Driven to Discover

Effective, long-lasting, non-addictive pain relief—it sounds too good to be true. But thanks to the imagination (and perseverance) of University at Buffalo neuroscientist/pharmacologist Arin Bhattacharjee, it may be just around the corner. Bhattacharjee, a self-proclaimed “dreamer,” has developed a novel approach to pain, both acute and chronic, that could get FDA approval in as soon as two years. In this episode of Driven to Discover, host Ellen Goldbaum talks to Bhattacharjee about his journey from wannabe soccer pro to impassioned scientist, the research that led to a new understanding of pain, and the small yet powerful peptide that could not only transform millions of lives but also help lead us out of the opioid epidemic. Credits:  Host: Ellen Goldbaum Guest: Arin Bhattacharjee Writer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group Coming on Sept. 26: Host Laura Silverman talks to legal historian Samantha Barbas about what could well be the next target in the Supreme Court’s reshaping of civil rights in America: New York Times vs. Sullivan, a landmark 1964 First Amendment ruling and the subject of Barbas’s latest book.

As a young boy, LaGarrett King loved history, but he couldn’t figure out where he fit in the narrative he was being taught at school, nor how enslaved people could possibly have been as content as his teachers portrayed. Now a renowned authority on the teaching of Black history, King directs UB’s Center for K-12 Black History and Racial Literacy Education, a thriving hub of research, professional development, networking and advocacy. In this episode of Driven to Discover, King talks to host Vicky Santos about the real meaning of “history” (it’s not what most people think), why it’s important that every student learn Black history, and the innovative ways his center is advancing Black history education around the world.  Credits:  Host: Vicky Santos Guest: LaGarrett King Writer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production GroupComing on Sept. 26: Host Laura Silverman talks to legal historian Samantha Barbas about what could well be the next target in the Supreme Court’s reshaping of civil rights in America: New York Times vs. Sullivan, a landmark 1964 First Amendment ruling and the subject of Barbas’s latest book.

Diana Aga decided to become an environmental chemist after witnessing the dire effects of industrialization and population growth on the idyllic village where she grew up. Today, she is a worldwide authority on everything from industrial pollution and wastewater treatment to PFAS chemicals—the subject of this episode. Aga, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Henry M. Woodburn Professor of Chemistry and director of the RENEW Institute at UB, explains to host Cory Nealon why PFAS are known as “forever chemicals,” where they exist in the environment (basically everywhere), what harm they cause (a lot), and the various ways in which she and her collaborators are working to find and destroy them. Spoiler alert: She’s optimistic.  Credits: Host: Cory NealonGuest: Diana AgaWriter: Laura SilvermanProduction and editing by UB Video Production Group Coming on Sept. 26: Host Laura Silverman talks to legal historian Samantha Barbas about what could well be the next target in the Supreme Court’s reshaping of civil rights in America: New York Times vs. Sullivan, a landmark 1964 First Amendment ruling and the subject of Barbas’s latest book.

Nicholas Rajkovich, associate professor of architecture and director of the Resilient Buildings Lab at UB, studies how we can adapt our built environment to withstand extreme weather and other impacts of a changing climate. In this episode, Rajkovich tells host David Hill about his early passion for building (resulting, among other things, in the construction of a wastewater plant in his parents’ basement); how people can make their cities more resilient in an increasingly hostile climate; what’s in store for Western New York specifically, and whether we're ready for it  (the Christmas blizzard provides a clue); and how Rajkovich and his students are working with the community to better prepare us for such events in the future.Credits: Host: David HillGuest: Nicholas RakjovichWriter: Laura SilvermanProduction and editing by UB Video Production GroupComing on Sept. 26: Host Laura Silverman talks to legal historian Samantha Barbas about what could well be the next target in the Supreme Court’s reshaping of civil rights in America: New York Times vs. Sullivan, a landmark 1964 First Amendment ruling and the subject of Barbas’s latest book.

Stephanie Poindexter, a biological anthropologist in UB's College of Arts and Sciences, specializes in how primates utilize and navigate their habitats. For the past 10 years, she has focused her research on the slow loris, an adorable yet venomous primate that inhabits Southeast Asia and surrounding areas. In this episode, Poindexter tells host Vicky Santos how she first became interested in primates (it helps to grow up near a zoo), how to track down a slow loris in a Thai forest in the middle of the night, and why we need to understand this little-known creature better if we wish to fully understand ourselves. Credits: Host: Vicky SantosGuest: Stephanie PoindexterWriter: Laura SilvermanProduction and editing by UB Video Production Group Coming on Sept. 26: Host Laura Silverman talks to legal historian Samantha Barbas about what could well be the next target in the Supreme Court’s reshaping of civil rights in America: New York Times vs. Sullivan, a landmark 1964 First Amendment ruling and the subject of Barbas’s latest book.

John Crassidis, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Moog Professor of Innovation at UB’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, works with NASA, the U.S. Air Force and other agencies to monitor space debris, also known as space junk.  In this episode, Cory Nealon talks to Crassidis about his journey from aspiring astronaut to academia, why space junk poses a threat to the future of satellites and space missions, and how he’s applying a $5 million grant from the Air Force—with the help of institutional partners and his students at UB—to help solve the problem.  Credits: Host: Cory NealonGuest: John CrassidisWriter: Laura SilvermanProduction and editing by UB Video Production GroupComing on Sept. 26: Host Laura Silverman talks to legal historian Samantha Barbas about what could well be the next target in the Supreme Court’s reshaping of civil rights in America: New York Times vs. Sullivan, a landmark 1964 First Amendment ruling and the subject of Barbas’s latest book.