StemCells@Lunch Digested

Episode 153: Dr Ina Sonnen "It is possible to have a career and a family in science"

In this episode, Ina Sonnen, a researcher at the Hubrecht Institute in the Netherlands, is interviewed by Postdocoral researcher JF Darrigrand. Ina explains which are the big questions studied in her lab, notably how cells can communicate not only via the nature of signals they exchange but also through the dynamics of these signlas. She shares how advances in microscopy, microfluidics and cell culture are helping researchers to make more and more discoveries. Having recently founded her lab, she tells us more about what she found was either challenging or rewarding in her new role. Lastly, she insists on why she thinks being a scientist is a good job when you want to start a family. To find out more about Ina's research, check out the following links: https://www.sonnenlab.org

Episode 152: Prof Andrew Ewald "Understand the simple rules generating apparent complexity"

In today’s episode, Prof. Andrew Ewald, Director of the Cell Biology Department at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine is interviewed by Inês Tomás. Prof Ewald explains how he transitionned from a background in physics to the field of cancer biology. He touches upon why cancer is such a specific type of disease, how cancer cells talk to each other during metastasis, and how their interaction with immune cells is crucial for disease development. Prof Ewald also discusses the evolution of the tools available for cancer biologists and how the emergence of new technologies are changing the field. Lastly, he shares some inspiring mentoring advice on how to reach an interdisciplinary and rewarding career.

Episode 151: Dr William Roman "Use your PhD as a platform"

In today’s episode, Dr. William Roman, a research associate at Stanford University, is interviewed by Dr. Davide Danovi. William explains how he is combining live cell imaging and quantitative approaches to answer fundamental questions in muscle biology. He shares some inspiring mentoring advice on how to let students use their PhDs as platforms to express themselves throught their science and discover what type of science they like, both in terms of subject and technique.

Episode 150: Prof Shalev Itzkovitz "We can infer the design principles of organs"

In today’s episode, Shalev Itzkovitz, a professor at the Weizman Institute, Israel, is interviewed by Postdocoral researcher Georgina Goss. Shalev shares the discoveries of his lab on the design principles that shape and maintain metabolic organs such as the intestine and the liver. He explains the very advanced techniques used in modern biology, and more specifically in his lab, to address such fundamental questions. Having started his education in mechanical engineering, he discusses what motivated him to transition to the resolution of biological questions and how resolving these questions is somewhat similar to retro-engineering. Lastly, he touches upon what fascinates him in studying the biology of metabolic organs. To find out more about Shalev's research, check out the following links: https://shalevlab.weizmann.ac.il

Episode 149: Professor Xin Chen-“We are very fascinated by this kind of ‘immortality’ of germ cells”

In today’s episode, Prof Xin Chen, a group leader at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, is interviewed by PhD student Daria Belokhvostova. Xin takes us into the world of germline stem cell epigenetics and how its regulation can influence the ability of these cells to divide asymmetrically. She shares her passion for the biology of germ cells and explains why the fruit fly Drosophila is such a good system for her studies. Xin talks about how scientific collaborations are helping to expand her findings to different biological systems. Finally, she tells us about the challenges of keeping the lab running through pandemic times and the joy of seeing in-person interactions come back. To find out more about Xin’s research, check out the following link: https://bio.jhu.edu/directory/xin-chen/