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Episode 45 –– Donna Blackmond: Solving the origins of life and other mysteries in chemistry
April 2024 | 37 min 34 sec
Donna Blackmond never thought her career would lead to solving how life first formed on the prebiotic Earth. But as she points out in this episode of Science Changing Life, does any scientist start out knowing where their research will take them? Blackmond, who is a professor and the John C. Martin Endowed Chair in Chemistry at Scripps Research, shares how her wide-ranging background across chemistry and chemical engineering is helping answer some of today’s biggest questions in science and medicine.
Episode topics: Chemistry, origins of life, prebiotic, physical chemistry, organic chemistry, chemical engineering, reactions, women in STEM, kinetics, chirality, drug development
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Episode 44 –– Jay Pandit: How biosensors are enabling a new era in medicine
March 2024 | 30 min 10 sec
Dr. Jay Pandit is a director of digital medicine at the Scripps Research Translational Institute and an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research, where he combines medicine and technology to improve patients’ clinical outcomes. Listen in as we explore how biosensors and wearable technologies are enabling users to take control of their own health data and usher in a new era of personalized medicine.
Episode topics: Personalized medicine, digital medicine, digital health, individualized medicine, disease prediction, disease prevention, health technology, healthcare, wearables, Fitbit, smartwatches, biosensors
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Episode 43 –– Ahmed Badran: Bioengineering our way out of climate change
March 2023 | 31 min
Ahmed Badran is an assistant professor of chemistry at Scripps Research, where his lab harnesses synthetic biology to address some of biggest global problems. Listen in as we discuss reengineering plant enzymes to capture carbon, plastic-eating bacteria and new classes of antibiotics that spare our gut microbiome.
Episode topics: bioengineering, synthetic biology, climate change, carbon emissions, carbon footprint, CO2, air pollution, photosynthesis, antibiotics, antibiotic resistance
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Episode 42 – Mia Huang: How sugar biology can help diagnose and treat cancer
March 2023 | 19 min 46 sec
Professor Mia Huang is based in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research, where her lab explores how vital sugar molecules in the body orchestrate complex biological events. Listen in as we discuss deciphering cancer cell signals to develop new therapies, engineering red blood cells for transfusions and how to become a master of strategy.
Episode topics: sugars, glycans, cellular communication, immune system, cancer, cancer metastasis, tissue regeneration
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Episode 41 – Ram Krishnamurthy: Astrobiology, origins of life and the search for extraterrestrials
February 2023 | 22 min 58 sec
Professor Ram Krishnamurthy is based in the Department of Chemistry at Scripps Research, where his lab investigates the reactions that could have first given way to life on Earth. Listen as we discuss finding biological building blocks on meteorites, NASA’s search for life on other planets, and staying grounded with philosophy and meditation.
Episode topics: origins of life, extraterrestrial life, early Earth, life on Earth, prebiotic chemistry, astrobiology, NASA, meteorites, philosophy
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Episode 40 – Sumit Chanda: How can we prepare for the next pandemic?
February 2023 | 31 min 39 sec
Professor Sumit Chanda is an infectious disease expert and immunologist, where he works both in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology and at Calibr, Scripps Research’s nonprofit drug discovery and development division. He has devoted his career to understanding how the immune system responds to numerous viruses, such as influenza, Dengue virus and SARS-CoV-2. Listen as we discuss everything from pandemic preparedness to drug discovery, as well as his unrelenting drive to uncover new treatment options—including for COVID-19.
Episode topics: immunology, COVID-19, pandemic, pandemic preparedness, viruses, virology, public health, immune system, antivirals, drug repurposing
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Episode 39 – Ali Torkamani: Preventing heart disease with personalized genetic testing
February 2023 | 22 min 43 sec
Professor Ali Torkamani is the Director of Genome Informatics at the Scripps Research Translational Institute, where his team mines population-level genetic data to make predictions about future disease risk. Listen in as we discuss smartphone apps that could help predict the risk of a heart attack, the addition of genetic data to biosensors of the future and the use of video games as an introduction to data science.
