Science in Society

In this captivating episode of "Science in Society," hosts Drew and Liv dive into the fascinating world of chemistry, community, and entrepreneurship with their special guest, Jamie Shah. Jamie is not just any guest; she's the driving force behind Chem-Impex, a renowned family-owned chemical supply company. Join Drew, Liv, and Jamie as they unravel the intriguing story of Chem Impex, a business rooted in family, science, and innovation. Discover the challenges and triumphs of running a family business and gain insights into the ever-evolving landscape of chemical supply. But this episode isn't just about chemicals and business; it's about the power of building a strong community in science. Jamie shares her experiences and perspectives on fostering connections within the scientific community and why collaboration is essential for advancing knowledge and discoveries.So, if you've ever been curious about the world of chemistry, entrepreneurship, or the importance of community in science, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in to "Science in Society" to hear Jamie Shah's inspiring journey and the pivotal role Chem Impex plays in the world of chemistry and beyond. You can learn more about Chem Impex on its website and about Jamie from her LinkedIn. Additionally, you can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.

Have you ever left a plastic water bottle in a car on a hot summer day and returned to notice it tasted different? Does opening your windows on a pleasant day really feel like a breath of fresh air? If either of these apply to you, you have firsthand experience with environmental toxins affecting your everyday life. This month, Drew & Liv have the privilege of chatting about all things environmental toxins and endocrine disruptors with Drs. Alison Neff & Vicki Mourikes. Throughout the discussion, you will learn about the most common ways in which endocrine disruptors enter our environment, some of the possible mechanisms through which these chemicals alter hormonal pathways, and great strategies you can implement to decrease your exposures. You can find the Instagram accounts mentioned during today’s episode here and here, and the Dirty Dozen 2023 list can be found here. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, Drs. Neff & Mourikes recommended reading one of two review articles published from their lab as a great way to get started. As always, you can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.Dirty Dozen:https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.phpInstagrams:https://www.instagram.com/environmentaltoxinsnerd/https://www.instagram.com/environmentalworkinggroup/Review Articles:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9743013/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6425478/

If you are anything like Drew & Liv, you have – at least once – been exasperated with the constantly changing nutritional recommendations originating from largely observational and retrospective studies. Additionally, if you have ever wanted to optimize your nutrition to improve your energy, performance, or recovery, you know that the more accurate and personalized information you can gather, the better off you will be. In this episode, Drew & Liv sit down with Ari Tulla, co-founder & CEO of Elo Health. His company uses key biomarkers and cutting-edge AI to provide folks with customized supplements, and his mission is to transform food from the leading cause of disease to medicine. From listening, you will learn why Ari became so passionate about nutrition optimization, how Elo integrates various data modalities to optimize its clients' biomarkers, and the harrowing statistics showing us why we all need to pay closer attention to the food we are consuming. You can learn more about Ari & Elo Health at Elo's website and on Ari’s LinkedIn. Additionally, you can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.

Have you, a loved one, or a close friend had a run-in with cancer at some point? Chances are that the answer is yes. The more involved you were in the treatment process, the more you can appreciate the relative imperfections of currently-available treatment options, though they are steadily improving. In this episode, Drew & Liv sit down with Dr. Kevin Parker, CEO and co-founder of Cartography Biosciences, who is at the forefront of developing personalized cancer treatment regimens. In this episode, the three of them cover the history and development of cancer treatments, the greatest challenges that have slowed the personalization of individualized immunotherapies, and how Kevin thinks Cartography can overcome those obstacles to enter a new generation of cancer treatments. You can learn more about Cartography on their website, cartographybio.com, and LinkedIn.  Additionally, you can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.

Did last month’s episode leave you wanting to learn more about the rapidly developing space of psychedelic compounds’ use in treating psychiatric conditions like Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and various addiction disorders? Drew & Liv had a feeling you would, so look no further than this episode, where they bring on Doug Drysdale, CEO of Cybin Inc., to discuss his company’s mission and progress in this space. Throughout this episode, you will learn how psilocybin and other psychedelics present a completely different approach to treating depression, the underlying neuroplasticity of mental health disorders, and how a treatment session within this paradigm differs from that of current standard of care. You can learn more about Doug’s and Cybin’s work on Cybin’s website, cybin.com. Additionally, you can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.

