The Science Basement Podcast

As another productive year is coming to an end, we are reflecting on all the wonderful topics we got to explore. In this episode, Eleanna, Rhiannon, Sujai, and Anastasiia are sharing their favourite The Science Basement episodes of 2023. Undoubtedly, the hardest choices they had to make the whole year! Tell us what you think of our podcast! forms.gle/jfN2sm2q8ZEUXS7K9 Your hosts this week are Anas...

While being captivated by the constant chase for publications, researchers should not neglect other aspects of their work. Every project is driven by a noble goal to improve lives and futures of people. It is not uncommon for research to translate beyond the lab bench applications. It also possesses the power to influence policymakers. To unwrap this topic, we invited two guests. Marjo Saastamoine...

Research excels when needs and wishes of the community are heard. It is through adept leadership practices that institutional heads address diverse needs, ensuring robust infrastructures. Join us and our guests, Juha Huiskonen and Maria Vartiainen, as we explore the nuances of academic leadership and the behind the scenes of establishing efficient scientific infrastructures. Juha Huiskonen: Prof....

Peer support, such as mentorship, is inarguably one of the keys to success in academia. Mentoring often comes from senior colleagues. Still, stay sharp since one can also receive that valuable guidance from someone unexpected. Everyone is in need of mentorship independent of their career stages too. In this episode, Prof. Eero Castrén and Dr. Olli Pietiläinen help us delve deep into the importance...

Being absorbed in their work, how often do researchers think about transitioning their ideas beyond the scope of the main question? With ubiquitous university campaigns, it’s hard to overlook the business form of such enterprises. In this episode, our guests Johan Lundin and Andrea Ganna share their own experience with turning research into business, where and how to start, how to take risks smart...

We all know who they are, they listen to our voices yet we may not even have met them in person, they carry the weight of the community’s concerns while tackling the big problems - this is the regular perception of our directors. One thing is different, they are more accessible than you think. You don’t need to look any further, as in this episode, we are bringing you Jari Koistinaho, a Director o...

Data security is a hot topic and its relevance is increasing with advancing technologies. Because of that, scientists have been putting their minds to work out ways to deliver information quickly yet securely. One doesn’t need to go far to see one of the ways to do it. It’s light! Indeed, we can use a single light particle - photon - to package and deliver our precious data. Our guest for this epi...

Mitochondria are the irreplaceable assistants managing a myriad of cellular processes. Should they go out of hand, the cell will bear the consequences, often leading to severe disorders for which we have no found cures. In this episode, we delve into how mitochondrial diseases originate, daily tribulations faced by the patients, and the treatments solutions currently at our disposal. In this episo...

We all have experienced the heat of the moment: utter words that weren’t meant to be said and often make things worse. It is natural to have rough days and can easily resolve such situations. Now imagine if this behaviour becomes a norm. When you, or someone else, find yourself under constant fire of such uncivil behaviour. These instances are labeled as harassment or bullying and are a serious pr...

Welcome back to the enchanting world of ants! This time, we embark on a journey to unravel the mysteries of how ants adapt to different temperatures. What makes hybrid ants the champions of temperature adaptation? And how does this help them overcome the struggles of climate change? The guest for this episode, Beatriz Portinha, is an expert on this subject. As part of her PhD work, Beatriz got acc...

Tell us if you are not confused when you scroll your newsfeed or change TV channels and see a whole array of opinions on each and every topic. One example you can probably relate to is the COVID crisis: vaccines or no vaccines, masks or no masks - which information is true? Who should we listen to in the end? The name of this problem is “infodemic”. It means just what you think it means. In this e...

Following a vegan diet is becoming more and more common these days for many reasons. In this episode, we are discussing veganism from a health science perspective! More specifically children following a vegan diet. To help us learn about this, we are joined by Topi Hovinen, who tells us about his ongoing research on the topic. Topi has completed an MD and is currently a PhD student at the Universi...

Academia like any other place comes as a package of good and bad traits. Sometimes, however, the frustration from the latter reaches the boiling point. In case of many, people start to abandon academia and switch to other career avenues (most commonly to industry). In our case, we decided to make this episode. Join us as we discuss what makes academic life so tough and let out so steam with us. Yo...

