Saturday Morning Lab

On this week's episode I have the privilege of chatting with Dr. Mel Thacker, an ear, nose, and throat surgeon, TED speaker, and founder and Master Coach at The Surgeon Coach. She is also one of the leading voices for reform in the field of surgery and medicine in general. We discuss how a childhood surgery set her on a path to the profession. We also delve into her experiences with the systemic challenges and pressures facing the surgeons and the profession. This was one of my favorite episodes as the topics are not only relevant to surgery but to system reform at large. 

On this week's episode, I speak to the visionary Dr. Catharine Young, Senior Fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health and former Assistant Director of the Cancer Moonshot Program under former President Biden. We discuss her early beginnings in South Africa, and her incredible career path through biomedical research, scientific policy, fellowship at the National Academy of Sciences and current role at Harvard Public Health. We also reflect on health policy and what inspires her during these singular times. 

This week, I speak to the thoughtful and passionate Kamil Gorecki, a biochemist/microbiologist at the University of California Irvine. We talk about his formative years in his native Poland and his passion for STEM. We also discuss his scientific training across Europe, completing his thesis work in the midst of his mentor's battle with cancer, and moving to Southern California to continue his investigation of microbial proteins. Throughout our conversation, Kamil reminds us of the importance of chasing after an interesting scientific question for its own sake and the innovations disruptive innovations that inevitably follow.     

This week, I talk to my long time friend Kristin Luther an industry specialist in extracellular vesicles (EVs). We talk about her broad interest early in life, her foray into medical illustration, PhD years, and ultimate transition into industry. We also talk about the challenges facing EV biology (a topic near and dear to my own heart). Unexpectedly, we have a thoughtful conversation on the nature of vocation, facing challenges, and maintaining one's sense of curiosity-driven optimism. 

On this episode, I have the sincere pleasure of speaking with the incredibly creative and talented Emma Vidal. Emma is a scientific illustrator, art director, and founder of Draw Impacts where she and her team help scientists from academia to industry effectively convey their message and brand through art. We talk about her early years in a small fishing village in France, her fateful entry into scientific illustration and her creative process!

Hey friends, on this special mini-episode, I celebrate International Women's Day by highlighting Arabic women who despite their historic and perhaps unparalleled heroism, service, scholarship, and preservation of culture and faith in this region are often overlooked, patronized and otherwise misrepresented by international media in general and Western media (and entertainment) in particular. I included a link here to the Arab Women's Organization to learn more about what Arab women are doing to empower one another in this truly singular part of the world. 

On this week's episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with the brilliant and effortlessly funny Dr. Gemma Alderton. Gemma is a consultant, editor and writer with nearly two decades of editorial experience in Nature and Science journals. We talk about her early passion for art and chemistry, and foray into research and scientific publishing. We also discuss at length the many challenges facing this prevailing but precarious model. 

On this week's episode, I chat with the brilliant and thoughtful Dr. Helen Collins, Assistant Professor of Cardiology at the University of Louisville. We talk about discovering her passion for research, the struggle to find a postdoc position at the height of the recession, moving to the US and establishing her research program exploring mechanisms that underlie female cardiovascular health and resilience.

This week, I revisit my episode with the fun, engaging, and thoughtful Julie Bauman, a graduate student at Stanford and a science content creator in her own right! Through her TikTok channel 60 Second Science she hopes to distill and disseminate science to the expert and lay public. We talk about her how she developed an early interest in science and medicine, pivoting away from medical school and devote her time to thesis training. 

On this first episode of season 2, I sit down with my colleague and friend, Kenneth Gouin, a brilliant and thoughtful bioinformatics scientist. We discuss his early interest in regenerative medicine, his pivot to bioinformatics, his experience in industry, and the importance of philosophical literacy in research. 

Hey Friends, Welcome to the second season of Saturday Morning Lab! We started a little later this year as I've been wrangling with a severe flu virus. But great things have also happened since season 1! I published a flagship paper from my lab (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adp1338), and other cool developments I'm sharing in this promo! Season 2 episodes start Friday January 30th!

