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

Dr. Eric Kmiec is Director of the Gene Editing Institute of the Helen F. Graham Cancer and Research Institute at Christiana Care Health System. He also holds faculty appointments at the University of Delaware and the Wistar Institute. Eric and his colleagues are working to develop new ways to treat cancer by destroying the genes that cause cancer cells to be resistant to typical therapies like chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy. Throughout his life, Eric has enjoyed sports. He particularly likes playing baseball and hockey, and he still plays baseball competitively in a league in Philadelphia. Eric also spends much of his time doing landscaping and yardwork. He Received his B.A. in Microbiology from Rutgers University, his M.S. in Cell Biology and Biochemistry from Southern Illinois University, and his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Florida School of Medicine. He conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Rochester before joining the faculty at the University of California, Davis in 1987. Since then, he has served on the faculty of Thomas Jefferson University, the University of Delaware, and Delaware State University. In addition, Eric founded, consulted for, and served as Vice President of Kimeragen, Inc., he was Chief Scientific Advisor for the Genomics Division of Tapestry Pharmaceuticals, was an Eminent Scholar and Director of the Marshall University Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, and also served as Co-Founder, Chief Scientific Officer, and a Board Member of OrphageniX. Eric has received numerous awards and honors over the course of his career, including receipt of the 2012 Proudford Foundation Unsung Hero Award in Sickle Cell Disease, designation as an Honorary Commander of the 436th Air Wing at Dover Air Force Base in 2013 and 2014, and also induction into the Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville Alumni Hall of Fame in 2012. Further, Eric and the team at the Gene Editing Institute were recently awarded the inaugural Life Sciences and Bio Innovation Award from the Philadelphia-Israeli Chamber of Commerce. In our interview, Eric shared his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Rebecca Wattam is a Research Associate Professor in the Network Dynamics and Simulation Science Laboratory within the Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech. Rebecca is the outreach and biology lead for a bioinformatics research center that scientists use to share and analyze their data on bacteria and bacterial genomes. She is particularly interested in examining the similarities and differences between groups of bacteria. Rebecca received her B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of New Mexico in Biology. Next, she attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned a joint Ph.D. degree in Entomology and Veterinary Science. Rebecca received a MacArthur Fellowship to conduct postdoctoral research at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and she completed a second postdoctoral fellowship there as well before accepting a position on the faculty at Virginia Tech. In our interview, Rebecca speaks more about her experiences in life and science.

Dr. Deepak Singh is an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Missouri and Principal Investigator of the Magnetism and Superconductivity Research Laboratory there. Deepak’s research aims to better understand magnetism and superconductivity in new and existing materials. One of the magnetic materials they are studying has a honeycomb lattice structure that gives the material unique properties. Deepak and his lab are working to better understand the fundamental physics and mechanisms that underlie these properties, but also to investigate potential applications of this material. Deepak has a variety of interests outside of science, including playing tennis, traveling, and spending time with his family. In particular, he and his family love exploring National Parks, and the Badlands National Park is his favorite thus far. He received his PhD in condensed matter physics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Afterwards, Deepak conducted postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to joining the University of Missouri, Deepak worked for about 4.5 years as a Staff Scientist with a joint appointment at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland, College Park. He has received several research awards at the University of Missouri, including the Research Board Award and the Physics Alumni Faculty Fellow Award. In our interview, Deepak shared some of his experiences in life and science. In our interview, Deepak shared some of his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Carmel Majidi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. There, he also holds courtesy appointments in the Robotics Institute and in Civil and Environmental Engineering. In Carmel’s soft machines lab, they are engineering new types of materials that can be used to make machines and robots soft, flexible, and more lifelike. The goal is for these machines to move more like natural organisms. When not working, Carmel is often out engaging in physical activities including hitting the gym or walking/jogging in nearby parks and along river trails. He also enjoys the arts and travel. Carmel travels frequently for work, and he likes to block off extra time on these trips to to visit museums and cultural landmarks. Carmel received his B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley. He completed postdoctoral fellowships at Princeton University as well as at Harvard University before joining the faculty at Carnegie Mellon. Over the course of his career, Carmel has received numerous awards and honors, including the Young Faculty Awards from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). He has also received the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Early Career Faculty Award, as well as the George Tallman Ladd Award and Carnegie Institute of Technology Dean’s Early Career Fellowship from Carnegie Mellon University. In addition, Carmel was named a PopTech Science Fellow in 2013. In our interview Carmel discusses his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Alexandra Martiniuk is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine of the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney, an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and a Senior Research Fellow at the George Institute for Global Health. Alex is an epidemiologist, and her work involves applying mathematics to answer questions in health and medicine. In particular, Alex is interested in better understanding and improving child health, global health, and the health of indigenous people. Beyond spending her time doing science, Alex loves hanging out with her husband and two young children. She often travels internationally for her work, to visit family, and to attend a variety of events. In addition, Alex enjoys the outdoors, sports, and long-distance running. Prior to pursuing a career in research, Alex worked for the Trillium Childhood Cancer Support Center. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and life sciences as well as her master's degree in community health from Queen’s University in Canada. Alex was awarded her Ph.D. in epidemiology and biostatistics from the University of Western Ontario. Over the course of her career, Alex has received numerous awards and honors, including Fellowships from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the University of Sydney, and Merck. She is also the recipient of the Saturn Commitment to Excellence Award, a Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship, and the Australian Chamber of Commerce Young Outstanding Person of the Year Award. In addition, Alex was named a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Rising Star in Health Services Research. In our interview, Alex shares some of her experiences in both life and science.

