Episode 36: Dr. Danna Staaf

Episode 36: Dr. Danna Staaf

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Danna Staaf, an author, science communicator, and marine biologist. Danna’s dissertation topic was the reproduction and early life of Humboldt squid, or as she likes to summarize it, “squid sex and babies.” Now, she writes popular science books for adults and for children, gives public lectures, and draws funny educational comics. Here, Danna talks about what she considers a moral failure related to how it felt for her to sacrifice so many squid for her dissertation research. Though it was difficult for her to reconcile the importance of both the lives of animals and scientific research itself, Danna was able to navigate through her PhD with the help of meditation and journaling, and the experience has informed how she talks about animals and their deaths today in her roles as both a science communicator and parent. Let’s listen! * Transcript: Here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tKTi7SxCTVY_Dtr8syvICRKylFTv1kPU/view?usp=drive_link] * Scientist Info: Danna Staaf * Website: https://www.dannastaaf.com/p/home.html [https://www.dannastaaf.com/p/home.html]  * Fail-Safe Science Repository: https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe [https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe]  * International Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (MHA): https://www.ispmha.com/ [https://www.ispmha.com/]  * Mental Health Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing [https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing] * Land Acknowledgement Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0 [https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0]

Episode 35: Dr. Corrado Nai

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Corrado Nai,  a science writer working as a freelancer, currently based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Corrado’s dissertation research focused on microbiology, specifically on a special type of fungi that can live in the desert, called black fungi. His work now focuses on creating a graphic novel about the forgotten woman who introduced agar to the laboratory, Fanny Angelina Hesse, which he hopes will be published in 2026. Here, Corrado recounts his experience starting in one PhD program and switching to a different one, and how that impacted his future career path as well as his views on science culture as a whole. However, despite the challenges, Corrado learned how to have a long-term perspective on work and life, and the importance of exploring your options in graduate school. Let’s listen! * Transcript: Here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gdUor0S9egsmG4fI04dV-k1wMmyyOsxq/view?usp=drive_link] * Scientist Info: Corrado Nai * Patreon: www.patreon.com/corradonai [http://www.patreon.com/corradonai]  * Fail-Safe Science Repository: https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe [https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe]  * International Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (MHA): https://www.ispmha.com/ [https://www.ispmha.com/]  * Mental Health Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing [https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing] * Land Acknowledgement Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0 [https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0]

Episode 34: Dr. Ellie Aerts

Trigger warning: This episode discusses domestic violence. In this episode, we hear from Dr. Ellie Aerts, a postdoc in reproductive neuroendocrinology at Oregon Health and Science University. Ellie’s dissertation research focused on the neural circuitry controlling the timing of puberty onset, and her work now focuses on the connections between meal timing and fertility. Here, Ellie shares about the really difficult experience of leaving an abusive relationship and almost failing a class during her first year of graduate school. Through various ups and downs, Ellie learned that with support and taking care of what she needed to in her personal life, she could navigate through the hurdles of the PhD. Let’s listen! *If you or someone you know is in need of support for domestic violence, there are resources available to you. In the U.S., you can dial 1-800-799-SAFE for the National Domestic Violence Hotline for free, confidential, 24/7 service. For more location, national, or international resources, check out the NO MORE Project global directory at https://nomoredirectory.org [https://nomoredirectory.org] or reach out to someone you trust for support. You are not alone. * Transcript: Here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/14tHcCJyL-N3Rm0g41Y2pYlaKjrYaq8xC/view?usp=sharing] * Scientist Info: Ellie Aerts * University Profile: https://www.ohsu.edu/iracda/scholars [https://www.ohsu.edu/iracda/scholars]  * Fail-Safe Science Repository: https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe [https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe]  * International Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (MHA): https://www.ispmha.com/ [https://www.ispmha.com/]  * Mental Health Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing [https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing] * Land Acknowledgement Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0 [https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0]

Episode 33: Dr. Joseph L. Graves, Jr.

Trigger warning: This episode discusses suicide. In this episode, we hear from Dr. Joseph L. Graves, Jr., the MacKenzie Scott Endowed Professor of Biology at North Carolina A&T State University. He also serves as the Director for the Genomic Research and Data Science Center for Computation and Cloud-Computing (GRADS-4C, the NIH), the Associate Director for Precision Microbiome Engineering (PreMiEr) (NSF Gen-4 ERC), and the Director of NC Amgen Biotech Experience. Joe’s dissertation research focused on life history, evolution, and aging in Drosophila. His work now focuses on the evolutionary genomics of adaptation applied to several different systems, including the evolution of anti-metal resistance in bacteria, as well as continued work on  life history, evolution, and aging in Drosophila. Here, Joe discusses how he navigated being a graduate student at historically white institutions as an African American, the challenges he faced, and how he persisted. Let’s listen! * Transcript: Here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AojVz6gsyz1GSu5XWcEo4fiXx5qbWT6A/view?usp=drive_link] * Scientist Info: Joseph L. Graves, Jr. * University Profile: https://profiles.ncat.edu/en/persons/joseph-graves/ [https://profiles.ncat.edu/en/persons/joseph-graves/]  * Further reading by Dr. Graves: * A Voice in the Wilderness: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/professor-joseph-l-graves-jr-ph-d/a-voice-in-the-wilderness/9781541600737/?lens=basic-books [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/professor-joseph-l-graves-jr-ph-d/a-voice-in-the-wilderness/9781541600737/?lens=basic-books]  * Racism, Not Race: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/racism-not-race/9780231553735/ [https://cup.columbia.edu/book/racism-not-race/9780231553735/]  * Why Black People Die Sooner: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/why-black-people-die-sooner/9780231217965/ [https://cup.columbia.edu/book/why-black-people-die-sooner/9780231217965/]  * Fail-Safe Science Repository: https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe [https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe]  * International Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (MHA): https://www.ispmha.com/ [https://www.ispmha.com/]  * Mental Health Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing [https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing]  * Land Acknowledgement Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0 [https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0]

Episode 32: Dr. Tracy Kijewski-Correa

* Transcript: Here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pV_wg49xa7uWrs2Xo_mG-UA0Cf_nWGnw/view?usp=sharing] * Scientist Info: Tracy Kijewski-Correa * University Profile: https://keough.nd.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/tracy-kijewski-correa/ [https://keough.nd.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/tracy-kijewski-correa/]  * Fail-Safe Science Repository: https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe [https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe]  * International Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (MHA): https://www.ispmha.com/ [https://www.ispmha.com/]  * Mental Health Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing [https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing] * Land Acknowledgement Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0 [https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0]