STEM Tea

In this episode of the STEM Tea podcast, AJ Hinton is joined by guest co-host Andrea Marshall, a Staff Scientist in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Vanderbilt University (TN, USA) studying age-related changes in mitochondrial networks. The pair speak with David Drake (left), Professor of microbiology and infectious diseases in the Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry (IA, USA), where his research focuses on the development of the oral microbiome in young children. In this episode, however, the focus is on mentoring. Throughout David’s 35-year professorship, he has given back to the scientific community by mentoring junior faculty and teaching others how to be the best mentors they can be. He highlights the importance of finding work–life harmony, setting boundaries and having empathy for those starting their scientific careers. With references to Neil Young and Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, David shares the life lessons that have stuck with him throughout his career. Introductions: 00:00–01:51A day in the life of David Drake: 01:51–03:54Why mentoring is important to David: 03:54–07:00A musical meander down memory lane – the relevance of Neil Young’s “Old Man”: 07:00–07:57What are David’s most significant accomplishments as a Professor? And how does he share lessons from these accomplishments with his mentees? 07:57–12:10What advice would David give to an early career scientist? 12:10–14:31What should early career scientists look for in a mentor? And how can senior faculty be the best mentors they can be? 14:31–18:46Meet the mentors who influenced David’s life and career: 18:46–22:00The life lessons that have stuck with David throughout his career: 22:00–24:53Why is learning how to be a better mentor a worthwhile pursuit? 24:53–27:02The “welcome to science, most of your stuff’s not going to work” lesson and how to teach it: 27:02–33:00A mentor’s guide to setting boundaries and communicating them without discouraging mentees: 33:00–36:39How does David spend his free time? 36:39–40:06Navigating personal time, boundaries and breaks from work: 40:06–41:03How does David encourage mentees to slow down? 41:03–45:17The importance of reading: 45:17–48:37What is David drinking? 48:37–50:14Outro: 50:14–51:48

In this episode of the STEM Tea podcast, host AJ Hinton is joined by Ashley Campbell. After being an Assistant Professor and working in EDI at the University of Rochester (NY, USA), Ashley is now Chief Impact Officer at United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes (NY, USA), a charity bringing together local people, companies, nonprofits and leaders to address the region’s biggest human services challenges to help the community thrive.In this episode, Ashley discusses her career, what led her to her current role and her favorite accomplishments. Ashley and AJ also explore how to create space for people to thrive, the biggest obstacles in leadership and the importance of impressing yourself, not others.Contents:·      Introductions: 00:00–04:33·      What led you to where you are today? 04:33–08:30·      Favorite accomplishments: helping students to “dream with their eyes wide open”: 08:30–12:23·      Using life experiences as a driver for mentoring: 12:23–15:10·      Creating space for people to thrive: 15:10–19:46·      The biggest obstacles in leadership: 19:46–21:20·      Focus on impressing yourself, not others: 21:20–23:10·      Gaps in education: 23:10–26:33·      What do you do for fun? 26:33–29:21·      Balancing work and life: 29:21–30:25·      Upcoming events: 30:25–32:47·      Life in Rochester: 32:47–34:28·      Bringing in more layers of perspective: 34:28–37:13·      Thank yous: 37:13–38:27

In this episode of STEM Tea, host AJ Hinton is joined by Quinton Smith, an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Irvine (CA, USA). Quinton’s lab focuses on distilling the complexity of early human development to controllable factors, creating synthetic biomaterials that support the differentiation and expansion of stem cell-derived organoids and building small and large-scale vascularized tissues from single donor iPSCs for regenerative medicine applications.Here, Quinton discusses his journey into academia, his lab’s research and how he balances life with work, blocking out time to look after his mental health. Quinton and AJ then delve into leadership, including how to lead a lab, transitioning to a leadership role and the challenges that come with it. We also hear about academic life on the sunny West Coast! Contents·      00:00–01:00: Introductions·      01:00–04:05: Quinton’s journey into academia and life as an Assistant Professor on the West Coast·      04:05–06:00: Looking after your mental health in academia·      06:00–09:35: Quinton’s lab focuses and his mentoring style·      09:35–11:47: Challenges of balancing leading a lab with a faculty role·      11:47–13:45: Why choose this career path?·      13:45–16:30: Curating an inclusive lab ·      16:30–18:30: Transitioning to a leadership role·      18:30–24:14: Howard Hughes Medical Institute ·      24:14–27:55: Life outside science·      27:55–35:36: How has DEIA impacted your career?·      35:36–38:43: Breeding success and making an impact·      38:43–39:59: Communicating science ·      39:59–43:19: Favorite experiments·      43:19–44:47: What are you drinking?

