SHE LEADS SCIENCE

How do we know we're making the right treatment decision for the right patient at the right time? In this episode of She Leads Science , Dr. Liz Joy sits down with pioneering pharmacotherapy researcher Diana Brixner, RPh, PhD , to explore the science behind medication effectiveness, value, and real-world impact. Dr. Brixner reflects on a remarkable career spanning industry, academia, health s...

In this episode of She Leads Science , Dr. Liz Joy sits down with Kismet Rasmusson , DNP, NP—a nationally recognized leader in heart failure, women’s cardiovascular health, patient education, and clinical innovation. Drawing on more than 26 years at Intermountain Health, Kismet reflects on her journey from nurse practitioner student to system-wide heart failure program leader, helping shape patien...

In this episode of She Leads Science , Dr. Liz Joy is joined by Dr. Bill Roberts and Dr. NiCole Keith for a deeply personal conversation about mentorship, science, leadership, and the relationships that shape careers. Dr. Roberts, a family and sports medicine physician and longtime leader in athlete health, endurance-event medicine, heat illness, and injury prevention, mentored both Dr. Joy and Dr...

In this episode of She Leads Science , Dr. Liz Joy talks with Dr. Kathryn “Katie” Schmitz , one of the world’s leading voices in exercise oncology. The conversation highlights Katie’s groundbreaking leadership in moving exercise from the margins of cancer care to an evidence-based component of survivorship. As a past president of the American College of Sports Medicine, founder of ACSM’s Moving Th...

In this episode of She Leads Science , Dr. Liz Joy talks with Dr. Christina “Christy” Porucznik , professor in the Division of Public Health at the University of Utah and Vice Dean for Faculty in the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. Dr. Porucznik reflects on her path as a doctorally trained epidemiologist whose career has crossed nonprofit, government, academic, and public health settings, i...

In this episode of She Leads Science , Dr. Rachele Pojednic joins Dr. Liz Joy for a compelling conversation on the evolving role of scientists across academia, industry, and public communication. Trained as an exercise physiologist, Dr. Pojednic grounds her work in the powerful idea that exercise—particularly strength training—is one of the most important levers we have for longevity, shaping musc...

In this episode of She Leads Science , Dr. Liz Joy sits down with Dr. Michelle Mottola , a globally recognized leader whose work has helped transform exercise during pregnancy from a source of caution and confusion into an evidence-based standard of care. Together, they explore Dr. Mottola’s scientific journey, her leadership in advancing maternal health research, and the growing global recognitio...

In this episode of She Leads Science , host Dr. Liz Joy sits down with pioneers Drs. Mary Jane De Souza and Nancy Williams to explore the science and leadership behind the Female Athlete Triad. Together, they trace their paths into research, reflect on navigating male-dominated fields, and discuss how their work reshaped the understanding of energy deficiency, menstrual function, and bone health i...

In this episode of She Leads Science , host Dr. Liz Joy sits down with Kathryn (Katie) Porter Starr, PhD, RD—Associate Professor at Duke University, Research Health Scientist at the Durham VA, and Chief Science Officer at Vivo. Katie’s research focuses on how nutrition and strength training can preserve muscle, function, and independence in older adults, particularly those facing obesity, frailty,...

In this episode of She Leads Science , Liz Joy sits down with Janet E. Fulton, PhD, an epidemiologist and former Chief of the Physical Activity and Health Branch at CDC, whose work has quietly shaped how the U.S. measures, understands, and promotes physical activity. Together they unpack Janet’s path and leadership in federal public health, what “surveillance” really means (and why it isn’t as sca...

Kim Brunisholz, PhD, MST, is an implementation scientist at Johnson & Johnson, where she serves as the Director of Scientific Affairs, Population Health Research. When she's not working, you can find her on a bike or a pair of skis, or cheering on the University of Utah gymnastics team. Kim knows what it takes to translate science into practice to improve people's lives. She is an in...

She Leads Science is a conversation-driven podcast hosted by Dr. Liz Joy, spotlighting women leading breakthroughs in medicine, public health, and scientific discovery. Each episode explores their work, real-life career paths, leadership lessons, and how science moves from lab to clinic to community—warm, honest, and occasionally funny.