Episode topics: genomics, genetic risk, 23andMe, disease prediction, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, cholesterol, disease prevention
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Episode 38 – Danielle Grotjahn: What mitochondria tell us about disease, stress and cell death
February 2023 | 33 min 23 sec
Are the mitochondria truly the powerhouses of the cell? In this episode, assistant professor Danielle Grotjahn shares why she thinks “the stress sensors of the cell” may be a more appropriate name for this cellular organelle–and more. Dr. Grotjahn works in the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology at Scripps Research, where her lab is answering how mitochondrial networks change shape in response to genetic, pharmacological or environmental stress. Listen as we talk about the links between mitochondrial dysfunction and disease, cell death, and the cutting-edge imaging technologies that are enabling Grotjahn and her team to peer into the mysteries of the mitochondria.
Episode topics: mitochondria, neurodegenerative disease, cancer, microscopes, cell biology, molecular biology, structural biology, imaging
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Episode 37 – Stuti Jaiswal: Improving sleep health with wearable devices
January 2023 | 33 min 09 sec
Dr. Stuti Jaiswal is an assistant professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research and an internist at Scripps Clinic. Listen in as we discuss the health issues associated with insufficient sleep, the best time to go to bed and what the latest wearables can tell us about our sleep patterns.
Episode topics: sleep medicine, sleep health, sleep duration, sleep quality, wearables, sleep tracking, circadian rhythms, shift work, sleep apnea
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Episode 36 – Evert Njomen: Hacking our cellular recycling system to prevent the next deadly pathogen
July 2022 | 18 min 07 sec
Dr. Evert Njomen is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Professor Ben Cravatt, based in the Department of Chemistry. Listen as we talk about the autophagy process to cleanse cells, new ways of dealing with antibiotic resistance and cooking with homegrown herbs.
Episode topics: chemistry, antibiotics, autophagy, pathogens, infectious disease, antibiotic resistance, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-parasitic
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Episode 35 – Andrew Su: How artificial and community intelligence are shaping medicine
July 2022 | 26 min 49 sec
Professor Andrew Su is based in the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, where his lab develops digital tools to draw conclusions from the vast streams of medical data generated each day. Listen to us discuss gaming as a way of being a scientist, the replacement of doctors with machine-learning and your Netflix watching history.
Episode topics: artificial intelligence, machine learning, computational biology, bioinformatics, crowd sourcing, citizen science, knowledge network, big data, computer science, community intelligence
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Episode 34 – Travis Young: Finding a cure for cancer with novel immunotherapies
July 2022 | 29 min 50 sec
Dr. Travis Young is the Vice President of Biologics at Calibr, the drug discovery and development division of Scripps Research. Travis and the team have created a new type of immunotherapy called "switchable" chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, which is already delivering precise and powerful therapies to patients with the most difficult to treat cancers. Listen as we talk about reengineering an individual’s immune T cells, promising clinical trials in leukemia and lymphoma patients, and using similar approaches to treat autoimmune diseases.
Episode topics: Cancer, immunotherapy, Tcells, antibodies, oncology, leukemia, lymphoma, chemotherapy, cancer research, chemistry, drug discovery, biotech, precision medicine
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Episode 33 – Frederick Barrett: Psychoactive compounds to treat depression, addiction & inflammation
June 2022 | 22 min 21 sec
Professor Frederick Barrett is based in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Associate Director at the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. Fred and his colleagues investigate the therapeutic effects of psychoactive substances in intractable patient populations, including those with depression, opioid use disorder and cognitive impairments. Listen as we talk about the different types of hallucinogenic mushrooms, whether psychedelics could one day treat neurodegeneration and the remedial value of a bad "trip."
Episode topics: brain health, psychoactive, neuroscience, psychedlic, hallucinogen, addiction, depression, neuroinflammation, psilocybin, mushrooms
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Episode 32 – Ryan Shenvi: Ethnomedicine to improve learning, memory and mental health
June 2022 | 26 min 20 sec
Professor Ryan Shenvi is based in the Department of Chemistry at Scripps Research, where his lab reconstructs useful molecules typically found in remote corners of the world. Listen as we talk about traditional remedies of indigenous cultures, formulating medicines from industrial waste and Charles Dickens’ drinking habits.