Host AJ Hinton is joined by Alhaji N’jai, a man wearing many hats; Alhaji is a Senior Scientist, Associate Professor, Pan Africanist and philanthropist. Alhaji currently teaches at the University of Sierra Leone (Freetown, Sierra Leone) and the California University of Science and Medicine (CA, USA) while maintaining the position of Director of the Global Health Institute – One Health, West Africa, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (WI, USA). Additionally, he is the Founder and Chief Strategist of Project1808 (WI, USA), an organization that forms partnerships with universities to foster community development through education.In this episode of the STEM Tea podcast, Alhaji and AJ discuss the role that Project1808 is playing in building global and local partnerships for young people in Sierra Leone, reaching out to communities to equip young people with the skills and knowledge to thrive in STEM. Plus, find out how you can get involved in Alhaji’s global initiative.Contents Introductions: 00:00–01:40How Alhaji’s journey brought about the formation of Project1808: 01:40–08:27Project1808 and its university partners: 08:27–14:30What educational needs exist? 14:30–21:30How you can support Project1808: 21:30–24:40Learning more about Alhaji’s research career, from genomics to Ebola virus to Head & Shoulders: 24:40–32:40What is the next step for expanding global health, based on Sierra Leone’s public health reforms? 32:40–38:42Opportunities for virtual and in-person collaborations: 38:42–42:44Are there international internship opportunities for students to get involved? 42:44–47:23Redefining the classroom: the Gola Rainforest for training students: 47:23–48:33Potential for pathogen discovery in the Gola Rainforest as climate changes: 48:33–52:36Concluding remarks and social media handles! 52:36–54:09

In this episode of STEM Tea, host AJ Hinton is joined by Ricardo Correa, an endocrinologist and the Director of Diversity in Graduate Medical Education at the University of Arizona College of Medicine (AZ, USA). After becoming a doctor in Panama and relocating to the USA to focus on research, Ricardo discovered a passion for health equity and decided to focus on helping underserved communities.Here, Ricardo discusses his journey into medicine and academia, the network of mentors he built along the way and how to increase minority representation in medical school. Ricardo also explains the concept of health disparities and talks about some of the projects he’s involved in, including collecting data for neglected transgender populations and addressing vaccination disparities in minority communities. Contents:·        Introductions: 00:00­–01:10·        Ricardo’s journey into medicine and academia: 01:10–04:20·        Focusing on health equity: 04:20–05:49·        Defining health disparities and providing interventions for communities: 05:49–10:32·        Ricardo’s role models and mentors: 10:32–15:50·        Getting money for interventions: 15:50–20:17·        Affirmative action and getting minorities into medical school: 20:17–24:08·        Medical school application tips: 24:08–30:56·        Choosing the right medical school: 30:56–34:14·        Gathering health data for transgender populations: 34:14–37:25·        Ricardo’s work on adrenal glands: 37:25–39:42·        Disparities and vaccination uptake: 39:42–42:39·        Discrimination in healthcare for LGBTQIA+ individuals: 42:39–47:00·        Balancing work and life: 47:00–48:50·        Picking and prioritizing opportunities: 48:50–52:48·        The importance of empathy: 52:48–54:20·        Finding career development opportunities: 54:20–56:53·        What are you drinking? 56:53–59:57

In this episode of STEM Tea, host AJ Hinton is joined by Annet Kirabo, an associate professor at Vanderbilt University (TN, USA). Annet research focuses on uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying activation of the immune system in response to hypertensive stimuli including excess dietary salt, sympathetic nerve outflow and oxidative stress, and how this impacts cardiovascular disease.Here, Annet discusses how her experiences growing up influence her work, how she sets up and maintains international collaborations and the importance of looking at someone’s potential rather than their track record. AJ and Annet also talk about how they both foster a growth mindset, competing with themselves rather than their peers. ContentsIntroductions: 00:00–01:40Annet’s background and what inspired her to research cardiovascular disease: 01:40–03:45Annet’s research on inflammation and how it impacts cardiovascular disease: 03:45–06:15Picking and maintaining international collaborations: 06:15–10:55Looking at what people can do, rather than what they have done: 10:55–13:00Assessing the impact of collaborations: 13:00–17:10Communicating research to affected communities: 17:10–18:10Choosing mentors and taking opportunities: 18:10–27:05Being inclusive when choosing a mentor: 27:05–28:45Important lessons: teamwork, inclusivity and a growth mindset: 28:45–32:15Look to others for inspiration, not comparisons: 32:15–35:25Identifying pitfalls: 35:25–38:50Finding fun in everything: 38:50–43:00What’s the tea? 43:00–44:53