Science Changing Life
Episodes
2025 Year in Review: Five insights we’re still thinking about
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a special year-end episode of Science Changing Life, we’re revisiting five moments from 2025 that continue to shape how we think about science...
What’s next for IBD care: Insights from a surgeon-scientist
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The data is clear: inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s are on the rise worldwide. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. ...
Scientists offer their best career (and life) advice
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This year on Science Changing Life, we’ve had some amazing scientists join us to share their work, their stories and what drives them. There’s one...
Wired for risk: The science of addiction and mental health
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Depression and alcohol dependence are often seen as personal struggles—but decades of study by Scripps Research professor Cindy Ehlers reveal a much...
Pathogens in the pipeline: How wastewater holds clues to the next pandemic
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the key to detecting the next pandemic was hidden in our wastewater? By analyzing pathogens found in sewage, scientists can track the spread o...
Virologist gives update on H5N1, mpox, and preparing for an uncertain future
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Roughly two years ago, virology expert and Scripps Research professor Sumit Chanda sat down with Science Changing Life to discuss all things pandemic ...
The long haul: Personal and scientific insights into long COVID
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Long COVID affects millions of people worldwide, yet many questions about the condition remain unanswered. In this episode of Science Changing Life, J...
Futureproof: Eric Topol on revolutionizing pandemic preparedness
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the second part of our conversation with Dr. Eric Topol, we explore how examining the past is necessary to ensure we’re more prepared for our fut...
Beyond the hype: AI’s impact on medicine and science with Eric Topol
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing what we once thought impossible. But how can we distinguish genuine breakthroughs from mere hype? In this e...
Gene editing, CRISPR, and drawing the line between science and fiction
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to revolutionary technologies like CRISPR, we’re now living in an age where it’s becoming possible to rewrite the very building blocks of l...
Everything we know about H5N1 bird flu
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Four years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, another virus threatens to reach pandemic potential: the H5N1 bird flu. We sit down with Arnab Ch...
Building a 'telescope' for the brain
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Galileo’s telescope revolutionized our modern understanding of the universe. Assistant neuroscience professor Xin Jin, PhD, wants to do just that—...
A physician-scientist’s guide to developing medicines
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
More than 90% of drugs fail to make it from the lab bench to approval. How, then, has a physician-scientist like Hugh Rosen found so much success in d...
Solving the origins of life and other mysteries in chemistry
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
How biosensors are enabling a new era in medicine
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Jay Pandit is a director of digital medicine at the Scripps Research Translational Institute and an assistant professor in the Department of Molec...
Episode 43 – Ahmed Badran: Bioengineering our way out of climate change
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ahmed Badran is an assistant professor of chemistry at Scripps Research, where his lab harnesses synthetic biology to address some of biggest global p...
Episode 42 – Mia Huang: How sugar biology can help diagnose and treat cancer
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Episode 41 – Ram Krishnamurthy: Astrobiology, origins of life and the search for extraterrestrials
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Ram Krishnamurthy is based in the Department of Chemistry at Scripps Research, where his lab investigates the reactions that could have firs...
Episode 40 – Sumit Chanda: How can we prepare for the next pandemic?
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Sumit Chanda is an infectious disease expert and immunologist, where he works both in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology and at C...
Episode 39 – Ali Torkamani: Preventing heart disease with personalized genetic testing
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Ali Torkamani is the Director of Genome Informatics at the Scripps Research Translational Institute, where his team mines population-level g...
Episode 38 – Danielle Grotjahn: What mitochondria tell us about disease, stress and cell death
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are the mitochondria truly the powerhouses of the cell? In this episode, assistant professor Danielle Grotjahn shares why she thinks “the stress sen...
Episode 37 – Stuti Jaiswal: Improving sleep health with wearable devices
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Episode 36 – Evert Njomen: Hacking our cellular recycling system to prevent the next deadly pathogen
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Episode 35 – Andrew Su: How artificial and community intelligence are shaping medicine
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Andrew Su is based in the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, where his lab develops digital tools to draw concl...
Episode 34 – Travis Young: Finding a cure for cancer with novel immunotherapies
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Travis Young is the Vice President of Biologics at Calibr, the drug discovery and development division of Scripps Research. Travis and the team ha...
Episode 33 – Frederick Barrett: Psychoactive compounds to treat depression, addiction & inflammation
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Part three of our mini-series centered on brain health. Professor Frederick Barrett is based in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Jo...
Episode 32 – Ryan Shenvi: Ethnomedicine to improve learning, memory and mental health
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The second part of our three-part mini-series on brain health. Professor Ryan Shenvi is based in the Department of Chemistry at Scripps Research, wher...
