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

Dr. Maureen (Mo) Donnelly is a Professor of Biology and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences at Florida International University (FIU). She is also a Research Associate in the Department of Herpetology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Mo studies amphibians like frogs and toads. These organisms are all currently at risk for extinction, and her lab is dedicated to trying to understand how to prevent losses of species in the future. Mardi Gras is Mo's favorite holiday, and she likes to spend her free time preparing for riding in the each Mardi Gras parade. She was able to ride on a float in the parade in New Orleans, and it was an incredible experience. Mo received her PhD in Biology from the University of Miami and completed postdoctoral research at the American Museum of Natural History and at the University of Miami. She worked as an Adjunct Assistant Professor and Project Director at the University of Miami before joining the faculty at Florida International University. Mo is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.

Dr. Mark Saffman is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received is B.Sc. with honors in Applied Physics from the California Institute of Technology. Mark’s research focuses on quantum computing. He and his colleagues are trying to build a new kind of computer called a quantum computer that can solve some types of problems that are unreachable for current supercomputers. A quantum computer uses individual atoms and has power that exceeds what you can do with known classical computing approaches. For Mark, physics is a hobby as well as his job. When he’s not thinking about physics, Mark likes spending time with his family, including his young kids. Getting outside and enjoying nature is a great way for Mark to relax and unwind. Mark worked as a Technical Staff Member at TRW Defense and Space systems and subsequently an Optical Engineer at Dantec Electronics Inc. in Denmark before going back to graduate school to earn his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Next, Mark worked as a Senior Scientist at Riso National Laboratory in Denmark before joining the faculty at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Mark has received many honors and awards during his career including the Vilas Associate Award from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, as well as the Research and Creative Work and the William Walter Jr. Awards from the University of Colorado. In addition, he has been named a Fellow of the Optical Society of America and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Mark joined us in this interview to talk about his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Luiz E. Bertassoni is the founding director of the Knight Cancer Precision Biofabrication Hub and Professor in the Division of Oncological Sciences at the Knight Cancer Institute, where he is also co-section head for Discovery and Translational Oncology. He is also faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research (CEDAR) Center, and the Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) School of Dentistry. Luiz is co-founder of 2 biotech spin-off companies which resulted from his work on cancer research and regenerative medicine: he is Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of HuMarrow and Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of RegendoDent. Outside of science, Luiz is a big fan of surfing, and he enjoyed frequent trips to the beach while completing his PhD in Sydney, Australia, and a postdoctoral fellowship in San Francisco, California. In addition to spending time in the water, Luiz loves music. He is a singer-songwriter who plays various instruments, including guitar, drums, bass, and piano. In his research, Luiz applies engineering tools to biology to build human tissues in the lab. The goal of Luiz’s lab is to create new models to better understand cancers and develop methods to regenerate lost or damaged tissues. Luiz was awarded his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Parana in Brazil. Afterwards, he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California, San Francisco. He then enrolled in a graduate program and received his PhD in Biomaterials from the University of Sydney. Next he accepted a postdoctoral fellowship in Harvard Medical School and MIT's joint program in Health Sciences and Technology. He served on the faculty at the University of Sydney before joining the faculty at OHSU in 2015. His work on vascular bioprinting was listed in the top 100 research discoveries by Discover Magazine, and he has received over 30 national and international research awards, including the Medical Research Foundation New Investigator award, the Silver Family Faculty Innovation award, and many others. In this interview, Luiz shares more about his life and science.

Dr. Shannon Manning is a Michigan State University (MSU) Foundation Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. The goal of Shannon’s research is to understand how pathogens (bacteria or viruses) cause disease in people. How likely a person is to get sick may be due to the different types of pathogens they are exposed to, but also genetic variation within a specific type of pathogen. Not every bacteria of a particular species is exactly identical, and some are more effective at attaching to targets and infecting hosts. When she’s not working in the lab, Shannon loves spending time with her family. On the weekends, Shannon can often be found at soccer games, swim meets, and other activities cheering on her four kids. Gardening is also one of her favorite hobbies, and she has been cultivating a wonderful assortment of flowers. She earned her B.S. in biology from the University of Michigan, her M.P.H. in Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology, and her Ph.D. in Molecular Epidemiology from the University of Michigan. Afterwards, Shannon was awarded an Emerging Infectious Disease Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Shannon is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.

Dr. Adam Summers is a Professor in the School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences and Department of Biology at the University of Washington, and he conducts research in his lab within the Friday Harbor Laboratories there. With a background in engineering and mathematics, Adam works on applying engineering and physics principles to living systems. He uses lessons from the natural world to develop solutions to real-world problems like how to filter things, stick to things, burrow in sand, and move quickly and efficiently under water. Adam and his family live on a small island where they enjoy hiking and hanging out by the sea shore together. In addition, Adam is a licensed pilot, so you can often spot him spending his free time flying small planes. He completed his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and engineering at Swarthmore College, and afterwards worked as a SCUBA instructor in Australia. Adam next decided to pursue graduate school, receiving his master’s degree in Biology from New York University and his PhD in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Massachusetts. He received a Miller Research Postdoctoral fellowship to conduct research at the University of California, Berkeley and went on to serve as a faculty member at UC, Irvine before joining the faculty at the University of Washington. Adam has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In addition, he was awarded the Bartholmew Prize for physiology research from the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology, the UC, Irvine Academic Senate prize for undergraduate teaching, as well as the Directors award for program management excellence from the National Science Foundation. He also writes a monthly biomechanics column in Natural History Magazine and served as scientific advisor for the Pixar films “Finding Nemo” and the recently released sequel “Finding Dory”. Adam is here with us today to talk a little about his research and tell us all about his journey through life and science.