People Behind the Science Podcast

Dr. Martha Muñoz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University. She received her B.A. in biology from Boston University. Afterwards, Martha worked as a Fulbright Research Scholar at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid, Spain. She was awarded her Ph. D. in Organismic & Evolutionary Biology […] The post 872: Dr. Martha Muño...

Dr. Steven Platt is a Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Herpetologist for Southeast Asia. He received his BSc. in Forestry and Wildlife Management from Louisiana State University, his MSc. in Biology from Southeastern Louisiana University, and his PhD in Zoology from Clemson University. Afterwards, Steve worked for WCS from 1996 – 2001. In 2001, Steve transitioned to working in academia. [...

Dr. Sharlene Santana is Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington and Curator of Mammals at the University of Washington’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. She completed her undergraduate training in biology at the University of the Andes in Venezuela, and she was awarded her Ph. D. in Organismic […] The post 870: Dr. Sharlene Santana:...

Dr. Ashok K. Shetty is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics and Associate Director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Texas A&M University, Naresh Vashisht College of Medicine. Ash earned his Ph. D. in Neuroscience from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, and he completed postdoctoral research […] The post 86...

Dr. Ayse Turak is Associate Professor and Associate Undergraduate Chair of the Department of Engineering Physics at McMaster University. Ayse received her B.Sc. in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Queens’s University and her PhD from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto, where she was a Canada Graduate Scholar. Afterwards, […] The...

Dr. Sydney Glassman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology & Plant Pathology at the University of California, Riverside. She completed her B.A. in Biology with a Concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Pennsylvania. Next Sydney received a Master’s of Environmental Studies degree in Environmental Biology from the University […] The...

Dr. Edwin “Ted” Bergin is Professor and Chair of Astronomy at the University of Michigan. He completed his undergraduate training in Astronomy at Villanova University, and he was awarded his PhD in Astronomy from the University of Massachusetts. Before joining the faculty at the University of Michigan, Ted worked as an astronomer/astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian […] The...

Dr. Cori Richards-Zawacki is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and Director of the Pymatuning Lab of Ecology at the University of Pittsburgh. Cori received her Bachelor’s degree in engineering and biology as well as her PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology both from the University of Michigan. She conducted postdoctoral research at […] The post 865: Dr. Cori...

Dr. Tim Long is Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Macromolecules Innovation Institute at Virginia Tech. He was awarded his B.S. in Chemistry from St. Bonaventure University and his Ph. D. in Chemistry from Virginia Tech. Prior to joining the faculty at Virginia Tech, Tim worked as an Advanced Research Scientist and subsequently a Senior […] The post 863: Dr. Tim Long: Developing Nov...

Dr. Tajie Harris is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neuroscience in the School of Medicine at the University of Virginia. She received her B.S. degree in biology from Bemidji State University in Minnesota and her Ph. D. in microbiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Afterwards, Tajie conducted Postdoctoral Research in immunoparasitology at the University […] The post 8...

Dr. Eric Pop is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering as well as Materials Science & Engineering at Stanford University. Eric received his B.S. in electrical engineering, B.S. in physics, and a M.Eng. in electrical engineering from MIT. He was awarded his PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford University. Afterwards, Eric conducted postdoctoral research at […] The post 86...

Dr. Ana Luisa Trejos is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering as well as Biomedical Engineering at Western University in Canada. She is also an Associate Scientist at the Lawson Health Research Institute. Ana Luisa was awarded her B.Sc. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Costa Rica and her M.A.Sc. in mechanical engineering from […] The post 860: D...

Dr. Lawrence Uricchio is Assistant Professor and the Youniss Family Professor of Innovation in the Department of Biology at Tufts University. He completed his bachelor’s degree in physics at Carleton College, received master’s degrees in biophysical sciences and computer science from the University of Chicago, and was awarded his PhD in bioinformatics from the University […] The post 859: Dr...

Dr. R. Douglas Fields is Chief of the Nervous System Development and Plasticity Section at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Adjunct Professor in the Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program at the University of Maryland, College Park. In addition, Doug is the author of numerous books and magazine articles about the brain, including the […] The post 858: Dr. Douglas Fields: Study...

Dr. Talithia Williams is an Associate Professor of Mathematics and Associate Dean for Research and Experiential Learning at Harvey Mudd College. In addition, Talithia is Host of the PBS Series NOVA Wonders and author of the book Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics. She received a B.S. in mathematics from Spelman College, and […] The post 857: Dr. Talithia Williams: Mathematician...

Dr. Tyler Susko is Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Cadense, Inc., a company that creates groundbreaking adaptive solutions. He is also a Teaching Professor and Undergraduate Vice Chair in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. And he is Principal Engineer and Owner of Susko Engineering, LLC. Tyler received […] The post 856: Dr. Tyler...

Dr. David Sedlak is the Plato Malozemoff Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Co-Director of the Berkeley Water Center, Deputy Director of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Reinventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure, and Director of the Institute for Environmental Science and Engineering at the University of California, Be...

Dr. Carla Finkielstein is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences within the Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech. She is also Director of the Integrated Cellular Response Laboratory at Virginia Tech, a Member of the Executive Committee of the Susan G. Komen Blue Ridge Board, and past member of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Breast […] The post 854: Dr. Carla Finkielstein:...

Dr. Donald L. Smith is the Distinguished James McGill Professor in the Department of Plant Science at McGill University. He is also CEO of BioFuelNet Canada, Head of Biomass Canada, and Head of the McGill Network for Innovation on Biofuels and Bioproduct. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Acadia University and his PhD […] The post 853: Dr. Donald Smith: Getting to the Root...

Dr. Andrew Friedman is an Assistant Research Scientist at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He is also a Research Affiliate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Andy received his bachelor’s degree in physics and astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley and his master’s and PhD degrees […] The post...

Dr. Kristen Lani Rasmussen is Assistant Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. Kristen received her bachelor’s degree in meteorology and mathematics as well as music from the University of Miami. She then attended the University of Washington where she was awarded her M.S. and Ph. D. degrees in Atmospheric Sciences. Afterwards, […] The post 851: Dr....

Dr. Dave Jackson is Professor of Plant Genetics at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from the University of Leeds and was awarded his PhD from the John Innes Institute. Afterwards, Dave conducted research as a NATO and USDA Postdoctoral Fellow at the Plant Gene Expression Center in Berkeley, CA, […] The post 850: Dr. Dave Jackson: Investigating...

Dr. Joyce Ohm is an Associate Professor of Oncology in the Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. She was awarded her PhD in Cancer Biology from Vanderbilt University. Afterwards, Joyce conducted postdoctoral research in oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Prior to joining the faculty at Roswell […] The post 849: Dr. J...

Dr. Bryan Cassone is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Biology at Brandon University in Canada. Bryan received his B.Sc. in biology, specializing in environmental science, from the University of Western Ontario, his M.Sc. in integrative biology from the University of Guelph, and his Ph. D. in biological sciences from the University of Notre […] The post 848: Dr. Bryan Cassone: Explo...

Dr. Natalia Vergara is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Natalia received her B.S. in biochemistry from the National University of the Litoral in Argentina. She worked as an instructor and research intern at the National University of Entre […] The post 847: Dr. Natalia Ver...