Episode topics: brain health, chemistry, synthesis, mental health, depression, ethnomedicine, traditional medicine
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Episode 31 – Sandra Encalada: Linking traffic jams in the brain to neurodegenerative disease
June 2022| 30 min 58 sec
Professor Sandra Encalada is based in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research, where her lab investigates the transport of cargo within brain cells and its role in health and disease. Listen as we talk about new therapeutic agents to stop and reverse neurodegeneration, environmental neurotoxins and when to listen to your gut feeling.
Episode topics: brain health, neuroscience, neurodegeneration, Parkinsons, Alzheimers, cell biology, neuron, trafficking
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Episode 30 – The biochemistry of aging: Scripps Research Magazine
Aug 2021 | 6 min 55 sec
The fifth and final episode in our healthy aging series. We discover what happens inside the cell with age and how new chemical tools are leading us towards ways of repairing the damage and preserving our youth.
Episode topics: cell, stress, biochemistry, free radicals, ROS, chemistry, oxidation, oxidative, neurodegenerative, aging, redox
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Episode 29 – Precision therapies for age-related diseases: Scripps Research Magazine
Aug 2021 | 5 min 18 sec
The fourth segment of our series on healthy aging. We take a look at how breakthroughs in chemistry have enabled the rational design of therapies that can stop or slow complex diseases of the heart and nervous system.
This article is taken from the Summer 2021 of our award-winning Scripps Research Magazine.
Episode 28 – Personalized genetic testing: Scripps Research Magazine
Aug 2021 | 5 min 17 sec
We roll on with part 3 of our healthy aging series. We examine the role of our DNA blueprint in the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as how understanding our personal genetic risk scores could help us avoid that deadly heart attack.
This article is taken from the Summer 2021 of our award-winning Scripps Research Magazine.
Episode 27 – Overcoming arthritis: Scripps Research Magazine
Aug 2021 | 6 min 31 sec
In the second of this series on healthy aging, we reveal how Scripps Research scientists are developing interventions to remove stiff, achy joints from the aging equation.
This article is taken from the Summer 2021 of our award-winning Scripps Research Magazine.
Episode topics: aging, arthritis, osteroarthritis, joints, bones, cartilage, regeneration, regnerative medicine, healthy aging, stem cell, cell therapy, clinical trials
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Episode 26 – Cellular secrets to a longer life: Scripps Research Magazine
Aug 2021 | 7 min 14 sec
Peer into the future of healthy aging. In this episode (the first of a 5-part series), we shed new light on how our cells and organs work together to influence longevity, and how newly discovered molecules may be able to block biological degeneration.
This article is taken from the Summer 2021 of our award-winning Scripps Research Magazine.
Episode 25 - Ed Ramos: Reversing diabetes with personalized nutrition
May 2021 | 19 min 35 sec
Dr. Ed Ramos is director of Digital Clinical Trials for the Scripps Research Digital Trials Center. Listen as we talk about empowering the individual with wearable health devices, the worst foods for spiking our blood sugar and the importance of lifelong flexibility.
Episode topics: diet, insulin, nutrition, diabetes, bloodsugar, health, wellness, precision medicine personalized nutrition, clinicaltrials, wearable, digital medicine, digital devices, exercise, sleep, appetite
Episode 24- Eric Topol & Andrew Ward: How Spike Protein Discoveries Drove Coronavirus Vaccine Design
Dec 2020 | 35 min 36 sec
Another special edition featuring an extended conversation between Dr. Eric Topol, Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, and Professor Andrew Ward in the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology at Scripps Research. Listen as they talk about structural biology as a gamechanger in coronavirus research, what makes the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein crucial for vaccine design, and what the latest coronavirus mutations mean for the pandemic.
Episode topics: coronavirus, vaccine, spike protein, COVID-19, immunology, structural biology, cryoEM
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Episode 23 – Daphne Lurie: Taking Care of your Mental Health
Dec 2020 | 19 min 46 sec
Dr. Daphne Lurie is a California-licensed clinical psychologist and Director of the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) on the Scripps Research La Jolla campus. Listen as we talk about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health trends, using mindfulness to become more efficient and ziplining in Costa Rica.
