We Love Science

Today, we continue interviewing Beth Amato, a public health research communicator and writer at the University of Witwatersrand and Wits Health consortium in South Africa. In her early days, Beth truly disliked science and preferred poetry and storytelling. It wasn’t until she was much further in her education that she saw the link between captivating stories and science, and was really intrigued....

Today we are joined by Beth Amato, a public health research communicator and writer at the University of Witwatersrand and Wits Health consortium in South Africa. Beth’s work centers on science communication and engagement specifically focused on public health issues in South Africa and across the continent. Her day-to-day work involves translating research discoveries from the 5 research units of...

We continue our discussion with Janet Price, Chief Science Officer (CSO) at Visium (formerly Lit Thinking), a company dedicated to promoting public health through air quality. As a child, Janet had an obsession with asking way too many questions and she found many of the answers at her local library. Originally she wanted to be a writer, specifically for the synopses found on the inside of a book...

Today we are joined by Janet Price, Chief Science Officer (CSO) at Visium (formerly Lit Thinking) a company dedicated to creating room and building health solutions to promote air quality. During her time at Visium, Janet was fortunate to learn numerous new skills as her responsibilities grew with the company. She started in engineering supporting the development of the initial prototype product,...

We continue our conversation with David Calianese on his journey to teaching, research, and academia. David’s interest in biology and helping people started in high school with an opportunity to work as an emergency technician basic (EMT-B) providing care to patients in ambulances. It sounded exciting, but nothing could have prepared David for his first call responding to a woman in active labor i...

Today we are joined by a fellow Rutgers alumnus, David Calianese. He recently completed a post-doc at Osaka University in Japan and is now starting a new lab at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. David’s new lab will study the process of programmed cell death and its influence on the immune system, specifically as relates to cancer. The link between cell death and the immune system lies within p...

We continue our interview with Dave Latorra and Stephanie Ford, the entrepreneurs behind DNA is Love, a unique company that uses science to make cherished memories. Dave describes his science journey as “one thing leading to another.” After high school, he attended junior college where his interest in chemistry first blossomed, then he transitioned to biochemistry followed by microbiology, and end...

We are so excited to have two special guests on our episode today–Dave Latorra and Stephanie Ford, who blend science, entrepreneurship, and keepsakes with their company, DNA is Love. Dave and Stephanie approach DNA is Love from each of their areas of expertise in  biology and hospice care, respectively. DNA is Love has discovered a unique way to hold on to the memories of the people and pets in ou...

We continue our interview with Colleen Kelley of Kids Chemical Solutions to learn about her journey into chemistry. Her journey began with a harrowing experience running from “raining radiation” as a young girl, facing this uncertainty with the same confusion as the adults around her. Reflecting back on this experience, Colleen realized that a lack of clear guidance and good communication founded...

Today we are interviewing Colleen Kelley, the creator and founder of Kids Chemical Solutions. she started her science education focused company to promote molecular literacy when she noticed many of her students were struggling with chemistry. Colleen wanted to develop a fun and creative solution that could give students of all ages–from 8 to 108–an easy way to learn and enjoy chemistry. Kids Chem...

In this bonus episode, we do a book review of Matt Ridley's "Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters." The book explores the functions of key genes, which are, unfortunately, often understood through the diseases they cause. It also highlights key figures in genomics, and ethical considerations like eugenics. Overall, we found this book to be engaging and accessible en...

In this bonus episode, we’re back with another round of Hidden Genius! Shekerah puts Fatu in the hot seat with a mystery scientist. The clues start flowing and she has 5 chances to get it right. Can you guess this hidden genius before she does?  If you enjoyed this episode you'll also enjoy: Ep 24: From Dyslexia to Nobel Prize Winner! - Hidden Genius Challenge #1 Ep 28: Yogurt-Making DIY Styl...

