People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers

Hosted by Dr. Marie McNeely, featuring top scientists speaking about their life and c

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300

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Aug 2026

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About the show

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.

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60 recent

September 28, 2026Episode 88442 min

884: Investigating the Physics of Ultra-Fast Movements in Animals and Developing Low-Cost Scientific Tools - Dr. Saad Bhamla

Dr. Saad Bhamla is Assistant Professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Research in Saad's lab spans two different focus areas. Some of his projects are dedicated to developing very low-cost scientific tools and medical devices in order to make these items more accessible and affordable worldwide. Another area of research examines questions in biology and organismal physics. In this area, he is investigating how animals are able to move very rapidly, as well as how organisms can form aggregates that can sense their environment and share information. Through his research, he is using his expertise in engineering to solve problems to help society. In his free time, Saad loves to go running. Whether he is training for his next marathon or just taking his dogs out for some exercise, running has been a great way for him to think through problems and brainstorm new ideas. He received his bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University. Afterwards, he conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford University and was awarded a Dean's Postdoctoral Fellowship in Bioengineering. In addition, Saad has been awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, a Beazley Design Award, Medgadget's Best Medical Technology Award, an award from The Index Project (formerly INDEX: Design to Improve Life), an Innovation in MedTech Award from the American India Foundation and Stanford University, the Centennial Teaching Award from Stanford University, and The Milton van Dyke Award from the American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics. Saad has also been named an Accel Innovation Scholar and a National Geographic Explorer. In our interview, Saad shares more about his life and research.

September 21, 2026Episode 88344 min

883: Unearthing Clues to Reveal How People Lived in Early Mesoamerican Cities - Dr. Verónica Pérez Rodríguez

Dr. Verónica Pérez Rodríguez is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). Verónica is an archaeologist and anthropologist who is interested in studying people and life in cities over time. Through her work, she examines how people lived many years ago, what brought them to cities, what made them stay, what were the tradeoffs, and what were the environmental impacts. Her work focuses on the highlands of the Mixteca Alta in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. When she's not working, Verónica loves relaxing at home, watching movies, and hiking with her children and husband. She also loves running outdoors, knitting, and reading fiction books in her free time. She earned a B.A. in Anthropology as well as a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Texas at El Paso. Verónica then attended graduate school at the University of Georgia where she was awarded her Ph.D. in Ecological and Environmental Anthropology. She served on the faculty at Northern Arizona University before joining the faculty at the University at Albany, SUNY in 2013. In our interview, Verónica shares more about her life and science.

September 14, 2026Episode 88253 min

882: Examining How Environmental Exposures Shape Children's Health - Dr. Erica Walker

Dr. Erica Walker is the RGSS Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health. Erica is an environmental epidemiologist and exposure scientist. Through her work, she aims to identify and solve problems that matter for communities that are often overlooked, particularly in her home state of Mississippi. To stay healthy and relieve stress, Erica loves going on long runs. She also likes to spend her free time making pottery and ceramics, like plates, mugs, cups, and bowls. Her latest goal is to make a ceramic lamp. She received her bachelor's degree in math and economics from Simmons University, her master's degree in environmental economics/urban planning from Tufts University, and her ScD degree in environmental health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Afterwards, Erica conducted postdoctoral research at UConn Health and the Boston University School of Public Health before joining the faculty at Brown University. In this interview, she shares more about her life and science.

September 7, 2026Episode 88155 min

881: Dedicated to Discovering the Causes and Treatments for Hearing Deficits - Dr. Christopher Cederroth

Dr. Chris Cederroth is an Assistant Professor within the laboratory of Experimental Audiology working on tinnitus within the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Research in Chris's lab focuses on hearing loss and tinnitus, which is the perception of ringing in the ears. Over 300 million people in the world have hearing problems, and Chris is dedicated to understanding the causes and developing treatments. Chris has three children. When he's not at work, Chris enjoys visiting museums and spending time outdoors with his family. He received his PhD from the University of Geneva, Switzerland for which he was awarded the Denber-Pinard Prize from the University of Geneva. During that time, he also contributed to the launch of the start-up company Amazentis S.A. Before joining the faculty at the Karonlinska Institute, Chris was awarded a Swiss National Foundation Advanced Fellowship for his postdoctoral work conducted at Rockefeller University, as well as the Wenner Gren Foundation and Nicholson Postdoctoral Fellowship to support his research efforts at the Karolinska Institute. Chris is here with us today to talk a little about his research and tell us all about his journey through life and science.

August 31, 2026Episode 88043 min

880: Working to Preserve and Restore Populations of Bees and Other Pollinators - Dr. Lauren Ponisio

Dr. Lauren Ponisio is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Oregon. Lauren's research revolves around preserving and restoring bee populations in agricultural areas and other natural habitats. She is interested in understanding the distribution and health of different populations of native bees. When she's not working, you can often find Lauren in her garden. She has been an avid gardener since childhood, and she currently has a thriving garden with lots of vegetables and plants to attract bees and other pollinators. She received her B.S. degree in biology with honors in ecology and evolution, as well as her M.S. degree in biology, from Stanford University. Lauren was awarded her Ph.D. from the Department of Environmental Science Policy and Management at the University of California, Berkeley. She conducted postdoctoral research at UC, Berkeley afterwards, and she served on the faculty University of California, Riverside before recently accepting her current position at the University of Oregon. Lauren received graduate fellowships from the National Science Foundation and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, as well as a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Berkeley Institute for Data Science. She was also named among the Global Food Initiative's "30 Under 30" in Food Systems in 2016. In our interview, Lauren shares more about her life and science.

