This Grad Life Podcast

Meet Dr. Alexander Bay, Chair of the Department of History. This history buff uses his studies on a modernizing Japan to help fight diseases today. You see, many of the challenges a modernizing nation faced are paralleled in developing nations today. Turns out, it's much more than making sewers and indoor toilets. It's about fighting ignorance telling people to wash their god damn hands. Also discussed is the power donuts have on writing.

Meet Richa Yeshvekar, plant biologist at University of Leeds. This agricultural scientist wants to help feed people. But along the way, she stumbled upon an interesting question regarding flowers. Most living creatures have a ton of variation within the species. Folks, for example, come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. But flowers of a species all look the same! Turns out, they try real hard at making it that way. In this episode, Richa will talk about why. But this research ain't no bed of roses (except when it literally is). She also coordinates a student wellness group on campus. When all else fails, there is always chai.

Meet Dr. Carey Huh, neuroscientist at UCI. She looks at the connections in the brain, and how they might explain amblyopia, also known as lazy eye. Using the latest and greatest in brain imaging, she can SEE neurons firing in REAL TIME. That’s gonna help her develop new therapies to help adults with this condition. As a bonus discussion, we talk about science communication and getting down to what we are all about. You know, good ol’ fashion nihilistic fun. To learn more about Carey, head on over to www.thisgradlife.com/careyhuh

Meet Scott Kiliansky. This friendly sci-fi nerd got into neuroscience in order to live out his sci-fi nerd fantasies. He researches how memories are changed and strengthened as we sleep. It's the first step on his way to figuring out how to connect our brains to machines and turn us into cyborgs! We also talk about our shared experiences through therapy, and all of the things we have gotten out of it. Also discussed is what is easily the most struggle meal I've come across on this show. To learn more about Scott, head on over to www.thisgradlife.com/podcast/scottkiliansky.

Meet Kendra Walters, who examines the mobility of microbes. These little dudes are an important part of *cue music* the circle of liiiiiife! They eat all the dead stuff, so all the new stuff can grow! But how the heck did they get there? Well, with lots of fun (existentially dreadful) long term studies, Kendra hopes to find out! Listen to how she battles her perfectionism in the face of months long experiments. Spoiler alert, the solution is cheese. The melty-gooey kind.

Meet Jaclyn Beck. She studies the aging process of microglia, which make up the brain's personal immune system defense force. While important, these cells are heavily implicated in Alzheimer's disease. Since age is the biggest risk factor for this disease, she's trying to figure out a way to artificially age these cells. That way, they can be studied more easily. And she gave up a stable NASA job in order to do so! Why yes, I too prefer ice cream when dealing with my own impostor's syndrome.

Meet Janielle Vidal. She studies the relationship of the gut microbiome, copper intake, and Alzheimer’s disease. Not only is her research about the gut, her research is also gutsy! She discusses the importance of telling the story behind data. To do that better, she drummed up her own high-risk research project! Tough stuff, but proud to call it her own. Tune in and hear about this unique take on studying Alzheimer’s desease!

Meet Alex Jarnot, a PhD student at UC Irvine, studying atmospheric chemistry. His lab has quite the pedigree, the original founder shared the Nobel Prize for discovering the cause of the hole in the ozone layer. True to the original cause, he looks at wildfires and agricultural fires and sees how that smoke interacts with urban pollution. In this episode, he also describes some of the surprising peril that comes with this particular line of work.

Meet Darby Vickers, a PhD candidate in the Department of Philosophy UC Irvine, who studies ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of education. She's interested in exploring how people learn and how to best learn. She's also a front line fighter against fake news. Her projects revolve around how to get people together, spread new ideas, and figure out how we can help people sort truths from falshoods. The cookies are for moral support. Normally when I say this, its a sarcastic joke about stress eating. But these are literally to help aid others bolster their morale.

Meet Kelli Malott, a PhD candidate in the School of Medicine at UC Irvine, who studies reproductive toxicology. Specifically, she looks at benzo(a)pyrene and how it affects babies before they are even born! There's also plenty of righteous indignation that comes with advocating for policies that help babies, and hitting bureaucratic brick walls. Though, I hear that melted cheese does wonders for alleviating that. Find out more about Kelli at www.thisgradlife.com/podcast/kellimalott.