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
349: Scientist Strikes Gold with Atomic Layer Deposition of Gold Thin Films - Dr. Seán Barry
Dr. Seán Barry is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Carleton University. He received his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Queen’s University at Kingston and was awarded his PhD in Inorganic Chemis…
348: Producing Prolific Research on Foodborne Pathogens - Dr. Teresa Bergholz
Dr. Teresa Bergholz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences at North Dakota State University. She completed undergraduate training in Food Science and M…
347: Energetic Scientist Studying Metabolic Disruption and Disease - Dr. Todd Cade
Dr. Todd Cade is an Associate Professor of Physical Therapy and Medicine, as well as Associate Director of Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Program in Physical Therapy at Washington University in St. …
346: 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 received her B.S. in Geophysics from the University of Oregon and…
345: Investigating Insect Outbreaks with the Help of Citizen Science - Dr. Rob Johns
Dr. Rob Johns is a Research Scientist and Forest Insect Ecologist for the Natural Resources Canada Atlantic Forestry Centre. He is also an Adjunct Professor in Biology at the University of New Brunsw…
344: 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 received her B.A. in Psychology and Biology from Harvard and Radcliffe Coll…
343: A Skilled Scientist Studying Soil Properties, Surveying Technologies, Taxonomy, and more - Dr. David Weindorf
Dr. David C. Weindorf is the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, as well as Professor and BL Allen Endowed Chair of Pedology in the Department o…
342: Making Delectable Discoveries on the Evolution of Specialization in Insect Diets - Dr. Stephen Heard
Dr. Stephen Heard is Professor of Biology at the University of New Brunswick. He received his B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Waterloo and his PhD in Biology from the University of Pennsylvan…
341: Understanding Pollinators and Pests to Promote Optimal Crop Management - Dr. Matt O'Neal
Dr. Matt O'Neal is an Associate Professor of Entomology at Iowa State University. He received his B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Entomology from the University of Illinois. Matt served as a Peace Corps …
340: 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 NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. He is also Professor of …
339: Researching RNA Regulation of Reproduction in Plants - Dr. Blake Meyers
Dr. Blake Meyers is a Member Principal Investigator at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and a Professor in the Division of Plant Sciences at the University of Missouri. He received a B.A. in …
338: Industrious Scientist Developing Dynamic RNA-Based Diagnostics for Disease - Dr. Dave Messina
Dr. Dave Messina is the Chief Operating Officer at Cofactor Genomics. He completed his undergraduate training in biology at the University of Illinois at Chicago and received his MA in Genetics from …
337: Chatting with a Connoisseur of Dolphin Communication and Cognition - Dr. Denise Herzing
Dr. Denise Herzing is Director and Founder of a non-profit scientific research organization called The Wild Dolphin Project, as well as an Affiliate Assistant Professor of Biological and Psychologica…
336: Exciting Developments in Our Knowledge of Cortical Circuit Formation in the Mammalian Brain - Dr. Franck Polleux
Dr. Franck Polleux is a Professor of Neuroscience and member of the Zuckerman Mind, Brain, Behavior Institute at Columbia University. He completed his undergraduate degree as well as his PhD in Neuro…
335: 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…
334: Diving Deep into Machine Learning to Read the Human Genome and Understand the Effects of Mutations - Dr. Brendan Frey
Dr. Brendan Frey is the President and CEO of Deep Genomics. He is also Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, and the…
333: Investigating Insidious Insects in the Field of Agricultural Pest Management - Dr. Erin Hodgson
Dr. Erin Hodgson is an Associate Professor and Extension Entomologist at Iowa State University. She received her undergraduate training in Biology and Botany and her M.S. in Entomology from North Dak…
332: Creating Cutting-Edge Surgical Simulations - Dr. Roger Smith
Dr. Roger Smith is the Chief Technology Officer for the Nicholson Center for Surgical Advancement at Florida Hospital. He is also Graduate Faculty at the University of Central Florida, and President …
331: 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…
330: Driving the Field Forward by Combining Chemistry and Nanotechnology to Study Nanocars, Graphene Synthesis, and More! - Dr. Jim Tour
Dr. Jim Tour is the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Computer Science, and Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering at Rice University. He is also the founder and pri…