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    People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers

    Are you searching for great stories to ignite your curiosity, teach you to perform better in life and career, inspire your mind, and make you laugh along the way? In this science podcast, Dr. Marie McNeely introduces you to the brilliant researchers behind the latest scientific discoveries. Join us as they share their greatest failures, most staggering successes, candid career advice, and what drives them forward in life and science.

    <![CDATA[Our website with show notes]]

    Greetings science fans!

    We’re elated to welcome you to People Behind the Science where we explore the lives and experiences of the people behind the research and scientific discoveries of today.

    People Behind the Science’s mission is to inspire current and future scientists, share the different paths to a successful career in science, educate the general population on what scientists do, and show the human side of science.

    In each episode, a different scientist will guide us through their journey by sharing their successes, failures, and passions. We are excited to introduce you to these inspiring academic and industry experts from all fields of science to give you a variety of perspectives on the life and path of a scientist.

    Our esteemed guests will tell you:

    what motivates them and how they balance their competing responsibilities
    how they worked through some of the most challenging times in their careers
    advice to help you through your own journey through life and science

    Our Podcast

    People Behind the Science is a podcast focused on the people doing fascinating research through interviews with top scientists. We are proud to have interviewed so many inspiring scientists, including U.S. National Academy scientists like Josh Sanes, Nick Spitzer, Lou Muglia, Jacob Israelachvili, Gene Robinson, Larry Squire, John Dowling, James Berger, and David Spergel, as well as popular scientists in the media like Donna Nelson (science advisor for the TV show Breaking Bad) and Jack Horner (science advisor for the Jurassic park movies). We are honored to have shared their amazing stories with people in all 50 states in the USA and in over 120 countries across the world.

    Advertise

    Copyright: © People Behind the Science

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    Latest Episodes:
    833: Researching Alternative Splicing for Gene Regulation in the Immune System - Dr. Kristen Lynch Oct 06, 2025
    Show notes

    Dr. Kristen Lynch is a Professor and Chair of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania. Kristen's research focuses on alternative splicing. Her lab is investigating how cells decide when to use an entire portion of the DNA instruction manual versus when to exclude parts of the instructions that are not useful or would be harmful. In particular, Kristen is interested in alternative splicing in the immune system and what happens when cells are faced with an immune challenge. When she's not at work, Kristen loves being outdoors. She spends her free time kayaking, paddle boarding, biking, hiking, and doing yoga. She received her B.A. in biochemistry and her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard University. Afterwards, Kristen pursued postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco. She served on the faculty at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center prior to joining the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania in 2009. Kristen is the recipient of many awards and honors for her work, including a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. She joined us for an interview to talk about her experiences in life and science.

    832: Recovering Rare and Endangered Butterfly Populations through Conservation Corridors and Other Strategies - Dr. Nick Haddad Sep 29, 2025
    Show notes

    Dr. Nick Haddad is a Professor in Integrative Biology at Michigan State University and a Senior Terrestrial Ecologist at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. In addition, Nick is the author of the recently released book The Last Butterflies: A Scientist's Quest to Save a Rare and Vanishing Creature. Through his research, Nick searches for the rarest butterflies in the world and works to understand what factors cause the decline of these butterflies and what we can do to conserve them. Outside of work, Nick has been enjoying renovating his home with his wife who is a historic preservationist. Their home was built in 1840, so they have been tackling a wide variety of projects including updating the plumbing and replacing all of the electrical wiring. Nick received his BS in Biology from Stanford University, and he was awarded his PhD in Ecology from the University of Georgia. Afterwards, Nick conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Minnesota. Before joining the faculty at Michigan State, University, Nick served on the faculty at North Carolina State University for about 19 years. In our interview, Nick shares more about his life and science.