Dr. Michael Levin is Professor and Vannevar Bush Endowed Chair in the Department of Biology at Tufts University. He is also Director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts and Director of the Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. In addition, Mike is a Visiting Scholar at the Wyss Institute at Harvard. Mike seeks to better understand how living things work. Specifically, he studies how cells and tissues make decisions, computations that occur in living systems, and the mechanisms that allow cells and complex structures to arise through evolution and to be created during development and regeneration. When he’s not thinking about science, Mike spends his time with his wife and kids, enjoys the outdoors, goes kayaking, and takes lots of photos of the natural world. His photo portfolio includes many striking panoramic shots and microphotography of insects. Mike received his B.S. in Computer Science and Biology from Tufts University and his Ph.D. in Genetics from Harvard University Medical School. He remained at Harvard University afterwards to conduct research in molecular embryology under a Helen Hay Whitney Foundation post-doctoral fellowship. Next, Mike joined the faculty at Harvard and also became a member of the research staff at the Forsyth Institute. During his career, Mike has received numerous honors and accolades. He was awarded a Junior Investigator Award from the Society for Physical Regulation in Biology and Medicine, the Distinguished Scholar Award from Tufts University, the Scientist of Vision Award from the International Functional Electrical Stimulation Society, and the Established Investigator Award from the American Heart Association. In our interview, Mike shares more about his life and science.

Dr. Tuomo Suntola is a co-owner and Board Member of the Finnish atomic layer deposition technology company Picosun Ltd. He is also Chairman of the Finnish Society for Natural Philosophy, Chairman of the Physics Foundations Society, and author of the books The Short History of Science, The Dynamic Universe, and Theoretical Basis of the Dynamic Universe. Most of Tuomo’s career has been spent working on a technology called atomic layer deposition (ALD). This technology is based on a saturated reaction that occurs on the surface of a material that allows the production of highly ordered material layers one atomic layer at a time. These layers are essential for the modern integrated circuits that are found in all of our electronic devices, but they are also used for various other applications including solar cells, lithium ion batteries, luxury watches, coins, and telescope mirrors. In addition to ALD technology, Tuomo is passionate about studying fundamental physics as well as the philosophy and history of science. When not thinking about technology, science, or the philosophy of science, Tuomo enjoys spending time with his family and friends, taking care of his home and garden, and having a refreshing swim in a the swimming hole near his home. He was awarded his M.S. and PhD in electrical engineering from the Helsinki University of Technology where he studied semiconductor physics. Afterwards, Tuomo worked as a Scientist at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland for a few years before accepting a position as Chief Scientist at Instrumentarium Ltd. He subsequently served as Director of Display Division and Chief Scientist at the consumer electronics manufacturing company Lohja Ltd, Managing Director of a subsidiary of the national oil company Neste Ltd. called Microchemistry Ltd, a Research Fellow in the national energy company Fortum Corporation. After retiring from Fortum, Tuomo has continued in his roles at Picosun. Over the course of his career, Tuomo has received many awards and honors, including the 2004 European SEMI Award for pioneering atomic layer deposition techniques. He was also honored in 2018 with the Millennium Technology Prize, which is regarded as Finland’s Nobel Prize, for developing this atomic layer deposition technology. He is an elected Member of the Finnish Academy of Technology, was a Member of a World Energy Council working group from 2003-2004, and was named a Knight First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland. In our interview, Tuomo shared more about his life and science.

