Driven to Discover

Hosted by University at Buffalo

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Nov 2026

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About the show

A podcast that explores innovative University at Buffalo research through candid conversations with the researchers about their inspirations and goals.

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32 recent

November 3, 2026Episode 321 min

Affordable Housing with Robert Silverman

Affordable housing is one of those problems that seems like it should have an easy fix: Just build more housing! But as Robert Silverman, an urban planning professor at the University at Buffalo, explains to host David Hill, it’s not that simple. For starters, housing needs differ between, say, a young family and a senior on a fixed income. And the issues facing rapidly growing cities are different from those in places like Buffalo, where decades of population decline and an aging housing stock have created their own set of challenges. In this episode, Silverman, an internationally regarded planning scholar, discusses the many barriers to affordable renting and homeownership, the limitations of government assistance programs, and the complexities of promoting neighborhood investment without displacing longtime residents. He also shares insights from his research in Buffalo, including the potential of housing vouchers to create pathways out of poverty. Credits: Host: David Hill Guest: Robert Silverman Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group Coming Dec. 8: The world is full of dull, dirty and dangerous work. Karthik Dantu is developing robots that can lend a hand, making difficult tasks easier and dangerous ones safer. But first, they must learn to navigate the messiness and unpredictability of the real world. In this episode, Dantu explores how smarter robots could transform farming, revolutionize recycling, explore distant planets and more.

October 6, 2026Episode 221 min

Social Media’s Broken Promise with Yini Zhang

When social media emerged, Yini Zhang was “pretty starry-eyed” about its potential to give ordinary people a voice, inspire collective action and hold the powerful accountable. Two decades later, the associate professor of communication at the University at Buffalo has a more complicated view. Using computational and experimental methods, Zhang examines the ways in which social media has shaped our information landscape and, more broadly, affected politics and society. In this episode, she talks with host Tom Dinki about how Russian-backed social media accounts made their way into U.S. media coverage, why social media can amplify conflict as easily as connection, and how the line between humans and bots is becoming increasingly blurry. She also discusses her latest research on AI-generated content and why, in an online world where it’s getting harder to know what—or whom—to trust, she considers herself neither a techno-optimist nor a techno-pessimist, but “techno-curious.” Host: Tom Dinki Guest: Yini Zhang Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group Coming Dec. 8: The world is full of dull, dirty and dangerous work. Karthik Dantu is developing robots that can lend a hand, making difficult tasks easier and dangerous ones safer. But first, they must learn to navigate the messiness and unpredictability of the real world. In this episode, Dantu explores how smarter robots could transform farming, revolutionize recycling, explore distant planets and more.

September 1, 2026Episode 119 min

Connection and Joy with Shira Gabriel

Shira Gabriel first encountered research on our fundamental need to belong as a young grad student—and she was immediately hooked. Now a professor of social psychology at the University at Buffalo, Gabriel explores why connection is so essential to human beings, and how our relationships with other people, groups and even fictional worlds shape our happiness and sense of self. In this wide-ranging conversation with host Cheryl Quimba, Gabriel explores the evolutionary roots of our need to belong and the surprisingly varied ways we fulfill that need—from sharing an experience with a group of strangers to losing ourselves in a book to swapping silly memes with friends. She explains how even small moments of connection can add joy and meaning to our lives, and how we can make ourselves more attuned to them in the everyday. At a time when our differences seem to loom larger than ever, Gabriel offers a more hopeful vision—of a universal yearning for connection that ties us together despite the forces trying to pull us apart. Credits: Host: Cheryl Quimba Guest: Shira Gabriel Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group Coming Dec. 8: The world is full of dull, dirty and dangerous work. Karthik Dantu is developing robots that can lend a hand, making difficult tasks easier and dangerous ones safer. But first, they must learn to navigate the messiness and unpredictability of the real world. In this episode, Dantu explores how smarter robots could transform farming, revolutionize recycling, explore distant planets and more.

