We Love Science

We Love Science is closing out 2023 with another spectacular interview. In this episode we speak with Dr. Laura Canil, a freelance scientific illustrator with her own company, CanilVisuals. As a scientific illustrator, Laura takes on a variety of projects like creating figures to accompany journal articles, crafting catchy covers for journals, producing original scientific comic strips, and guidin...

Humans have ~6 billion bases of DNA in each cell. But every gene has a specific and unique sequence that serves as a kind of genetic address. Before any gene can be edited, the editor must first find the gene's location within the genome. Luckily CRISPR-Cas has a built-in GPS component that makes finding a gene address easy, and switching out one genetic address for another is as easy as typi...

In this episode Shekerah and Fatu continue their discussion with Ijeoma Kola, a public health historian of race and medicine. When she was younger, Ijeoma didn’t exactly have a science spark moment, but she was positively influenced by her mother’s career as a nurse. She remembers in middle school attending a summer program, Center for Talented Youth, at Johns Hopkins University, where she was fir...

The good conversations just keep coming! In this episode we meet Dr. Ijeoma Kola, a historian of public health with an emphasis on race and medicine; her current research focuses on the evolution of the understanding of asthma in Black urban communities in the 20th century. In short, she is a storyteller—pulling together the full narrative, or history, of medical and health innovations and their i...

Every year, approximately 8 million children are born with a serious genetic disorder , and 3 million of them die before the age of 5. This disease burden is about to change. In this episode, we launch the CRISPR Chronicles series that will run throughout season 3. Since the pivotal paper by Doudna and Charpentier in 2012, CRISPR has taken the world by storm. Scientists have used this genome engin...

There's more from Dr. Cari Skrdla on her journey in becoming a neuroscientist and successful business woman, as we continue season 3. In her youth, Cari was always drawn to the world around her; she constantly asked questions to better understand how and why things are the way they are. This curiosity stayed with her as she became interested in theater and acting. Cari was really inspired by...

We Love Science Podcast kicks off season 3 with Dr. Cari Skrdla, a passionate neuroscientist and accomplished businesswoman. As the founder and CEO of LifeBack Consulting, Cari uses her research findings to guide employers in bringing the human experience to the forefront in the workplace. Through the evolution of the hiring process from paper applications, to background checks, to personality tes...

We are doing some summer reading y’all! In this special book review episode, Fatu and Shekerah learn about birds, from the book Crazy for Birds by Misha Maynerick Blaise. In this book, Misha takes the reader on a whirlwind trip into all things birds–how they fly, how they communicate, how they build nests, what they eat, how birds are reflected in different cultures around the world. From sooty-ca...

Our conversation with Dr. Clarice Aiello continues! In the beginning, Clarice actually didn’t have a passion for science; she was a big reader and had little interest in math and related subjects. She originally wanted to be a journalist and when she didn’t get into a journalism program, engineering became her plan B. That is how she discovered her love of physics. As an engineering student, Clari...

Meet Dr. Clarice Aiello! She is a principal investigator at the quantum biology tech lab at the University of California, Los Angeles. Clarice has a background in quantum engineering, which means she studies the teeniest, tiniest particles that behave under their own special laws–the laws of quantum mechanics. Her current work combines her expertise to understand how nature might use quantum mecha...

Ever wondered what your life would be like if you didn't have access to a microwave oven? And I don't mean cooking over a fire for your camping trip or your Appalachian Trail hike (Ooooo this sounds awesome!) I mean every day for the rest of your life, planning and preparing all your meals, leftovers, quick snacks, movie night popcorn...everything! Now let's be clear, there are many...

Fatu and Shekerah are back at it with more fermentation talk . . .but this time in yogurt making! The process of fermentation, as a way to preserve foods, goes back thousands of years, as we learned in our first Food Science Short ( The Science behind Baking with Yeast ). Unlike with baking, however, yeast are not part of the process of fermenting milk to make yogurt, rather the work is done by ou...

Caroline Bartman, Ph. D. didn’t start her science journey in childhood; in fact, she wasn’t even interested in science at all in her youth. It wasn’t until Caroline got into college that she was drawn into the problem solving and experimental aspects of research. After her first summer job at the NIH studying HIV, Caroline began to envision herself as a future scientist. However, as an internation...

