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.
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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
449: Applying Systems Biology Approaches to Advance Our Understanding of Infectious Disease - Dr. John Aitchison
Dr. John Aitchison is President and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research, the largest independent, non-profit organization in the U.S. that is focused solely on infectious disease r…
448: Using Technology to Investigate the Inner Workings of Large Networks - Dr. Madhav Marathe
Dr. Madhav Marathe is a Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Network Dynamics and Simulation Science Laboratory within the Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech. He is also an adjunct…
447: Using DNA to Decode Family Histories and Genetic Connections - Dr. Eurie Hong
Dr. Eurie Hong is the Senior Director of Genomics at AncestryDNA. In her position, Eurie works on the algorithms that interpret the DNA provided in customer samples to tell people the regions of the …
446: Searching for Signals to Illuminate the Origins of the Universe - Dr. Brian Keating
Dr. Brian Keating is a Professor of Physics at the University of California, San Diego. Additionally, he is the Co-Director of the Ax Center for Experimental Cosmology and Director of the Simons Obse…
445: Investigating the Impacts of Clouds on Climate Models - Dr. Thijs Heus
Dr. Thijs Heus is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at Cleveland State University. Thijs’s research focuses on clouds and the impact they have on weather and climate. Some of the ef…
444: Conducting Research to Conserve Colorado's Rare Plants - Dr. Jennifer Ramp Neale
Dr. Jennifer Ramp Neale is Director of Research and Conservation at the Denver Botanic Gardens. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Biology at the University of Northern Colorado and the University o…
443: Using Computational Methods to Model Complex, Multiscale Living Systems - Dr. Chris Barrett
Dr. Chris Barrett is Executive Director and Professor at the Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech, as well as a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech. Chris lives on a …
442: Fascinating Field Work Following Birds of the North American Boreal Forests - Dr. Bruce Beehler
Dr. Bruce Beehler is an ornithologist and Research Associate in the Bird Division of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. Bruce spends much of his free time outside and i…
441: Archaeologist Digging Up Artifacts to Understand Ancient Civilizations - Dr. Michele Koons
Dr. Michele Koons is a Curator of Archaeology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. When Michele’s not at work, she spends her time hanging out with her husband and one year old son. Some of he…
440: Investigating How Brain Damage Occurs in Stroke and Developing Therapies to Improve Stroke Recovery - Dr. Ian Winship
Dr. Ian Winship is an Associate Professor and a former Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Scholar in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta. He is also Director of the Neurochemica…
439: Passing on His Passion for Infectious Disease Simulations - Dr. Bryan Lewis
Dr. Bryan Lewis is a Research Associate Professor working in the Network Dynamics and Simulation Science Laboratory at the Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech. Bryan works in the field of comput…
438: Developing Digital Health Solutions to Help Patients with Chronic Disease - Dr. Suzanne Clough
Dr. Suzanne Clough is the Chief Medical Officer at Amalgam Rx and Chief Innovation Officer at ArmadaHealth. In her free time, Suzanne revels in the pleasant chaos of her house with her husband, two c…
437: Unraveling the Mechanisms Behind Memory in the Human Brain - Dr. Rodrigo Quian Quiroga
Dr. Rodrigo Quian Quiroga is a Professor and Director of the Centre for Systems Neuroscience at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom. He is also an author of the books Borges and Memory,…
436: Conducting Research on Complex Marine Microbial Communities - Dr. Ed DeLong
Dr. Edward DeLong is a Professor in the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawai’i Manoa as well as a Visiting Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT.…
435: Studying How Stress Shapes Synapses in the Brain - Dr. Abby Polter
Dr. Abby Polter is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology at George Washington University. Outside of the lab, Abby enjoys spending her free time curled up with a great book, conductin…
434: Examining the Evolution and Ecology of Bacteria that Benefit Plants - Dr. Joel Sachs
Dr. Joel Sachs is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Biology at the University of California, Riverside. For Joel, free time is best spent outdoors with his wife and two kids. They enjoy hangin…
433: Clarifying the Causes of Chronic Pain and Creating New Treatments - Dr. Ted Price
Dr. Ted Price is an Associate Professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas, Dallas. He is also a neuroscientist with and the founder of a startup company called…
432: Astrophysicist Radiating Enthusiasm for Research on Plasma Physics and Cosmic Rays - Dr. Ellen Zweibel
Dr. Ellen Zweibel is the W. L. Kraushaar Professor of Astronomy and Physics, and the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Ellen’s interest outside of sci…
431: Channeling Research Efforts to Understand Mechanisms and Potential Therapeutic Targets of Migraine Pain - Dr. Greg Dussor
Dr. Greg Dussor is an Associate Professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas, Dallas. He is also a neuroscientist with the startup company Ted’s Brain Science P…
430: Figuring Out the Functional Organization and Development of Cortical Circuits in the Brain - Dr. David Fitzpatrick
Dr. David Fitzpatrick is Chief Executive Officer, Scientific Director, and Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. When David isn’t hard at work at Max Planck, he …