May 5, 2026Episode 817 min

Surviving the Workplace with Min-Hsuan Tu

Although Min-Hsuan Tu grew up wanting to be a teacher, she followed her parents’ advice and pursued a business degree instead. But her interest in human interaction never faded—and when a chance meeting with a classmate introduced her to the field of organizational behavior, she recognized it as the perfect fit. Now an associate professor of organization and human resources in the University at Buffalo’s School of Management, Tu studies workplace challenges that resonate widely, in part because her research draws on her real-world experiences. In this episode, she shares with host Jay Rey what she’s learned about managing everyday stressors—from never-ending to-do lists to the difficulty of unplugging at the end of the day—offering practical strategies to lead a more balanced, fulfilling life at work and beyond. Credits: Host: Jay Rey Guest: Min-Hsuan Tu Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group Coming Dec. 8: The world is full of dull, dirty and dangerous work. Karthik Dantu is developing robots that can lend a hand, making difficult tasks easier and dangerous ones safer. But first, they must learn to navigate the messiness and unpredictability of the real world. In this episode, Dantu explores how smarter robots could transform farming, revolutionize recycling, explore distant planets and more.

March 31, 2026Episode 716 min

The Future of Neurosurgery with Elad Levy

As a first-year med student, Elad Levy tried to balance competitive rowing with the demands of school. But he quickly came to realize he couldn’t pursue both at the highest level. He chose medicine, discovered neurosurgery—and was soon on a path to transforming the field. Now the L. Nelson Hopkins Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Levy was instrumental in establishing a new standard of care for stroke and continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible. In this episode, he talks with host Ellen Goldbaum about the resistance he and his colleagues faced in the early days of stroke intervention, what it was like to implant one of the first brain-computer interfaces in a patient with paralysis, and his current push toward a future in which brain surgery requires no incisions. Credits: Host: Ellen Goldbaum Guest: Elad Levy Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group Coming Dec. 8: The world is full of dull, dirty and dangerous work. Karthik Dantu is developing robots that can lend a hand, making difficult tasks easier and dangerous ones safer. But first, they must learn to navigate the messiness and unpredictability of the real world. In this episode, Dantu explores how smarter robots could transform farming, revolutionize recycling, explore distant planets and more.

March 3, 2026Episode 619 min

Closing the Food Gap with Lucia Leone

Lucia Leone’s interest in nutrition began in childhood, as she watched her mother—without a car and on a limited income—still manage to put healthy meals on the table. Now an associate professor of community health and health behavior at the University at Buffalo, Leone studies how to make nutritious eating achievable for families facing similar barriers. In this episode, she joins host David Hill to explain why simply expanding access to food is not enough to ensure nutrition security. She discusses community-based interventions like mobile produce vans and food prescription programs, and what her research reveals about why some efforts succeed while others fall short. She also challenges misconceptions about SNAP and the people it serves, and examines what it will take at the societal level to close the food gap for good. Credits: Host: David Hill Guest: Lucia Leone Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group Coming Dec. 8: The world is full of dull, dirty and dangerous work. Karthik Dantu is developing robots that can lend a hand, making difficult tasks easier and dangerous ones safer. But first, they must learn to navigate the messiness and unpredictability of the real world. In this episode, Dantu explores how smarter robots could transform farming, revolutionize recycling, explore distant planets and more.

February 3, 2026Episode 518 min

The Mouth-Body Connection with Frank Scannapieco

Frank Scannapieco wasn’t too interested in school as a kid; he went to college largely because his father insisted. But a few inspiring teachers, a growing fascination with biology and a chance encounter with oral microbiology set him on a path that would lead to an internationally recognized career. In this episode, Laurie Kaiser talks with Scannapieco, a SUNY Distinguished Professor in the University at Buffalo’s School of Dental Medicine, about his pioneering research linking oral health to systemic diseases such as pneumonia, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. He explains—in plain terms—how inflammation and bacteria in the mouth can affect the rest of the body, why dentistry and medicine have long been disconnected, and what simple steps we can all take to protect our oral and overall health as we age. Credits: Host: Laurie Kaiser Guest: Frank Scannapieco Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group Coming Dec. 8: The world is full of dull, dirty and dangerous work. Karthik Dantu is developing robots that can lend a hand, making difficult tasks easier and dangerous ones safer. But first, they must learn to navigate the messiness and unpredictability of the real world. In this episode, Dantu explores how smarter robots could transform farming, revolutionize recycling, explore distant planets and more.