Do you know what tooth paste looks like? You might think so, but imagine peering into the finest details and seeing it beyond the capabilities of our eyes. That is what Dr. Chris Jackson has come to provide us with, joining our hosts to discuss microscopy and his new book unveiling a whole different perspective of the world. Dr. Christopher B. Jackson is a microscopy researcher, photographer, and...

Nothing is done in vacuum - this very well applies to research. Good communication skills are often the key to success both in one’s career and personal life. The best way to hone these communication skills is through active networking. In this episode, we discuss how, where and why to network. Joining us is Erika Palmerio, a research scientist at the Predictive Science Inc, San Diego, California....

Did you know that there are killer electrons in space? No need to panic though, here on the ground you are quite safe! The Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere shield us from them. But satellites in space and astronauts cannot say the same! In this episode Dr. Harriet George will explain all about these killer electrons trapped in a region in space called the Earth's radiation belts. Listen along...

Eleanna and Anastasiia are back with the second episode of our spinoff series! This time they are talking about supervising in academia. Come listen to find out how to manage students, establish good dynamics with them, what the differences between supervisors and mentors are, and more. To assist in this discussion, we invited Aleksandra (Sasha) Dobrego. Sasha is a doctoral researcher at the Unive...

In this episode Katja and Pritakshi interview Jason Rissanen about his PhD centred around insects familiar to us all: ants! Have you ever thought that just like us humans, ants might have ways to take care of their health? Turns out one’s hair lightener could be another one’s medicine. Jason Rissanen is a PhD student at the University of Graz in Austria, working with social insects in the lab of P...

Let's talk about choosing your future research group! Are you in the process of searching for a new research group to join? Are you wondering if you are making the best decision? Or maybe you don't even know where to start! In the first episode of "Let's talk about...", a new spin-off series of our podcast, Eleanna and Anastasiia zero in on all these questions and share plenty of tips to those alr...

Interested in doing a PhD? Or curious to hear PhD advice from fellow students? Just feel like listening to a conversation? Well, you’re in luck, as Anastasiia, Katja and guest Laura Suominen discuss all about the upsides and downsides of doing a PhD, with some input from our lovely listeners. Laura Suominen is a second (almost third) year PhD student and pharmacist from the University of Helsinki...

Strap in for a fun episode on a very serious topic: diabetes. This week, postdoc researcher Tom Barsby joins in to discuss how diabetes could be treated with lab-grown cells. Given they can be made "quack"! Tom Barsby is a postdoctoral researcher in the Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program at the University of Helsinki. His research is focused on stem cell models of beta cells and how these...

Merry Christmas and happy holidays! In this end-of-the-year episode, TSB members discuss fun and interesting scientific articles from the past year (or at least that was the idea). We have a stocking filled with ice cream, attraction and bacteria. Make sure to listen or yule be sorry! References: Bacteria help cancer cells to metastasize: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00260-4?_r...

Look away from your phone for a moment and consider: are you happy? In this episode Anastasiia and Rhiannon join Jennifer De Paola, a postdoc in Social Psychology, to discuss happiness. How do we define it, how does it change over time and how can WE achieve it? Jennifer De Paola is a post-doc researcher at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland. De Paola’s research focuse...

Welcome to the Halloween episode and happy ADHD awareness month! Now, don’t get spooked by the demon voice and join us to find out how VR could be used for the diagnosis of childhood ADHD. Giuliano and Katja interview Liya Merzon and learn it's all about keeping your eye on where the dragon tells you. Liya Merzon is a psychologist and I'm doing my PhD at the Translational Cognitive Neuroscience La...

Welcome back! As every city has an energy station to drive our daily needs, our cells have mitochondria. And you really really don't want them to malfunction! Mitochondrial diseases are as frequent as childhood cancers, but people barely know of them. Do you know of them? Don't worry, we've got your back ;) In this episode, we invited Prof. Anu Wartiovaara, one of the leading experts in mitochondr...