Max Planck Florida’s Neurotransmissions Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#11: SfN 2016: Part 1, Scientific Communication with NPR’s Jon Hamilton Mar 14, 2017

Show notes

The podcast hit the road to San Diego for the annual SfN meeting and met up with new and old friends to talk all things neuroscience. In this weeks episode, Joe talks with award-winning NPR correspondent Jon Hamilton about his career in science journalism, and what scientists can do to give their work a broader impact to the general public. Then we hear from Misha and fellow podcaster Anthony Lacagnina, host of the amazing Brain Matters Podcast at UT Austin. Listen while they talk about the joys and benefits of science podcasting.

#10: Epilepsy with Dr. Patrick Forcelli Jan 06, 2017

Show notes

Epilepsy is a complex group of disorders with a diverse set of causes. We sit down with Georgetown University's Dr. Patrick Forcelli to discuss different forms of epilepsy, as well as his research into the effects of anticonvulsant medications on brain development. We'll also hear about what the epileptic brain can tell us about neural circuits in general.

#9: Dendrites and Data Sharing with Dr. Karel Svoboda Oct 28, 2016

Show notes

Neurons share information via synapses, but how do scientists? We talk to the distinguished Dr. Karel Svoboda from Janelia Research Campus about his breakthroughs in understanding synapses, problems with "big data", and the role of machine learning in future scientific progress. We also learn about ways in which open data sharing can benefit science. All of this and more on this special episode of Neurotransmissions!

#8.5: Dr. David Ferster on Writing Oct 25, 2016

Show notes

Welcome to a special mini-episode of Neurotransmissions. After our interview with Dr. Ferster, we had and unexpectedly candid and enlightening conversation about communicating Science. Find out why sometimes the science doesn't really start until you put pen to paper.

#8: Visual Computation with Dr. David Ferster Oct 20, 2016

Show notes

The mammalian visual cortex performs important transformations of the information that is transmitted from the eye to the brain. We sit down with Dr. David Ferster, Professor Emeritus from Northwestern, to discuss his long career studying the cellular mechanisms of these transformations. We also find out what life after academic retirement is like, and how he's continuing to use his scientific expertise in the private sector to develop new technology for neuroscientists.

#7: Get to know your president! - Development, Experience and Plasticity with Dr. Hollis Cline Jul 12, 2016

Show notes

Looking inside the brains of translucent amphibians, Dr. Hollis Cline studies the development and plasticity of the visual system. Join Misha, Joe, and Andre as they get to know more about her research as well her position as the president of the Society for Neuroscience.

#6: Biology and Sexism - Equality for Women in Scientific Careers Jun 24, 2016

Show notes

Women are awarded over half of all doctorate degrees in the life sciences, but account for a small fraction of high-ranking academic positions. To investigate this phenomenon, Joe and Misha explore the various barriers and experiences unique to women in science with Dr. Leslie Vosshall of The Rockefeller University, Dr. Na Ji of Janelia Research Campus, and Ellie Hozhabri at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience.

#5: The Hedgehog and the Fox - Connectomics, Part 2 with Dr. Tony Movshon May 26, 2016

Show notes

What can we learn from studying the vast complexity of wiring in the brain? In this week's episode, Professor Movshon explains why a functional perspective is lacking in a connectomics approach that limits our ability to understand what the brain is doing. We'll also hear about how a diverse set of scientific interests can make for a fruitful and enjoyable career in research.

#4: Neurons, Astronomy and Superman - Adaptive Optics with Dr. Na Ji May 04, 2016

Show notes

How do neuroscientists see through layers of grey matter to produce images of cells that are deeply embedded in living brains? Dr. Na Ji from HHMI's Janelia Research Campus explains how optical tricks from astronomy can be applied to solve this problem. We cover her exciting academic career from China to California and beyond. Tune in to get the inside scoop on the next big advancements in neuroscience.

#3: A Life in Focus: The Journey of Dr. Eric Betzig Apr 14, 2016

Show notes

From Cornell to Bell Labs and beyond, Eric Betzig spent an entire career trying to see the unseeable. The optics of conventional microscopes face a fundamental, physical limit on their resolution. Dr. Betzig's quest to break this limit ultimately led to the development of a super-resolution microscopy technique, providing researchers a level of detail in biology and that had never been possible before. Misha, Ben and Joe sit down with him to discuss his incredible life story, and discover how a lauded physicist walked away from a promising career in science, only to return a decade later to achieve great scientific success that earned the 2014 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

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