We are joined again by Christine Vazquez, a viral immunologist and Principal Scientist at GSK, to hear about her journey into science. The earliest memories from her childhood picture Christine sitting with her dad watching educational shows like Stories from the ER and dreaming of growing up to become a medical doctor. Her dad, especially, nurtured her interest in science and reading through book...

In the final episode of our Academia to Industry series, we sit down with Dr. Christine Vazquez, a viral immunologist and Principal Scientist at GSK, to explore what it really means to make science work for patients. With humor, warmth, and sharp insight, Christine walks us through her deeply personal journey—from the tragic loss of her father to sepsis, to finding purpose in virology and infectio...

Dr. LaTasha Fraser, program manager for the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) at New York University (NYU) joins us today to discuss her journey in science, the people who inspired her, and the lessons she learned along the way. She was motivated to go into science by a very unconventional source–the Maury Show. Specifically, Tash remembers the days she spent in front of the tv, when she...

Today we welcome Dr. LaTasha Fraser, program manager for the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) at New York University (NYU), which offers resources to middle school through graduate school students in numerous areas within STEM–engineering, math, medicine, and others.. The program works through a tiered system providing courses to strengthen introductory STEM coursework, to understand th...

We are back today with Ariel Parker, Director of Partnerships and Legacy at the Center for Engineering MechanoBiology (CEMB) to learn about her career journey. As a child, her science spark was ignited by a combination of playing with a toy microscope, an inspirational physics teacher, and the board game Life. In high school, Ariel was especially fortunate to attend a private school in the suburbs...

Today, we are joined by Ariel Parker, Director of Partnerships and Legacy at the Center for Engineering MechanoBiology (CEMB)–a science and technology center funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The CEMB represents faculty across various disciplines at multiple institutions within mechanobiology, an interdisciplinary field exploring how physical forces affect living things. In her role...

Dr. Luis Martinez is back to speak with us about his journey. As a senior venture associate at Capital Factory, a venture capital firm, his love of science began by noticing what was missing–people doing science who looked like him. Luis was raised in an incredible town on the U.S.-Mexico border–El Paso, Tx. His introduction to science came from experiences at the local library and shows like Star...

Today we are joined by Dr. Luis Martinez, a senior venture associate with a background in organic chemistry and entrepreneurship at the venture capital firm, Capital Factory. The firm, based in Austin, Tx, was founded in 2009 to bring together entrepreneurs with potential partners, customers, and future hires. The firm works with a multitude of clients from corporate companies to start-ups to fede...

Today Latasha Wright, co-founder and executive scientific officer of BioBus takes us through her career journey, which had some very unexpected twists and turns along the way. Her childhood began in Mississippi as the youngest of 5 children. Both her parents nurtured the importance of education through constant exposure to books and just asking, “What did you learn today?”. Once Latasha started hi...

Today we are speaking to Latasha Wright, co-founder and executive scientific officer of BioBus, a science non-profit with a mission to support all students in acheiving their scientific potential. A real life version of the magic school bus, BioBus started as an upcycled 1974 transit bus, filled with microscopes, that brings science to students throughout New York City. The immersive experience of...

Nikolay Kukushkin an author, neuroscientist and clinical associate professor at NYU shares with us the journey of his career path thus far. Niko grew up in Russia where the education curriculum requires students to specialize before college in their preferred subjects. Following the example of his parents, he decided to focus his studies on pursuing science. Although coming from a family of chemis...

Our special guest for today is Nikolay Kukushkin, a clinical associate professor and neuroscientist at NYU, and author, who also considers himself a molecular philosopher. His research answers the question, “What is memory” at the most basic, cellular level. Most of Niko’s research takes place in the humble model organism, the sea slug. But now, he has shifted into exploring if generic, non-neuron...

We continue our conversation with Chynna Broxton, an analytical developmental scientist at Spark Therapeutics on her journey to this point in her career. In the early days of her education Chynna vividly remembers the difficulty she had learning how to read; this setback didn’t deter her from doing well generally in her classes. In high school, however, something clicked in her brain in a way that...