In this episode, we speak with Yunde Zhao, a Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California San Diego. Yunde earned his Bachelors in Biochemistry from East China University of Science and Technology, received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan, and did his postdoctoral training in plant genetics at the Salk Institute, where he was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellow of the Life Sciences Research Foundation. In January 2022, Yunde started his appointment as the Editor-in-Chief of Plant Physiology, one of the oldest plant journals.We discuss a recent paper from Yunde’s lab describing a fast and non-invasive method for monitoring plant transformations, and talk about the transformations that are needed in the publishing world. We also address a recent controversy about diversity among some newly appointed Plant Physiology editors.Show Notes:#DiversifyPlantScihttps://rdale1.shinyapps.io/diversifyplantsci/Plant Physiology Synbio Initiative https://academic.oup.com/plphys/article/190/1/180/6613939Pandemic-related effects on publishing are gendered:https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01294-9 https://elifesciences.org/articles/76559Paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33024566/He, Zhang, Sun, Zhan, and Zhao. A reporter for noninvasively monitoring gene expression and plant transformation. (2020). Horticulture Research 19:152.Twitter Handles:Liz Haswell Twitter @ehaswellIvan Baxter Twitter @baxtertwiYunde Zhao Twitter @YundeZhao

In this episode, we speak with Yunde Zhao, a Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California San Diego. Yunde earned his Bachelors in Biochemistry from East China University of Science and Technology, received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan, and did his postdoctoral training in plant genetics at the Salk Institute, where he was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellow of the Life Sciences Research Foundation. In January 2022, Yunde started his appointment as the Editor-in-Chief of Plant Physiology, one of the oldest plant journals. We discuss a recent paper from Yunde’s lab describing a fast and non-invasive method for monitoring plant transformations, and talk about the transformations that are needed in the publishing world. We also address a recent controversy about diversity among some newly appointed Plant Physiology editors. Show Notes: #DiversifyPlantSci <a href="https://rdale1.shinyapps.io/diversifyplantsci/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://rdale1.shinyapps.io/diversifyplantsci/</a> Plant Physiology Synbio Initiative <a href="https://academic.oup.com/plphys/article/190/1/180/6613939" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://academic.oup.com/plphys/article/190/1/180/6613939</a> Pandemic-related effects on publishing are gendered: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01294-9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01294-9</a> <a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/76559" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://elifesciences.org/articles/76559</a> Paper: <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33024566/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33024566/</a> He, Zhang, Sun, Zhan, and Zhao. A reporter for noninvasively monitoring gene expression and plant transformation. (2020). Horticulture Research 19:152. Twitter Handles: Liz Haswell Twitter @ehaswell Ivan Baxter Twitter @baxtertwi Yunde Zhao Twitter @YundeZhao

S6E5: Transforming plants and the culture of publishing

In this episode, we speak with Jason Williams, Assistant Director of Inclusion and Research Readiness at the DNA Learning Center at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Jason is also lead for CyVerse Education, Outreach, and Training – the U.S. National Cyberinfrastructure for Life Science. Jason received his B.S. in Biology from SUNY Stonybrook in 2004, then worked as a technician in several labs at Cold Spring Harbor, and then transitioned to multiple roles in the DNA Learning Center In 2009. We discuss an article Jason and colleagues recently published in Science, entitled “Achieving STEM diversity: Fix the classrooms. Outdated teaching methods amount to discrimination”. We also talk about the nuance and complexities around improving diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM education, in planning conferences, and in running scientific societies. Have a listen!Show Notes:Paper: J. Handelsman, S. Elgin, M. Estrada, S. Hays, T. Johnson, S. Miller, V. Mingo, C. Schaffer, and J. Williams. (2022). Science 376:1057-1059.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35653460/Twitter Handles Liz Haswell Twitter @ehaswellIvan Baxter Twitter @baxtertwiJason Williams Twitter @JasonWilliamsNY

In this episode, we speak with Jason Williams, Assistant Director of Inclusion and Research Readiness at the DNA Learning Center at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Jason is also lead for CyVerse Education, Outreach, and Training – the U.S. National Cyberinfrastructure for Life Science. Jason received his B.S. in Biology from SUNY Stonybrook in 2004, then worked as a technician in several labs at Cold Spring Harbor, and then transitioned to multiple roles in the DNA Learning Center In 2009. We discuss an article Jason and colleagues recently published in Science, entitled “Achieving STEM diversity: Fix the classrooms. Outdated teaching methods amount to discrimination”. We also talk about the nuance and complexities around improving diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM education, in planning conferences, and in running scientific societies. Have a listen! Show Notes: Paper: J. Handelsman, S. Elgin, M. Estrada, S. Hays, T. Johnson, S. Miller, V. Mingo, C. Schaffer, and J. Williams. (2022). Science 376:1057-1059. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35653460/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35653460/</a> Twitter Handles Liz Haswell Twitter @ehaswell Ivan Baxter Twitter @baxtertwi Jason Williams Twitter @JasonWilliamsNY

Taproot S6E4: Can We Force Academic Structures to be Inclusive?