Mental health has increasingly become the topic of discussion in recent years, and while we–as a society–have become better at recognizing the signs of mental health issues, have you ever wondered exactly what they are, how they are treated, and what happens if the tools available to us aren’t enough? You might be surprised to hear that–by some estimates–at least 30% of people diagnosed with depression are resistant to the current options we have. That’s where our guest, Dr. Charles Nemeroff, and his research on psychedelic compounds come into play. In this episode, you will learn about depression and PTSD, the prevalence of treatment-resistant depression, and the promising research around psilocybin and its future potential as a therapeutic. You can learn more about Dr. Nemeroff’s research on his website. Additionally, you can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.The National Mental Health Hotline: 1-866-903-3787

If you had to rank your favorite 3 superheroes, would Iron Man make your list? Have you ever wondered if there could one day be a real-life Tony Stark? This month’s guest, Pavle Jeremic, is trying to make that science fiction a reality. In this episode, you, along with Drew & Liv, will learn how Jeremic and his team at Aether plan to use chemistry, biology, engineering, and artificial intelligence to develop a toolkit of molecular assemblers capable of synthesizing any desired arrangement of atoms.You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.

Did you know that there are over 100 types of hearing loss? Are you also aware that there exist exceptionally few therapeutic options for those affected by one of those conditions?This month, Drew & Liv had the privilege of bringing on one of the people leading the charge to develop new therapeutics for hearing and balance loss: Dr. Laurence Reid, CEO of Decibel Therapeutics. Dr. Reid provides a behind-the-scenes look at hearing restoration development and how single-cell genomics in a laboratory can translate to giving a previously deaf person their ability to hear. In this episode, you will learn about Dr. Reid’s journey from scientist to CEO, how Deibel leverages single-cell genomics, and the importance of science communication.You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans. To learn more about Dr. Reid’s work, you can visit the Decibel Therapeutics website, follow the company's Twitter, or check out their Linkedin.

What do the wheel, assembly line, electricity, fire, and CRISPR all have in common? Each of them gave humans the ability to access the next level of their respective fields, and this month Drew & Liv had the incredible opportunity to chat with Dr. Benjamin L. Oakes: one of the first people to work with CRISPR and see it grow to where it is today. In this episode, you will learn exactly what CRISPR is, how it revolutionized biological research, and how Scribe Therapeutics will take it to its next generation.You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans. To keep up with Dr. Oakes’ work, you can check out his Twitter account. If you want to learn more about Scribe Therapeutics, head to their LinkedIn or Twitter pages.

Have you ever wondered how some of the brightest minds in medicine and science got their start? You are in luck because this month, Drew & Liv sit down with two budding, young professionals in the sciences to take a peek behind the curtain of their professional lives and their journey to where they are today. Tulsy Uthay, a second-year Ph.D. candidate, provides her perspective as to how her Ph.D. program provided her the best opportunity to pursue her interests in therapeutics development research, and Ben Smith, a fourth-year medical student, gives us insight as to how he went from economics major to budding radiologist in a few short years. In this episode, you will learn how science-leaning college graduates decide on which path they want to pursue and both Drew’s and Liv’s advice to those still trying to decide.You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.

Have you ever felt your phone buzz in your pocket only to find that there was no notification waiting to be cleared? If you have seen The Social Dilemma, you know that in the age of social media, our phones can have quite the addictive potential. In this episode, Drew & Liv have the privilege of interviewing Dr. Anna Lembke, one of the leaders in addiction medicine who also made an appearance in The Social Dilemma. From this episode, you will learn the biochemical basis of opioid addiction, the key players that catalyzed their overprescription, and the parallels between the opioid epidemic and today’s social media usage. You can learn more about Dr. Lembke’s research and find her books on her website, dopaminenation.com. Additionally, you can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.

What do magic and cutting-edge biotechnology research and development have in common? This month, Drew & Liv had the pleasure of hearing from one scientist-entrepreneur who is doing both! Dr. Parag Mallick sits down to describe exactly how his company, Nautilus Biotechnology, is building the next generation of diagnostic and prognostic tools that he hopes to bring to labs across the world. In this episode, you will learn about how the crossroads of computer science and biology led Parag to found Nautilus, why the company's technology may remind you of the game "Guess Who?", and how a chip will unlock information about human proteins and physiology that we never thought possible.You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans. To connect with Dr. Mallick, visit his personal Linkedin page, follow Nautilus on Twitter, or check out the company's Linkedin page.

