Academia has a problem. Underrepresented minorities fall off at every step along the path to becoming a STEM professor. What we are left with is a professoriate that does not reflect the diversity of the general population. In this episode, we dive into what is known about this issue and how we can make the environment of STEM education more equita…

Gentry Patrick was born in South Central Los Angeles to a 16-year-old single mother. Through grit, serendipity, mentorship, and wits, he went on to study science at some of the most reputable institutions and ultimately earned his doctoral degree and landed a job as a professor of biology at UC San Diego. There he studies how proteins in the brain …

When you listen to the ocean, you realize that there is a whole world of sound that our ears aren't made to hear. Goldie Phillips tells us what we can hear off the waters of San Diego, and what is threatening the rich soundscape of the Pacific Ocean.This episode first aired in January 2019.By KPBS Explore / Margot Wohl

From KPBS and PRX, "Port of Entry" tells cross-border stories that connect us.Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen, or here: www.portofentrypod.org.By KPBS Public Media

Austin Coley was told he was not “PhD worthy” while getting his masters. That didn’t stop him from getting his doctorate and continuing to research a mental illness that affected his uncle.Follow "Rad Scientist" on Facebook: www.facebook.com/radscientistpodEpisode Music:Rad Scientist Theme Motif - Grant FisherGolden Bunny - Daniel Birchcrystal life…

When you ask Chandler Puritty who she is, she’ll give you many answers: Ecologist, social justice advocate, plant lover, cat mother, artist, psychic medium.She cares deeply about the environment and climate change. Her thesis charted the resilience of exotic versus native plants of Southern California after drought. But she also cares about the env…

Kaylee Arnold grew up in Oceanside, but moved to Georgia to pursue a PhD in ecology. Despite her fear of heights, Kaylee climbs high up in the palm trees of Panama to collect her research subjects, kissing bugs. She studies the gut bacteria of these parasite-carrying insects to broaden our understanding of how microbiome diversity is affected by en…

Daril Brown wants to build vocal neuroprostheses, or devices that use brain signals to recreate speech. He tests his methods using zebra finches, who learn their songs through childhood. As a Black researcher in a field lacking diversity, he describes adjusting his own speech patterns to avoid being perceived as a threat in white academic spaces, a…

Melonie Vaughn’s desire to study neurodevelopmental disorders stemmed from watching her autistic brother struggle with navigating school and social relationships. Now she is a rising second year neuroscience Ph.D. student at UC San Diego. Melonie, an Afro-Panamanian, is the only black woman in her program.Twitter handle: @melonievaughn_Episode Musi…

Recent events involving the killing of unarmed Black people have brought discussions about racism to the forefront, including at scientific institutions. This season is centered on Black scientists, from graduate students to faculty to those who have left the ivory towers. They study bug microbiomes, autism, neural prosthetics and more. But they wi…

Sophia Hirakis is always on the move, just like the proteins she studies. She’s always doing something, whether it's traveling between Greece and the States, watching Yankees' games, doing science, working at her family's hotel, or writing and performing poems and music. And now that she has her doctoral degree, she's starting a nonprofit to help r…

When Elischa Sanders was young, he thought he would grow up to be in the NBA. But he realized he was better in the classroom than on the court. Now he studies how the brain controls movement. Maybe he can figure out why Stephen Curry's jump shot is so consistent.By KPBS Explore / Margot Wohl

Who gets access and benefits from our genomes? Keolu Fox, an indigenous geneticist, advocates for more fair and transparent rules on how companies and scientists use the DNA of others.By KPBS Explore / Margot Wohl

UC San Diego professor Brian Keating wanted to understand how our solar system, our galaxy, our universe came to be. The big bang theory didn’t fully explain the properties of our universe. So he built a telescope at the South Pole to detect signals from the earliest time possible, billions of light years away. This journey led him down a path of a…

How our universe came to be is still unknown. A discovery about this origin story will surely be Nobel Prize worthy. Brian Keating has an idea for how to make such a discovery. This is part one of a two-part story.By Margot Wohl

Gwendolyn Barriac wants you to embrace the future. She's pretty sure that will involve virtual reality. Her goal is to make it so that VR can be accessible to anyone carrying a smartphone with a Qualcomm chip.By Margot Wohl

Aaron Christensen-Quick studies infectious diseases. It came to a surprise to him, then, when he contracted the very disease he studies.By Margot Wohl

The cannabis industry needs scientists too. Allison Justice applies her green thumb to a very green enterprise.By Margot Wohl

Why do armpits smell? And how can be make them smell better? Chris Callewaert, also known as "Dr. Armpit," thinks he's solved this vapor caper.By Margot Wohl

When you listen to the ocean, you realize that there is a whole world of sound that our ears aren't made to hear. Goldie Phillips tells us what we can hear off the waters of San Diego, and what is threatening the rich soundscape of the Pacific Ocean.By Margot Wohl

A shorty episode on the March for Science.By Margot Wohl

Sinem Beyhan studies an infectious fungus that lives in soil. With no vaccine and very few available treatments, the disease can be deadly to humans. So Sinem is on a mission to hit the fungus where it hurts.By Margot Wohl

Robert Quimby decides between becoming a rock star — or studying them.By Margot Wohl

Cami Collins was a small town girl with a dream to be a physicist. Now, she handles particles ten times hotter than the sun! Her goal is to create a new energy source for future generations.By Margot Wohl

Can molecules from San Diego's coast be tomorrow's cancer medicine? That's what Philip Baran is trying to figure out. He hopes to synthesize life-saving molecules mother nature has been producing for eons.By Margot Wohl

Liang Song is working hard to save her best friends: plants. She's trying to make them stronger. Like, strong enough to withstand a statewide drought.By Margot Wohl

The female reproductive system and jungles of Africa face foreign invaders. In this episode, we follow San Diego scientist Pascal Gagneux through these environments, and find out more about their intruders.By Margot Wohl