In this episode, we speak with Jennifer Robison, an Assistant Professor of Biology at Manchester University in Indiana. Jennifer received her Bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College, her Master’s degree from the University of Delaware and her PhD from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. For her thesis, she studied how thermal stress impact gene expression and physiology in soybean. After getting her PhD, she moved directly to a faculty position, just in time to get her feet wet before the pandemic hit.We discuss Jen’s paper, “Using a Student-Generated Mock Magazine Issue to Improve Students’ Awareness of Diverse Scientists”, which was published in the Journal of Microbiology &amp; Biology Education in 2020. We discuss the importance of approaching our teaching as scientifically and quantitatively as we approach our research. Jen describes the many important (and amusing!) ways she engaged students during pandemic-related remote instruction and the philosophies she’ll be carrying forward as we return to in-person instruction.Show Notes:Paper: Jennifer Robison. J Microbiol Biol Educ. (2020). 21:21/3/75. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33384763/Blog post: https://jenniferrobison.weebly.com/blog/covid-pivot-turned-me-into-the-cosplay-professorTwitter Handles Liz Haswell Twitter @ehaswellIvan Baxter Twitter @baxtertwiJen Robison Twitter @JenRobiSciTaproot Podcast Twitter @taprootpodcast

In this episode, we speak with Jennifer Robison, an Assistant Professor of Biology at Manchester University in Indiana. Jennifer received her Bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College, her Master’s degree from the University of Delaware and her PhD from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. For her thesis, she studied how thermal stress impact gene expression and physiology in soybean. After getting her PhD, she moved directly to a faculty position, just in time to get her feet wet before the pandemic hit. We discuss Jen’s paper, “Using a Student-Generated Mock Magazine Issue to Improve Students’ Awareness of Diverse Scientists”, which was published in the Journal of Microbiology &amp; Biology Education in 2020. We discuss the importance of approaching our teaching as scientifically and quantitatively as we approach our research. Jen describes the many important (and amusing!) ways she engaged students during pandemic-related remote instruction and the philosophies she’ll be carrying forward as we return to in-person instruction. Show Notes: Paper: Jennifer Robison. J Microbiol Biol Educ. (2020). 21:21/3/75. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33384763/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33384763/</a> Blog post: <a href="https://jenniferrobison.weebly.com/blog/covid-pivot-turned-me-into-the-cosplay-professor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://jenniferrobison.weebly.com/blog/covid-pivot-turned-me-into-the-cosplay-professor</a> Twitter Handles Liz Haswell Twitter @ehaswell Ivan Baxter Twitter @baxtertwi Jen Robison Twitter @JenRobiSci Taproot Podcast Twitter @taprootpodcast

Taproot S6E3: Classroom Cosplay: Applying Creative and Scientific Approaches to Teaching

In this episode, our guest is Olivier Hamant. Olivier is a PI at INRAE in the Plant Reproduction and Development laboratory in Lyon, France. Olivier did his PhD on KNOX homeobox genes in 2003, and then postdocs in Berkeley with Zac Cande and with Jan Traas in Lyon. He took his current position at INRAE in 2012, where he works on the mechanobiology of development. Olivier has received a number of awards in recent years, including Prix Foulon” from the French science academy – 2020.  The jumping-off point for our discussion is a commentary that Olivier wrote entitled “Plants Show us the Light”, published  in Trends in Plant Science in 2020. There, he argues that evolution favors robustness over efficiency, and cites several recent discoveries in the field of photosynthesis to support his argument. From there, we apply the lens of efficiency versus robustness to a range of applications, including other aspects of biology, lab organization, and even the global economy. We also touch on ways that the COVID pandemic revealed this tension.Show Notes:Olivier Hamant. Plants Show us the Light. Trends Plant Sci. (2020). 26:97-99.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33221171/ Twitter Handles Liz Haswell Twitter @ehaswellIvan Baxter Twitter @baxtertwiTaproot Podcast Twitter @taprootpodcast

In this episode, our guest is Olivier Hamant. Olivier is a PI at INRAE in the Plant Reproduction and Development laboratory in Lyon, France. Olivier did his PhD on KNOX homeobox genes in 2003, and then postdocs in Berkeley with Zac Cande and with Jan Traas in Lyon. He took his current position at INRAE in 2012, where he works on the mechanobiology of development. Olivier has received a number of awards in recent years, including Prix Foulon” from the French science academy – 2020. The jumping-off point for our discussion is a commentary that Olivier wrote entitled “Plants Show us the Light”, published in Trends in Plant Science in 2020. There, he argues that evolution favors robustness over efficiency, and cites several recent discoveries in the field of photosynthesis to support his argument. From there, we apply the lens of efficiency versus robustness to a range of applications, including other aspects of biology, lab organization, and even the global economy. We also touch on ways that the COVID pandemic revealed this tension. Show Notes: Olivier Hamant. Plants Show us the Light. Trends Plant Sci. (2020). 26:97-99. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33221171/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33221171/</a> Twitter Handles Liz Haswell Twitter @ehaswell Ivan Baxter Twitter @baxtertwi Taproot Podcast Twitter @taprootpodcast

Taproot S6E2: The tension between robustness and efficiency in biological and human systems

Taproot S6E1: May I have your attention, please? Searching for causal mutations and for institutional support. In this episode, our guest is Dior Kelley, an assistant professor in the Genetics, Development and Cell Biology department at Iowa State University. Dior received her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2000, and her Ph.D. in Plant Biology from the University of California Davis in 2009 before doing an NIH Postdoctoral fellowship with Jeff Long at the Salk Institute and a second postdoc with Mark Estelle. She joined her department as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in 2015 before moving to her current role in 2019.  Dior describes “slim shady is a novel allele of PHYTOCHROME B present in the T-DNA line SALK_015201”, which was published in Plant Direct last year. We also discuss the ways in which the already precarious position of the pre-tenure faculty member with kids was exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. We talk about the limitations of giving pre-tenure faculty an extra year to tenure, the challenges of a dual professor couple, and what institutions could be doing–but typically AREN’T–to support young faculty. We hope this conversation helps move us towards solutions both specific to the challenges of the pandemic, but also to more general challenges of young families on the tenure track. Show Notes: Linkan Dash , Robert E McEwan , Christian Montes, Ludvin Mejia, Justin W Walley, Brian P Dilkes, Dior R Kelley. slim shady is a novel allele of PHYTOCHROME B present in the T-DNA line SALK_015201. Plant Direct (2021) 5:e00326.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34136747/ Eminem-The Real Slim Shadyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJO5HU_7_1w Ben Barres  video about giving  tenure  at  hiring (start around 3:45) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be0KULrnD6E Laura Helen Petersen substack “The Expanding Job”. https://annehelen.substack.com/p/the-expanding-jobTwitter Handles:Dior Kelley Twitter @KelleyDiorLiz Haswell Twitter @ehaswellIvan Baxter Twitter @baxtertwiTaproot Podcast Twitter @taprootpodcast

