Cafe Sci Q&A: "Ouch, Let Me See Where it Hurts" and "So, This is How We Learn"

Carnegie Science Center's Podcast

In his first story, "Ouch! Let Me See Where It Hurts," Dr. Pollock will explore aspects of the basic biology of chronic pain and how in some cases, it arises from a dynamic interplay of the nervous system and the immune system. Along with his colleagues he has found that specially formulated nano-particles can be used to label immune cells that can then be visualized in live animals revealing where the pain is originating. He'll look at some of the data that demonstrates this technique and discuss how such techniques may be able to deliver drug therapy precisely to the site of pain in the future. In his second story, "So, This Is How We Learn," Dr. Pollock will talk about why science literacy is so important and how he uses stories to reveal fundamental principles of science in museum exhibits, video games, Apps, digital dome animated shows and television dramas for kids. Through these productions, Dr. Pollock, along with his team of experts, have specifically tested how well people learn and what they learn. He'll look at some of the data and discuss how he thinks some of our learning will be happening in the not so distant future. Dr. John Archie Pollock is a graduate of Syracuse University with a B.S in Physics and a second major in Philosophy, an M.S. in Physics and a Ph.D. in biophysics. During his time at CALTECH in Pasadena CA, Dr. Pollock established a research program that focused on studying the developmental biology of the nervous system, work that he continues to the present. After nearly six years at CALTECH, Dr. Pollock moved to Carnegie Mellon University in 1989 to serve as assistant, then associate professor of biological sciences and director of graduate programs. In 2001, Dr. Pollock moved his research laboratory to Duquesne University to serve as an associate professor of biological sciences. At Duquesne University, he has continued his research on neural development and has initiated a new basic science research program investigating chronic pain. Another dimension of Dr. Pollock's work has been development of a broad collection of STEM and health literacy teaching resources for children and the general public that are used in museums, schools and broadcast television. His scholarly work on the assessment and evaluation of these pieces explores how people learn from multimedia. Recorded Monday, March 10, 2014 at Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA.