The BIO5 Institute is an interdisciplinary membership organization at the University of Arizona where 'team science' is taken to a whole new level. We bring together over 400 researchers to creatively solve difficult problems. In our Science Talks podcast, we visit with BIO5's interdisciplinary experts to learn about the impacts that their research is making to bioscience and human health.
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Dr. Teodora Georgieva is the Director of the University of Arizona’s GEMM Core Facility, she will talk about Early influential mentors and projects that kept her wanting more Advancing the discoveries of novel therapeutics through custom model design GEMM Core’s impact on cancer research Three things you will learn in this episode: What a University core facility is and how they are a helpful service How designer models can impact with cancer research —-------------------------- The BIO5 Institu...
Shang Song is an Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering and a BIO5 Researcher, she will talk about Research approach Biomaterials and their usage Her Research focus Recent Discoveries in the Lab Mentorship’s impact on Science Three things you will learn in this episode: What Biomaterials are Recent Discoveries in Cell Treatments Mentorship in Research Labs —-------------------------- The BIO5 Institute’s Amy Barber talks with member and one of the University’s experts in biomedical engine...
Swarna Ganesh is an Assistant Professor and BIO5 Researcher. She will talk about: 3D bioprinting Cancer diagnostics Mentorship Lab experiences Potential future of cancer treatment Three things you will learn about in this episode: Tumor Twins Bioprinting’s usage in medicine How engineering can personalize cancer treatment —-------------------------- The BIO5 Institute’s Amy Barber talks with member and one of the University’s experts on the tumor modeling, Dr. Swarna Ganesh. Dr. Ganesh’s experti...
Three things you will learn in this episode: What are NeuroPods? Gut response to real vs artificial sugar GASTRONAUTS: a scientific community —-------------------------- The BIO5 Institute’s Amy Barber talks with member and one of the University’s experts on the gut biome Dr. Maya Kaelberer. Dr. Kaelberer is working to understand how the gut senses and responds to the complex composition of food, going beyond traditional calorie counting. The lab’s main goal is to “decipher the nutritional code"...
Three things you will learn in this episode: Drug Discovery and Machine Learning AI usage in modern Computational Research Challenges in using AI for Precision Medicine and how to combat them —-------------------------- The BIO5 Institute ’s Amy Barber talks with member and one of the University’s experts on AI, Dr. Travis Wheeler , Dr. Wheeler’s research group uses computational methods to advance genome research, drug discovery, and precision medicine. Listen in as they explore the rewarding a...
Dr. Alexander Bucksch, a plant phenomicist, shares his pioneering work in developing mathematical and computational methods to understand plant life, particularly root systems. He explains how phenomics, distinct from genomics, quantifies plant characteristics to link them to genetic controls and environmental survival, crucial for addressing climate change. His research at the University of Arizona focuses on analyzing thousands of plants in the field to uncover new insights, such as root specialization and early root hair functions, ultimately aiming to improve crop yield and plant resilience in extreme conditions.
Amy Barber was joined by Dr. Pierce Longmire, a postdoctoral research assistant in the lab of BIO5 member Felicia Goodrum in the Department of Immunobiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson. The overarching goal of the Goodrum lab is to understand how viruses can asymptomatically coexist within a human host. They study the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), using it as a model for defining and understanding interactions between viruses and their hosts that allow for the entry...
Today we are joined by Dr. Vanessa Buzzard , a senior research specialist at the University of Arizona School of Environmental and Natural Resources. Dr. Buzzard received her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in 2017 where she focused on plant functional trait distribution, but has transitioned her studies from natural systems to urban environments. Today, she is a part of BIO5 member Laura Meredith’s lab where she questions the drivers of biodiversity and ecosystem function in relation to th...
As we wrap up 2024, today’s special episode will be a reflection on the remarkable achievements of the University of Arizona researchers and the groundbreaking work at BIO5. Caroline Bartelme was joined by BIO5 Institute director Jennifer Barton to reflect on some highlights, exciting research updates, and what’s next on the horizon for this coming year.