Taproot S6E1: May I have your attention, please? Searching for causal mutations and for institutional support. In this episode, our guest is Dior Kelley, an assistant professor in the Genetics, Development and Cell Biology department at Iowa State University. Dior received her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2000, and her Ph.D. in Plant Biology from the University of California Davis in 2009 before doing an NIH Postdoctoral fellowship with Jeff Long at the Salk Institute and a second postdoc with Mark Estelle. She joined her department as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in 2015 before moving to her current role in 2019. Dior describes “slim shady is a novel allele of PHYTOCHROME B present in the T-DNA line SALK_015201”, which was published in Plant Direct last year. We also discuss the ways in which the already precarious position of the pre-tenure faculty member with kids was exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. We talk about the limitations of giving pre-tenure faculty an extra year to tenure, the challenges of a dual professor couple, and what institutions could be doing–but typically AREN’T–to support young faculty. We hope this conversation helps move us towards solutions both specific to the challenges of the pandemic, but also to more general challenges of young families on the tenure track. Show Notes: Linkan Dash , Robert E McEwan , Christian Montes, Ludvin Mejia, Justin W Walley, Brian P Dilkes, Dior R Kelley. slim shady is a novel allele of PHYTOCHROME B present in the T-DNA line SALK_015201. Plant Direct (2021) 5:e00326. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34136747/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34136747/</a> Eminem-The Real Slim Shady <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJO5HU_7_1w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJO5HU_7_1w</a> Ben Barres video about giving tenure at hiring (start around 3:45) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be0KULrnD6E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be0KULrnD6E</a> Laura Helen Petersen substack “The Expanding Job”. <a href="https://annehelen.substack.com/p/the-expanding-job" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://annehelen.substack.com/p/the-expanding-job</a> Twitter Handles: Dior Kelley Twitter @KelleyDior Liz Haswell Twitter @ehaswell Ivan Baxter Twitter @baxtertwi Taproot Podcast Twitter @taprootpodcast

Taproot S6E1: May I have your attention, please? Searching for causal mutations and for institutional support.

In this episode, our guest is Aman Husbands. Aman is originally from Canada and got his undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto. After completing his PhD at the University of California Riverside, he moved to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories. In 2018, he moved to The Department of Molecular Genetics at the Ohio State University where he is an Assistant Professor. Aman’s research group focuses on uncovering the properties that allow complex biological processes, like development, to occur reproducibly.Aman shares the story behind a recent publication from his lab entitled “Identifying Cancer-Relevant Mutations in the DLC START Domain Using Evolutionary and Structure-Function Analyses”  by Holub et al. 2020 in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. He describes how his lab was able to identify new funding opportunities outside of plant sciences--and the different cultures of cancer research.We talk about why it is important to tune in to the projects you enjoy doing and discuss the responsibilities PI’s have to their labs and the people that come next. Aman says that it is important to deliberately create an atmosphere within the lab, clearly communicate priorities, and foster collaboration and communication with the group. We also talk about the value of connecting with and getting feedback from those outside your immediate research area. Aman also shares some of the ways he is working to address racism and equality, both on individual and systemic levels.A transcript of this episode was generously provided by Jo Stormer http://bit.ly/S5E5_TaprootHolub AS, Bouley RA, Petreaca RC, Husbands AY. Identifying Cancer-Relevant Mutations in the DLC START Domain Using Evolutionary and Structure-Function Analyses. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020; 21(21):8175. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21218175Community TV show pizza fire GIF http://gph.is/VwCaKSAman's Email: Husbands.6@osu.edu Twitter Handles @AmanHusbands@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcast

In this episode, our guest is Aman Husbands. Aman is originally from Canada and got his undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto. After completing his PhD at the University of California Riverside, he moved to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories. In 2018, he moved to The Department of Molecular Genetics at the Ohio State University where he is an Assistant Professor. Aman’s research group focuses on uncovering the properties that allow complex biological processes, like development, to occur reproducibly. Aman shares the story behind a recent publication from his lab entitled “Identifying Cancer-Relevant Mutations in the DLC START Domain Using Evolutionary and Structure-Function Analyses” by Holub et al. 2020 in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. He describes how his lab was able to identify new funding opportunities outside of plant sciences--and the different cultures of cancer research. We talk about why it is important to tune in to the projects you enjoy doing and discuss the responsibilities PI’s have to their labs and the people that come next. Aman says that it is important to deliberately create an atmosphere within the lab, clearly communicate priorities, and foster collaboration and communication with the group. We also talk about the value of connecting with and getting feedback from those outside your immediate research area. Aman also shares some of the ways he is working to address racism and equality, both on individual and systemic levels. A transcript of this episode was generously provided by Jo Stormer <a href="http://bit.ly/S5E5_Taproot" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/S5E5_Taproot</a> Holub AS, Bouley RA, Petreaca RC, Husbands AY. Identifying Cancer-Relevant Mutations in the DLC START Domain Using Evolutionary and Structure-Function Analyses. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020; 21(21):8175. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21218175" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21218175</a> Community TV show pizza fire GIF <a href="http://gph.is/VwCaKS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://gph.is/VwCaKS</a> Aman's Email: Husbands.6@osu.edu Twitter Handles @AmanHusbands @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast

S5E5: STARTing Out as a PI, Pivoting During COVID, and Advocating for Change

This week’s podcast is a conversation with Dr. Kevin Cox. Kevin earned his PhD at Texas A&amp;M University before returning to his hometown of St Louis, Missouri to do a postdoc with Blake Meyers at The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. Kevin has won numerous awards and grants and was recently awarded an HHMI Hanna H. Gray fellowship.We talk about Kevin’s work “TAL effector driven induction of a SWEET gene confers susceptibility to bacterial blight of cotton” by Cox et al. 2017 in Nature Communications. He tells us about the molecular mechanisms of bacterial blight on cotton as well as the technologies and collaborations that made this work possible. Kevin shares his path to plant science and how his exposure to new courses and research experiences led him to a career studying plant pathology. We talk about how he now uses multiple online and in-person platforms to share his passion and bridge communication gaps between the science community and the public. We also talk about how the pandemic has affected Kevin’s work as a postdoc and how he was able to balance work responsibilities while supporting his young daughter’s sudden online schooling during the early stages of the pandemic.A transcript for this episode was generously provided by Jo Stormer http://bit.ly/S5E4_KCCox, K., Meng, F., Wilkins, K. et al. TAL effector driven induction of a SWEET gene confers susceptibility to bacterial blight of cotton. Nat Commun 8, 15588 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15588Kevin's YouTube Channel @Bioguy Kevin's Twitch Account @BioguyTwitter Handles @K_Bioguy_Cox@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcast

This week’s podcast is a conversation with Dr. Kevin Cox. Kevin earned his PhD at Texas A&amp;M University before returning to his hometown of St Louis, Missouri to do a postdoc with Blake Meyers at The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. Kevin has won numerous awards and grants and was recently awarded an HHMI Hanna H. Gray fellowship. We talk about Kevin’s work “TAL effector driven induction of a SWEET gene confers susceptibility to bacterial blight of cotton” by Cox et al. 2017 in Nature Communications. He tells us about the molecular mechanisms of bacterial blight on cotton as well as the technologies and collaborations that made this work possible. Kevin shares his path to plant science and how his exposure to new courses and research experiences led him to a career studying plant pathology. We talk about how he now uses multiple online and in-person platforms to share his passion and bridge communication gaps between the science community and the public. We also talk about how the pandemic has affected Kevin’s work as a postdoc and how he was able to balance work responsibilities while supporting his young daughter’s sudden online schooling during the early stages of the pandemic. A transcript for this episode was generously provided by Jo Stormer <a href="http://bit.ly/S5E4_KC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/S5E4_KC</a> Cox, K., Meng, F., Wilkins, K. et al. TAL effector driven induction of a SWEET gene confers susceptibility to bacterial blight of cotton. Nat Commun 8, 15588 (2017). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15588" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15588</a> Kevin's YouTube Channel @Bioguy Kevin's Twitch Account @Bioguy Twitter Handles @K_Bioguy_Cox @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast

S5E4: Interacting with Plants, Pathogens, and the Public 

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Thelma Madzima, Assistant Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Washington, Bothell. A native of Zimbabwe, she received her Ph.D. in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Florida and went on to complete a postdoc with Karen McGinnis in the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University. Her research currently focuses on epigenetic regulation of gene expression in plants using maize (Zea mays) as a model organism.We talk with Thelma about her recent publication in G3 “Epigenetic Regulation of ABA-Induced Transcriptional Responses in Maize”, complete citation. She tells us about characterising a specific epigenetic pathway in maize and how this work identified transposons that induce specific DNA methylations. Perhaps not unexpectedly, she and her authors found that plants that were “pre-stressed” by the loss of epigenetic silencing were also more likely to. Thelma talks about living in the US epicentre of the pandemic and how she is coping with the new “normal” as a Professor at a primarily undergraduate institute. She discusses the setbacks that the pandemic have created for tenure track professors, including those that are specific to PUIs. Additionally, as an immigrant from Zimbabwe, she knows firsthand the hardships an immigrant student faces and what recentchanges have meant to international students. As one of the few Black professors working in academic plant molecular biology in the US, she discusses the changes that need to come about in order to encourage the inclusion of black scientists in the scientific community. A transcript for this episode was generously provided by Jo Stormer http://bit.ly/S5E3_TMVendramin S, Huang J, Crisp PA, Madzima TF, McGinnis KM (2020) Epigenetic Regulation of ABA-Induced Transcriptional Responses in Maize. G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics 10: 1727-1743 Twitter Handles @thelma_madzima@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcast

