The Lab Coats & Life™ Podcast

  In this episode, co-hosts Drs. Nicole Quinn and Jason Goldsmith chat with Rob Henderson, President and CEO of BioTalent Canada. Rob shares insights on workforce trends in the life sciences and explains why the biggest skills gaps in biotech aren’t technical, but in so-called “success skills” like communication, project management, and critical thinking. He discusses how co-ops, internships, and work-integrated learning help bridge the gap between academic training and industry expectations, the role of government and employers in building talent pipelines, and what trainees can do to better prepare for careers in today’s bioeconomy. Image courtesy of Rob Henderson Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In this episode, co-hosts Drs. Nicole Quinn and Jason Goldsmith chat with Dr. César de la Fuente, Presidential Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. de la Fuente discusses his work using AI to discover new antibiotics, and building a new large language model in his lab. He talks about opportunities for AI to assist researchers with administrative tasks, as well as current limitations of the technology. He also touches on the future of AI, including the generation of “AI scientists,” and the need to address server use and environmental impacts. Image courtesy of Dr. César de la Fuente Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In this episode, co-hosts Drs. Nicole Quinn and Arun Sharma chat with Tamara Poles, Founder and CEO of Universal SciCom. Tamara discusses her career path into science communication and how she helps scientists become effective communicators. She also talks about the importance of authenticity and storytelling when engaging with the public, and how early-career scientists can cultivate their communication skills. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In this episode, co-hosts Drs. Nicole Quinn and Daylon James chat with Drs. Lisa Corwin and Sandhya Krishnan from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Dr. Corwin is an Associate Professor and Principal Investigator of the REACH Lab, which studies how early-career scientists engage with and persevere through challenges in their research. Dr. Krishnan is a NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Postdoc Associate with FLAMEnet, and Project Lead at the Science of Failure. They talk about how students cope with research failures and how mentors can normalize and allow for failure on a smaller scale. They also talk about how researchers can be transparent with their experimental results. Images courtesy of Drs. Lisa Corwin and Sandhya Krishnan Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

In this episode, co-hosts Drs. Nicole Quinn and Brenda Raud chat with Dr. Judy Mielke and Kate Gardner, Co-Founders of scientifyRESEARCH, a database that helps connect researchers with funding opportunities. They discuss trends in scientific funding, how to be strategic when applying, and opportunities for researchers in lower- and middle-income countries. Images courtesy of Dr. Judy Mielke and Kate Gardner Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

