823: Probing Protein Dynamics from Molecular Switches to Shape-Changing Viral Particles - Dr. Ganesh Anand
Release Date: 07/28/2025
846: Studying the Genetics and Mechanisms of Specialized Proteins in the Brain that Regulate Neurotransmission
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Randy Blakely is a Professor of Biomedical Science at Florida Atlantic University and Executive Director of the Florida Atlantic University Brain Institute. Randy is examining how neurons control neurotransmitter signaling, as well as how medicinal drugs and drugs of abuse impact neurotransmitters. He is interested in how normal neurotransmitter regulation and changes in neurotransmission due to drugs ultimately impact behavior. Randy lives in beautiful South Florida near the Everglades, and he likes to spend is free time enjoying nature and observing the local wildlife. While commuting...
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845: Decoding the Role of Biophysical Signals in Health and Disease - Dr. Nirosha Murugan
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Nirosha J. Murugan is a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Tissue Biophysics as well as Distinguished Research Chair and Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her research focuses on how our bodies, cells, and tissues communicate with each other from the molecular scale all the way up to our organs, physiology, and consciousness. She is interested in the kinds of information that are shared, including light, electromagnetic fields, and electricity, as well as the physics of how the information is transmitted. Her lab develops tools to record...
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844: Applying Physics and Nanotechnology to Understand Mechanics and Shape in Biological Systems - Dr. Sonia Contera
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Sonia Contera is an Associate Professor of Biological Physics at the University of Oxford Physics Department, and a Research Fellow of Green Templeton College. She is also the author of the recently released book Nano comes to Life. Sonia is a physicist who is interested in biology and the mechanics of biology across different space and time scales. She develops experiments and techniques to understand the physics that allow biological systems to build nano-scale molecules into cells, organs, tissues, and organisms. Projects in Sonia’s lab include studying and treating pancreatic tumors,...
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843: Breaking Down the Mysteries of Digestion in Animals With Unusual Diets - Dr. Donovan German
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Donovan German is Associate Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. Donovan aims to better understand how materials move through the gut, which enzymes are secreted during digestion, what microbes are present, and what role these microbes play. In particular, Donovan focuses his research on animals with unusual diets, such as fish that eat wood or algae, to understand how these foods are digested and how animals can survive on these lower quality foods. Beyond his interests in science, Donovan loves...
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842: Investigating the Biology and Origins of Small Cell Lung Cancer - Dr. Trudy Oliver
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Trudy G. Oliver is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Cancer Biology as well as a Duke Science and Technology Scholar at Duke University. Trudy’s research focuses on small cell lung cancer, a disease known for its remarkable ability to "shape-shift" or undergo cellular plasticity. This adaptability allows cancer cells to change types and develop different therapeutic vulnerabilities (or invulnerabilities), making treatment especially challenging and preventing the development of a one-size-fits-all approach. When she’s not in the lab, Trudy unwinds with walks, jogs,...
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841: Investigating How Brain Damage Occurs in Stroke and Developing Therapies to Improve Stroke Recovery - Dr. Ian Winship
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Ian Winship is an Associate Professor and a former Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Scholar in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta. He is also Director of the Neurochemical Research Unit there. Ian is interested in understanding how we can reduce the damage early after a stroke and ways we can improve recovery in people who had a stroke a long time ago. His research also examines changes in the brain that lead to symptoms in other brain disorders like schizophrenia. Much of Ian’s free time is spent on or near the ice rink. He coaches his son’s hockey team and...
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840: Investigating Issues at the Intersection of People, Policy, and Marine and Coastal Environments - Dr. Ana Spalding
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Ana Spalding is Assistant Professor of Marine and Coastal Policy and Affiliate Faculty at the Pacific Marine Energy Center at Oregon State University. She is also a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama as well as at the Coiba Research Station in Panama. As a social scientist who works in marine and coastal policy, Ana’s research is focused on the intersections of people, the environment, and policies. She is interested in understanding people’s perceptions of the ocean and coast, policy and management frameworks surrounding resource use in...
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839: Managing Ant Infestations and Invasions and Studying Ant-Pathogen Interactions - Dr. Scotty Yang
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Chin-Cheng “Scotty” Yang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech. Scotty’s research focuses on ants. He’s interested in understanding their fascinating biology and how they respond to pathogens, as well as finding better ways to control ant infestations and invasive ant populations. When he’s not working, Scotty spends most of his free time with his two kids, and he especially enjoys playing and coaching basketball. He’s a passionate fan who even adopted the name of his basketball hero, Scottie Pippen. He received his BS, MS, and PhD degrees...
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838: Examining Interactions Between Changes in Earth's Environments, Extinction Events, and Evolution of Life - Dr. Jonathan Payne
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Jonathan Payne is a Professor and Chair of Geological Sciences at Stanford University. He also holds a courtesy appointment in Biology, is a Member of Stanford’s interdisciplinary biosciences institute Bio-X, and is an Affiliate of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Jonathan studies the history of life on Earth. He is interested in the interactions between the changes in earth’s environments and the evolution of life on Earth. In particular, Jonathan focuses on large extinction events like asteroid impacts and volcanic eruptions, and how these impacted life in the...
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837: Developing Novel Nature-Inspired Drug Delivery Systems - Dr. Kathryn Whitehead
People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers
Dr. Kathryn (Katie) Whitehead is an Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University where she also holds a courtesy appointment in Biomedical Engineering. Katie received her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware and her PhD in chemical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Afterwards, she conducted postdoctoral research in the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT. Katie has received numerous awards and honors, including the DARPA Young Faculty Award, the DARPA Director’s Fellowship, the...
info_outlineDr. 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 molecules. He also does research on viruses and how they change shape to infect their hosts. Beyond his scientific interests, Ganesh has also been passionate about music for as long as he can remember. He takes voice lessons now and enjoys singing in choirs in his free time. He received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and his master’s degree in biological sciences from Birla Institute of Technology and Science in India. Next, Ganesh attended Rutgers University where he earned his PhD in biochemistry. Afterwards, he conducted postdoctoral research as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Fellow at the University of California San Diego. Ganesh served on the faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences at the National University of Singapore for over a decade before accepting a faculty position at Penn State where he is today. His lab is recognized as a Waters World Center of Innovation in Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry. Ganesh is founding member and former Director of the Singapore National Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry (SingMass) and the former Vice President of the Singapore Society for Mass Spectrometry. In this interview, he shares more about his life and science.