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
629: Egg-cell-ent Research in Reproduction, Fertilization, and Embryonic Development - Dr. Mariana Wolfner
Dr. Mariana Wolfner is the Goldwin Smith Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics and a Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow at Cornell University. Mariana studies reproduction, focusing on intera…
628: Investigating Plant-Based Medicines to Battle Infectious Disease and Antibiotic Resistance - Dr. Cassandra Quave
Dr. Cassandra Quave holds a joint appointment as Associate Professor of Dermatology in the Emory University School of Medicine and Emory Center for the Study of Human Health. She is also Director/Cur…
627: Sorting Out the Science of Fruit Fly Flight and Behavior - Dr. Michael Dickinson
Dr. Michael Dickinson is the Esther M. and Abe M. Zarem Professor of Bioengineering at the California Institute of Technology. His work focuses on the biomechanics and the biophysics of life with a …
626: Digging into the Fossil Record to Understand our Planet’s Past and Aid Present Conservation Efforts - Dr. Michael Archer
Dr. Michael Archer is a Professor of Paleobiology in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of New South Wales in Australia. Mike is a paleontologist who is fasc…
625: An Organic Chemist Leading the Charge Studying Antiaromatic Ions - Dr. Nancy Mills
Dr. Nancy Mills was a Murchison Professor (2011-2014) at Trinity University. She works at a primarily undergraduate institution as an organic chemist. Typically organic chemists make things like drug…
624: Making Valuable Contributions to the Proliferation of Exciting Discoveries in Virology - Dr. James Pipas
Dr. James Pipas is the Herbert W. and Grace Boyer Chair in Molecular Biology and Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Jim's lab studies how viruses work, how they interac…
623: Examining the Migration of Marine Animals to Inform Management and Conservation - Dr. Autumn-Lynn Harrison
Dr. Autumn-Lynn Harrison is Program Manager of the Migratory Connectivity Project and a Research Ecologist at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Duke…
622: Surgeon and Scientist Studying Signal Transduction in Head and Neck Cancer - Dr. Jennifer Grandis
Dr. Jennifer Grandis is a Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Director of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and Associate Vice Chancellor of Clinica…
621: Making Critical Connections to Clarify the Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity - Dr. Robert Malenka
Dr. Robert C. Malenka is the Pritzker Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Director of the Pritzker Laboratory, and Deputy Director of the Stanford Neurosciences Institute at Stanford Uni…
620: Hunting Down Genes that Cause Human Disease - Dr. Wendy Chung
Dr. Wendy Chung is the Herbert Irving Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine and Director of Clinical Genetics at Columbia University. As a human molecular geneticist, she seeks out rare and …
619: Long-Term Success in Research on Memory, Language, and the Brain - Dr. Randi Martin
Dr. Randi Martin is the Elma Schneider Professor in the Department of Psychology at Rice University and an Adjunct Professor of Otorhinolaryngology and Communicative Science at Baylor College of Medi…
618: Investigating How the Brain Allows Us to Learn and Use Language - Dr. Gabriella Vigliocco
Dr. Gabriella Vigliocco is Professor of Psychology and Language Sciences in the Department of Experimental Psychology at University College London. There, she is also Director of the Cognition and La…
617: Restoring a Sense of Hope for People with Hearing Loss Through Research on Hair Cell Regeneration - Dr. Jim Hudspeth
Dr. Jim Hudspeth is the F.M. Kirby Professor at The Rockefeller University, and he leads the Laboratory of Sensory Neuroscience there. In addition, he is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigato…
616: Excellent Research Examining Enzymes and Protein Engineering - Dr. Vic Arcus
Dr. Vic Arcus is a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. In the lab, Vic works as a biochemist to understand the function of enzymes both within and outside of…
615: Studying Stress and its Connection with Chronic Pain - Dr. Jennifer Graham-Engeland
Dr. Jennifer Graham-Engeland is an Associate Professor in the Biobehavioral Health Department at The Pennsylvania State University. Jennifer investigates how psychological stress affects physical hea…
614: Sound Science in Restoring Hearing with Cochlear Implants - Dr. Fan-Gang Zeng
Dr. Fan-Gang Zeng is Director of the Center for Hearing Research and Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering, Cognitive Sciences and Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at th…
613: Conducting Diverse Research in Macroevolution, Macroecology, and Microbial Biogeography - Dr. Hélène Morlon
Dr. Hélène Morlon is a Research Scientist with the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) at the Institute of Biology at the Ecole Nomale Supérieure in Paris. She is also affiliated to the In…
612: Studying How Objects Move in Space and Determining Low Energy Paths to the Moon and Mars - Dr. Ed Belbruno
Dr. Ed Belbruno is a professional artist, specializing in abstract expressionist paintings, Clinical Professor of Mathematics at Yeshiva University, a Visiting Research Associate in the Astrophysics …
611: Translating Gene Expression Experiments into Therapies for Human Disease - Dr. Andrea Califano
Dr. Andrea Califano is the Clyde and Helen Wu Professor of Chemical Systems Biology in the Departments of Systems Biology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, and Biomedical Informatics at Columbia …
610: Learning About Language Processing and Treating Word Retrieval Deficits in People with Aphasia - Dr. Sharon Antonucci
Dr. Sharon Antonucci is a clinical researcher, speech-language pathologist, and Director of the MossRehab Aphasia Center. She works primarily with people who have a language impairment called aphasia…