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Thelma Madzima, Assistant Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Washington, Bothell. A native of Zimbabwe, she received her Ph.D. in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Florida and went on to complete a postdoc with Karen McGinnis in the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University. Her research currently focuses on epigenetic regulation of gene expression in plants using maize (Zea mays) as a model organism. We talk with Thelma about her recent publication in G3 “Epigenetic Regulation of ABA-Induced Transcriptional Responses in Maize”, complete citation. She tells us about characterising a specific epigenetic pathway in maize and how this work identified transposons that induce specific DNA methylations. Perhaps not unexpectedly, she and her authors found that plants that were “pre-stressed” by the loss of epigenetic silencing were also more likely to. Thelma talks about living in the US epicentre of the pandemic and how she is coping with the new “normal” as a Professor at a primarily undergraduate institute. She discusses the setbacks that the pandemic have created for tenure track professors, including those that are specific to PUIs. Additionally, as an immigrant from Zimbabwe, she knows firsthand the hardships an immigrant student faces and what recentchanges have meant to international students. As one of the few Black professors working in academic plant molecular biology in the US, she discusses the changes that need to come about in order to encourage the inclusion of black scientists in the scientific community. A transcript for this episode was generously provided by Jo Stormer <a href="http://bit.ly/S5E3_TM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/S5E3_TM</a> Vendramin S, Huang J, Crisp PA, Madzima TF, McGinnis KM (2020) Epigenetic Regulation of ABA-Induced Transcriptional Responses in Maize. G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics 10: 1727-1743 Twitter Handles @thelma_madzima @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast

S5E3: Pre-stressed Conditions: Epigenetics and Life as a Black Academic

This week’s podcast is a conversation with Dr. Adán Colón-Carmona, Professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Adán received his PhD from the University of California, Irvine and he did postdoctoral research at the Salk Institute and at the University of California, Davis. His research currently focuses on plant rhizosphere interactions, abiotic stress response, and cell cycle. We talk with Adán about a recent publication in the Journal of Experimental Botany - “Influence of Arabidopsis thaliana accessions on rhizobacterial communities and natural variation in root exudates” (Micallef et al., 2009). He explains that different accessions of  Arabidopsis, even when grown in the same starting soil, eventually have unique bacterial communities, and discusses why he thinks their exudates may be the reason.As a Mexican-born immigrant to the USA, Adán describes how the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) has positively impacted his life. Additionally, he points out the value of multiculturalism. He explains how he has relied on his own multiple identities to empathize with, teach, and mentor students whose lives have become increasingly challenging during the COVID lockdowns. A transcript for this episode was generously provided by Jo Stormer http://bit.ly/TaprootS5E2_Transcript Adán's email: adan.colon-carmona@umb.edu @AColonCarmona Adán's Twitterhttps://www.sacnas.org@ehaswell Elizabeth’s Twitter@baxtertwi Ivan’s Twitter@taprootpodcast  Taproot TwitterMicallef SA, Shiaris MP, Colón-Carmona A (2009) Influence of Arabidopsis thaliana accessions on rhizobacterial communities and natural variation in root exudates. Journal of Experimental Botany 60: 1729-1742

This week’s podcast is a conversation with Dr. Adán Colón-Carmona, Professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Adán received his PhD from the University of California, Irvine and he did postdoctoral research at the Salk Institute and at the University of California, Davis. His research currently focuses on plant rhizosphere interactions, abiotic stress response, and cell cycle. We talk with Adán about a recent publication in the Journal of Experimental Botany - “Influence of Arabidopsis thaliana accessions on rhizobacterial communities and natural variation in root exudates” (Micallef et al., 2009). He explains that different accessions of Arabidopsis, even when grown in the same starting soil, eventually have unique bacterial communities, and discusses why he thinks their exudates may be the reason. As a Mexican-born immigrant to the USA, Adán describes how the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) has positively impacted his life. Additionally, he points out the value of multiculturalism. He explains how he has relied on his own multiple identities to empathize with, teach, and mentor students whose lives have become increasingly challenging during the COVID lockdowns. A transcript for this episode was generously provided by Jo Stormer <a href="http://bit.ly/TaprootS5E2_Transcript" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/TaprootS5E2_Transcript</a> Adán's email: adan.colon-carmona@umb.edu @AColonCarmona Adán's Twitter <a href="https://www.sacnas.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.sacnas.org</a> @ehaswell Elizabeth’s Twitter @baxtertwi Ivan’s Twitter @taprootpodcast Taproot Twitter Micallef SA, Shiaris MP, Colón-Carmona A (2009) Influence of Arabidopsis thaliana accessions on rhizobacterial communities and natural variation in root exudates. Journal of Experimental Botany 60: 1729-1742

S5E2: Multiculturalism Matters in the Rhizosphere - and in Academia

This week’s Taproot podcast episode is a conversation with Dr. Tanisha Williams A plant researcher, she was inspired this summer by the simultaneous rise of the pandemic and the civil uprising against police brutality to draw Black botanists together for a social media event called #BlackBotanistsWeek. Tanisha is an impressively accomplished early career researcher whose work has ranged from population genomics to the use of herbarium specimens to track climate induced changes in flowering phenology, all with a central thread of preserving plant diversity. She received her PhD from the University of Connecticut Department of Ecology &amp; Evolutionary Biology and now she is the David Burpee Postdoctoral Fellow in the Conservation, Genetics, and Ecology &amp; Evolution of Plant Reproduction Group at Bucknell University. Currently, Tanisha works with Dr. Chris Martine on rare Pennsylvanian plant conservation, Australian Solanum taxonomy, and the way the Martu people of Australia interact with plants.Tanisha takes us on an inspiring journey through her research projects. She has persevered despite numerous setbacks, including those we are all familiar with like  the pandemic, and those that are more specific to her experience, such as the dangers of spending time in nature while black and the lack of BIPOC representation in academia. Her social media campaign to provide black plant-lovers with a space to connect and share experiences quickly went viral when it first launched in July and has since expanded into a free virtual lecture series to highlight the work of black botanists. The series is called “Growing Black Roots: The Black Botanical Legacy,” and is hosted virtually by the Holden Arboretum every second Wednesday until September 2021.A transcript for this episode was generously provided by Jo Stormer http://bit.ly/TaprootS5E1_TranscriptTanisha’s website: https://naturesplasticity.weebly.com/research.html@t_marie_wms Tanisha’s Instagram and TwitterBeronda’s website and blog: http://www.berondamontgomery.com/reflect/my-black-botanical-legacy/@BerondaM Beronda’s Twitter@ehaswell Elizabeth’s Twitter@baxtertwi Ivan’s Twitter@taprootpodcast  Taproot TwitterLink to Holden Arboretum Black Botanists Lecture Series https://holdenarb.org/visit/events-lectures/scientist-lecture/Join the Black Botanist’s Week community:#BlackBotanistsWeekhttps://blackbotanistsweek.weebly.com/A story on Dr. Tiffany Knight’s work: https://source.wustl.edu/2013/02/walking-in-the-footsteps-of-19th-and-20thcentury-naturalists-scientists-find-battered-plantpollinator-network/Burkle, L.A., Marlin, J.C. and T.M. Knight.  2013.  Plant-Pollinator Interactions over 120 Years: Loss of Species, Co-Occurrence and Function. Science 339: 1611-1615.

