Saturday Morning Lab

On this final leg of the Summer Tour we culminate our travels to the far east in beautiful Malaysia where I have the privilege of chatting with Dr. Maimonah Al-Masawa. Maimonah is an academic researcher and lecturer specializing in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) at the Faculty of Pharmacy, at the University of Malaya. She is also the Vice President of the Student Network on Extracellular Vesicles. We discuss her origins and upbringing in the Yemen, time in Germany, and settling in Malaysia where she began her research program. 

As we continue our summer tour, we stop in beautiful and scenic Maldives where I have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Asiya Rozindar, a PhD-trained Science Educator and Biology Teacher with the Ministry of Education. Originally from Karnatak, India, Asiya grew up in a diverse melting pot of a city where scholarship, community engagement, and service where cherished values. We talk about her PhD training, rich teaching experiences, and her current work with students on the island teaching them science, conservation.  Her broader message is making scientific research accessible and surmountable in today's high pressure academic landscape.

In our fourth installment of the Summer Tour, we visit beautiful Iran and speak to the inspiring Hadis Eskandari. Hadis is a gifted young midwife-turned biomedical device inventor. We talk about her passion for women's health and how this passion drove her to expand her knowledge to enable the invention of a device that helps stem postpartum hemorrhaging. Her incredible story is testament to the enduring truth that "where there is a will, there is a way".

On the third leg of of the Summer tour, we visit beautiful #Cairo, #Egypt to speak with Dr. Aya El-Turkey, an enthusiastic #plant #virologist, molecular biologist, and founder of Biotech-Zone. We explore her journey from childhood curiosity to cutting-edge research in nanobiotechnology including plant-based vaccines, and #food #security. We also discuss her visionary work in training the next generation of biotech researchers #Science #Biotechnology #Egypt

On the second leg of the Summer Tour, we land in Ibadan, Nigeria where we interview Dr. Abdulquddus Ajibade, a talented young physician-turned AI and Machine Learning engineer. Originally the son of an engineer and a teacher, Abdulquddus always had a passion for both health and innovation. He would eventually merge these two skill sets in his current role to leverage AI and Machine learning to advance healthcare delivery and disease prevention and management.

On this first leg of the Summer Tour, I sit down with my friend Darryl Davis. Darryl is a clinician-scientist and cardiac electrophysiologist in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. We discuss the formative influence of French language immersion, a high school biology course, and his journey to cardiac electrophysiology. We also discuss his clinical efforts, research activities, and now a start-up company (Rhythm Therapeutics) using a novel therapeutic. 

Hey friends, during our off-season of Saturday Morning Lab, I'm excited to announce a limited series called the "Summer Tour". In these few episodes, I interview, scientists, academics, and other professionals from around the world to collect their stories, voices, and wisdoms. Stay tuned for Summer Tour episodes coming soon!

In this finale episode of our second season, I sit down with Michael Eisen, Professor of Genetics and Development at UC Berkeley. We talk about how his love of sports inspired a career in science. We also talk about the challenges facing academia and its role in society. Mike is genuine, principled, and does not pull his punches. His informed perspective is helpful in addressing the systemic problems facing science, politics, and their often tense relationship.

On this penultimate episode of season 2, I sit down with my friend, Tom Vondriska. Tom is a Professor of Medicine at UCLA where he studies the role of chromatin dynamics in cardiovascular disease. We discuss his early beginnings in a small Ohio town, his path to research, and perspective on the role of science and safeguarding the public trust. Check out Tom's Substack to get more of his take on important issues.

On this week's episode, I interview Mariana Weber, a kind and enthusiastic Medical Science Liaison.  We talk about her journey from a small town in Brazil to a PhD in microbiology, surviving layoffs and setbacks to land her first Medical Science Liaison role. Her secret? Resilience, mentorship, and taking ownership of her career.