On National Neonatal Nurses Week, I sit down with Amanda Williams, a neonatal clinical nurse specialist, content creator, and consultant at Amanda's NICU ED. We talk about her path to a nursing career, the unique calling of working in the neonatal intensive care unit, the challenges and the future of the nursing profession, and much more. Find Amanda's very helpful content on Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube. 

Hey friends, in this special episode, I review the book "Labwork to Leadership: a concise guide to thriving in the science job you weren't trained for". Scientists receive sufficient training to develop lines of investigation, but little to no training on leading the very people who make this effort possible. In this easy read, Jen offers first-hand insight into self-development, leading others, and creating future leaders.   Find "Labwork to Leadership" here or at your independent book seller: 

My former research intern Jamie Lee stops by my office to record a bonus episode! We talk about her beginnings as a naturalist, a seeker, her "aha" moment for medicine and discovering her passion for research, and her path as a yogi. In our honest conversation, we discuss what resilience looks like for her. She is applying to MD/PhD programs (AMCAS ID: 15756334) this year so MSTP admissions committees take note! 

On this last installment of Campfire Confessions, I reflect on having lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in a long time and one Arabic translator's experience working in a refugee camp on an Greek Island. 

On this episode of Campfire Confessions, I talk about a time when I caused havoc on the UC Irvine campus driving a semi-truck. I also talk about a very pleasant surprise by my research team. 

On the third installment of Campfire Confessions, I recount an awkward instance when a conference speaker showed up to an empty hall save one enthusiastic audience member. I also share a recent experience taking a train for the first time in years. For pics of the beautiful Glendale station, please find us on our Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/satmorninglab/).  As always, you're welcome to reach out to me with stories or guest nominations at [email protected].  

On this second installment of Campfire Confessions, we tell the tale of a recent college graduate desperately looking for a job then faced with a tough decision after a major screw up during his first couple of days. We also give updates on the X (https://x.com/SatMorningLab) and Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/satmorninglab/).  As always, you're welcome to reach out to me with stories or guest nominations at [email protected].  

In this first installment of Campfire Confessions, we relate the tale of a Masters in Public Health Student who finds himself at odds with his practicum mentor when he decides to strike out on his own with his research project. 

Happy Summer, friends! I love camping and I love swapping tales around the campfire. That is why I am collecting your work stories this summer to feature them on the podcast. Whether it happened during your PhD, postdoc, or work years, tell me about it, and tell me how it turned out and what it taught you! Email me at [email protected]. Please be sure to exclude real names to protect everyone's privacy. Episodes all summer long here at Saturday Morning Lab.

Hey friends, as we close out season 1, I reflect on the genesis of our little project, I have some people to thank, and discuss what's in store for season 2! Have a great summer!

This week, part 2 of my season finale episode with Dr. Denis Noble. We discuss an expanded view of biology, thinking on a systems level and the need to embrace new paradigms of biology. See Dr. Noble's influential books here for more information.

In this penultimate episode of my first season of the podcast, I speak to Professor Denis Noble, Professor Emeritus at Oxford University, biologist, philosopher, and an early champion of systems biology. He also trained Dr. Dick Tsien, who trained Dr. Eduardo Marban, who trained me. We discuss his childhood early childhood in WWII London, his foray into academics, and thesis training. This is part I of a very special two-part episode.

This week, I had the pleasure of chatting with the wise, caring, and and formidable Dr. Mamta Saxena. We discuss her early life in India, her early ambitions in medicine, her detour into home economics, moving to the US, wrangling with years of hard work as a student and mother and achieving academic success in the field of family science and sibling caretaker psychology. 

On this week's episode, I chat with Dr. Jennifer Polk of FromPhDtoLife. We discuss her thesis experience, meeting her first career coach, and how she found purpose in helping others find fulfilling careers beyond academia. Jennifer is kind, funny, honest, and reflective on this very important topic.

This week, I continue my discussion with Dr. Ubadah Sabbagh, Chief of Staff at Arcadia Science. We discuss his transition to industry, perspective on the state of academic research enterprise, and visionary endeavors.