This week’s Taproot podcast episode is a conversation with Dr. Tanisha Williams A plant researcher, she was inspired this summer by the simultaneous rise of the pandemic and the civil uprising against police brutality to draw Black botanists together for a social media event called #BlackBotanistsWeek. Tanisha is an impressively accomplished early career researcher whose work has ranged from population genomics to the use of herbarium specimens to track climate induced changes in flowering phenology, all with a central thread of preserving plant diversity. She received her PhD from the University of Connecticut Department of Ecology &amp; Evolutionary Biology and now she is the David Burpee Postdoctoral Fellow in the Conservation, Genetics, and Ecology &amp; Evolution of Plant Reproduction Group at Bucknell University. Currently, Tanisha works with Dr. Chris Martine on rare Pennsylvanian plant conservation, Australian Solanum taxonomy, and the way the Martu people of Australia interact with plants. Tanisha takes us on an inspiring journey through her research projects. She has persevered despite numerous setbacks, including those we are all familiar with like the pandemic, and those that are more specific to her experience, such as the dangers of spending time in nature while black and the lack of BIPOC representation in academia. Her social media campaign to provide black plant-lovers with a space to connect and share experiences quickly went viral when it first launched in July and has since expanded into a free virtual lecture series to highlight the work of black botanists. The series is called “Growing Black Roots: The Black Botanical Legacy,” and is hosted virtually by the Holden Arboretum every second Wednesday until September 2021. A transcript for this episode was generously provided by Jo Stormer <a href="http://bit.ly/TaprootS5E1_Transcript" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/TaprootS5E1_Transcript</a> Tanisha’s website: <a href="https://naturesplasticity.weebly.com/research.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://naturesplasticity.weebly.com/research.html</a> @t_marie_wms Tanisha’s Instagram and Twitter Beronda’s website and blog: <a href="http://www.berondamontgomery.com/reflect/my-black-botanical-legacy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.berondamontgomery.com/reflect/my-black-botanical-legacy/</a> @BerondaM Beronda’s Twitter @ehaswell Elizabeth’s Twitter @baxtertwi Ivan’s Twitter @taprootpodcast Taproot Twitter Link to Holden Arboretum Black Botanists Lecture Series <a href="https://holdenarb.org/visit/events-lectures/scientist-lecture/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://holdenarb.org/visit/events-lectures/scientist-lecture/</a> Join the Black Botanist’s Week community: #BlackBotanistsWeek <a href="https://blackbotanistsweek.weebly.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://blackbotanistsweek.weebly.com/</a> A story on Dr. Tiffany Knight’s work: <a href="https://source.wustl.edu/2013/02/walking-in-the-footsteps-of-19th-and-20thcentury-naturalists-scientists-find-battered-plantpollinator-network/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://source.wustl.edu/2013/02/walking-in-the-footsteps-of-19th-and-20thcentury-naturalists-scientists-find-battered-plantpollinator-network/</a> Burkle, L.A., Marlin, J.C. and T.M. Knight. 2013. Plant-Pollinator Interactions over 120 Years: Loss of Species, Co-Occurrence and Function. Science 339: 1611-1615.

S5E1: Finding Strength in Diverse Scientific Communities

The Taproot is the podcast that digs beneath the surface to understand how scientific publications are created. In each episode, we take a paper from the plant biology literature and talk about the story behind the science with one of the authors.

Award winning podcast. Truly inspiring!!! It isn&#39;t just about how scientific papers are produced but also about life. Loving the combination of science and the people behind the science, their struggles, background, ideas... Always offering entertaining and interesting content.

Loving the Taproot

The best plant-focused podcast

The Taproot

Divergent

In the final episode of Season 4, we talk with Todd Barkman, Professor of Biology at Western Michigan University. Todd earned his PhD in Botany at the University of Texas at Austin with Beryl Simpson, and went on to a postdoc position at Penn State with Claude dePamphilis. He started his lab at Western Michigan in 2000, where his group studies the systematics and evolution of plants, as well as the molecular evolution of biosynthetic pathways. We talk with Todd about his lab’s publication, “Convergent evolution of caffeine in plants by co-option of exapted ancestral enzymes” which was published in PNAS in 2016. Todd tells us the story behind the paper, how flowering plants evolved to make caffeine, and how he became interested in this topic. Todd describes what it is like to work at an “R2, or Research 2” institution such as Western Michigan, where it is important to succeed as both an instructor and as a researcher, and where resources for the latter are modest compared to “R1” institutions. We talk about the pros and cons of this environment, and how to accomplish research goals with limited funds and time. Todd talks about the importance and limitations of collaborations and closes with advice and encouragement for early career scientists considering a career at an R2 or R3 institution. He also advocates for a less deliberate and more open-ended style of experimental planning, and acknowledges the power of serendipity in his work.Huang, R., O’Donnell, A. J., Barboline, J. J., &amp; Barkman, T. J. (2016). Convergent evolution of caffeine in plants by co-option of exapted ancestral enzymes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(38), 10613-10618.Taproot S4E1: Identifying the Principle Components: Gender Dimorphism in Flowers and Consciously Building a Happy and Rewarding Career in Science http://bit.ly/38QivyYTodd's email: todd.barkman@wmich.eduTwitter Handles @ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcast

