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

885 Episodes

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885: Studying How Physical Forces Shape Cancer, Immunity, and Disease - Dr. Meenal Datta

2026-10-0550:07

Dr. Meenal Datta is the Jane DeFlorio Collegiate Professor and associate professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, where she directs the Tumor Immune Microenvironment & Mechanics (TIME) Lab. Her research focuses on the physics of cancer. She examines how the mechanical forces generated as solid tumors grow can influence disease progression, treatment resistance, and the ability of immune cells to fight cancer. Her lab studies how these forces and larger physical forces, like gravity, affect both cancer and immune cells within and around tumors. Outside of science, Meenal enjoys taking walks around the beautiful campuses near Notre Dame while listening to podcasts and audiobooks. A recreational rower since high school, she also rows a few times a week with the South Bend Community Rowing Club. Meenal also enjoys reading, cooking, and unwinding with sci-fi or true crime. She received her BS in chemical engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and her PhD in chemical and biological engineering from Tufts University. She completed her predoctoral and postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital under Dr. Rakesh K. Jain, before joining the faculty at Notre Dame in fall 2021. She has been recognized with numerous honors and awards including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Biomedical Engineering Society's Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award, the Air Force Young Investigator Program Award, the Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Young Innovator Award, a Rising Star award from the American Society for Mechanical Engineers and a Maximizing Investigators' Research Award for early stage investigators from the National Institutes of Health. In this interview, she shares more about her life, career, and research.

884: Investigating the Physics of Ultra-Fast Movements in Animals and Developing Low-Cost Scientific Tools - Dr. Saad Bhamla

2026-09-2842:09

Dr. Saad Bhamla is Assistant Professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Research in Saad's lab spans two different focus areas. Some of his projects are dedicated to developing very low-cost scientific tools and medical devices in order to make these items more accessible and affordable worldwide. Another area of research examines questions in biology and organismal physics. In this area, he is investigating how animals are able to move very rapidly, as well as how organisms can form aggregates that can sense their environment and share information. Through his research, he is using his expertise in engineering to solve problems to help society. In his free time, Saad loves to go running. Whether he is training for his next marathon or just taking his dogs out for some exercise, running has been a great way for him to think through problems and brainstorm new ideas. He received his bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University. Afterwards, he conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford University and was awarded a Dean's Postdoctoral Fellowship in Bioengineering. In addition, Saad has been awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, a Beazley Design Award, Medgadget's Best Medical Technology Award, an award from The Index Project (formerly INDEX: Design to Improve Life), an Innovation in MedTech Award from the American India Foundation and Stanford University, the Centennial Teaching Award from Stanford University, and The Milton van Dyke Award from the American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics. Saad has also been named an Accel Innovation Scholar and a National Geographic Explorer. In our interview, Saad shares more about his life and research.

883: Unearthing Clues to Reveal How People Lived in Early Mesoamerican Cities - Dr. Verónica Pérez Rodríguez

2026-09-2144:41

Dr. Verónica Pérez Rodríguez is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). Verónica is an archaeologist and anthropologist who is interested in studying people and life in cities over time. Through her work, she examines how people lived many years ago, what brought them to cities, what made them stay, what were the tradeoffs, and what were the environmental impacts. Her work focuses on the highlands of the Mixteca Alta in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. When she's not working, Verónica loves relaxing at home, watching movies, and hiking with her children and husband. She also loves running outdoors, knitting, and reading fiction books in her free time. She earned a B.A. in Anthropology as well as a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Texas at El Paso. Verónica then attended graduate school at the University of Georgia where she was awarded her Ph.D. in Ecological and Environmental Anthropology. She served on the faculty at Northern Arizona University before joining the faculty at the University at Albany, SUNY in 2013. In our interview, Verónica shares more about her life and science.

882: Examining How Environmental Exposures Shape Children's Health - Dr. Erica Walker

2026-09-1453:44

Dr. Erica Walker is the RGSS Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health. Erica is an environmental epidemiologist and exposure scientist. Through her work, she aims to identify and solve problems that matter for communities that are often overlooked, particularly in her home state of Mississippi. To stay healthy and relieve stress, Erica loves going on long runs. She also likes to spend her free time making pottery and ceramics, like plates, mugs, cups, and bowls. Her latest goal is to make a ceramic lamp. She received her bachelor's degree in math and economics from Simmons University, her master's degree in environmental economics/urban planning from Tufts University, and her ScD degree in environmental health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Afterwards, Erica conducted postdoctoral research at UConn Health and the Boston University School of Public Health before joining the faculty at Brown University. In this interview, she shares more about her life and science.

881: Dedicated to Discovering the Causes and Treatments for Hearing Deficits - Dr. Christopher Cederroth

2026-09-0755:491

Dr. Chris Cederroth is an Assistant Professor within the laboratory of Experimental Audiology working on tinnitus within the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Research in Chris's lab focuses on hearing loss and tinnitus, which is the perception of ringing in the ears. Over 300 million people in the world have hearing problems, and Chris is dedicated to understanding the causes and developing treatments. Chris has three children. When he's not at work, Chris enjoys visiting museums and spending time outdoors with his family. He received his PhD from the University of Geneva, Switzerland for which he was awarded the Denber-Pinard Prize from the University of Geneva. During that time, he also contributed to the launch of the start-up company Amazentis S.A. Before joining the faculty at the Karonlinska Institute, Chris was awarded a Swiss National Foundation Advanced Fellowship for his postdoctoral work conducted at Rockefeller University, as well as the Wenner Gren Foundation and Nicholson Postdoctoral Fellowship to support his research efforts at the Karolinska Institute. Chris is here with us today to talk a little about his research and tell us all about his journey through life and science.

#box-pro-ellipsis-179140163735527{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers

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