Science Fare

Latest Episodes:

Jonathan Bogan, M.D., on Glucose Transport, Insulin Resistance, and Unexpected Connections Oct 28, 2026

Show notes

Our guest today is Dr. Jonathan Bogan. Jonathan is a professor of Medicine and of Cell Biology at Yale University. He directs the Cell Biology Core of the Yale Diabetes Research Center and he is the attending physician in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Jonathan's research centers on how insulin triggers cells to pull glucose out of the blood, and what happens when things go wrong in this process.

In this episode, Jonathan talks about how studying engineering as an undergrad evolved to a focus on biology, his discovery of the TUG protein and it's role in moving GLUT 4 transporters to the cell membrane and other aspects of physiology, surprising aspects of this discovery along with surprising connections between glucose transport and blood pressure, the thermic effect of food, and insulin resistance, and his advice to high school students interested in science.

Related resources:

Nature communications article (full text access): TUG protein acts through a disordered region to organize the early secretory pathway

Biorxiv preprint on diet and insulin resistance in mice

Essay on The Importance of Stupidity in Scientific Research by Martin A. Schwartz appearing in the Journal of Cell Science

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TUG Makes It Look Easy: The Hidden Work Behind Facilitated Diffusion, with Jonathan Bogan, M.D. Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

In this mini episode, Dr. Jonathan Bogan explains how insulin triggers the TUG protein to help move GLUT 4 transporter proteins from inside the cell to the cell membrane. There, they transport glucose from the bloodstream into the cell using facilitated diffusion. Tune in next week for the full-length interview.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dina Simkin, Ph.D., on Ion Channels, Epilepsy, and Thinking Small to Understand the Brain Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Dina Simkin is an Research Assistant Professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine whose research mainly focuses on how on how mutations in ion channel proteins contribute to pediatric epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Simkin earned her BS in Biochemistry, and then proceeded to earn PhDs in Neuroscience, Biophysics, and in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology. She additionally completed post-graduate training in both the neurophysiology of aging and stem cell-derived neuronal models of epileptic channelopathy.

In this episode, Dr. Simkin tells us about her early interest in science, how she came to focus on ion channel gene mutations linked to epilepsy and neurodevelopment disorders, what ion channels are and why they are so important, and how she and her lab team study them. She also shares advice for high school students.

Related resources:

Untangling Cellular Changes in Pediatric Epilepsy

Paper on unexpected results involving M current and homeostasis

Biorxiv paper on functional phenotypes in epilepsy

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CRISPR Beyond the Headlines with Dina Simkin, Ph.D. Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

In this mini episode, Dr. Dina Simkin tells us how she uses CRISPR to do more elegant experiments for her work on ion channels. Tune in next week for the full-length interview.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lydia Pecker, M.D., on the Science and Reality of Sickle Cell Disease Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

Lydia Pecker, M.D., is a pediatric hematologist and director of research and advocacy at the Sickle Cell Center for Adults at Johns Hopkins University. She previously served as the founding director of the Center's Young Adult Clinic, which was built to support young people transitioning from pediatric to adult care systems. She received her undergraduate degree in Africana studies from Brown University, earned her M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and received a Master's degree in Health Sciences from the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

In this episode, Lydia talks about her path to becoming a physician working with sickle cell patients, tells us what sickle cell disease is and what it's like for patients, and talks about the treatment landscape, including a need for more sickle cell healthcare providers and more blood donation to support transfusions, a key part of sickle cell treatment.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

National Geographic article on sickle cell gene therapy (PDF from author Linda Marsa's webpage)

National Alliance of Sickle Cell Centers

American Red Cross Blood Services

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It's Not That Simple: Sickle Cell Beyond the Punnett Square with Lydia Pecker Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

In this mini episode, Dr. Lydia Pecker explains the complexity in real-life sickle cell inheritance patterns. Tune in next week for the full-length interview.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shauna Henley on the Science of Keeping Food Safe Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Shauna Henley is a Family and Consumer Sciences Educator with the University of Maryland Extension working in Northern Maryland. She delivers programs that center on nutrition, food safety, and physical activity. She holds a Ph.D. in Biology with a concentration in Human Nutrition from Drexel University, a M.S. in Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Vermont, and a B.S. in Biology from Muhlenberg College.

In this episode, Shauna talks about her path into food science and safety, common misconceptions about food safety, the Don't Wash Your Chicken campaign, canning, and the important legislation in the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). She also gives advice to students interested in food science and safety.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Don't Wash Your Chicken Germ Vision 14-Second Animation

Buzzfeed Home Economics Trivia Quiz

Produce Trainer Food Safety Toolkit

National Center for Home Food Preservation

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Low Acid, High Stakes: Canning and pH with Shauna Henley Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

In this mini episode, Dr. Shauna Henley tells us about the importance of pH in canning food. Tune in next week for the full-length interview.

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Welcome to Science Fare Season 5 Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to the Science Fare podcast!

On the Science Fare podcast, I bring you conversations with scientists doing fascinating, cutting-edge work on all kinds of interesting phenomena, ranging from physics to chemistry to biology and even the nature of science itself. In the conversation, I help draw connections between the scientist's research and part of the high school science curriculum.

In Season 5, new episodes come out every Wednesday, featuring a mini episode that focuses on the high school science connection and then the following week, the full-length interview.

Please subscribe and leave a review -- it helps others find the podcast!

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Carla Guarraia on Integrating Research into High School Science Teaching May 25, 2026

Show notes

Science teacher extraordinaire Carla Guarraia,who teaches at The Park School of Baltimore and is also the chair of the Upper School Science Department, tells us about her path to pursuing science and then science teaching, the way she integrates research into her teaching, and gives advice to students interested in pursuing science.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Carla’s Park School faculty page

The Shape of Wonder by Alan Lightman book

The Plastics Paradox by Chris DeArmitt book

Precious Plastics

Manor Mill

Science Friday podcast episode about plastics contamination

Please click below to fill out the survey for this episode:

Science Fare Podcast Feedback Form

Science Fare Podcast website

Highlights of the episode:

*Opening quote by Carla on appreciating that learning should feel hard[0:01];

*Susan introduces Park School of Baltimore science teacher and upper school department chair Carla Guarraia and they thank Manor Mill for letting them record in the space [1:08];

*Carla talks about her path to studying science and becoming a science teacher [3:43];

*What Carla joins most about her job as a high school science teacher [18:30];

*How Carla integrates research into her teaching with a focus on two classes — plastics and integrative medicine [22:05];

*Deeper dive into Carla’s work on the International Student-led Arctic Monitoring and Research (ISAMR) program [35:33];

*Carla’s advice for high school students interested in science [47:48]

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