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
229: An Algorithm for Success! Using Computational and Imaging Approaches to Study Cognitive Science - Dr. Aleix Martinez
Dr. Aleix Martinez is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Director of the Computational Biology and Cognitive Science Laboratory at the Ohio State University. He …
228: Pursuing an Alternative Science Career in Optimizing Brain Performance - Dr. Andrew Hill
Andrew is the Lead Neuroscientist at TruBrain and Director of Neurocognitive Services at Alternatives Behavioral Health and the Alternatives Brain Institute. He is also a Lecturer at the University o…
227: Exploring Extreme Environments and the Emergence of Life - Dr. Charles Cockell
Dr. Charles Cockell is a Professor of Astrobiology in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh and Director of the UK Centre for Astrobiology. In addition, he is the Founder…
226: Speaking Up About Developmental Language Impariments in Children - Dr. Dorothy Bishop
Dr. Dorothy Bishop is a Professor and a Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford. She received her Master's degree in Clinical…
225: Organically Compounding Knowledge on Amino Acids and the Origins of Life - Dr. Jeffrey Bada
Dr. Jeffrey Bada is a Distinguised Research Professor of Marine Chemistry and Distinguished Profesor of Marine Chemistry Emeritus at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of Calif…
224: Keeping the Big Picture in Mind Studying Motivational and Cognitive Control - Dr. Roshan Cools
Dr. Roshan Cools is a Professor of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry of the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre and a Principal Investigator of the Donders Institute fo…
223: Using Lake Sediments to Get to the Core of Key Issues in Ecology and Conservation - Dr. Jacquelyn Gill
Dr. Jacquelyn Gill is an Assistant Professor of Paleoecology and Plant Ecology at the University of Maine. She received her Masters degree and PhD in Geography from the University of Wisconsin, Madis…
222: Out of This World Research on Extrasolar Planets - Dr. Shawn Domagal-Goldman
Dr. Shawn Domagal-Goldman is a Research Space Sientist with NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center. He received his Masters Degree in Earth Sciences from the University of Rochester and his PhD in A…
221: 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. He received his PhD in Molecular Biophysics from Flo…
220: Making Sense of Sensory and Motor Control of Human Movement - Dr. Kristen Pickett
Dr. Kristen Pickett is an Assistant Professor in the Occupational Therapy Program within the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She received her Masters in Kinesiology…
219: Using Genetics and Genomics to Strengthen Our Ability to Diagnose Neuromuscular Disease - Dr. Daniel MacArthur
Dr. Daniel MacArthur is Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital and an Associate Member of the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. Daniel received his PhD in …
218: The Science Behind the Survival Skills of Cells Under Stress - Dr. Ken Dawson-Scully
Dr. Ken Dawson-Skully is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University. He received his Master's degree in Neurobiology from Queen's University and hi…
217: 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…
216: Modeling Magma from Mantle to Mountaintop - Dr. Wendy Bohrson
Dr. Wendy Bohrson is a Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences and Director of the Science Talent Expansion Program at Central Washington University. She received her PhD from the Universi…
215: Examining Cross-Cultural Differences in Sexuality and the Potential Evolutionary Significance - Dr. Paul Vasey
Dr. Paul Vasey is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Laboratory of Comparative Sexuality at the University of Lethbridge. He received his PhD from the University of Montreal in Anthropolog…
214: A Career Based on Pairing Research and Public Outreach to Identify Species via DNA - Dr. Karen James
Dr. Karen James is a staff scientist at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Maine. She received her PhD in Genetics from the University of Washington and conducted postdoctoral research…
213: Roving Roots! Plants Behave More Like Animals than We May Realize - Dr. James Cahill
Dr. James (JC) Cahill is a Professor of Ecology in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. He received his PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of P…
212: Aiding in Efforts to Develop Therapeutics for HIV and Other Neurological Diseases - Dr. David Clifford
Dr. David Clifford is the Melba and Forest Seay Professor of Clinical Neuropharmacology in Neurology and Professor of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. In addition, he is the Principal …
211: Studying Stormwater Systems and Urban Streams - Dr. Anne Jefferson
Dr. Anne Jefferson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology at Kent State University. She received her Masters Degree in Water Resources Sciences from the University of Minnesota and he…
210: Getting to the Root of Underground Signaling in Forest Ecosystems - Dr. Suzanne Simard
Dr. Suzanne Simard is a Professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at the University of British Columbia. She received her PhD in Forest Sciences from Oregon State University and…