Today we are speaking with the wonderful Caroline Bartman, Ph. D. about her transition from post doctoral fellow at Princeton University to assistant professor at UPENN. Caroline currently studies cellular metabolism as a postdoc with the goal of understanding how and why metabolism differs in cancer cells compared to healthy cells. Overall, she has enjoyed her time as a postdoc and the opportunit...

  In this special short episode Shekerah and Fatu continue their deep dive into the food science of yeast—this time exploring how our favorite little microbe is a key player in fermented beverages like wine and beer. Humans have been fermenting beverages for thousands of years, and after many many years of trial and error, the underlying chemistry of fermentation started to come together. For almo...

The Challenge is on!! In this episode, we launch “The Hidden Genius,” a new series in which we explore the lives of great scientists and challenge you to figure out who they are. Can you guess who is this episode’s hidden genius? For more information, visit our website: welovesciencepodcast.com Support the show Visit our store : WeLoveSciencePodcast.com Suggest a guest Reach out to Fatu: www.linke...

Do you know what penicillin is? Chances are that someone in your family or even your pet has taken this drug. Penicillin is an antibiotic that’s used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, from strep throat and skin and ear infections, to more serious illnesses like pneumonia and sepsis; its use has saved millions of lives worldwide. What would you say if I told you that the discovery of this...

Let’s talk about yeast y’all!! On this special episode short Fatu and Shekerah dive into one of humankind's most favorite microbes. Responsible for giving bread its rise and adding that extra touch to beer and other adult beverages, yeast has been used by humans for centuries to improve our cooking. Learn how the yeast we use commercially at the store compare to wild yeast found naturally all...

In this episode, Chidiebere shares his journey from childhood curiosity to dual success. From a young age, he was driven by his endless curiosity, always eager to tinker, fix and explore. But it wasn't until high school that another side of him was awakened - a love for the art of drawing. Inspired by a friend's incredible talent, he decided to teach himself how to draw. And despite bein...

In this episode, Chidiebere Ibe talks about his work as a medical illustrator. He is known for producing vivid depictions of people of color in various medical contexts. Some of these contexts are so normal and universal to humans that it's surprising to find a paucity of such images including persons of color. Here, he shares with us the details of some of his current projects, his creative...

Dr. Julia Olayanju shares her amazing journey so far, describing her bombshell "aha" moment and how her personal circumstances inspired and shaped her journey. She also gives some powerful advice about moving forward despite all the doubts, fears, and odds! And remember that throughout our lives "we are all becoming someone," so just embrace the journey and live the life you wa...

Meet Julia Olayanju! She is a scientist, educator and thought-leader driving change in the food industry. Her food passion stems from a desire to explain the why--the science behind food--by providing an evidence-based rationale for food choices. Driven by her passion, Julia founded two organizations: FoodNiche and FoodNiche-Ed. Each organization is focused on promoting food and health using diffe...

The first compilation episode featuring mentors as the superstars they are! Music from Pixabay : Background Ambient Corporate C by WinkingFoxMusic Support the show Visit our store : WeLoveSciencePodcast.com Suggest a guest Reach out to Fatu: www.linkedin.com/in/fatubm Instagram: @thee_fatu_b and LoveSciencePodcast@gmail.com Reach out to Shekerah: www.linkedin.com/in/shekerah-primus   and LoveScien...

Growing up, Joey was interested in space and weather, basically anything destructive if you ask his family. He was also a big X-Files fan and the show drew him into science, exploration, and forensics. He went on to earn a master’s degree in biomedical forensic science, but after learning more about the realities of that field he decided against pursuing forensics as a career, and decided instead...

It’s a Rutgers reunion y’all! In this episode, Fatu and Shekerah reconnect with another Rutgers alum–Joseph Iacona, who is a Scientist in Experimental Pathology at Janssen. As a scientist, Joey applies molecular techniques to assist in the drug development process.  Essentially, he works in the early phase of drug development at the intersection of discovery and non-clinical safety, where his disc...