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
549: Unearthing Clues to Reveal How People Lived in Early Mesoamerican Cities - Dr. Verónica Pérez Rodríguez
Dr. Verónica Pérez Rodríguez is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). Verónica is an archaeologist and anthropologist who is interes…
548: Studying New Cellular Mechanisms of Memory Involving Myelin - Dr. Douglas Fields
Dr. R. Douglas Fields is Chief of the Nervous System Development and Plasticity Section at the National Institutes of Health and Adjunct Professor in the Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program at…
547: Examining Episodic Memory and Making Sense of Memory Failures - Dr. Ayanna Thomas
Dr. Ayanna Thomas is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Graduate Program in Psychology at Tufts University. Ayanna conducts research to answer a wide variety of questions related to memory. …
546: Investigating the Impacts of Geochemistry and Nanoscale Materials on our Planet - Dr. Michael Hochella
Dr. Michael Hochella is a University Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Virginia Tech. Michael’s research is at the intersection of nanoscience and environmental geochemistry. He studies very small …
545: Applying CRISPR Technologies to Advance Food Science, Health, and Sustainability - Dr. Rodolphe Barrangou
Dr. Rodolphe Barrangou is the Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University. He is also Editor-In-Chie…
544: Scientist with Her Sights Set on Using Stem Cells to Study and Treat Retinal Degeneration - Dr. Natalia Vergara
Dr. Natalia Vergara is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Natalia uses stem cell…
543: Working to Purify and Preserve Our World's Water Supply - Dr. David Sedlak
Dr. David Sedlak is the Plato Malozemoff Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Co-Director of the Berkeley Water Center, Deputy Director of the National Science Foundati…
542: Studying Water on the Surfaces of Planetary Systems - Dr. Jonathan Toner
Dr. Jonathan Toner is a Research Assistant Professor in Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington. Jon conducts research on planetary surfaces, such as Earth, Mars, and the icy moons o…
541: Learning How Long Non-Coding RNAs Contribute to Lung Cancer Development - Dr. Crystal Marconett
Dr. Crystal Marconett is Assistant Professor of Research Surgery in the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Crystal’s work centers around understanding the molecular ori…
540: Developing DNA Vaccines and Treatments for Cancer and Other Diseases - Dr. David Weiner
Dr. David Weiner is Executive Vice President, Director of the Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, and the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust Professor in Cancer Research at The Wistar Institute. He is also Emer…
539: Investigating Issues at the Intersection of People, Policy, and Marine and Coastal Environments - Dr. Ana Spalding
Dr. Ana Spalding is Assistant Professor of Marine and Coastal Policy and Affiliate Faculty at the Pacific Marine Energy Center at Oregon State University. She is also a Research Associate at the Smit…
538: Finding Out How the Brain Controls Movement in Moths During Flight - Dr. Simon Sponberg
Dr. Simon Sponberg is Dunn Family Professor and Assistant Professor in the School of Physics and the School of Biological Sciences, as well as Adjunct Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering at…
537: Examining Extreme Weather Events and Earth's Most Intense Storms - Dr. Kristen Rasmussen
Dr. Kristen Lani Rasmussen is Assistant Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. Research in Kristen’s lab focuses on studying extreme events, particularly wea…
536: Studying Stroke Patients to Understand How the Brain Controls Perception and Action - Dr. Laurel Buxbaum
Dr. Laurel Buxbaum is Associate Director of the Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Director of the Cognition and Action Laboratory, and Research Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Thomas Je…
535: Developing Novel Materials with Wide Applications from Medicine to Manufacturing - Dr. Tim Long
Dr. Tim Long is Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Macromolecules Innovation Institute at Virginia Tech. Tim’s lab is working on a wide variety of research projects that are focused on novel …
534: Investigating How the Development of Agriculture Has Shaped the Ecology and Evolution of Insect Pests - Dr. Yolanda Chen
Dr. Yolanda Chen is a Gund Fellow in the Gund Institute for Environment as well as an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences a…
533: Using Astrophysics to Unravel the Enigma of Quantum Entanglement - Dr. Andrew Friedman
Dr. Andrew Friedman is an Assistant Research Scientist at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He is also a Research Affiliate at the Mass…
532: Applying Physics and Nanotechnology to Understand Mechanics and Shape in Biological Systems - Dr. Sonia Contera
Dr. Sonia Contera is an Associate Professor of Biological Physics at the University of Oxford Physics Department, and a Research Fellow of Green Templeton College. She is also the author of the recen…
531: Breaking Down the Mysteries of Digestion in Animals With Unusual Diets - Dr. Donovan German
Dr. Donovan German is Associate Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He studies how guts work, aiming to better un…
530: Researching River Food Webs in Temperate and Tropical Rivers - Dr. Mary Power
Dr. Mary E. Power is a Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley as well as Faculty Manager at the Angelo Coast Range Reserve and Director of the Ca…