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
209: Growing Excitement for Research in Potential Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury - Dr. Herbert Geller
Dr. Herbert Geller is a Senior Investigator in the Developmental Neurobiology Section and Head of the Office of Education at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes …
208: Bending Over Backwards to Understand Low Back Pain - Dr. Linda Van Dillen
Dr. Linda Van Dillen is an associate professor in the Program in Physical Therapy and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. She is also Associate…
207: Injecting Humor and Optimism into the Study of Viral Infections in the Brain - Dr. Glenn Rall
Dr. Glenn Rall is a Professor at the Fox Chase Cancer Center. He is also the Leader of the Inflammation Working Group there and Co-Leader of the Immune Cell Development and Host Defense Program. In a…
206: Researching Reproduction to Understand the Origin and Evolution of Genes for Meiosis - Dr. John Logsdon
Dr. John Logsdon is an Associate Professor of Biology and former Director of the Pentacrest Museums at the University of Iowa. John earned his PhD from Indiana University and completed postdoctoral r…
205: 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. He received his PhD in Zoology from the University of Washington and af…
204: Demonstrating Laser Focus Studying Materials Science with Solid-State NMR - Dr. Sophia Hayes
Dr. Sophia Hayes is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis. She received her Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of California, Ber…
203: Planting the Seeds to Grow Our Understanding of the Genes that Matter for Plant Survival - Dr. Ian Baldwin
Dr. Ian Baldwin is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Ecology and Founding Director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology. He received his PhD in Chemical Ecology in the Section of…
202: Breaking Down the Science of Protein Recycling to Create New Therapies for Neurodegenerative Disease and Cancer - Dr. Nico Dantuma
Dr. Nico Dantuma is a Professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. He received his PhD in Experimental Zoology from the Utrecht University and aft…
201: Contemplating the Chemical Composition of Comets and Exoplanets - Dr. Maria Womack
Dr. Maria Womack is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Observatory Director at St. Cloud State University. She received her PhD in physics from Arizona State University in Tempe. Afterward, s…
200: Training Others to Think Therapeutically Using Mindfulness Programs to Treat Addiction - Dr. Judson Brewer
Dr. Judson Brewer is the Director of Research at the Center for Mindfulness and Associate Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is also Adjunct As…
199: Connecting the Mind and Brain: The Science Behind How Cells and Chemicals Create Consciousness - Dr. Christof Koch
Dr. Christof Koch is the Chief Scientific Officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle. He received his Masters Degree in Physics from the University of Tubingen in Germany and his PhD…
198: Mastering the Apparent Mysteries Behind the Motivation to Mother - Dr. Alison Fleming
Dr. Alison Fleming is a Professor Emerita in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto, Mississauga. She was also a founding member of the Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Developme…
197: Seeking Clues to Climate Change Using Deep Sea Corals - Dr. Jess Adkins
Dr. Jess Adkins is a Professor of Geochemistry at California Institiute of Technology. He received his PhD in Chemical Oceanography from MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He then comp…
196: Solving the Difficult Equation of How Children Learn and Understand Math - Dr. Julie Booth
Dr. Julie Booth is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology and Applied Developmental Science at Temple University. She received her PhD in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University and comp…
195: Dr. David Holtzman: Untangling the Mechanisms and Mysteries of Alzheimer's Disease
Dr. David Holtzman is the Andrew B. and Gretchen P. Jones Professor and Chairman of Neurology, Professor of Developmental Biology, Associate Director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, and a…
194: Digging Deep to Discover Clues on How Early Humans Interacted with the Environment - Dr. Tristram Kidder
Dr. Tristram Kidder is the Edward S. and Tedi Macias Professor and Chair Professor of Environmental Studies and Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. He received his Mastes and PhD in A…
193: Answering the Big Questions in Human Evolution and What Our DNA Can Reveal - Dr. Rasmus Nielsen
Dr. Rasmus Nielsen is a Professor of Computational Biology in the department of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. He received his PhD in Integrative Biology from UC Berke…
192: Making Great Leaps Studying the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Tropical Frogs - Dr. Maureen Donnelly
Dr. Maureen (Mo) Donnelly is a Professor of Biology and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences at Florida International University (FIU). She is also a Research Assoc…
191: Using Models to Zoom in on Microscopic Aggregation Events in Nature and Man-Made Materials - Dr. Talid Sinno
Dr. Talid Sinno is a Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering as well as Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also Director of Graduate Admi…
190: Steering Our Attention Towards Issues in Distracted Driving - Dr. David Strayer
Dr. David Strayer is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Utah and Director for the Center for the Prevention of Distracted Driving. He received his Masters degree in Expe…