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
768: Studying Interactions Between Animals and Humans to Conserve Species in African Tropical Forests - Dr. Fiona "Boo" Maisels
Dr. Fiona "Boo" Maisels is a Conservation Scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and an Honorary Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences in the African Forest Ecology Group…
767: Examining the Evolution of Host Specificity in Plant-Eating Insects - Dr. Douglas Futuyma
Dr. Douglas Futuyma is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University. He also holds an appointment as a Research Associate at the American Museum of N…
766: Cosmic Conquests - Seeking to Answer Key Questions About Our Universe - Dr. Jo Dunkley
Dr. Jo Dunkley is a Professor of Physics and Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University and author of the book Our Universe: An Astronomer's Guide. Jo is a cosmologist, and her job is to study th…
765: Applying Systems Biology Approaches to Advance Our Understanding of Infectious Disease - Dr. John Aitchison
Dr. John Aitchison is President and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research, the largest independent, non-profit organization in the U.S. that is focused solely on infectious disease r…
764: Pioneering Innovative Solutions in Biotechnology, Engineering, and Materials Science to Advance Medicine - Dr. Robert Langer
Dr. Robert S. Langer is the David H. Koch Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Being one of the eight Institute Professors is the highest honor that can be awarded …
763: Researching Robotic Systems for Rehabilitation of Stroke and Spinal Cord Injury - Dr. Marcie O'Malley
Dr. Marcie O'Malley is the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Mechanical Engineering, as well as a Professor of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University. Marcie is also …
762: Understanding How Natural Selection Drives Diversity, Adaptation, and Design - Dr. Ryan Martin
Dr. Ryan Martin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Case Western Reserve University. As an Evolutionary Ecologist, Ryan is interested in animal diversity and design. Animals see…
761: Changing Behaviors to Improve Long-Term Health Outcomes in Adults With Neurologic Disease - Dr. Kim Waddell
Dr. Kim Waddell is an Assistant Professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine as well as a faculty member with the Center for Healt…
760: Unearthing Clues About Our Planet's Past From Tiny Fossils Found in Rock - Dr. Francisca Ikuenobe
Dr. Francisca Ikuenobe is a Professor of Geology and Geophysics at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. In her research, Franca studies rocks to understand the clues they can reveal abo…
759: Dedicated to Antibody Discovery and Development for Research and Therapeutics - Dr. John Majercak
Dr. John Majercak is Head of Antibody Discovery at Lampire Biological Laboratories, a life science company at the forefront of innovation and discovery. At Lampire Biological Laboratories, John works…
758: Keeping Your Brain in the Game: Creating Interventions to Optimize Cognition - Dr. Adam Gazzaley
Dr. Adam Gazzaley is a Professor of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry and the Founding Director of the Neuroscience Imaging Center at the University of California, San Francisco. Adam is also Co-F…
757: Developing Molecular Biotechnology Tools for Neural Dynamics Research and Novel Therapeutics - Dr. Lin Tian
Dr. Lin Tian is a Scientific Director at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and Clinical Professor at the University of California, Davis. The main goal of Lin’s lab is to develop, lev…
756: Passionately Pursuing Projects on the P53 Tumor Suppressor Protein - Dr. Maureen Murphy
Dr. Maureen Murphy is a Professor and Program Leader in the Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program of the Wistar Institute Cancer Center in Philadelphia. She is also the Associate Vice president …
755: Designing, Creating, and Testing Novel Materials with Unique Properties - Dr. Carlos Portela
Dr. Carlos Portela is the Brit and Alex d'Arbeloff Career Development Professor in Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Carlos’s research involves designing, making, and testing new types of materials that…
754: Hooked on Researching Marine Coastal Ecosystems and Fish Abundance - Dr. Joel Fodrie
Dr. Joel Fodrie is an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Marine Sciences and Department of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Joel studies estuaries which are ha…
753: Getting a Glimpse into the Most Distant Galaxies in the Universe - Dr. Taylor Hutchison
Dr. Taylor Hutchison is an astrophysicist and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Taylor uses large telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope to study the most distant…
752: The Science Behind the Survival Skills of Cells Under Stress - Dr. Ken Dawson-Scully
Dr. Ken Dawson-Scully is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University. Ken uses the fruit fly as a model to understand how animals have adapted to di…
751: Timely Research on Circadian Clocks and Rhythmic Reorientation in Plants - Dr. Stacey Harmer
Dr. Stacey Harmer is a Professor of Plant Biology in the College of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Davis. Stacey studies different biological rhythms and the circadian clocks wi…
750: Studying How Cells Control Energy Use and Storage in Response to Hormones and Nutrients - Dr. Alan Saltiel
Dr. Alan R. Saltiel is Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, Maryam Ahmadian Endowed Chair in Metabolic Health, Director of the Institute for Diabetes and Metabolic Health at UC, San …
749: Progressing Towards an Understanding of the Genes Contributing to Cancer Malignancy - Dr. Erica Golemis
Dr. Erica Golemis is a Professor, Deputy Chief Science Officer, Co-Leader of the Molecular Therapeutics Program, and Director of the High Throughput Facility at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philade…