August 24, 2026Episode 87944 min

879: Examining Early Mammals and the Evolution of Modern Mammalian Diversity - Dr. Greg Wilson Mantilla

Dr. Greg Wilson Mantilla is a Professor in the Department of Biology, Adjunct Professor in Department of Earth & Space Sciences, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Burke Museum, and Director of the DIG Field School at the University of Washington. He is also a Research Associate at the University of California Museum of Paleontology. His research explores the evolution of mammals that lived alongside dinosaurs and how mammals have diversified over time. Remarkable fossil discoveries have revealed that these early mammals were far more diverse than once thought, including species adapted for digging, climbing, gliding, and even feeding on small dinosaurs. Outside of science, Greg enjoys staying active, spending time with his family, and following sports. Playing soccer has long been a favorite pastime, and Greg now enjoys coaching his two children. He also enjoys watching soccer and other sports, working out, reading, traveling, and relaxing with movies and TV shows. Greg received his B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University and his Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. Afterwards, he received an NSF Fellowship to conduct postdoctoral research at the University of Helsinki. Before moving to the University of Washington, Greg was Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Greg was awarded the Raymond M. Alf Award for Excellence in Paleontological Research & Education from the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, and he received the University of Washington's Bergstrom Award for Art and Science (with Ari Rudenko). In this interview, Greg shares more about his life and science.

August 17, 2026Episode 87837 min

878: Researching Flood Resistance in Rice and Other Plants - Dr. Julia Bailey-Serres

Dr. Julia Bailey-Serres is Director of the Center for Plant Cell Biology and Distinguished Professor of Genetics at the University of California, Riverside. She also holds the University of California John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Chair and is Professor of Rice Physiology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. A major focus of Julia's lab is to investigate how plants survive water extremes with the goal of improving the ability of crops to survive a temporary flood. When she's not working, Julia enjoys gardening, hiking, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family. She also has fun baking and cooking with fresh vegetables from her garden. She was awarded her B.S. in biology from the University of Utah and her Ph.D. in botany from the University of Edinburgh. Afterwards, Julia conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley before joining the faculty at UCR. She has received many awards and honors over the course of her career, including being named an elected Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists. In addition, she has been recognized with the Stephen Hales Prize from the American Society of Plant Biologists. In our interview, Julia shares more about her life and research.

August 10, 2026Episode 87751 min

877: Studying How Dynamic Biological Systems Shape Health and Aging - Dr. Alan Cohen

Dr. Alan Cohen is Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Chair of Biological Complexity and Healthy Longevity, and Co-Director of the Science of Health Program in the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center at Columbia University. In his research, Alan takes a theoretical biology approach to some of the biggest questions in science, including what aging is and what it means to be alive. Rather than viewing biology only as a collection of individual genes, molecules, and cells, he studies how these components interact as complex dynamic systems to maintain the internal balance that supports health. His work explores how the breakdown of these interconnected systems may underlie aging and disease, and how scientists can develop new ways to measure and understand these changes beyond traditional reductionist approaches. When he's not working, Alan enjoys practicing Aikido, a martial art he first learned while living in Japan. He also does contact improvisation dance, where partners use spontaneous points of physical contact to create movement together without knowing where the dance will lead. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Asian Studies from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and he was awarded his PhD in Biology from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Afterwards, Alan completed postdoctoral research at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Toronto, and the University of Sherbrooke. He then served on the faculty at the University of Sherbrooke for about 12 years before accepting a position at Columbia University in 2022. Alan has received various awards and honors, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Aging New Investigator Prize of Excellence in Research on Aging and the CIHR New Investigator Salary Award. In this interview, he shares more about his life and science.

August 3, 2026Episode 87655 min

876: Uncovering the Hidden Roles of Antioxidants in Health, Cancer, and Other Diseases - Dr. Isaac Harris

Dr. Isaac Harris is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomolecular Sciences and the Center for Discovery in Cancer Research at McMaster University. Isaac's research examines the roles of antioxidants in health and disease, including how they are produced and used in cells. He is particularly interested in how cancer cells rely on antioxidant pathways to survive and grow. Isaac is working to understand why high-dose antioxidant supplements may sometimes promote cancer rather than prevent it, and whether blocking cancer cells' natural antioxidant systems could slow tumor growth. When he's not working, Isaac enjoys spending time with his wife and five-year-old daughter, doing things like coloring, playing outside, visiting the park, or eating ice cream. He also likes cooking, reading, relaxing, watching TV, and introducing his daughter to some of his favorite childhood shows like The Simpsons. He received his bachelor's of engineering degree in chemical engineering and PhD in molecular biology from the University of Toronto. Next, he conducted postdoctoral research at Harvard medical school before joining the faculty at the University of Rochester and Wilmot Cancer Institute in 2019. In 2024, he was awarded the Wilmot Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) Innovator Award. He very recently moved his lab and joined the faculty McMaster University. In this interview, Isaac shares more about his life and research.

July 27, 2026Episode 87536 min

875: Investigating How Disruptions in the Gut Microbiome Impact Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Lead to Disease - Dr. Mariana Byndloss

Dr. Mariana Byndloss is Assistant Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Research in Mariana's lab investigates how the bacteria that live inside our gut can affect our health. She is interested in how things like diet, antibiotics, or infection may change how our body behaves. This, in turn, can change how the bacteria in our gut behave and lead to disease. Outside of science, Mariana loves animals, and she spends a lot of her free time with her dog and new puppy. They are both German Shorthair Pointers, and she trains them to hunt and to participate in American Kennel Club competitions. Mariana also enjoys quality time with her husband and son, listening to live music, and exploring all the great restaurants in Nashville. Mariana earned her DVM, MSc in veterinary pathology, and PhD in veterinary pathology from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil. She was awarded the Brazilian National Prize for best PhD thesis in Veterinary Medicine. Afterwards, Mariana conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, Davis before joining the faculty at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. In our interview, Mariana will tell us more about her life and science.