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
- 828
- Years Active
- 2014 - 2025
108: Decoding the Human Genome to Potentially Predict Disease Risk - Dr. Michael Snyder
Dr. Michael Snyder is the Stanford Ascherman Professor and Chair of the Department of Genetics at Stanford University, as well as the Director of the Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Med…
107: Amazing Stories of Opportunity and Curiosity from a Researcher in Planetary Science - Dr. Ray Arvidson
Dr. Ray Arvidson is a James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the Director of the Earth and Planetary Remote Sensing Laboratory at …
106: Uprooting the Survival Secrets of Living and Fossil Plants - Dr. Hope Jahren
Dr. Hope Jahren is a Professor in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii. She received her PhD in Soil Science from the University of California at Berkeley.…
105: Stimulating Research on Biomarkers and Therapeutics for Parkinson Disease - Dr. Joel Perlmutter
Dr. Joel S. Perlmutter is the Elliot Stein Family Professor of Neurology, Professor of Radiology, Neurobiology, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis. He is …
104: Taking Stock of Maternal Behavior and Offspring Health and Development in Livestock - Dr. Cathy Dwyer
Dr. Cathy Dwyer is Team Leader and a Professor of Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Scotland’s Rural College. She received her PhD from the Royal Veterinary College in London before joining the Animal …
103: Astronomer on a Mission of Solar System Exploration - Dr. Alex Hayes
Dr. Alex Hayes is an Assistant Professor of Astronomy at Cornell University. He received a Masters in Engineering from Cornell University and worked at the Jet Propulsion laboratory Lincoln laborator…
102: Get a Taste of the Newest Edible Electronics and Innovative Implant Technologies - Dr. Chris Bettinger
Dr. Christopher Bettinger is an Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. He received a Masters of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering and a…
101: Going Back to the Roots to Enhance Crop Yield in Degraded Soil - Dr. Jonathan Lynch
Dr. Jonathan Lynch is a Professor of Plant Nutrition at Pennsylvania State University. He received his Masters and PhD in Plant Physiology from the University of California, Davis and completed his p…
100: Investigating the Hive Mind and How Genes Influence Social Behavior in Bees - Dr. Gene Robinson
Dr. Gene Robinson is the Swanlund Chair of Entomology, Director of the Institute for Genomic Biology, and Director of the Bee Research Facility at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He r…
099: Improving Autism Diagnosis from the Lab to the Clinic - Dr. Amy Esler
Dr. Amy Esler is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, a licensed psychologist in the Pediatric Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic, and Director of the Fragile X Clinic at the Universi…
098: Establishing Facts and Recalling Experiences Pioneering Research in Declarative and Non-Declarative Memory - Dr. Larry Squire
Dr. Larry Squire is a Professor of Psychiatry, Neurosciences, and Psychology at the University of California San Diego and a Senior Research Career Scientist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in…
097: Conserving Our Seas with the Science of Ecosystem Services - Dr. Ben Halpern
Dr. Benjamin Halpern is a Professor in the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California Santa Barbara and Chair in Marine Conservation at Imperial College Londo…
096: Colorful Tales of Reproductive Biology in Reptiles and Amphibians - Dr. Dustin Siegel
Dr. Dustin S. Siegel is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Southeast Missouri State University. He received his Masters in Biology from Southeastern Louisiana University and his P…
095: Noting Temporal Patterns of Bird Song and the Ecological Implications - Dr. Patrick Hart
Dr. Patrick Hart is an Associate Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Biology at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. He received his Ph.D. in Zoology (Ecology, Evolution, and Conservatio…
094: Blossoming Research in Plant-Pollinator Interactions - Dr. Laura Burkle
Dr. Laura Burkle is an Assistant Professor of Ecology at Montana State University. She received her PhD in Biology from Dartmouth College. Laura then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Washington…
093: A Researcher with a Resolution to Remedy Air Pollution - Dr. Scott Fruin
Dr. Scott Fruin is Assistant Professor in Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine. Scott worked as a Mechanical Engineer at Bell Labs for a few year…
092: A Paleobotanist Who Leaves No Stone Unturned Searching for Plant Fossils - Dr. Peter Wilf
Dr. Peter Wilf is a Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University. After graduating college from the University of Pennsylvania, Peter spent a few years teaching math an…
091: Zooming in on Marine Microbes and Their Critical Role in the State of our Seas - Dr. Cameron Thrash
Dr. Cameron Thrash is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Louisiana State University. After completing his undergraduate studies at UC San Diego, Cameron worked as a te…
090: Unearthing the Secrets of Dinosaur Growth and Behavior - Dr. Jack Horner
Dr. Jack Horner is the Regents Professor of Paleontology and Curator of Paleontology of the Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University. Jack is known for making many groundbreaking discoveries…
089: Noble Astrophysicist Investigating Argon Molecules in Space - Dr. Mike Barlow
Dr. Mike Barlow is a Professor and Head of Astrophysics at University College London. He received his PhD in astrophysics from the University of Sussex. Afterwards, he completed a European Space Rese…