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

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-Founder and Chief Science Advisor of Akili Interactive Labs, a company that is developing therapeutic video games. Much of the research in Adam’s lab focuses on aging and how aspects of cognition, like memory and attention, change over our lifespan. They are working to develop new, innovative tools, including engaging video games, to enhance brain function, improve cognition, and improve quality of life. In his free time, Adam can be found spending quality time with friends and family. He is a fan of hanging out over dinner, enjoying live music, hiking, camping, and getting outdoors. He received his M.D. And Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Adam then completed his Internship in Medicine and Clinical Residency in Neurology at the University of Pennyslvania, followed by postdoctoral training in Cognitive Neuroscience at UC, Berkeley before joining the faculty at UCSF where he is today. Adam is the recipient of the Pfizer/AFAR Innovations in Aging Award, the Ellison Foundation New Scholar Award in Aging, the Harold Brenner Pepinsky Early Career Award in Neurobehavioral Science, and the UCSF 150th Anniversary Alumni Excellence Award. He is also an elected Member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation. Adam is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

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, leverage, and also share novel optical and molecular tools that can help us to characterize neural signaling and find new treatment targets for neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition to her scientific and leadership roles, Lin is a mom, wife, and daughter. She often spends her free time with her family, driving her two sons to different activities, cheering for them at their swim meets and baseball games, and helping them with homework. Lin also enjoys walking her dog and doing things around the house. She earned her B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Science and Technology of China and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cellular Biology from Northwestern University. She then completed postdoctoral training at Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus. Lin remained at HHMI as a Research Specialist before joining the faculty at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine in 2012. She began her current position at Max Planck in 2023. Lin has received multiple awards and honors, including an NIH New Innovator Award, the W.M. Keck Foundation Award, the Human Frontier Science Program Young Investigator Award, and she has been named a Rita Allen Scholar and Hartwell Scholar. In our interview, she shares more about her life and science.

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 for Faculty Affairs and Associate Director For Education and Career Development there. Maureen’s research is aimed at understanding and developing cures for cancer. Specifically, they focus on the p53 tumor suppressor protein that is responsible for stopping tumors from forming. When she’s not in the lab, you can find Maureen hiking outside with her dogs. She loves nature and thinks dogs are wonderful for reminding us to take a break from our hectic schedules to enjoy life. Maureen is also a fan of traveling, cycling, and yoga. Maureen received her B.S. in biochemistry from Rutgers University and a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. After graduate school, she completed postdoctoral research at Princeton University. Maureen served on the faculty at the Fox Chase Cancer Center before accepting her current position at the Wistar Institute. Maureen is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.

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 have unconventional properties. To do this, they rearrange the components of existing materials in three dimensions at the micro or nano scale to create new architected materials. The new materials may absorb a lot of energy upon impact, or be extremely lightweight, but also very stiff. When he’s not working, Carlos likes to stay active by running, playing golf, and playing a variety of team sports. He also enjoys exploring new restaurants in Boston, particularly places that serve Asian-Spanish fusion food. He received his bachelor's degrees in aerospace engineering and physics from the University of Southern California, his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Carlos remained at Caltech to conduct postdoctoral research before joining the faculty at MIT. He was the recipient of an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, and he has also been named among MIT Tech Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35. In this interview, he shares more about his life and research.

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 habitats where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with the salt water of the ocean. He acts as a sort of detective to investigate how things like salt marshes, sea grasses, and oyster reefs keep this habitat healthy and to determine what may be driving observed changes in fish abundance in these areas. Joel has always loved going out on the water for activities like fishing, surfing, and boating. He got his first boat when he was only 13 years old! In addition, Joel is also an enthusiastic basketball player and reader of Revolutionary Era history books and biographies. He received his undergraduate training in Biology and History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and went on to receive his Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. Afterward, Joel conducted postdoctoral research with the Marine Sciences Consortium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Joel served on the faculty at the University of South Alabama before joining the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he is today. Joel is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.