Episode topics: health, anxiety, depression, mental health, psychology, counselling, meditation, mindfulness, self compassion, relaxation, clinical psychology, self love, journalling, goal setting
Episode 22 – Discovery in an Era of Social Distancing: Scripps Research Magazine
Nov 2020 | 9 min 58 sec
Stories brought to life! Today’s audio adventure comes from the Fall 2020 edition of our Scripps Research Magazine. We dive into the adaptations made by institute researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure both safety and continued scientific discovery.
Episode topics: discovery, social distancing, adaptations, COVID-19, virtual, new normal
Episode 21 - Kara Marshall: The Science of Bladder Control
Oct 2020 | 25 min 29 sec
Dr. Kara Marshall is based in the Department of Neuroscience at Scripps Research, working as a postdoctoral researcher in Professsor Ardem Patapoutian’s lab. Listen as we talk about the circuitry involved in urination, burst bladders and improv comedy.
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Episode 20 – Eric Topol & Dennis Burton: Antibodies, Vaccines and the Current State of COVID-19
Sep 2020 | 45 min 7 sec
Today’s special edition features an extended conversation between Dr. Eric Topol, Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, and Professor Dennis Burton, Chair of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research. Listen as they talk about antibody cocktail treatments, the mystery of “longhaul” COVID-19 symptoms and how close we are to developing a coronavirus vaccine.
Episode 19 – Amanda Roberts: Mice in Outer Space
July 2020 | 26 min 30 sec
Dr. Amanda Roberts is the Senior Scientific Director of the Mouse Behavioral Core at Scripps Research. Listen as we talk about microgravity as a model of accelerated aging, NASA’s top-secret agents and what happens to slime in space. (Image Credit: Andrew Roberts)
Episode topics: NASA, space, ISS, mice, aging, microgravity, space flight
Episode 18 - Biodiversity beyond the horizon: Scripps Research Magazine
Feb 2020 | 10 min 47 sec
Research discoveries brought to life! In today’s segment, we explore Scripps Research’s Natural Products Discovery Center, a historic natural collection that may hold the key to thousands of future therapies. This article is taken from the Fall 2019 edition of our Scripps Research Magazine.
Episode 17 - Time is ticking against Lyme: Scripps Research Magazine
Jan 2020 | 4 min 19 sec
Research discoveries brought to life! In today’s short story, we find out how medicines designed for our pets are now being repurposed by our scientists to provide a lasting, protective vaccine against Lyme disease. This article is taken from the Fall 2019 edition of our Scripps Research Magazine.
Episode 16 – David Biello: What Makes a Great Science TED Talk
Nov 2019 | 26 min 44 sec
David Biello is an award-winning journalist and the scientific curator for TED. Listen as we talk about his favorite areas of science, how to craft a compelling narrative and being obsessed with blind cavefish.
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Episode 15 – Kristen Johnson & Maria Millan: Regenerative Medicine for Osteoarthritis
July 2019 | 16 min 53 sec
Dr. Kristen Johnson is a lead investigator at Calibr, the drug discovery division of Scripps Research. Dr. Maria Millan is the President and CEO of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Listen as we talk about the world’s largest stem cell bank, restoring healthy cartilage to patients, and the advantages of non-profit research.
Episode 14 –Brian Fiske & Jeff Kelly: Accelerating Discoveries to Treat Neurodegenerative Disease
Nov 2020 | 9 min 58 sec
Dr. Brian Fiske is the Senior Vice President for Research Programs at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease. Professor Jeff Kelly is in the Department of Chemistry at Scripps Research. Listen as we talk about biomarkers for early disease detection, the importance of long-term human trials, and how Parkinson’s disease could originate in the gut.
Episode 13 – Eric Topol: High Performance Medicine – How Technology Can Bring Back Humanity
March 2019 | 22 min 22 sec
Dr. Eric Topol is the Founder and Director of The Translational Institute at Scripps Research. Listen as we talk about bringing back empathy in medicine, smartphone ultrasounds and the best media for absorbing scientific information.