December 9, 2025Episode 419 min

Sleep and the Brain with Carleara Weiss

Growing up in a multigenerational household, Carleara Weiss was a caregiver from the start. But as she lay awake at night listening to her elders snore, she didn’t realize those sounds were signs of obstructive sleep apnea—or that OSA is linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Now, as an assistant professor of nursing at the University at Buffalo and a nationally recognized sleep researcher, Weiss is advancing our understanding of how sleep affects the brain. In this episode, she talks with host Cheryl Quimba about why sleep is essential, what happens when we don’t get enough of it, and how disrupted sleep can contribute to cognitive decline. She also breaks down her latest research and shares practical strategies for getting a better night’s rest. Weiss is currently recruiting for two studies related to sleep, aging and Alzheimer’s. If interested, please contact Ayesha Rahman at 716-829-3218. Credits: Host: Cheryl Quimba Guest: Carleara Weiss Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group Coming Dec. 8: The world is full of dull, dirty and dangerous work. Karthik Dantu is developing robots that can lend a hand, making difficult tasks easier and dangerous ones safer. But first, they must learn to navigate the messiness and unpredictability of the real world. In this episode, Dantu explores how smarter robots could transform farming, revolutionize recycling, explore distant planets and more.

November 4, 2025Episode 318 min

Making Chatbots Better with Rohini Srihari

Not all chatbots are created equal. Some, like those used in customer service, are relatively simple. Others—like the systems Rohini Srihari builds—can take on far more complex tasks, such as giving a voice to someone with ALS who has lost the ability to speak. In this episode, Srihari, an artificial intelligence pioneer at the University at Buffalo, shares how she combines her love of language with computer science to create AI-based tools that not only help people with motor neuron diseases communicate, but also address the nation’s mental health crisis, predict the flow of refugees, and even assist choreographers in creating new works. As she tells host Cory Nealon, this work represents just the beginning of how AI can be harnessed for the public good. Credits: Host: Cory Nealon Guest: Rohini Srihari Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group Coming Dec. 8: The world is full of dull, dirty and dangerous work. Karthik Dantu is developing robots that can lend a hand, making difficult tasks easier and dangerous ones safer. But first, they must learn to navigate the messiness and unpredictability of the real world. In this episode, Dantu explores how smarter robots could transform farming, revolutionize recycling, explore distant planets and more.

October 7, 2025Episode 220 min

Magic and Witchcraft with Phillips Stevens

As a Peace Corps volunteer in Nigeria in his early 20s, Phillips Stevens witnessed an act of sorcery that blew his mind. He turned that moment into a 50-year career as a cultural anthropologist at the University at Buffalo, exploring religion, spirituality and the supernatural in cultures across the world. In this episode, Stevens joins host Tom Dinki to share insights from his new book, “Rethinking the Anthropology of Magic and Witchcraft: Inherently Human.” He explains why magical thinking isn’t a relic of the past—it’s hardwired into us, a survival strategy that still shapes how we navigate the unknown and process the unthinkable. From common superstitions and religious rituals to conspiracy theories like QAnon, Stevens shows how belief in magic and witchcraft persists, and what makes it inherently human. Credits: Host: Tom Dinki Guest: Phillips Stevens Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group Coming Dec. 8: The world is full of dull, dirty and dangerous work. Karthik Dantu is developing robots that can lend a hand, making difficult tasks easier and dangerous ones safer. But first, they must learn to navigate the messiness and unpredictability of the real world. In this episode, Dantu explores how smarter robots could transform farming, revolutionize recycling, explore distant planets and more.

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