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
088: Deeply Rooted in Plant Evolution and Ecology - Dr. Ingrid Parker
Dr. Ingrid Parker is a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Jean H. Langenheim Endowed Chair in Plant Ecology and Evolution at the University of California Santa Cr…
087: Investigation of Beneficial Infestations of Symbiotic Bacteria in Insects - Dr. Jen White
Dr. Jennifer White is an Associate Professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Kentucky. She received her PhD in Ecology evolution and behavior from the University of Minnesota. Af…
086: Just Scratching the Surface of the Molecular-Level Mysteries in Adhesion and Friction Forces - Dr. Jacob Israelachvili
Dr. Jacob Israelachvili is a Professor in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He received his PhD in Experimental Physics from the University of…
085: Organic Chemist Synthesizing Research, Science Education, and Diversity in the Sciences - Dr. Donna Nelson
Dr. Donna Nelson is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Oklahoma. She received her PhD from the University of Texas, Austin and completed her postdoctoral…
084: Improving our Grasp of Human Motor Learning and Engineering Solutions to Improve Education - Dr. Kurt Thoroughman
Dr. Kurt Thoroughman is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Biomedical Engineering as well as Director of Undergraduate Studies of the School of …
083: How the Brain Fits into the Big Picture of Exercise, Eating, and the Obesity Epidemic - Dr. Cary Savage
Dr. Cary Savage is the Director of the Center for Health Behavior Neuroscience as well as the John H. Wineinger Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Kansas Medical Cen…
082: To Be or Not to Be? Understanding Cell Survival and Cell Death - Dr. Denise Montell
Dr. Denise Montell is the Duggan Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She received her PhD in Neuroscience from Stanford Univers…
081: Moving Towards Functional Recovery in Spinal Cord Injury - Dr. Yu-Shang Lee
Dr. Yu-Shang Lee is an Assistant Staff Scientist in the Department of Neurosciences at the Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland Clinic. He received his PhD from UC Irvine and did a postdoc at U…
080: Genetic Variation is the Spice of Life Helping Plants Respond to Changing Environments - Dr. Allison Miller
Dr. Allison Miller is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Saint Louis University as well as a Research Associate at the Missouri Botanical Garden. She received her Masters Degree i…
079: Feeding His Passion for Understanding How Sharks Bite and Eat - Dr. Philip Motta
Dr. Philip Motta is a Professor of Biology at the University of South Florida. He received his PhD from the University of Hawaii in Zoology. He served as an instructor at the University British Colum…
078: Taking His Research to New Heights Studying the Ecology and Genetics of Things With Wings - Dr. Donald Price
Dr. Donald Price is a Professor in Biology and the Director of the Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science (TCBES) Graduate Program at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. He completed h…
077: A Stellar Astrophysicist Finding Answers Chasing the Starlight - Dr. Keivan Stassun
Dr. Keivan Stassun is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Vanderbilt University. He is also director of the Vanderbilt Initiative in Data-Intensive Astrophysics and Adjunct Professor of Physics a…
076: Contemplation of the Ills of Neuroinflammation in Stroke Recovery - Dr. Ann Stowe
Dr. Ann Stowe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology & Neurotherapeutics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She received her PhD in Molecular & Integrative Phys…
075: Theoretical Physicist Shining Brilliantly with Her Work on Potential Nanomaterials for Solar Cells - Dr. Birgit Kaufmann
Dr. Birgit Kaufmann is an Associate Professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Mathematics and Physics at Purdue University. Her visiting appointments include the Physics Department of P…
074: Sniffing Out the Answers to How Olfactory Processing Affects Behavior - Dr. Julian Meeks
Dr. Julian Meeks is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He received his PhD in Neuroscience at Washington University in St…
073: Burning Questions on Impacts of Humans on Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Climate - Dr. John Harte
Dr. John Harte holds a joint professorship in the Energy and Resources Group and the Ecosystem Sciences Division of the College of Natural Resources at the University of California at Berkele…
072: It's All About Communities When Studying Microbial Genomics and Exchange of Antibiotic Resistance - Dr. Gautam Dantas
Dr. Gautam Dantas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology & Immunology, the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and the Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology, at Washington …
071: Painstakingly Classifying and Treating Movement Impairment with Physical Therapy - Dr. Shirley Sahrmann
Dr. Shirley Sahrmann is a retired Physical Therapist and Professor emeritis of Physical Therapy, Cell Biology and Physiology, and also of Neurology at Washington University in St. Louis School of Med…
070: Contagious Enthusiasm for Infectious Disease Research on Ticks and Other Arthropods - Dr. Brian Allan
Dr. Brian Allan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology and School of Integrative Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He received his PhD in Evolution, Ecolog…
069: Timely Research on the Molecular Mechanisms Controlling the Timing of Birth - Dr. Lou Muglia
Dr. Louis Muglia is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati, as well as the Director for the Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth and the Co-Director of the Peri…