    831: Unearthing Ancient Fossils to Reveal the History of Life on Our Planet - Dr. Louis Jacobs Sep 22, 2025
    Show notes

    Dr. Louis L. Jacobs is Emeritus Professor in the Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences and President of the ISEM at SMU. As a vertebrate paleontologist, Louis studies the fossils of animals with backbones. His goal is to understand their evolution and how it fits together with the earth and the environment to present a holistic picture of our world. When he's not working, Louis loves to look at rocks, tend to orchids, bind books, and spend quality time with his grandchildren. They are insatiably curious and interested in everything, including rocks, fossils, and space. He received his B.S. degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution from the University of Arizona. After completing his training, he worked as a research paleontologist at the Museum of Northern Arizona, a geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, a lecturer and a research associate at the University of Arizona, Head of the Division of Paleontology at the National Museums of Kenya. He joined the faculty at SMU in 1983. During his time at SMU, Louis has held leadership positions at the Dallas Museum of Natural History as well as the Shuler Museum of Paleontology at SMU, where he ultimately served as Director for 13 years. Louis has won numerous awards and honors for his scholarship, his service, and the books he has written, including the University Scholar/Teacher of the Year Award from SMU, the Joseph T. Gregory Award for Service to the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, The Texas Earth Science Teachers Association Lifetime Membership and Friends of TESTA Award, and many others. In addition, he is a past Fellow of the Explorers Club, Past President of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, and ten fossil species have been named after him. In this interview, he shares more about his life and science.

    830: Physicist Figuring Out How Materials Deform and Fail - Dr. Karen Daniels Sep 15, 2025
    Show notes

    Dr. Karen Daniels is a Professor in the Department of Physics at North Carolina State University. Karen's lab investigates the physics of how materials change state (e.g. from solid to fluid), how they deform, and how they may ultimately fail. She studies these questions across a variety of length and time scales, from microscopic phenomena that occur in less than a second to shifts in land that occur on geologic timescales and may lead to landslides. Travel is a passion for Karen. While traveling, she loves hiking on mountain trails, eating delicious food, discovering new foods that she can try to make at home, reading books, knitting, and interacting with new people and places. She received her BA in physics from Dartmouth College. Karen then worked for about three years as a science teacher at Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn before enrolling in graduate school at Cornell University where she earned her PhD in physics. She then conducted postdoctoral research at Duke University before joining the faculty at NCSU in 2005. Karen has been awarded a fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to support a yearlong sabbatical at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization in Göttingen, Germany. In addition, Karen was the recipient of a National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, the Equity for Women Award from NCSU, and the LeRoy and Elva Martin Award for Teaching Excellence. She has also been named a Fellow of the American Physical Society. In our interview, Karen shares more about her life and science.

    829: Modeling the Mechanics of Fluid Flow for Melting Ice and Molten Magma - Dr. Leif Karlstrom Sep 08, 2025
    Show notes

    Dr. Leif Karlstrom is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Oregon. Leif uses fluid and solid mechanics approaches to better understand how water moves through glaciers and how magma moves through the Earth's crust to erupt in volcanoes. Much of his work involves developing theoretical models to better describe these processes. In addition to his career as an academic scientist, Leif is also a professional musician. He plays violin and tours nationally and internationally as a member of bluegrass and folk music groups. When he's not engaging in scientific or musical pursuits, Leif enjoys rock climbing, river rafting, and generally spending his time outdoors. He completed his undergraduate training at the University of Oregon, receiving a B.S. in Physics and Mathematics, as well as a B.M. in Violin Performance. He received his PhD in Earth and Planetary Science from the University of California, Berkeley where he was awarded the Louderback Research Award. Afterwards, Leif was the recipient of an NSF Division of Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct research at Stanford University. He joined the faculty at the University of Oregon in 2015. Leif is here with us today to talk a little about his research and tell us all about his journey through life and science.

    828: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Particle Nature of Dark Matter - Dr. Djuna Croon Sep 01, 2025
    Show notes

    Dr. Djuna Croon is Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and the Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology at Durham University. Trained as a particle physicist, Djuna is interested in the most fundamental building blocks of nature. She studies dark matter, a mysterious type of subatomic particle that we don't yet know much about yet. Their work uses astrophysical measurements and particle physics experiments to better understand dark matter. Much of Djuna's free time is spent with her two young boys. They love going to playgrounds, visiting farms, and baking cookies together. She received her bachelor's degree in physics from Amsterdam University College and her master's degree in physics from Kings College London. Next, Djuna was awarded her PhD in Theoretical Particle Physics from the University of Sussex. Afterwards, Djuna conducted postdoctoral research at Dartmouth College and subsequently at the Tri-University Meson Facility (TRIUMF), Canada's particle accelerator centre. She joined the faculty at Durham University in 2021. In this interview, she shares more about her life and science.