Dr. Jo Dunkley is a Professor of Physics and Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University. Jo is a cosmologist who conducts research to approximate how space behaves as a whole. This includes looking into space and taking measurements to determine how the universe began, what it’s made of, how it’s growing, and what is going to happen to it in the future. Physics and family are two of the major pieces in Jo’s life. She loves spending time with her two young daughters. Lately, her older daughter enjoys running, drawing, singing, and learning about space. Jo received her MSci with First Class Honors in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and her PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Oxford. Afterwards, she conducted postdoctoral research and was subsequently a Visiting Research Fellow at Princeton University. Before joining the faculty at Princeton University, Jo served on the faculty at the University of Oxford. Over the course of her career, Jo has received numerous awards and honors including the Maxwell Medal from the Institute of Physics, the Royal Astronomical Society’s Fowler Prize in Astronomy, the Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award, the Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award, and the Philip Leverhulme Prize from the Leverhulme Trust. She also shared the Gruber Foundation Cosmology Prize, a NASA Group Achievement Award, and most recently the Breakthrough Prize for Fundamental Physics with the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe team. In our interview, Jo speaks about some of her experiences in life and science.

Dr. Kurt Hankenson is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School. Kurt is a veterinarian and a scientist. His research focuses on developing new treatments to improve bone healing as well as to treat bone loss conditions like osteoporosis. Outside of research, Kurt enjoys running, spending time with his wife and son, eating good food, drinking West Coast IPAs, traveling, listening to music, and reading. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois. Afterwards, Kurt practiced equine veterinary medicine for a few years before returning to graduate school for his MS in Basic Medical Sciences from the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. Kurt went on to earn his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Washington, and he remained at the University of Washington to conduct postdoctoral research before accepting a faculty position at the University of Michigan. Kurt then served on the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine for 8 years, and there he held the inaugural Dean W. Richardson Chair for Equine Research. Kurt worked briefly as a faculty member at Michigan State University before returning to the University of Michigan last year. Over the course of his career, Kurt has been awarded numerous honors including the Young Investigator Award, a John Haddad Fellowship, and also the Fuller Albright Award, all from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. In our interview, Kurt shared some of his experiences in life and science.

Dr. Marcie O'Malley is the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Mechanical Engineering, as well as a Professor of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University. Marcie is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine and at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. In addition, she is Director of the Mechatronics and Haptic Interfaces Lab at Rice University, Director of Rehabilitation Engineering at TIRR-Memorial Hermann Hospital, and co-founder of Houston Medical Robotics, Inc. The goal of Marcie’s research is to use robotic systems to maximize what people can achieve. She creates wearable and interactive robots to rehabilitate and restore function in people after spinal cord injury or stroke. Another area of Marcie’s research focuses on the use of robots for training via surgical simulations. Outside of her scientific interests, Marcie loves to travel and explore new cities. She is also a mom of eleven year old twin boys, so she spends a lot of time working on school projects, attending sporting events, going to art classes, exploring parks, and visiting museums with them. She received her B.S. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, and she was awarded her M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University. Marcie has received recognition for her teaching and research through receipt of the George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching at Rice University, an Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, and an NSF CAREER Award. She has also been named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Marcie joined us for an interview to talk about some of her experiences in life and science.