This week, I have the great pleasure to interviewing Dr. Ubadah Sabbagh, the Chief of Staff at Arcadia Science. Ubadah is a biotech strategist, neuroscientist, and policy advisor. In part 1 of our discussion, Ubadah discusses his international upbringing, his foray into research, and development as a thought leader. We also discuss the why and the how of developing your voice. 

This week, I continue my conversation with Professor Graham Kendall (graham-kendall.com) , Deputy Director of Research and Enterprise at MILA University in Malaysia. We continue our discussion about his career path in academia, the role of AI, research publication integrity.  

This week, I have the pleasure and privilege of interviewing Professor Graham Kendall, computer scientist, author, and Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at MILA University. We discuss charting his path academia when he began his undergraduate education at the age of 34 to his accomplished career as a professor, and moving to Malaysia. We also discuss his perspective on the role of AI, and his efforts to address predatory publishing. This is Part 1 of our 2 part episode.

On this week's episode, I chat with the bright, sharp, and fearless Dr. Mu Yang, a behavioral neuroscientist and data integrity sleuth from Columbia University. We talk about her upbringing in a family of physicists, and her experience moving to the US for academia. We also delve into research integrity and the vital role of data sleuths.

This week, I have the pleasure of speaking to the wonderful Dr. Anna Clemens, academic writing coach and founder of the Researchers’ Writing Academy. We discuss her upbringing in a small German town, her teenage years making soap and cosmetic products, her chemistry PhD, and discovering her love for scientific writing and developing a novel method for empowering others to communicate their research effectively. 

Part 2 of my two-part conversation with the inspiring Dr. Elisabeth Bik, a science integrity consultant and advocate. She recently won the  2024 Einstein Foundation Award for Promoting Quality in Research. She invested the 200,000 euro award to establish the Elisabeth Bik Science Integrity Fund with the Centre for Research Integrity. Thank you for leading by example, Elisabeth and for your tireless efforts to keeping science honest. 

This week, I reflect on my discussion with the kind Tanina Arab. I discuss the importance of expanding your professional support network, the rise of online vitriol among the research community over current events, and things you can do for yourself now that you'll thank yourself for later. As always, I welcome your input at [email protected].

On this this week's episode, I have the pleasure and privilege of interviewing Dr. Elisabeth Bik in a special two-part series. We discuss her rich professional experience and her path to data sleuthing and research integrity. This is part I.

On this week's episode of Let's Get Coffee, I reflect on my interview @AnnaCiaunica and why we are so fixated on recreating human consciousness. I close with Shakespeare's Sonet 27 which elegantly illustrates the burden of a mind and body disconnected. As always, your comments and questions are welcome at [email protected]. 

In this week's episode, I chat with the bright, sharp, and fearless Dr. Mu Yang, a behavioral neuroscientist and data integrity sleuth from Columbia University. We talk about her upbringing in a family of physicists, and her experience moving to the US for academia. We also delve into research integrity and the vital role of data sleuths.

On this week's episode, I sit down with the fun, engaging, and thoughtful Julie Bauman, a graduate student at Stanford and a science content creator in her own right! Through her TikTok channel 60 Second Science she hopes to distill and disseminate science to the expert and lay public. We talk about her how she developed an early interest in science and medicine, pivoting away from medical school and devote her time to thesis training. 

On this episode of Let's Get Coffee, I reflect on my discussion with Daniel Manrique Castano. I reflect on the importance of personal initiative, the trials of postdoc training and faculty-trainee relationships, and reforming scientific publishing. I quote from the Christian Larson; The Optimist Creed. As always, your comments and questions are welcome at [email protected]. 

On this week's episode, I chat with Dr. Jennifer Polk of FromPhDtoLife. We discuss her thesis experience, meeting her first career coach, and how she found purpose in helping others find fulfilling careers beyond academia. Jennifer is kind, funny, honest, and reflective on this very important topic.