    827: Chilling Out Studying the Biodiversity of Arctic Arthropods - Dr. Chris Buddle Aug 25, 2025
    Show notes

    Dr. Chris Buddle is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences and Associate Dean of Student Affairs at McGill University. He is a community ecologist who studies biodiversity of different species, and he is interested in figuring out what animals are where in our ecosystem. In particular, his work focuses on spiders, insects, and other arthropods. Chris is a bird aficionado who loves to draw birds and go birdwatching. For him, drawing is a great way to learn more about things and get a new perspective on what they look like. He also keeps busy chauffeuring his three kids to different activities, riding bikes, and spending time with his family. He received his undergraduate training in Ecology at the University of Guelph and was awarded his PhD in Ecology and Environmental science from the University of Alberta. Afterwards, Chris conducted postdoctoral research at Miami University before accepting a position at McGill where he is today. He has received a number of his awards for his exceptional teaching and research, including the Entomological Society of Canada's C. Gordon Hewitt Award for Excellence in Entomology in Canada, the MacDonald Campus Award for Teaching Excellence, and the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education's Desire2Learn Teaching Innovation Award. Chris also writes great articles in his Arthropod Ecology Blog. He is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

    826: Visualizing Molecules to Understand Links Between Structure and Function - Dr. Beth Stroupe Aug 18, 2025
    Show notes

    Dr. Beth Stroupe is a Professor in the Department of Biological Science and the Institute of Molecular Biophysics at Florida State University (FSU). She is also Director of the Molecular Biophysics Graduate Program there. Research in Beth's lab focuses on understanding what molecules and proteins look like. This is important for better understanding how these molecules work, both from a basic science perspective and with an eye towards controlling molecules for clinical applications. They use a variety of different techniques that allow them to visualize these very tiny molecules. When she's not working, Beth and her partner enjoy spending quality time with their two cats, as well as growing black-eyed peas and other vegetables in their garden, kayaking, hiking, and exploring the great outdoors. Beth completed her undergraduate training at Wake Forest University where she majored in chemistry and minored in music. She was awarded her PhD in biochemistry from the Scripps Research Institute. Afterwards, Beth conducted postdoctoral research at Brandeis University before joining the faculty at FSU where she is today. In our interview, Beth shares more about her life and science.

    825: Sizing Up Signals in Seismic Waves to Understand Earth's Interior Structure - Dr. Zach Eilon Aug 11, 2025
    Show notes

    Dr. Zach Eilon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and he is also conducting research at Brown University. Zach is interested in understanding the earth's tectonics, including how continents are built, how they break apart, and what is going on under the earth's surface beneath the ocean floor. He wants to know how tectonic plates move and interact with each other. To study these tectonic movements, Zach uses data collected on the energy released during earthquakes. This energy picks up different signals on its way through the earth, and Zach creates computer programs to interpret those signals and produce snapshots of what is occurring inside the earth, including the types of rock that are present, their temperature, and other features. Zach spends his free time hanging out with friends, scoping out potential new houses on the internet with his wife, and running. He recently completed his first marathon and is looking forward to the next one. In addition, Zach is an enthusiastic home chef, and he loves listening to a wide array of podcasts. He hails from the United Kingdom where he completed his undergraduate and masters degrees in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Afterwards, he was awarded the Herchel Smith Scholarship to attend Harvard University for a year for a Special Studentship. Zach was next received his MPhil and PhD in Seismology from Columbia University. He recently completed his position as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Brown University. Zach has joined us today to talk about his experiences in life and science.

    824: Looking Beneath the Surface to Study the Science of Water Movement, Distribution, and Quality: Dr. Tess Russo Aug 04, 2025
    Show notes

    Dr. Tess Russo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences at The Pennsylvania State University. Tess is a hydrologist which means she studies water. Her research examines how water moves, how much of it there is in the world, and how the actions of humans change how water moves in the world. Tess has been spending a lot of time doing home renovations. When she's not working on her house, she likes to visit family and travel. She received her PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Her fantastic work is already getting a lot of attention. Last year, Tess was featured by the Green Sense Podcast, Scientific American, and she is a guest on an upcoming episode of Startalk Radio with the wise and wonderful Neil Degrasse Tyson. Tess is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.

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