Two Scientists Walk Into a Bar

Designing a clinical trial is fascinatingly complex. There are dozens of variables that could influence the ability of any given trial to be successful. Navigating this complexity is truly a science unto itself. In our latest episode, Merdad Parsey, Senior Vice President of Early Clinical Development, explains how the science of clinical trial design has evolved, and where it’s headed.

Each person’s cancer is unique, so trying to match the right treatment to the right person is one of cancer biology’s biggest remaining challenges. In our latest episode, Priti Hegde, Director of Oncology Biomarker Development at Genentech, talks about how big data and advanced technology are guiding the future of personalized cancer immunotherapies.

Some types of breast cancer can become “addicted” to estrogen signaling, so treatments that target the estrogen receptor were once thought to be a magic bullet against this disease. But breast cancer is sneaky, and some mutations can allow it to sidestep these types of targeted therapies. In our latest episode, Lori Friedman, Senior Director of Translational Oncology at Genentech, talks about the ways scientists are trying to stay one step ahead of breast cancer.

Bacteria are remarkably fast shape-shifters. As soon as we develop new antibiotics against them, they mutate, leading to drug-resistant strains the world has never seen before. This could mean that one day we end up weaponless against an army of drug-resistant superbugs. But a new generation of “super antibiotics” could hold the key to overcoming this problem. Learn how as we sit down with Rick Brown, Vice President of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Genentech, in our latest podcast.

In 1848 an explosion launched an iron rod through Phineas Gage’s brain. He miraculously survived, but wasn’t the same person, giving scientists the first clues into how neurodegeneration can affect what it means to be human. In our latest episode, we sit down with Geoff Kerchner to learn about the latest ways scientists are trying to halt the neurodegeneration seen in diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. As both a practicing neurologist and research scientist, Geoff gives us an inside peek at how his findings from the clinic can help unravel some of the most fundamental mysteries about the brain.

Communication is the key to good relationships. That’s true not only for people, but for our cells as well. If cellular communication goes wrong, your brain may stop processing information, or your organs might form tumors. So how do cells talk to each other? This week Jane Grogan sits down with Shiva Malek, whose work focuses on “eavesdropping” on the chatter between cells to understand what they’re saying and what goes wrong in a diseased state like cancer. We’re sure the cells don’t mind.

Pain is actually good for us. Until it’s not. Discovering how to fight chronic pain, while leaving acute pain intact, is no easy venture. Join Morgan Sheng as he takes us on a tour of the different pain systems in our body, and how a family of Pakistani street performers helped scientists identify a novel target for treatment.

A revolution in cancer care is happening right now. In our debut episode, Jane Grogan sits down with Ira Mellman, one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of cancer immunotherapy, about the “a-ha” moments that could mean the next breakthrough, from checkpoint inhibitors to cancer vaccines. Plus Ira waxes poetic about transitioning from a life of music to a life of science.

The only thing Jane Grogan loves more than doing science is talking about it. In addition to being an accomplished scientist leading research on inflammation, autoimmunity and tumor immunobiology, Jane has a background in radio. So when we decided to record our first podcast series — Two Scientists Walk Into A Bar — she was the natural choice to host. Subscribe today to learn what our top scientists are working on.