Amy Barber was joined by Ash Black , the director of AI & industry at the University of Arizona Institute for Computation & Data-Enabled Insight, to discuss his role coordinating AI outreach and building internships, jobs, and economic opportunities across Arizona. This institute provides training, education, collaboration, software licenses, and data to our researchers here at BIO5 and the U of A. Black works as a creative technologist and educator with an impressive record of innovatio...
Identifying and understanding zoonotic diseases—infections that are spread between people and animals—can help predict future emergence risks, particularly in vulnerable populations. Combined with computational and data-based models, this research allows us to study potential diseases in the hopes of preventing outbreaks. On this episode of Science Talks , Amy Barber is joined by Dr. Liliana Salvador, assistant professor of animal and comparative biomedical sciences, at the University of Arizona...
Students are an important part of the BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona and share in the success we achieve here. The different administrative departments within BIO5 look for ways to engage with students and train them on the business side of science. One of those departments is the Public Affairs department where students assist with communications and marketing projects, community and faculty events, and other special projects. One such project is our undergraduate internship progra...
Air pollution, which has implications for human health particularly in urban areas, may be attributed to volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. VOCs in the atmosphere have various sources, but of rising concern are those originating from personal care items, cleaning products, and industrial solvents. Amy Barber and Caroline Bartelme were joined by Dr. Gemma Purser a 2024 BIO5 Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Laura Meredith ’s lab in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University ...
A chronic wound does not heal in an orderly set of stages or predictable amount of time. These wounds often remain in the inflammatory stage for too long, taking years to heal, or never healing at all. Biomedical research uses regenerative medicine, tissue repair, nanotechnology, and various biomaterials to target chronic injuries like this. It’s important for researchers to focus on targeting an anti-inflammatory response within molecules, using regenerative techniques to combat oxidative and i...
In many cases where babies are born prematurely, they often have underdeveloped lungs. This can cause breathing problems and neonatal lung diseases that require long-term treatment, or even lung transplantation. It’s critical for research to be done to provide treatments that can help these premature babies survive so they can grow up healthy. Amy Barber is joined on Science Talks by Dr. Vlad Kalinichenko , an internationally renowned research scientist and director of the Phoenix Children’s Res...
Understanding the role of cardiac myosin binding protein-c in muscle function can offer insight into cardiovascular disease. Mutations and abnormalities in this protein can lead to defects in the cardiac system, including heart failure in adults. Amy Barber and Caroline Bartelme are joined by Dr. Angie Greenman , a 2024 BIO5 Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Samantha (Sam) Harris’ lab in the Department of Physiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson . Dr. Greenman studies the mo...
Amy Randall-Barber and her co-host, Paulina Garza, welcomed Byrdie Lopez to the latest episode of Science Talks. Lopez is a University of Arizona undergraduate pursuing a double major in biochemistry and molecular cellular biology on track to attend pharmacy school. Her journey at the BIO5 Institute began as a KEYS Research intern in 2022 working with BIO5 member Wei Wang in the R Ken Coit College of Pharmacy . Only a few years later, she is a student assistant with KEYS, conducting outreach to ...
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects nearly half of American adults and is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Researchers are working to better understand the role of the peripheral nervous system, the part of your nervous system that lies outside your brain and spinal cord, in the development of cardiovascular as well as renal diseases. Amy Randall-Barber from the BIO5 Institute was joined on Science Talks by Dr. Christopher Banek , BIO5 member and assistant...
Induced pluri-potent stem cells (iPSC) are widely used in therapeutics for disease modeling, regenerative medicine, and drug discovery. Using patients’ cells, scientists can regenerate their cells into iPSC and recreate new organs for patients who need them. Amy Randall-Barber from the BIO5 Institute was joined on Science Talks by Dr. Ekta Minocha , a 2023 BIO5 postdoctoral fellow working in the Jason Wertheim lab at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. Dr. Minocha's work focu...
