Uncontrolled Variables

Today, Alex is joined by comedian guest Jeff Braun to interview Dr. Marianne Reddan. Dr. Reddan is a Lecturer in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Glasgow (formerly Assistant Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine). Dr. Reddan tells us about her research on pain, how she got interested in the brain, and how she heroically saved a squirrel's life during grad school. Je...

Today, Alex is joined by comedian guest co-host Gena Gephart to interview Loyola University Chicago Professor Kristin Krueger. Professor Krueger is the Chair of the Anthropology department and conducts research in the field of dental paleoanthropology. Professor Krueger tells us about her custom chewing simulator, her favorite fieldwork sites, and a toxic postdoc advisor who thought he was Bob Dyl...

DOCTOR Cheryl Hurst and MISTER Peter Jones join Alex on the pod today to discuss Cheryl’s life as an organizational psychologist. Cheryl’s career has followed many twists and turns– in undergrad, she failed chemistry but ended up majoring in neuroscience, then got her PhD and became a university lecturer, until ultimately leaving academia for a job in the banking world. Uncontrolled Variables brie...

Alex is joined by guest co-host Mustafa Yasin and Dr. Alice Morrell, a wildlife biologist and comedian, today on Uncontrolled Variables. Alice is a self-described animal stalker, studying species ranging from sheep to elephants. Alice takes us through a day in the life studying dwarf mongooses (yes, that’s the correct plural) in South Africa, tells us about a near death experience involving bison...

Today Alex and guest co-host Kate Sharp are joined by Dr. Niloufar Sarvian, a climate scientist based in London. Nilou tells us about creating a startup in Paris, how she deals with the climate change blues, and using AI to figure out the definition of “fly tipping.” We make Kate come up with a solution to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and they actually do a pretty good job! Follow Kate on Instag...

Alex is joined by guest comedian Danika Thibault today on Uncontrolled Variables. Together, they interview Dr. Anneliese Jarman, whose scientific journey has included astrophysics, dietetics, and now, microscopy. Anneliese tells us about growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness, a life-changing encounter in a chip shop, and her work studying painting restoration (including work on the Last Supper– yes, t...

Mitochondria– it’s not JUST the powerhouse of the cell, folks! At least that’s what Dr. Josh Stoolman tells Alex and guest co-host Joey Bednarski (@joeybednarski) on this week’s episode of Uncontrolled Variables. Josh shares stories about finding scientific inspiration while playing with his kids, the state of academic publishing, and the role of academia in the pharmaceutical industry. Joey pitch...

What happens when you bring together a tenured professor and an alternative comedian? We have the answer this week on Uncontrolled Variables! Alex’s guest cohost, Kristi Durkin (@kristigirl), labels statistician Greg Matthews (@statsinthewild) “English professor vibes with a stats mind.” We learn how Greg navigates working at a Catholic institution, discuss the syntax of “Jerk-off circle” versus “...

Alex is joined by guest cohost Jeff Brumfield (@senseijefe26) to help interview comedian and neuroscience PhD student Diya Basrai (@diyabasrai). Together they learn how Diya narrowly avoided becoming a film major, share stories of bombing on stage in front of colleagues, discuss cringe scientists on TikTok, and learn Diya’s strategy for not being addicted to your phone. Diya reveals his morning ro...