Episodes

  • Ep. 8: “Reducing Barriers Through Open Data” Featuring Dr. Alex Shalek

    Ep. 8: “Reducing Barriers Through Open Data” Featuring Dr. Alex Shalek
    May 22 2024
    In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Jason Goldsmith chat with Dr. Alex Shalek, the J. W. Kieckhefer Professor in the Institute for Medical Engineering & Science and the Department of Chemistry at MIT. He and members of his lab strive to engineer and create technologies and methods achievable by any lab, anywhere in the world through open source experimental protocols and computational packages. He talks about ownership, reproducibility, and privacy considerations when sharing data.
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    48 mins
  • Ep. 7: “Using Social Media to Make an Impact” Featuring Dr. Sara Yeo

    Ep. 7: “Using Social Media to Make an Impact” Featuring Dr. Sara Yeo
    May 8 2024
    In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Brenda Raud chat with Dr. Sara Yeo, an Associate Professor of Communications at the University of Utah. Specializing in science and risk communication, Dr. Yeo’s research explores the intersection of science, media, and politics. She talks about building trust and engagement in science communication and how humor can help. She also discusses unconventional career paths and how social media can help scientists be more open.
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    46 mins
  • Ep. 6: “How to Keep on Top of New Technologies For Your Research” Featuring Dr. Caroline Hookway

    Ep. 6: “How to Keep on Top of New Technologies For Your Research” Featuring Dr. Caroline Hookway
    Apr 24 2024
    In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Arun Sharma chat with Dr. Caroline Hookway, a Scientist at the Allen Institute for Cell Science, who specializes in live-cell imaging. She talks about how to choose the right technology to answer scientific questions, strategies to ensure quality and reproducibility, and overcoming barriers to adopting new technologies.
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    33 mins
  • Ep. 5: “The Role of Preprints in Moving Science Forward” Featuring Dr. Richard Sever

    Ep. 5: “The Role of Preprints in Moving Science Forward” Featuring Dr. Richard Sever
    Apr 10 2024
    In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Daylon James chat with Dr. Richard Sever, Assistant Director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York and Co-founder of the preprint servers bioRxiv and medRxiv. He discusses how preprints can help advance science, the role of funding, and the future of peer review.
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Ep. 4: “Inclusion and Belonging in Science” Featuring Dr. Raeka Aiyar

    Ep. 4: “Inclusion and Belonging in Science” Featuring Dr. Raeka Aiyar
    Mar 27 2024
    In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Arun Sharma chat with Dr. Raeka Aiyar, Vice President of Scientific Outreach & Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF). Raeka is an experienced geneticist turned science communicator, whose research has focused on applying genomics to the study of disease, with the goal of enabling precision medicine. She and the hosts talk about the importance of inclusive science and how NYSCF and other organizations are working to promote equity.
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Ep. 3: “From Mentee to Mentor: How to Help Trainees Thrive” Featuring Dr. Nika Shakiba

    Ep. 3: “From Mentee to Mentor: How to Help Trainees Thrive” Featuring Dr. Nika Shakiba
    Mar 13 2024
    In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Daylon James chat with Dr. Nika Shakiba, Allen Distinguished Investigator and Assistant Professor at the School for Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Nika has a passion for outreach and mentorship and is co-founder of the Advice to a Scientist initiative. Nika and the hosts talk about how the landscape of mentorship is changing, the importance of teaching scientific storytelling, and ways to build resilience.
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    53 mins
  • Ep. 2: “Taking Research from the Lab to the Clinic” Featuring Dr. Nima Najand

    Ep. 2: “Taking Research from the Lab to the Clinic” Featuring Dr. Nima Najand
    Feb 28 2024
    In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Jason Goldsmith chat with Dr. Nima Najand, Director of the Life Sciences Innovation Hub at the University of Calgary. They discuss the ways in which scientists can transition their research into the clinic with a focus on transferring early-stage technologies from academic labs to industry, starting spin-off companies, and strategies for commercialization.
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    44 mins
  • Ep. 1: “To postdoc or not to postdoc?” Featuring Dr. Jennifer Polk

    Ep. 1: “To postdoc or not to postdoc?” Featuring Dr. Jennifer Polk
    Feb 14 2024
    In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Brenda Raud chat with Dr. Jennifer Polk, a career coach, educator, and recognized expert in careers for graduate students and PhDs. They discuss the big question facing many academics, “to postdoc or not to postdoc?”, and key questions to consider when making the decision. Dr. Polk, who runs the website From PhD to Life, talks about how to find your niche, the nature of postdoctoral positions, and alternatives to traditional academic career paths.
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    46 mins