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.
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.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 42 minutes
- Episodes
- 829
- Years Active
- 2014 - 2025
649: Fascinated by the Forces and Features that Contribute to Flow in Rocks and Ice - Dr. Christine McCarthy
Dr. Christine McCarthy is the Lamont Assistant Research Professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. She studies the mechanical and geological features of ice and rocks. …
648: Investigating Interactions Between Neurons and Glial Cells in Health and Disease - Dr. Nathan Smith
Dr. Nathan Smith will soon be starting his new roles as Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion in Research and Research Education as well as Associate Professor of Neuroscience in the School of Medi…
647: Advancing Microbial Applications in Agricultural Management - Dr. Louis Schipper
Dr. Louis Schipper is a Professor in the School of Science at the University of Waikato. Research in Louis’s group focuses on how we can work with the land to achieve the food and other things we nee…
646: Examining the Genetic Basis of the Evolution of Plant Innovations - Dr. Verónica Di Stilio
Dr. Verónica Di Stilio is a full Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington. As a plant evolutionary biologist, Verónica is interested in understanding how the diversity o…
645: Laboring to Understand the Interactions Between Pregnancy and the Immune System - Dr. Elizabeth Bonney
Dr. Bonney is a Professor and Director of the Research Division in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Vermont. She studies the immune systems of p…
644: Wired for Innovation: Modifying the Manufacturing of Microelectrode Arrays for Cochlear Implants - Dr. Angelique Johnson
Dr. Angelique C. Johnson is Founder and CEO of the startup company MEMStim LLC which is dedicated to reducing the cost of cochlear implants to treat hearing loss. She is also an adjunct faculty membe…
643: Modifying Microbes for a Multitude of Applications from Healthcare to Biofuels - Dr. Cullen Buie
Dr. Cullen Buie is an Associate Professor and the Esther and Harold E. Egerton Career Development Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I…
642: Expressing Her Creativity Making Epigenetic Machinery and Designing Biological Devices - Dr. Karmella Haynes
Since recording this episode, Dr. Karmella Haynes has joined the faculty in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech School of Engineering and Emory University Scho…
641: Comparing the Cognitive Capacity of Canines, Humans, and Other Primates - Dr. Laurie Santos
Dr. Laurie Santos is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Comparative Cognition Laboratory at Yale University. She studies the cognitive abilities, strategies, and decision-making processes …
640: A Pathway to Success: Studying Signal Transduction in Cancer and Other Diseases - Dr. Lewis Cantley
Dr. Lewis Cantley is the Director of the Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medical College as well as the Stanton Clinical Cancer Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. In addition, he is Co-F…
639: Colliding Particles to Comprehend the Components of Matter - Dr. Jon Butterworth
Dr. Jon Butterworth is a Professor of Physics at University College London. He works on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva. They are smashing particles together at extremely high energies an…
638: Feeding Our Understanding of the Benefits of Bacteria in Human Health - Dr. Maria Marco
Dr. Maria Marco is an Associate Professor in The Department of Food Science & Technology at The University of California, Davis. Research in Maria’s lab focuses on understanding the good bacteria in …
637: Investigating Intracellular Transport and Potential Links to Neurodegeneration - Dr. Sandra Encalada
Dr. Sandra Encalada is the Arlene and Arnold Goldstein Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine and a Dorris Neuroscience Center Investigator at Scripps Research Institute in Calif…
636: Shining a Light on the Regulation of Circadian Rhythms in Health and Disease - Dr. Russell Foster
Dr. Russell Foster is Professor and Chair of Circadian Neuroscience, Supernumerary Fellow in Circadian Neuroscience, Head of the Department of Ophthalmology, a Nicholas Kurti Senior Fellow, Head of t…
635: Science with Style: Studying Plant Reproductive Biology - Dr. Spencer Barrett
Dr. Spencer Barrett is the University Professor, Canada Research Chair, and Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto. He is an Evolutionary Biologi…
634: Hunting for Answers to Explain Unexpected Chimpanzee Behaviors and Tool Use - Dr. Jill Pruetz
Dr. Jill Pruetz is a Professor of Anthropology at Iowa State University and a National Geographic Society Emerging Explorer. In addition, Jill is the founder of the non-profit organization NeighborAp…
633: Demonstrating Laser Focus Studying Materials Science with Solid-State NMR - Dr. Sophia Hayes
Dr. Sophia Hayes is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. In the lab, Sophia studies the chemistry, physics, and engineering of materials we enc…
632: Injecting Humor and Optimism into the Study of Viral Infections in the Brain - Dr. Glenn Rall
Dr. Glenn Rall is a Professor at the Fox Chase Cancer Center. He is also the Leader of the Inflammation Working Group there and Co-Leader of the Immune Cell Development and Host Defense Program. In a…
631: Conducting Critical Research in Conservation Focused on Sewage Pollution - Dr. Stephanie Wear
Dr. Stephanie Wear is a Senior Scientist and Strategy Advisor at The Nature Conservancy, as well as a Visiting Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles Institute of the Environment and Sus…
630: Mapping Our Genetic Make-Up in the Human Genome Project and Beyond - Dr. Eric Green
Dr. Eric Green is the Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Eric works in the field of genomics. Everything from cars to houses has a blueprin…