Do you find yourself reaching for the cookie jar a little more frequently during the holidays? Maybe this time of year gets your appetite for baked goods going and, while it’s our brain telling us we want that chocolate chip cookie, our stomachs have a lot of influence on those signals. Tune into episode 3, The Science of Metabolism, to find out why.  In this episode, Liv & Drew interview Dr. Oliver Fiehn to discuss the development of the gut microbiome, its role in regulating appetite, and all of the pathways currently being uncovered. You will learn why the gut microbiome is so important, how a technological breakthrough is changing the way scientists study metabolism, and why metabolomics is improving the lives of premature babies.To learn more about Dr. Fiehn’s work, click here. You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.

Are stem cells the key to the fountain of youth? If you listen to the news, that’s what you would think. While the true answer to that question may elude us for decades, new research in stem cells is coming out faster than the newest TikTok trend. In this episode, Drew & Liv sit down with Dr. Thomas Carmichael to discuss some of the cutting edge science behind stem cells and their newest applications throughout our brains. You will learn everything from the organization of our nervous systems to how stem cells might soon be used in stroke, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s patients. You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.

Have you ever met someone that doesn’t like chocolate? -- neither have Drew & Liv. Everyone has that one food they absolutely can’t resist, but is there real science to support this temptation? This week, Drew & Liv bring on Dr. Maggie Westwater to discuss another perspective on the science behind food addiction. You will learn about the other side of the argument against food addiction and why it may not live up to the attention it has received.Dr. Westwater can be found on twitter @maggieeastfire. To read about the research discussed in this week's episode, check out Dr. Westwater's peer-reviewed paper,  "Sugar Addiction: The state of the science".You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.

We have reached the point of spring where the New Year’s Resolutions have begun to fade and the usual realization is beginning to set in: beach season is fast approaching. That begs the question, “Why am I still going back to the grocery store for my third pint of ice cream this week?”. You will need to wonder no longer as, this week, Drew & Liv host Dr. Nicole Avena – a research neuroscientist and expert in the fields of nutrition, diet and addiction. Together, we uncover some uncomfortable truths about certain foods, when you may be more susceptible to their effects, and provide strategies to mitigate those unwanted effects.To learn more about Dr. Avena, follow her work, or read one of her books, head to her website, Facebook page, Instagram, or Twitter. You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans. 

This week on "Science and Society", Drew & Liv sit down with scientist-turned-author, Dr. David Adam, to get a look into his journey with OCD and why society must bring attention to this disease. Before it's all over, you'll know how to recognize obsessions, the current progress of pharmaceutical research and development for OCD, and how one chemical engineer became an author and advocate. David's incredible book, The Man Who Couldn't Stop: OCD and the True Story of a Life Lost in Thought is available on Amazon.If you or a loved one is struggling with OCD, the International OCD Foundation can provide you with  resources and first-step support. You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans. 

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, but what happens when a pig or a bat get involved?  As you may well know, those animals have been linked to major viral outbreaks in recent memory and – thanks to our immune systems – we have been able to fight those outbreaks. This week,  Drew & Liv bring on infectious disease expert, Dr. John Flaherty to talk all things immunity. You’ll learn about the new COVID-19 vaccine, why playing in a sandbox when you were little has benefitted you to this day, and the role animals play in population health. You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans. 

So nice, it’s an episode topic twice! Ebbs and flows, distance alarms, and the COVID-19 pandemic all have played a role in our relationships in one way or another. This week, Drew & Liv interview science power couple, Drs. Jacqueline Olds & Richard Schwartz of Harvard Medical School, to talk all things love. From this episode, you will learn how to better communicate in your relationships and the impact COVID-19 has had on relationships worldwide. You can find Dr. Old’s and Dr. Schwartz’s books Marriage in Motion and The Lonely American on Amazon.com and, as always, you can find Drew & Liv’s latest science shenanigans on Instagram @scienceinsociety.

February is the month of love and, as wonderful as that is, there is more biochemistry behind romcoms and the fairytale ending of your favorite Disney movie than you might think. In Part 1 of their two-part series on Love, Drew & Liv sit down with Emory Psychiatry professor, Dr. Larry Young, to discuss the molecules responsible for giving you butterflies as you talk to your crush this Valentine's Day. You will learn how social bonds are formed in every mammal from voles to humans and why everyone thinks their dog is the cutest.You can find Dr. Young’s book, The Chemistry Between Us: Love, Sex, and the Science of Attraction on Amazon.com. You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.