The microbiome has gotten a lot of attention recently, with gut health being emphasised in everything from digestion to mental health. But when is the last time you thought about the microbiome in your lungs? Here to tell us all about the fascinating environment that is our lungs is Jack Thomas Sumner, a Northwestern University PhD candidate in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. If you want to learn more about the topics discussed in this episode, check out: This TED Talk on the human microbiome If you're feeling a longer read, Ed Yong's I Contain Multitudes is a great de ..read more

The human body is capable of some amazing things, including the magic of regeneration! And biomedical engineers are doing some fascinating things to magnify that power. Northwestern University PhD student Rebecca Keate shares more about how how healing can be controlled through electricity and her insights on how medical device regulation can keep up with the pace of new medical devices. If you want to learn more about the topics discussed in this episode, check out: The Center for Advanced Regenerative Engineering (CARE) at Northwestern University More on the FDA's Right to Try Act  Ch ..read more

Welcome back to In the Spotlight! For our season 4 premiere, we'll be talking all about the struggle between humans and pathogens -- one we're, unfortunately, all too familiar with. Here to talk us through one of the many ways bacteria outsmart our immune system is Northwestern PhD student Alexandra Karagiaridi, from the Department of Molecular Biosciences. Alexandra gives us a fascinating insight into her graduate school, the significance of her work, and how she goes about solving the problem. If you want to learn more about the topics discussed in this episode, check out: A nice summary b ..read more

For our season 3 finale, we're uncovering all there is to know about green spaces and green infrastructure for cities! Many people don't realize the dozens of benefits that trees and green spaces give us, including in stormwater collection and preventing flooding. Northwestern PhD Candidate Colleen O'Brien (and member of our podcast team!) shares a bit more about the fascinating questions being asked about green spaces in environmental engineering research and how green infrastructure policy can be designed with communities in mind.  If you want to learn more about the topics discussed i ..read more

Humans are messy, complicated beings. Who we are is influenced by a number of factors, ranging from our upbringing to our geography. Here to walk us through the study of transnationalism, and how it's changing, is David Duske. David is a 2nd year MA student at the University of Buffalo, in the Department of Africana and American studies.  If you want to learn more about the topics discussed in this episode, check out: This video by the University of Oxford on transnational migration An overview on American Studies A summary of transnationalism This article from The Atlantic on what ..read more

We are introducing a new monthly policy episode series called "Science Policy in the Spotlight," where we will focus our attention on a timely and local policy topic in the greater Chicago area and understand how science helps inform the topic. This series, we're focused on new strategies in mental health crisis response. In the 4th and final episode of this 4 episode series, we had the privilege to speak with the Deputy Commissioner of Behavioral Health at the Chicago Public Health Department, Matthew Richards. Together, we tackle the new Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) progr ..read more

We are introducing a new monthly policy episode series called "Science Policy in the Spotlight," where we will focus our attention on a timely and local policy topic in the greater Chicago area and understand how science helps inform the topic. This series, we're focused on new strategies in mental health crisis response. In the 3rd episode of this 4 episode series, we chatted with one of the leaders of the new First-response Alternative Crisis Team (FACT) run by Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare, Christopher Mayer, to learn more about their recently debuted mobile crisis team that serves Evanston ..read more

We are introducing a new monthly policy episode series called "Science Policy in the Spotlight," where we will focus our attention on a timely and local policy topic in the greater Chicago area and understand how science helps inform the topic. This series, we're focused on new strategies in mental health crisis response. In the 2nd episode of this 4 episode series, we will hear from the Executive Director of Impact Behavioral Health Partners, Dr. Patti Capouch, about the background behind mobile crisis response teams in our area and the latest crisis response resource to be funded by our loca ..read more

We are introducing a new monthly policy episode series called "Science Policy in the Spotlight," where we will focus our attention on a timely and local policy topic in the greater Chicago area and understand how science helps inform the topic. This series, we're focused on new strategies in mental health crisis response. In the 1st episode of this 4 episode series, we will hear from the Director of Programs of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for Cook County North Suburban, Dr. Christine Somervill, about the state of mental healthcare in our area and how crisis response compares ..read more

Computational modelling has revolutionised complete fields, leading to increasingly advanced theories and applications. But what does computational modelling look like in material science, a field often associated with material things? PhD candidate Sean Koyama is here to walk us through the bleeding edge research that is computational material science! If you want to learn more about the topics discussed in this episode, check out: A lecture on how innovation in Materials Sciences An educational physics channel A book by Albert Einstein on relativity A short article on the origins and appli ..read more