Episode 31 – Sandra Encalada: Linking traffic jams in the brain to neurodegenerative disease
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We kick off the Summer 2022 podcast season with the first of a three-part mini-series dedicated to brain health. Professor Sandra Encalada is based in...
Episode 30 – The biochemistry of aging: Scripps Research Magazine
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
Episode 29 – Precision therapies for age-related diseases: Scripps Research Magazine
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Episode 28 – Personalized genetic testing: Scripps Research Magazine
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 und...
Episode 27 – Overcoming arthritis: Scripps Research Magazine
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the second of this series on healthy aging, we reveal how Scripps Research scientists are developing interventions to remove stiff, achy joints fro...
Episode 26 – Cellular secrets to a longer life: Scripps Research Magazine
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Episode 25 - Ed Ramos: Reversing diabetes with personalized nutrition
10 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Ed Ramos is director of Digital Clinical Trials for the Scripps Research Digital Trials Center. Listen as we talk about empowering the individual ...
Episode 24- Eric Topol & Andrew Ward: How Spike Protein Discoveries Drove Coronavirus Vaccine Design
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Another special edition featuring an extended conversation between Dr. Eric Topol, Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, and Profe...
Episode 23 – Daphne Lurie: Taking Care of your Mental Health
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Daphne Lurie is a California-licensed clinical psychologist and Director of the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) on the Scripps Resear...
Episode 22 – Discovery in an Era of Social Distancing: Scripps Research Magazine
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Stories brought to life! Today’s audio adventure comes from the Fall 2020 edition of our Scripps Research Magazine. We dive into the adaptations mad...
Episode 21 - Kara Marshall: The Science of Bladder Control
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Kara Marshall is based in the Department of Neuroscience at Scripps Research, working as a postdoctoral researcher in Professsor Ardem Patapoutian...
Episode 20 – Eric Topol & Dennis Burton: Antibodies, Vaccines and the Current State of COVID-19
01 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s special edition features an extended conversation between Dr. Eric Topol, Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, and Prof...
Episode 19 – Amanda Roberts: Mice in Outer Space
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Episode 18 - Biodiversity beyond the horizon: Scripps Research Magazine
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Research discoveries brought to life! In today’s segment, we explore Scripps Research’s Natural Products Discovery Center, a historic natural coll...
Episode 17 - Time is ticking against Lyme: Scripps Research Magazine
13 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 scient...
Episode 16 – David Biello: What Makes a Great Science TED Talk
27 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Episode 15 – Kristen Johnson & Maria Millan: Regenerative Medicine for Osteoarthritis
21 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
Ep. 14–Brian Fiske & Jeff Kelly: Accelerating Discoveries to Treat Neurodegenerative Disease
28 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Episode 13 – Eric Topol: High Performance Medicine – How Technology Can Bring Back Humanity
12 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Eric Topol is the Founder and Director of The Translational Institute at Scripps Research. Listen as we talk about bringing back empathy in medici...
Episode 12 – Arnab Chatterjee: Teaching Old Drugs New Tricks
27 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Chatterjee is the Vice President of Medicinal Chemistry at Calibr, the biotechnology division of Scripps Research. Listen as we talk about re-purp...
Episode 11 – Matthias Pauthner: Novel Approaches to Combat Infectious Disease
10 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Matthias is based in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research, working in Prof. Kristian Andersen’s Lab. Listen as we talk ...
Episode 10 – Alyssa Shepard: Harnessing Social Media in Science
16 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Alyssa is based in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research, under the supervision of Prof. Joseph Kissil. Listen as we talk about can...
Episode 9 - Courtney Miller: How To Forget Addictions
18 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Prof. Miller is based in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research. Listen as we talk about methamphetamine-use disorder, short- and lo...
Episode 8 – Scripps Research Branding Party Highlights
27 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A compilation of interview highlights recorded live from the branding launch party at Scripps Research. I heard from scientists about how their work i...
Episode 7 – Gary Siuzdak: The Golden Age of Metabolism
14 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Episode 6 – Courtney Peterson: Intermittent Fasting
25 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Peterson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Listen as we talk about dif...
Episode 5 – Tod Williams and Billie Tsien: The Architecture of a Science Institute
09 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Tod Williams and Billie Tsien are the architects responsible for designing what was formerly the Neurosciences Institute (NSI); the buildings now make...
Episode 4 - Steve Steinhubl: Digital Medicine
30 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Steve is the Director of Digital Medicine at the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI). Listen as we talk about Fitbits, perverse healthcare ...
Episode 3 - Matt Tremblay: Technology Transfer - From Bench to Bedside
19 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
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 com...
Episode 2 - Arthur Olson: Augmented Reality and 3D Printing
06 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Arthur is based in the department of integrative structural and computational biology at TSRI. Listen as we talk about HIV modelling, hexbug toys and ...