809: Bright Researcher Studying Exoplanets and their Stars and Developing New Astrophysics Technology - Dr. Kevin France
Release Date: 04/21/2025
828: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Particle Nature of Dark Matter - Dr. Djuna Croon
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Djuna Croon is Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and the Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology at Durham University. Trained as a particle physicist, Djuna is interested in the most fundamental building blocks of nature. She studies dark matter, a mysterious type of subatomic particle that we don’t yet know much about yet. Their work uses astrophysical measurements and particle physics experiments to better understand dark matter. Much of Djuna’s free time is spent with her two young boys. They love going to playgrounds, visiting farms, and baking cookies...
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827: Chilling Out Studying the Biodiversity of Arctic Arthropods - Dr. Chris Buddle
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Chris Buddle is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences and Associate Dean of Student Affairs at McGill University. He is a community ecologist who studies biodiversity of different species, and he is interested in figuring out what animals are where in our ecosystem. In particular, his work focuses on spiders, insects, and other arthropods. Chris is a bird aficionado who loves to draw birds and go birdwatching. For him, drawing is a great way to learn more about things and get a new perspective on what they look like. He also keeps busy chauffeuring his three...
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826: Visualizing Molecules to Understand Links Between Structure and Function - Dr. Beth Stroupe
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Beth Stroupe is a Professor in the Department of Biological Science and the Institute of Molecular Biophysics at Florida State University (FSU). She is also Director of the Molecular Biophysics Graduate Program there. Research in Beth’s lab focuses on understanding what molecules and proteins look like. This is important for better understanding how these molecules work, both from a basic science perspective and with an eye towards controlling molecules for clinical applications. They use a variety of different techniques that allow them to visualize these very tiny molecules. When...
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825: Sizing Up Signals in Seismic Waves to Understand Earth’s Interior Structure - Dr. Zach Eilon
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Zach Eilon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and he is also conducting research at Brown University. Zach is interested in understanding the earth’s tectonics, including how continents are built, how they break apart, and what is going on under the earth’s surface beneath the ocean floor. He wants to know how tectonic plates move and interact with each other. To study these tectonic movements, Zach uses data collected on the energy released during earthquakes. This energy picks up different signals on its way...
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824: Looking Beneath the Surface to Study the Science of Water Movement, Distribution, and Quality: Dr. Tess Russo
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Tess Russo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences at The Pennsylvania State University. Tess is a hydrologist which means she studies water. Her research examines how water moves, how much of it there is in the world, and how the actions of humans change how water moves in the world. Tess has been spending a lot of time doing home renovations. When she's not working on her house, she likes to visit family and travel. She received her PhD in Earth and Planetary Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Earth...
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823: Probing Protein Dynamics from Molecular Switches to Shape-Changing Viral Particles - Dr. Ganesh Anand
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Ganesh Anand is an Associate Professor of Chemistry as well as Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at The Pennsylvania State University (or Penn State University) at the University Park campus. He is also an elected Board Member of the International Society for Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS). Research in Ganesh’s lab examines molecular switches. He wants to know how molecules interact with one another and how they switch from one state to another. These tiny molecular switches act almost like electrical switches turning on and off the functions of different...
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822: Using Lake Sediments to Get to the Core of Key Issues in Ecology and Conservation - Dr. Jacquelyn Gill
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Jacquelyn Gill is an Assistant Professor of Paleoecology and Plant Ecology at the University of Maine. Jacquelyn is a paleoecologist. She studies ecology and climate change over the past 20,000 years since the end of the ice age. This involves taking a forensics-like approach to analyzing the sediments and fossil records in lakes and bogs that give clues about past climates and landscapes. When she's not thinking about science, Jacquelyn likes to be outdoors, exploring the forest and coastline in Maine. Her indoor hobbies include a weekly trivia night, knitting, and reading. She received...
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821: Illuminating the Quantum Physics of Ultracold Atoms - Dr. Chad Orzel
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Chad Orzel is the R. Gordon Gould Associate Professor of Physics at Union College. He is also author of the popular science books How to Teach Physics to Your Dog, How to Teach Relativity to Your Dog, Eureka: Discovering Your Inner Scientist, and the soon-to-be-released book Breakfast with Einstein: The Exotic Physics of Everyday Objects. In addition, Chad regularly contributes blog articles for Forbes Magazine. Chad studies ultracold atoms to improve our understanding of atomic physics. He uses lasers to drop the temperature of samples of atoms to just millionths or billionths of a degree...
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820: Studying the Molecular Information Cells Use to Move Through Their Environments - Dr. Michelle Starz-Gaiano
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Michelle Starz-Gaiano is Professor and Chair of Biological Sciences at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). Michelle’s research uses fruit flies to examine how cells in the body go to the right place at the right time. Understanding why and how cells use their genetic information to move through the body is critical because if this movement doesn’t happen correctly, it could, for example, impact embryo development or affect how immune cells mobilize after an injury. Conversely, preventing cancer cells from moving could keep cancer from spreading to other parts of the...
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819: Making Great Leaps Studying the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Tropical Frogs - Dr. Maureen Donnelly
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...
info_outlineDr. Kevin France is an Assistant Professor in the Department for Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences as well as an investigator within the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Kevin’s research focuses on improving our understanding of planetary systems outside of our own solar system. His research helps determine how the earth was formed, how it came to look the way it does, and how it fits into the broader perspective of planetary systems throughout the galaxy. Kevin also does laboratory and space mission work to develop the technology that will allow them to answer these questions. Kevin spends his free time enjoying an outdoor lifestyle living in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. His hobbies include hiking, skiing, biking, trail running, and spending time with his wife and 9-month old baby. He received his bachelor's degree in Physics and Astronomy from Boston University, and he was awarded his Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Johns Hopkins University. Afterwards, Kevin conducted research as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto. He next worked as a Research Associate and Fellow at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and during this time, Kevin was awarded the NASA Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowship. Kevin joined us to chat about his work as well as his life outside the lab.