Rochester: 25:00–27:00
• Grassroots community DEAI work and the importance of maintaining support through to adulthood: 27:00–29:00
• Getting comfortable with talking about race in public spaces: 29:00–31:00
• Addressing the pressures of Black excellence and explaining the pressure to be perfect: 31:00–34:00
• Fun activities to stay grounded and make the most of family life: 34:00–39:00
• Career development, next steps and microscopy courses: 39:00–44:15 

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In this episode, host AJ Hinton is joined by Jenny Schafer – Managing Director of the Cell Imaging Shared Resource (CISR) Core and a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology (both Vanderbilt University, GA, USA) – and Evan Krystofiak – Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology. Krystofiak is also responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of CISR’s electron microscopy division.   

Schafer and Krystofiak discuss their career paths, from their undergraduate degrees to where they are now, highlighting the twists and turns that scientific careers can take. Beyond work at the core, the two share how they like to spend their free time (raising chickens and tap dancing make an unlikely appearance…).

• Introductions 00:00–01:03
• What have your career paths looked like up to this point and what brought you both to this work? 01:03–07:47
• What about your career excites you? 07:47–12:46
• What lessons have you [Evan] learned from helping others on their scientific path? 12:46–14:04
• Have you [Evan] done any leadership or management training to help you mentor others? 14:04–14:55
• What lessons have you [Jenny] learned from helping others on their scientific path and how have you found mentoring individuals in your department? 14:55–18:08
• What achievements do you celebrate as a unit at the core and what personal successes have you had in your career? 18:08–20:37
• What personal qualities are beneficial for working successfully in science? And how would you re-evaluate an experiment if there are issues? 20:37–25:14
• How do you resolve conflict in the core? 25:14–28:24
• What do you do with your free time? 28:24–30:50
• How do you balance work and life? 30:50–34:15
• Ways to get in touch with Jenny and Evan and the importance of networking 34:15–35:40
• Outro 35:40–36:18

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In this episode of the STEM Tea podcast, AJ delves into the world of exercise science with Estevao Scudese, a Research Associate at the Federal University of State of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) investigating the intersection between molecular biology and exercise, where he also works as a physical trainer and coach.

Estevao discusses his path into the physical sciences and the current research landscape and outlook for this rapidly expanding field, detailing the biggest risks and key motivating moments throughout his career, before revealing the parallels between coaching and mentoring, and how he encourages people to take small steps at the beginning of their fitness journey. We also get a fascinating insight into the impact of space travel on muscle tissue and the “balloon and anchor” people that Estevao surrounds himself with to stay motivated.   

Contents:

·        Introduction: 00:00-02:00

·        Estevao’s background and route into a career in physical sciences: 02:00-05:00

·        What is on the horizon for scientific research into and our approach to physical activity: 05:00-06:40

·        Estevao’s greatest career achievements so far and what is next: 06:40-08:30

·        Estevao’s current approach to research: 08:30-09:50

·        The biggest risks in his career and what are you most proud of? 09:50-12:00

·        Achieving work life balance: 12:00-13:20

·        Setting someone up on the path to fitness and the impacts on health: 13:20-17:40

·        Techniques to help address stress with exercise: 17:40-19:00

·        Molecular impacts of exercise: 19:00-20:15

·        Impacts of poor diet and low exercise levels on health: 20:15-22:15

·        Small steps to start a fitness journey and the challenges they may face: 22:15-25:10

·        Challenge for Estevao’s own exercise routine and staying motivated: 24:40-26:25

·        Key moments of serendipity in Estevao’s career: 26:25-27:30

·        The intersection of stress and acute health: 27:30-28:30

·        Coaching as mentoring and building leadership skills and setting goals: 28:30-31:40

·        Spending time outside of work and most motivating memories: 31:40-36:00

·        Personal goals for growth: 36:00-39:00

·        The current state of research infrastructure in Brazil: 39:00-41:40

·        Key research fields of Brazil: 41:40-43:30

·        Trust in science in Brazil: 43:30-45:15

·        Muscle development in space: 45:15-47:15

·        Outro: 47:15-48:45

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