See how an interdisciplinary scientific approach shaped the future of molecular diagnostics and personalized healthcare on a global scale. Amy Randall-Barber from the BIO5 Institute was joined on Science Talks by Dr. Frederic Zenhausern , director of the Center for Applied NanoBioscience and Medicine (ANBM) at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix , among many other appointments in the college including in Basic Medical Science, Radiation Oncology, Biomedical Engineering , and ...
Science ignites curiosity about the natural world, leading people to explore and advocate for it. Amy Randall-Barber from the BIO5 Institute was joined on Science Talks by Caroline (Mosley) Bartelme, the senior manager of communications and content at the BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona. Caroline's journey into science began with a fascination for ecosystems, studying invasive species in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Later, she moved to Washington, DC, where she worked on protecting marine l...
Cancer is an incredibly complex disease. To better understand how it interacts with the human body, researchers in the lab grow organoids, miniature three-dimensional tissue cultures derived from stem cells. Amy Randall-Barber from the BIO5 Institute was joined on Science Talks by Dr. Martha Dua-Awereh who uses organoids to study colorectal and pancreatic cancer with the Alfred Bothwell lab in the Department of Immunobiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Tucson . Dr. Dua-Awe...
Unfortunately, many aspects of women’s health are underfunded and understudied. Better understanding women’s health conditions and microbiomes can help lead to better health outcomes and improve the quality of life. Amy Randall-Barber from the BIO5 Institute was joined on Science Talks by Dr. Nicole Jimenez , currently in the Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz lab, at the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix with a focus on women’s health research . She received her doctorate from Virginia ...
Adding fertilizers to our soil is not as simple as it seems. Plants use some of it, but unseen microbes metabolize fertilizers into gas, including nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to our changing climate. How can we not only understand how current agriculture affects our ecosystems, but also use that knowledge to advance new agricultural technology? Amy Randall-Barber from the BIO5 Institute interviewed Dr. Holly Andrews , a postdoctoral researcher working with both the Gr...
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a herpesvirus that infects a majority of the world’s population. It’s a significant cause of viral induced birth defects and can cause complications in transplant patients or immunocompromised individuals. Amy Randall-Barber from the BIO5 Institute interviewed Dr. Rebekah Mokry , a postdoctoral research associate and 2023 BIO5 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Immunobiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine — Tucson . She received her PhD in ...
The field of public health has become even more critical in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health professionals must balance strategic thinking with compassionate thinking, and must truly be able to collaborate on the state, national, and global levels. Today, we are joined by physician and scientist Dr. Purnima Madhivanan. Dr. Madhivanan is an Associate Professor of Public Health, Medicine, Psychology, and Family and Community Medicine at the University of Arizona, as well as a membe...
With metabolic processes being a complicated aspect of biology, it takes specially trained scientists with a respect for the multidisciplinary approaches to tackle the science and the innovation related to this area. Today, we are joined by Dr. Ashley Snider , an Associate Professor of Nutritional Science and Cancer Biology at the University of Arizona. Having received her Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology, Dr. Snider aims to understand more about fatty acids and their effect on inflammation ...
Epigenetics, or the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself, is a very important and complex research interest. Currently, we are just now starting to understand how and when epigenetic information is passed from generation to generation through work done at the Mosher lab . At the Mosher lab, plant sciences are utilized to their full potential so advancement in the study of genetics/epigenetics can occur. Today, w...
Neurological Diseases are disorders that affect the brain and the nervous system, and include Parkinson’s disease, Dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. As researchers work diligently, the goal of better understanding these diseases and appropriate treatment becomes paramount. Trained physician and scientist Dr. Lalitha Madhavan is an Associate Professor of Neurology , and also a member of the Evelyn F Mcknight Brain Institute and BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona. Her research merges the...
Stress is a constant factor in the daily lives of many. BIO5 researchers are working to assess the risks affecting us when feeling overwhelmed and understand the connection between health and emotions. BIO5 member Dr. Esther Sternberg is a Professor of Medicine , Professor of Psychology , and the current Director of Research at the University of Arizona's center for integrative medicine . She is recognized by the national library of medicine as one of 339 influential women “who changed the face ...
