People Behind the Science Podcast

Dr. Carmel Majidi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. There, he also holds courtesy appointments in the Robotics Institute and in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Carmel received his B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University and his Ph. D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from the […...

Dr. Fiona “Boo” Maisels is a Conservation Scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and an Honorary Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences in the African Forest Ecology Group at the University of Stirling in Scotland. She completed her PhD and postdoctoral fellowship at Edinburgh University and has worked as a conservation scientist since then […] The pos...

Dr. Douglas Futuyma is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University. He also holds an appointment as a Research Associate at the American Museum of Natural History. Douglas received his B.S. in Conservation from Cornell University and his M.S. and Ph. D. in Zoology from the University of Michigan. […] The post 767: Dr. Douglas Futuyma: Examin...

Dr. Jo Dunkley is a Professor of Physics and Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University and author of the book Our Universe: An Astronomer’s Guide. She received her MSci with First Class Honors in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and her PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Oxford. Afterwards, she conducted postdoctoral research […] The post 766: Dr. Jo Dunkl...

Dr. John Aitchison is President and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research, the largest independent, non-profit organization in the U.S. that is focused solely on infectious disease research. In addition, John serves as an affiliate or adjunct Professor at the University of Washington, the University of British Columbia, the University of Alberta, and […] The post 765: Dr. Jo...

Dr. Robert S. Langer is the David H. Koch Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Being one of the eight Institute Professors is the highest honor that can be awarded to a faculty member at MIT. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University and his Sc. D. in chemical […] The post 764: Dr. Robert Langer: Pioneering Inno...

Dr. Marcie O’Malley is the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Mechanical Engineering, as well as a Professor of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University. Marcie is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine and at the University of Texas Medical […] The post 763: Dr. Marcie O...

Dr. Ryan Martin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Case Western Reserve University. He received a B.S. in Ecology and Evolution from the University of California, Santa Cruz and was awarded his Ph. D. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Afterward, Ryan conducted postdoctoral research at North […] The post 762: Dr. Ryan Martin: Understanding...

Dr. Kim Waddell is an Assistant Professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine as well as a faculty member with the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics, a Senior Fellow in the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, and Research and Innovation Manager in the Penn Medicine […] The post 761: Dr. Kim Wadde...

Dr. Francisca Ikuenobe is a Professor of Geology and Geophysics at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. She received her B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Ife in Nigeria (now Obafemi Awolowo University). Afterwards, Francisca worked as a production geologist and subsequently a palynologist for Shell Petroleum Development Company for a year before enrolling […] The post 76...

Dr. John Majercak is Head of Antibody Discovery at Lampire Biological Laboratories, a life science company at the forefront of innovation and discovery. John received his PhD in Biochemistry from Rutgers University. Afterwards, he completed an industry postdoctoral fellowship at Novartis. Over the next nearly two decades, John worked at several companies, rising in the […] The post 759: Dr....

Dr. Adam Gazzaley is a Professor of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry and the Founding Director of the Neuroscience Imaging Center at the University of California, San Francisco. Adam is also Co-Founder and Chief Science Advisor of Akili Interactive Labs, a company that is developing therapeutic video games. He received his M.D. And Ph. D. in Neuroscience at […] The post 758: Dr. Adam Gaz...

Dr. Lin Tian is a Scientific Director at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and Clinical Professor at the University of California, Davis. She earned her B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Science and Technology of China and her Ph. D. in Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cellular Biology from Northwestern University. She then completed postdoctoral […] The post 757: Dr. L...

Dr. Maureen Murphy is a Professor and Program Leader in the Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program of the Wistar Institute Cancer Center in Philadelphia. She is also the Associate Vice president for Faculty Affairs and Associate Director For Education and Career Development there. Maureen received her B.S. in biochemistry from Rutgers University and a Ph. D. […] The post 756: Dr. Maureen...

Dr. Carlos Portela is the Brit and Alex d’Arbeloff Career Development Professor in Mechanical Engineering at MIT. He received his bachelor’s degrees in aerospace engineering and physics from the University of Southern California, his M.S. and Ph. D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Carlos remained at Caltech to conduct postdoctora...

Dr. Joel Fodrie is an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Marine Sciences and Department of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his undergraduate training in Biology and History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and went on to receive his Ph. D. in Biological Oceanography […] The post 754: Dr. Joel Fodrie: Hooked on Researchi...

Dr. Taylor Hutchison is an astrophysicist and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She received her bachelor’s degree in physics from Southwestern University and her Master’s and PhD degrees in Astronomy from Texas A&M University. She was the recipient of the Dr. Joseph Newton Graduate Service Award, a University Prestigious Fellowship […] The post 753: Dr. Tayl...

Dr. Ken Dawson-Scully is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University. He received his Master’s degree in Neurobiology from Queen’s University and his PhD in Neurophysiology from the University of Toronto. Ken then conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Toronto before joining the faculty at Florida Atlantic University. [&#...

Dr. Stacey Harmer is a Professor of Plant Biology in the College of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Davis. She received her BA in Biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley and was awarded her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of California, San Francisco. Afterwards, Stacey conducted postdoctoral research at the Scripps […] The post 751: Dr. Stacey H...

Dr. Alan R. Saltiel is Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, Maryam Ahmadian Endowed Chair in Metabolic Health, Director of the Institute for Diabetes and Metabolic Health at UC, San Diego, and Director of the UCSD/UCLA Diabetes Research Center. He received his bachelor’s degree in zoology from Duke University, and his Ph. D. in biochemistry from […] The post 750: Dr. Alan Sa...

Dr. Erica Golemis is a Professor, Deputy Chief Science Officer, Co-Leader of the Molecular Therapeutics Program, and Director of the High Throughput Facility at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. In addition, Erica is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University School of Medicine, and the Temple University Lewis Katz […] The post 749: Dr. Erica Go...

Dr. David Fitzpatrick is Chief Executive Officer, Scientific Director, and Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. David received his B.S. degree in Biology from Pennsylvania State University and his PhD in Psychology and Neuroscience from Duke University. He conducted postdoctoral research at the Medical University of South Carolina and then returned to [&#8230...

Dr. Jennifer Ramp Neale is Director of Research and Conservation at the Denver Botanic Gardens. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Biology at the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Colorado Denver. She received her B.S. in Biology from Rhodes College and her Ph. D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of […] The post 747: Dr. Jennifer Ramp Neale: Conduc...

Dr. Eric Skaar is Director of the Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Director of the Division of Molecular Pathogenesis, the Ernest W. Goodpasture Chair in Pathology, and Vice Chair for Research and a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at Vanderbilt University. He earned his B.S. in Bacteriology from […] The post...

Dr. Ellen Zweibel is the W. L. Kraushaar Professor of Astronomy and Physics, and the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She received her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Chicago and her PhD in Astrophysical Sciences from Princeton University. Ellen served as a faculty member at the University of […] The post 745: Dr. Elle...