Women, Life and Science

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In 2025, more than 3,200 families traveled over 40 miles to access care at Duke Children’s. And when an emergency arises, being within 30 minutes of the hospital can be critical.

For families traveling for their child’s cancer treatment, finding a temporary place to stay nearby can become another burden on top of chemotherapy, appointments, and the uncertainty of caring for a sick child.

Heather saw this challenge firsthand when her daughter, Harper, was diagnosed with leukemia and received treatment at Duke Children’s. While Heather was able to go home each night, many other families had nowhere nearby to stay.

After Harper finished treatment, Heather listened to what these families needed—and turned that experience into Harper’s Home, providing free housing for families traveling to Duke Children’s for care.

🎧 Listen to our conversation with Heather about motherhood, navigating her daughter’s cancer journey, finding purpose on the other side, and choosing to make the road easier for the mothers coming behind her.

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In this episode, we step into a significant chapter in history with Eileen Isola, lead editor of Necessary Turbulence, a book that brings together the stories of 108 women from the first generations of women to enter the U.S. Air Force Academy.

In 1976, women entered the U.S. Air Force Academy for the first time. They were stepping into an institution that had been built around men. There was no established roadmap, few women to look to for guidance, and little precedent for what it meant to be a woman in these roles.

Fifty years later, their stories invite us to reflect on the meaning of that journey.

Necessary Turbulence is not simply a story about women in the Air Force. It is a story about women everywhere who have entered workplaces, professions, industries, and leadership spaces where people like them were not traditionally represented.

Join us for this powerful conversation with Eileen Isola and discover the stories behind the necessary turbulence.

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What if one experience could change the direction of your entire life?

In 1971, a young Witney Schneidman traveled to Africa. What began as curiosity would become a lifelong journey. One that took him across more than 30 African countries and into the world of diplomacy, international relations, economic development, and U.S.–Africa engagement.

Now, decades later, he shares that journey in his new memoir, This Africa Idea: A Memoir of Discovery, Diplomacy, and Opportunity.

For today's episode, we're sitting down with Witney to talk about the experiences that shaped his understanding of Africa, the people and places that influenced his journey, and what he believes the world needs to understand about Africa today.

Join us for a conversation about discovery, diplomacy, and possibility.

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Born from clinical experience, refined through motherhood

As a board-certified allergist, Dr. Brynn Everist spent years helping children with food allergies. But it wasn't until she became a mother herself that she experienced firsthand how difficult early allergen introduction could be even with the science and medical training behind her.

In this episode, you'll discover:
• Why early allergen introduction matters
• The challenges parents commonly face when putting the science into practice
• How one mother's experience inspired a simpler, more practical approach for families

Whether you're expecting your first child, starting your baby's feeding journey, or simply want to better understand food allergies, this conversation offers evidence-based insights that can help you navigate the journey with greater confidence.

Let's start the conversation!

#EarlyAllergenIntroduction
#TrainingYourImmuneSystem
#Parenthood

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Based on the diaries and memories of her mother and grandmother, Dreaming of the River tells the true story of a mother and daughter whose lives were forever changed by the Holocaust. From the peace of life before the war to forced labor, concentration camps, survival, and ultimately liberation, their journey is one of unimaginable hardship and enduring hope.

Join us as author Pauline Steinhorn shares not only her family's history, but also the profound responsibility of preserving their legacy for future generations.

The river that flows through the story was a real place where her mother and grandmother once found joy and peace. Throughout their ordeal, it became more than a cherished memory, it became a powerful symbol of home, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit.

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Who gets to decide whose life is worth living?

Missed our thought-provoking Science Café with author Susanne Antonetta last June 29?

You can still join the conversation. Listen anytime, anywhere on our Buzzsprout page.

Our conversation explored the dark history of Germany's eugenics movement, inviting us to reflect on the devastating consequences of labeling people with intellectual disabilities, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other conditions as "unfit" or "socially undesirable." History reminds us how fear, prejudice, and pseudoscience can lead to profound injustice.

More importantly, the conversation challenges us to cultivate a more nuanced understanding of mental illness. One grounded in empathy, dignity, and respect for every person's humanity.

🎧 Tune in and join the conversation.

#ScienceCafe 

#PodcastSpecial 

#Author 

#MentalHealth

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What if one of the statues of Notre-Dame Cathedral came to life? Not for one magical night, but to discover what it truly means to be human?

The West Facade follows St. Genevieve, a statue on Notre-Dame Cathedral that comes to life and must choose between becoming human or remaining immortal.

In this episode, Lauren Johnson, author of The West Facade, gives us a glimpse into the inspiration and creative process behind her enchanting story.

Here's what you'll hear in this episode:

1. What inspired Lauren Johnson to imagine a cathedral statue with human desires?
2. Why did she choose St. Genevieve as the heart of the story?
3. How does she weave medieval history into fantasy?

Whether you're a fan of fantasy, history, or creative writing, this episode is one you won't want to miss.

#FantasyBooks
#AuthorInterview
#HistoricalFantasy
#CreativeWriting
#BookLovers

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Years in the corporate world, she followed someonelse’s script for success. Mandy Tang realized this is not for her. 

One day, she found herself crying. Since then she started journaling. She would wake up, write about gratitude, write about affirmation, a vision about herself in the future and meditate. 

That’s when she faced a major transition in her career. Mandy started to heal career wounds. 

Mandy Tang is a career coach based in Eugene, Oregon. She write about self-help, shamanic healing, becoming more self-aware, finding your purpose, and navigating your career. 

Listen now!

#CareerWounds

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What does it truly mean to learn how to care for another human being? 

This Wednesday, we sit down with Dr. Allen Saxon, a retired general surgeon and now a medical educator and author of Training in Charity, for a conversation that goes beyond medicine and into the heart of what it means to become human through service. 

Loosely inspired by his own experiences in medical school, Training in Charity brings listeners into a time before technology and computers transformed healthcare. 

In this episode, we will explore:

• What medical training looked like before modern technology

• How compassion is shaped through real human encounters

• The emotional realities of becoming a doctor

• Why stories from the past still matter in today’s fast-changing world

Listen now!

#EmergencyCare

#PublicHealthCare

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Have you ever experienced a life-changing moment that forced you to relearn what once came naturally?

There are moments when life shifts so suddenly that even the most familiar routines begin to feel unfamiliar. In those times, adapting to a new reality can feel overwhelming even making you feel helpless.

This is the reality of Mary Keating, whose life changed after an accident she met when she was 15 years old that left her unable to walk again. But instead of focusing on the tragedy and triumph, her story focused on adaptation, persistence, and the daily negotiations of living fully in a world not always designed with disability in mind.

Join us in this empowering conversation of navigating identity, acceptance, independence, loneliness and community. This is a reminder that disability is an ordinary and integral part of human life.

Together, we will explore identity, acceptance, independence, loneliness, and community and how these shape the way we understand our circumstances and ourselves.

Listen now!

Music track: Driving On Country Roads by Dagored
Source: https://freetouse.com/music
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About the Guest:

MARY KEATING is a lawyer, disability advocate, and three-time Pushcart Prize 
nominated poet. After a car accident at fifteen changed the trajectory of her life, 
she went on to Yale Law School, worked as an attorney at IBM, founded her own 
law practice—twice—and was appointed by Governors Jodi Rell and Dannel 
Malloy to serve on, and later chair, the Connecticut State Rehabilitation Council. 
Keating lives and works in Connecticut whereher firm, Mary Keating Esquire, 
LLC, guides clients through estate planning, trusts, and planning for long-term
care and disability.