On this week's episode I chat with Professor Pedro Leao at the University of Radboud in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Pedro talks about growing up in a Brazil, his early passion for sports and how it influences his outlook as a scientist. He also talks about a how a series of unlikely circumstances accelerated his training and maturity as an independent investigator.  

Tanina Arab is an Associate Research Scientist at Yale University. On this week's episode, she and I talk about her experience growing up in a small mountain village in Algeria, her thesis training in France, and her move to the US to complete her postdoctoral studies. We also chat about the challenges facing academia today and the spillover of politics on academic relationships. 

On this week's episode of LGF, I look back on my discussion with Professor Ashley Cole. I also reflect on her thoughtful question of how we would describe ourselves without mentioning our work. I also learned much about the rich Potawatomi culture (https://www.potawatomiheritage.com/) and came across the book Braiding Sweetgrass by the Potawatomi botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer (https://www.amazon.com/Braiding-Sweetgrass-Indigenous-Scientific-Knowledge/dp/1571313567). As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts at [email protected]!  

Professor Anna Ciaunica studies self-consciousness, embodiment and social interactions in Humans and Artificial Agents. On this week's episode we discuss the remarkable evolution of her research focus and her groundbreaking work on what makes the "self" and reconceptualizing the relationship between the mind and body. As always, your questions and input are welcome at [email protected]!

This week on Let's Get Coffee, I reflect on my discussion with Rahaf Salim and how our uniqueness can be strengths in the research endeavor. I also revisit some old Arabic poetry I learned as a kid a long time ago. As always, your questions and input are welcome at [email protected]!

In this week's episode, I sit down with Dr. Daniel Manrique-Castaño, a Data Curation Officer at the Digital Research Alliance of Canada. Daniel shares his rich experiences growing up in Colombia, where he developed an early interest in psychology that eventually blossomed into a research career in neuroscience. He recounts completing his thesis in Germany during the pandemic and reflects on the challenges he encountered during his postdoctoral training in Canada. Now working in the field of data science and data integrity, Daniel reflects on the broader challenges of data management, scientific publishing, and the evolving landscape of science communication. As always, your questions and input are welcome at [email protected]!

In this episode of "Let's Get Coffee", I sit back and ponder Elvira's question and read a passage from Ulysses by the 19th Century English poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson. As always, your questions and input are welcome at [email protected]!

Dr. Ashley Cole is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Oklahoma State University. Ashley grew up in Oklahoma as a member of Potawatomi Nation. In this week's episode she and I discuss her successful journey to academic independence and the impact of her cultural background on her research focus. Ashley also shares her perspective on academia and mentorship. In her career as an academic, Ashley brings her values of compassion, support, respect, and intellectual vigor to life as she trains the next generation of scholars. As always, your questions and comments are welcome at [email protected]!

Hey pals! “Let’s get coffee” is a short midweek episode companion to our longer Saturday episodes. In these bite-sized offerings, I sit back and comfortably reflect on last week’s discussion. This week I reflect on my discussion with Ashley Kopec and her question of what moments in the past week have given us a sense of fulfillment. I'd love to hear from you! Send me an email at [email protected] with your thoughts!

On this week's episode, I sit down with Rahaf Salim, a talented, charismatic, and purpose-driven graduate student from Purdue University who hopes to turn her bench-side discoveries into treatments for osteoarthritis, a complex and painful disease and a leading cause of disability. She discusses her background as a Palestinian American growing up on the East Coast and how her values shaped her career ambitions. She highlights the importance of entrepreneurial and industry literacy to empower primary investigators to efficiently translate their discoveries into available therapies. She also stresses the importance of harnessing human diversity in the most practical and genuine sense. She challenges us to think about how our individual characteristics and perspectives uniquely empower us in our respective fields.

This week, I chat with Dr. Elvira Forte, Senior Science Writer at the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center. Elvira grew up on the outskirts of Rome and the only one in her family to pursue science. Elvira is genuine, thoughtful, curious, dedicated, and very passionate about research. That curiosity has led her to interesting and diverse career paths in science. She urges everyone to stay curious and keep their eyes open for opportunities that so often slip our notice. What a joy it was to chat with her.