We Love Science

Today we welcome Dr. LaTasha Fraser, program manager for the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) at New York University (NYU), which offers resources to middle school through graduate school students in numerous areas within STEM–engineering, math, medicine, and others.. The program works through a tiered system providing courses to strengthen introductory STEM coursework, to understand the application of STEM concepts in t...

We are back today with Ariel Parker, Director of Partnerships and Legacy at the Center for Engineering MechanoBiology (CEMB) to learn about her career journey. As a child, her science spark was ignited by a combination of playing with a toy microscope, an inspirational physics teacher, and the board game Life. In high school, Ariel was especially fortunate to attend a private school in the suburbs of Philadelphia and encountered fa...

Today, we are joined by Ariel Parker, Director of Partnerships and Legacy at the Center for Engineering MechanoBiology (CEMB)–a science and technology center funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The CEMB represents faculty across various disciplines at multiple institutions within mechanobiology, an interdisciplinary field exploring how physical forces affect living things. In her role, Ariel manages the educational pro...

Dr. Luis Martinez is back to speak with us about his journey. As a senior venture associate at Capital Factory, a venture capital firm, his love of science began by noticing what was missing–people doing science who looked like him. Luis was raised in an incredible town on the U.S.-Mexico border–El Paso, Tx. His introduction to science came from experiences at the local library and shows like Star Trek and Cosmos. As a high schoole...

Today we are joined by Dr. Luis Martinez, a senior venture associate with a background in organic chemistry and entrepreneurship at the venture capital firm, Capital Factory. The firm, based in Austin, Tx, was founded in 2009 to bring together entrepreneurs with potential partners, customers, and future hires. The firm works with a multitude of clients from corporate companies to start-ups to federal partners. Over the last year, t...

Today Latasha Wright, co-founder and executive scientific officer of BioBus takes us through her career journey, which had some very unexpected twists and turns along the way. Her childhood began in Mississippi as the youngest of 5 children. Both her parents nurtured the importance of education through constant exposure to books and just asking, “What did you learn today?”. Once Latasha started high school, however, she truly disco...

Today we are speaking to Latasha Wright, co-founder and executive scientific officer of BioBus, a science non-profit with a mission to support all students in acheiving their scientific potential. A real life version of the magic school bus, BioBus started as an upcycled 1974 transit bus, filled with microscopes, that brings science to students throughout New York City. The immersive experience of BioBus not only introduces student...

Nikolay Kukushkin an author, neuroscientist and clinical associate professor at NYU shares with us the journey of his career path thus far. Niko grew up in Russia where the education curriculum requires students to specialize before college in their preferred subjects. Following the example of his parents, he decided to focus his studies on pursuing science. Although coming from a family of chemists, he is the sole biologist. He re...

Our special guest for today is Nikolay Kukushkin, a clinical associate professor and neuroscientist at NYU, and author, who also considers himself a molecular philosopher. His research answers the question, “What is memory” at the most basic, cellular level. Most of Niko’s research takes place in the humble model organism, the sea slug. But now, he has shifted into exploring if generic, non-neuronal cells can behave similar to neur...

We continue our conversation with Chynna Broxton, an analytical developmental scientist at Spark Therapeutics on her journey to this point in her career. In the early days of her education Chynna vividly remembers the difficulty she had learning how to read; this setback didn’t deter her from doing well generally in her classes. In high school, however, something clicked in her brain in a way that felt very different compared to th...

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Chynna Broxton, an Analytical Development Scientist at Spark Therapeutics, to uncover the realities of working in the biotech industry. Chynna dispels common myths about transitioning to industry, addressing concerns about losing scientific engagement and sharing how she’s grown significantly at Spark. She gives a broad overview of her role, which involves developing methods to characterize gen...

Finishing our conversation with Science Communication expert, Jens Foell, he takes us through the twists and turns that have formed his career journey so far. From a love of movies to a love of science, now merged into a successful science communication career with Germany’s premiere SciCom team. Among the many lessons he’s learned, Jens explains learning to trust himself, and having the courage to follow his path and do what he lo...

In this episode, we have a wonderful conversation with Science Communication Expert and bestselling author, Dr. Jens Foell. In 2020, Jens transitioned from a research role in Florida to work with Germany's most prominent science communication team, Maithink media. As a science editor for their TV show, Maithink X, Jens fully embraces his love of science communication and learning by creating content that is both impactful and ...

In this episode we continue our conversation with Arianne Hunter, a Senior Scientist at Abbvie, on how her journey led her to a love of organic chemistry and a career in industry. Growing up Arianne, describes herself as a really nerdy kid, who adored PBS kids, and enjoyed exploring the world through her toy microscope. As she grew up and learned more about different career opportunities, her interests bounced from orthodontia to f...

We have a wonderful guest today to start off our interviews for this season of We Love Science–meet Arianne Hunter, a Senior Scientist at Abbvie. She is a part of the centralized organic synthesis group and a synthesis expert for medicinal chemistry teams. Her day to day work involves identifying promising molecules that could be used as treatments, in short, she is one of the first steps in developing drugs. Arianne enjoys her wor...

In this episode, we delve into 3D bioprinting. What is it? What materials and machinery are used? What are the steps needed to go from raw material cells to layers of tissue and finally a 3D organoid? What challenges have they faced in the bioprinting field and what breakthroughs have pushed it forward? What are the medical and R&D applications of bio-printed tissues and organs? Where is this technology currently? And how long ...

In this episode, we dive into a world full of stuff. And no, we’re not just talking about your junk drawer! From razors and plastics to glass and yes ‘Delicious’ chocolate too, there’s so much science behind the everyday materials we take for granted.

In his NY Times Bestselling book “Stuff Matters,” materials scientist Mark Miodownik reveals how mundane items are steeped in a rich scientific history. How human ingenuity, perseveran...

For our first Science Shorty of the season, we are continuing with the exploration of color and biology, but this time no chickens or other fowl. Instead, we will explore some of the color patterns staring us right in the face—eye color and eye color genetics. Why do people have blue, green, hazel or even purple eyes? Hint: It’s all about the layers of the irides. How are those traits for eye color passed down from parent to child?...

Welcome back for season 4! This season we have so many amazing guests and other episodes lined up for our audience. But, before we get into that, let’s go back to revisit with our past guests on how it all started–how did they get their start in science? What influenced them to follow this career path? What surprised them along the way? From family encouragement and supportive teachers to enjoying the natural world and simply ...