Episode topics: translation, digital health, precision medicine, health care, AI, medical devices, non-profit, deep learning, deep medicine
Episode 12 – Arnab Chatterjee: Teaching Old Drugs New Tricks
Sep 2020 | 45 min 7 sec
Dr. Chatterjee is the Vice President of Medicinal Chemistry at Calibr, the biotechnology division of Scripps Research. Listen as we talk about re-purposing existing compounds for new diseases, the future of robotics in drug discovery and our favorite Superheroes.
Episode topics: biotechnology, drug discovery, public health, Calibr, Gates Foundation
Episode 11 – Matthias Pauthner: Novel Approaches to Combat Infectious Disease
Dec 2019 | 29 min 9 sec
Matthias is based in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research, working in Prof. Kristian Andersen’s Lab. Listen as we talk about wearable devices to monitor disease progression, research field-trips to West Africa and fancy nights at the symphony.
**p.s. if you enjoyed the Christmas jingle, Matthias and I are currently working on an album**
Episode topics: HIV, infectious disease, tropical disease, digital medicine, vaccines
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Episode 10 – Alyssa Shepard: Harnessing Social Media in Science
Nov 2018 | 19 min 16 sec
Alyssa is based in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research, under the supervision of Prof. Joseph Kissil. Listen as we talk about cancer biology, naked mole-rats and practical tips for improving science communication.
Episode topics: cancer, social media, communications, blog
Episode 9 - Courtney Miller: How To Forget Addictions
Oct 2018 | 19 min 13 sec
Prof. Miller is based in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research. Listen as we talk about methamphetamine-use disorder, short- and long-term memory formation, and Breaking Bad.
Episode topics: neuroscience, drug addiction, methamphetamine, memory,
Episode 8 – Scripps Research Branding Party Highlights
Aug 2018 | 21 min 49 sec
A compilation of interview highlights recorded live from the branding launch party at Scripps Research. I heard from scientists about how their work is changing life, and spoke with members of communications/marketing/philanthropy about what this new brand means for the institute and the wider community.
Episode 7 – Gary Siuzdak: The Golden Age of Metabolism
Aug 2018 | 20 min
Prof. Gary Siuzdak is the Director of the Metabolomics Center at Scripps Research. Listen as we talk about using our own metabolites to impact health status, environmental estrogen-mimics and the potential benefits of Red Bull.
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Episode 6 – Courtney Peterson: Intermittent Fasting
June 2018 | 36 min 58 sec
Dr. Peterson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Listen as we talk about different fasting strategies, the big bang and the importance of our biological rhythms.
Episode topics: intermittent Fasting, time-restricted feeding, nutrition, circadian rhythms, diabetes, metabolism
Episode 5 – Tod Williams and Billie Tsien: The Architecture of a Science Institute
Mar 2018 | 16 min 14 sec
Tod Williams and Billie Tsien are the architects responsible for designing what was formerly the Neurosciences Institute (NSI); the buildings now make up the Hazen Campus and serve as the focal point of The Scripps Research Institute. Listen as we talk about the history of the build, common motifs for all science buildings and the importance of afternoon tea.
Episode topics: design, architecture, art
Episode 4 - Steve Steinhubl: Digital Medicine
Jan 2018 | 23 min 28 sec
Steve is the Director of Digital Medicine at the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI). Listen as we talk about Fitbits, perverse healthcare incentives and hiking to Mount Everest Base Camp.
Episode topics: precision medicine, health care, self tracking, wearables
Episode 3 - Matt Tremblay: Technology Transfer - From Bench to Bedside
Dec 2017 | 27 min 15 sec
Matt is the Vice President of Business Development at TSRI, as well as Chief Operating Officer at Calibr. Listen as we talk about what constitutes commercially valuable research, why TSRI is #1 for science innovation and how to design a home jungle gym.
Episode topics: business, intellectual property, biotechnology
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Episode 2 - Arthur Olson: Augmented Reality and 3D Printing
Nov 2017 | 18 min 16 sec
Arthur is based in the department of integrative structural and computational biology at TSRI. Listen as we talk about HIV modelling, hexbug toys and human avatars.
Episode topics: technology, 3D printing, augmented reality, virology