In this episode, co-hosts Drs. Nicole Quinn and Arun Sharma chat with Dr. Karen Kelsky, the founder of The Professor Is In, an online resource, book and consultancy for navigating academic careers. Dr. Kelsky shares how she has helped over 15,000 PhDs find fulfilling paths inside and outside academia, reflects on her own career journey, and gives practical advice for thriving in the academic job market. Image courtesy of Dr. Karen Kelsky Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Jason Goldsmith chat with Lynn Csontos, VP of Regulatory Affairs at STEMCELL Technologies. Lynn discusses the process of developing reagents for the manufacture of cell and gene therapies, how standards vary from country to country, and the need for diversity in clinical trials. She also talks about her career transition from research and development to regulatory affairs and the creativity involved in her role. Image courtesy of STEMCELL Technologies Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Guest: In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Brenda Raud chat with Dr. Nokuthula Mchunu, Deputy Director of the African Open Science Platform. Dr. Mchunu discusses challenges faced by scientists in Africa, including infrastructure limitations, language barriers, and inequities in research funding and publishing. She shares insights on fostering equitable partnerships, strengthening research systems, and rethinking scientific publishing to ensure broader access to knowledge and collaboration across the global scientific community. Image courtesy of Dr. Nokuthula Mchunu Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Daylon James chat with Dr. Brandon Stell, Research Scientist at the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris and Founder of PubPeer.com, a website that provides scientists with a forum to discuss published research literature. Dr. Stell talks about his and his co-founders’ motivations for launching, and the platform’s impacts since then. He discusses PubPeer as a place for not only scrutinizing data, but also for facilitating discussions between researchers. He also talks about receiving an Einstein Foundation Award, the role of anonymity on the site, and future plans for the platform. Image courtesy of Dr. Brandon Stell Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Guest: In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Jason Goldsmith chat with Dr. Alex Shalek, the J. W. Kieckhefer Professor in the Institute for Medical Engineering & Science and the Department of Chemistry at MIT. He and members of his lab strive to engineer and create technologies and methods achievable by any lab, anywhere in the world through open source experimental protocols and computational packages. He talks about ownership, reproducibility, and privacy considerations when sharing data. Featured Products and Resources: Which Scientific Conferences Should You Attend? How to Prioritize and Manage Your Research Image courtesy of Dr. Alex Shalek Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Guest: In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Brenda Raud chat with Dr. Sara Yeo, an Associate Professor of Communications at the University of Utah. Specializing in science and risk communication, Dr. Yeo’s research explores the intersection of science, media, and politics. She talks about building trust and engagement in science communication and how humor can help. She also discusses unconventional career paths and how social media can help scientists be more open. Featured Products and Resources: Personalize Your Science News Webinar: Using Social Media to Advance Your Scientific Career Image courtesy of Dr. Sara Yeo Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Guest: In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Arun Sharma chat with Dr. Caroline Hookway, a Scientist at the Allen Institute for Cell Science, who specializes in live-cell imaging. She talks about how to choose the right technology to answer scientific questions, strategies to ensure quality and reproducibility, and overcoming barriers to adopting new technologies. Image courtesy of Dr. Caroline Hookway Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Guest: In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Daylon James chat with Dr. Richard Sever, Assistant Director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York and Co-founder of the preprint servers bioRxiv and medRxiv. He discusses how preprints can help advance science, the role of funding, and the future of peer review. Image courtesy of Dr. Richard Sever Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Guest: In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Arun Sharma chat with Dr. Raeka Aiyar, Vice President of Scientific Outreach & Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF). Raeka is an experienced geneticist turned science communicator, whose research has focused on applying genomics to the study of disease, with the goal of enabling precision medicine. She and the hosts talk about the importance of inclusive science and how NYSCF and other organizations are working to promote equity. Image courtesy of Dr. Raeka Aiyar Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Guest: In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Daylon James chat with Dr. Nika Shakiba, Allen Distinguished Investigator and Assistant Professor at the School for Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Nika has a passion for outreach and mentorship and is co-founder of the Advice to a Scientist initiative. Nika and the hosts talk about how the landscape of mentorship is changing, the importance of teaching scientific storytelling, and ways to build resilience. Image courtesy of Dr. Nika Shakiba. Get updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Guest: In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Jason Goldsmith chat with Dr. Nima Najand, Director of the Life Sciences Innovation Hub at the University of Calgary. They discuss the ways in which scientists can transition their research into the clinic with a focus on transferring early-stage technologies from academic labs to industry, starting spin-off companies, and strategies for commercialization. Image courtesy of Dr. Nima Najand Get updates!Sign up to receive helpful adviceand updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Guest: In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Brenda Raud chat with Dr. Jennifer Polk, a career coach, educator, and recognized expert in careers for graduate students and PhDs. They discuss the big question facing many academics, “to postdoc or not to postdoc?”, and key questions to consider when making the decision. Dr. Polk, who runs the website From PhD to Life, talks about how to find your niche, the nature of postdoctoral positions, and alternatives to traditional academic career paths. Image courtesy of Dr. Jennifer Polk Get updates!Sign up to receive helpful adviceand updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Launching in February 2024, the Lab Coats & Life Podcast will provide listeners with reflective conversations with guests from all corners of science who are passionate about passing on their knowledge and experience to others. Although this podcast is for scientists, it is not your typical science podcast. Instead, each episode aims to keep you informed about useful soft skills, relevant trends, and important efforts from within the scientific community to help you thrive as a scientist. Stay tuned for episodes with influential guests, including career coach Jen Polk, bioRxiv co-founder Richard Sever, SciComm specialist Sara Yeo, and more.  The Lab Coats & Life Podcast is brought to you by STEMCELL Technologies, a global biotechnology company supporting life science research and fostering communication and collaboration in science. The podcast forms part of the Lab Coats & Life Mentorship Resources, where you can find helpful articles, free downloadable toolkits, and more. STEMCELL provides the podcast under its Science Communication Program, alongside several other services to keep scientists current and connected with their fields. Get updates!Sign up to receive helpful adviceand updates on new episodes. Sign Up