She's Thinking Podcast

As the first installment of our three-part mental health episode series, this introductory episode features our exclusive interview with Dr. Nathan Vanderford, one lead authors on the ground-breaking Nature Biotechnology published in 2018, "Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education". Here, we discuss Dr. Vanderford's journey through STEM and his thoughts on the crisis. Music credit...

Introducing our newest feature: Hot Second Hot Takes! Each host brings a unique hot take to the table, scientific or otherwise.

The quest to vaccinate the U.S. population continues. While supply of the COVID-19 vaccines remains high, the vaccination rate has plateaued. In this three-part series, we explore vaccine history, the causes of vaccine hesitancy, and bust the myths driving much of the hesitancy. In Part III, we explore the reasons why people are hesitant and use evidence to bust common myths that contribute to the...

The quest to vaccinate the U.S. population continues. While supply of the COVID-19 vaccines remains high, the vaccination rate has plateaued. In this three-part series, we explore vaccine history, the causes of vaccine hesitancy, and bust the myths driving much of the hesitancy. In Part II, we unpack the reasons for vaccine hesitancy shared by specific communities. Music credits (Pixabay): "Freeze...

The quest to vaccinate the U.S. population continues. While supply of the COVID-19 vaccines remains high, the vaccination rate has plateaued. In this three-part series, we explore vaccine history, the causes of vaccine hesitancy, and bust the myths driving much of the hesitancy. In Part I, we dive into the history of immunizations and frame the current problem of vaccine hesitancy, one of the top...

We have previously discussed racially-equitable access to the COVID vaccines with Reverend Diann Holt in Episode 3. However, one population that often gets overlooked is the deaf and hard of hearing population. We are joined by FEMA Regional Disability Integration Specialist Philip "PJ" Mattiachi, who is deaf and communicates in American Sign Language. PJ is joined by Vivian Ayalón Rivera, a civil...

Public health data models are used to predict and explain trends in public health outcomes, such as is the case with pandemics, food insecurity, maternal mortality, and hospital resources. These models inform policy-making and public health decisions at the institutional, communal, and federal level, with the potential to impact the lives of millions of people. How are these models built? How do m...

The vaccines have been hailed as the answer to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it's not the only one. The deaths of many Americans and the impact on the economy has been the focus of many legislative initiatives, especially the CARES Act. We learn more about the ways in which a scientific perspective and background can play a role in legislation with Representatives Seth Moulton (MA-6) and Chrissy...

COVID-19 has killed more than 480,000 Americans. A vaccine may prevent the death toll from rising and may mark the end of the deadly pandemic that has changed the lives of millions of people. However, the vaccine's safety and effectiveness have been called into question. How was a vaccine developed in a year? What does it mean that the vaccines have been approved for emergency use only? What are t...

The second part to the COVID-19 Vaccine series focuses on the vaccine's distribution. What goes into determining the distribution of the vaccine? What players are involved? Why is the vaccine's rollout so slow? Why are African Americans more hesitant to receive the vaccine than other demographic groups? Reverend Diann Holt, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Durham's Maternal Stress Free Zon...

We are joined by Dr. Amrita Banerjee, Ph. D., the Vice Chair and Program Coordinator of the Science Diplomacy Committee at the National Science Policy Network. Here we delve into the Science Diplomacy Exchange and Learning Program (SciDEAL), where early career scientists are trained to become science diplomats. We appreciate feedback to improve our content. Please take the time to fill out our sur...

Academia and industry are two traditional routes taken by scientists who have just obtained their Ph. D. What about policy? In our first episode, we dive into the world of science policy with Caitlin Warlick-Short, Director of Communications at the National Science Policy Network, and the way in which young scientists can initiate local, national, and global change. Music credits (Pixabay): True L...