In the final episode of Season 4, we talk with Todd Barkman, Professor of Biology at Western Michigan University. Todd earned his PhD in Botany at the University of Texas at Austin with Beryl Simpson, and went on to a postdoc position at Penn State with Claude dePamphilis. He started his lab at Western Michigan in 2000, where his group studies the systematics and evolution of plants, as well as the molecular evolution of biosynthetic pathways. We talk with Todd about his lab’s publication, “Convergent evolution of caffeine in plants by co-option of exapted ancestral enzymes” which was published in PNAS in 2016. Todd tells us the story behind the paper, how flowering plants evolved to make caffeine, and how he became interested in this topic. Todd describes what it is like to work at an “R2, or Research 2” institution such as Western Michigan, where it is important to succeed as both an instructor and as a researcher, and where resources for the latter are modest compared to “R1” institutions. We talk about the pros and cons of this environment, and how to accomplish research goals with limited funds and time. Todd talks about the importance and limitations of collaborations and closes with advice and encouragement for early career scientists considering a career at an R2 or R3 institution. He also advocates for a less deliberate and more open-ended style of experimental planning, and acknowledges the power of serendipity in his work. Huang, R., O’Donnell, A. J., Barboline, J. J., &amp; Barkman, T. J. (2016). Convergent evolution of caffeine in plants by co-option of exapted ancestral enzymes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(38), 10613-10618. Taproot S4E1: Identifying the Principle Components: Gender Dimorphism in Flowers and Consciously Building a Happy and Rewarding Career in Science <a href="http://bit.ly/38QivyY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/38QivyY</a> Todd's email: todd.barkman@wmich.edu Twitter Handles @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast

S4E8: Convergent Evolution of Caffeine and Divergent Careers

In this episode, Ivan and Liz talk with Gina Baucom, Assistant Professor in Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan. Gina earned her PhD and completed a postdoc at the University of Georgia. She joined the faculty at University of Cincinnati in 2010 before moving to the University of Michigan in 2013. Gina’s lab integrates ecology, evolution, and genetics in order to understand the persistence of noxious agricultural weeds as well as the evolution of important plant functional traits.In this episode we discuss a recent paper from the Baucom lab: “Shifts in outcrossing rates and changes to floral traits are associated with the evolution of herbicide resistance in the common morning glory” Kuester et al., Ecology letters 20(1), 41-49, 2017). Gina describes how she became interested in morning glories and how their recent work illustrates ways in which herbicide resistance can influence mating and thereby evolution of non-agricultural systems.We also talk about how Gina unintentionally “broke Twitter” with a tweet about sexism in academia. We go over some of the data that demonstrate an unfair disadvantage for women and minorities pursuing careers in science. Gina outlines four major areas surrounding this issue and discusses a number of concrete actions men and women in positions of power can take to invite women scientists into the room AND give them a seat at the table.SHOW NOTESPaper: Kuester, A., Fall, E., Chang, S. M., &amp; Baucom, R. S. (2017). Shifts in outcrossing rates and changes to floral traits are associated with the evolution of herbicide resistance in the common morning glory. Ecology letters, 20(1), 41-49.Baucom Lab Website: https://baucomlab.wordpress.com/  Diversify EB: https://diversifyeeb.wordpress.comDynamic Ecology Blogpost: The Day @gbaucom Broke Twitter Possible Responses to Gender Discrimination: https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2017/07/10/guest-post-the-day-i-broke-some-twitter-feeds-insights-into-sexism-in-academia-part-2/@NeedhiBhalla “What can I Do? Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/NeedhiBhalla/status/924383367704993793Adrienne LaFrance article about gender differences in sources for her reporting: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/02/gender-diversity-journalism/463023/Ed Yong did a similar analysis: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/02/i-spent-two-years-trying-to-fix-the-gender-imbalance-in-my-stories/552404/ Gender Bias in Science--a Short BibliographyClancy, K. B., Nelson, R. G., Rutherford, J. N., &amp; Hinde, K. (2014). Survey of academic field experiences (SAFE): Trainees report harassment and assault. PLoS One, 9(7), e102172: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0102172Zeng, X. H. T., Duch, J., Sales-Pardo, M., Moreira, J. A., Radicchi, F., Ribeiro, H. V., ... &amp; Amaral, L. A. N. (2016). Differences in collaboration patterns across discipline, career stage, and gender. PLoS biology, 14(11), e1002573: http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1002573Sex assaults, harassment reported in science fieldwork by Hoai-Tran Bui: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/16/sexual-assault-harassment-science-fieldwork-studies-research-study/12735343/Google Doc Sexual Harassment In the Academy: A Crowdsource Survey. By Dr. Karen Kelsky: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1S9KShDLvU7C-KkgEevYTHXr3F6InTenrBsS9yk-8C5M/htmlview#gid=1530077352 Find us on Twitter:@gbaucom@DiversifyEEB@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcast

In this episode, Ivan and Liz talk with Gina Baucom, Assistant Professor in Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan. Gina earned her PhD and completed a postdoc at the University of Georgia. She joined the faculty at University of Cincinnati in 2010 before moving to the University of Michigan in 2013. Gina’s lab integrates ecology, evolution, and genetics in order to understand the persistence of noxious agricultural weeds as well as the evolution of important plant functional traits. In this episode we discuss a recent paper from the Baucom lab: “Shifts in outcrossing rates and changes to floral traits are associated with the evolution of herbicide resistance in the common morning glory” Kuester et al., Ecology letters 20(1), 41-49, 2017). Gina describes how she became interested in morning glories and how their recent work illustrates ways in which herbicide resistance can influence mating and thereby evolution of non-agricultural systems. We also talk about how Gina unintentionally “broke Twitter” with a tweet about sexism in academia. We go over some of the data that demonstrate an unfair disadvantage for women and minorities pursuing careers in science. Gina outlines four major areas surrounding this issue and discusses a number of concrete actions men and women in positions of power can take to invite women scientists into the room AND give them a seat at the table. SHOW NOTES Paper: Kuester, A., Fall, E., Chang, S. M., &amp; Baucom, R. S. (2017). Shifts in outcrossing rates and changes to floral traits are associated with the evolution of herbicide resistance in the common morning glory. Ecology letters, 20(1), 41-49. Baucom Lab Website: <a href="https://baucomlab.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://baucomlab.wordpress.com/</a> Diversify EB: <a href="https://diversifyeeb.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://diversifyeeb.wordpress.com</a> Dynamic Ecology Blogpost: The Day @gbaucom Broke Twitter Possible Responses to Gender Discrimination: <a href="https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2017/07/10/guest-post-the-day-i-broke-some-twitter-feeds-insights-into-sexism-in-academia-part-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2017/07/10/guest-post-the-day-i-broke-some-twitter-feeds-insights-into-sexism-in-academia-part-2/</a> @NeedhiBhalla “What can I Do? Twitter thread: <a href="https://twitter.com/NeedhiBhalla/status/924383367704993793" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/NeedhiBhalla/status/924383367704993793</a> Adrienne LaFrance article about gender differences in sources for her reporting: <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/02/gender-diversity-journalism/463023/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/02/gender-diversity-journalism/463023/</a> Ed Yong did a similar analysis: <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/02/i-spent-two-years-trying-to-fix-the-gender-imbalance-in-my-stories/552404/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/02/i-spent-two-years-trying-to-fix-the-gender-imbalance-in-my-stories/552404/</a> Gender Bias in Science--a Short Bibliography Clancy, K. B., Nelson, R. G., Rutherford, J. N., &amp; Hinde, K. (2014). Survey of academic field experiences (SAFE): Trainees report harassment and assault. PLoS One, 9(7), e102172: <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0102172" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0102172</a> Zeng, X. H. T., Duch, J., Sales-Pardo, M., Moreira, J. A., Radicchi, F., Ribeiro, H. V., ... &amp; Amaral, L. A. N. (2016). Differences in collaboration patterns across discipline, career stage, and gender. PLoS biology, 14(11), e1002573: <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1002573" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1002573</a> Sex assaults, harassment reported in science fieldwork by Hoai-Tran Bui: <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/16/sexual-assault-harassment-science-fieldwork-studies-research-study/12735343/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/16/sexual-assault-harassment-science-fieldwork-studies-research-study/12735343/</a> Google Doc Sexual Harassment In the Academy: A Crowdsource Survey. By Dr. Karen Kelsky: <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1S9KShDLvU7C-KkgEevYTHXr3F6InTenrBsS9yk-8C5M/htmlview#gid=1530077352" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1S9KShDLvU7C-KkgEevYTHXr3F6InTenrBsS9yk-8C5M/htmlview#gid=1530077352</a> Find us on Twitter: @gbaucom @DiversifyEEB @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast

S2E5: Evolving Approaches: Herbicide Resistance in Weeds and What Men Can Do to Fight Gender Discrimination in Science

In the previous episode, we talked with Dr. Scott Barolo about his research and shared tips for completing written graduate school applications. In this episode, we go to the next step, following up with Scott to discuss what to do once you’ve made it to the interviews.Scott shares tips for how to excel at interviews and offers advice for prospective students to help them make their own evaluations during the process. We talk about how interviews work both ways--you are interviewing the school as much as they are interviewing you--and how to ask the right questions to determine if a particular university, lab or program is the right fit. We leave students with a list of questions to ask that will help them gain a better understanding of lab culture, possibilities, and expectations. Whether you are a prospective student, a faculty member involved in admissions, or just want more insight into a process that can be pretty opaque--this episode is for you!A transcript for this episode generously provided by Joe Stormer can be found here: https://bit.ly/3ubuCSuSHOW NOTES: Barolo Lab website: https://www.barololab.net/ Should you go to grad school? (Via Plantae) https://plantae.org/blog/should-you-go-to-grad-school-from-science-careers/Plantae Mentoring Center https://jobs.plantae.org/ementor/index.cfm@sbarolo @ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcast

In the previous episode, we talked with Dr. Scott Barolo about his research and shared tips for completing written graduate school applications. In this episode, we go to the next step, following up with Scott to discuss what to do once you’ve made it to the interviews. Scott shares tips for how to excel at interviews and offers advice for prospective students to help them make their own evaluations during the process. We talk about how interviews work both ways--you are interviewing the school as much as they are interviewing you--and how to ask the right questions to determine if a particular university, lab or program is the right fit. We leave students with a list of questions to ask that will help them gain a better understanding of lab culture, possibilities, and expectations. Whether you are a prospective student, a faculty member involved in admissions, or just want more insight into a process that can be pretty opaque--this episode is for you! A transcript for this episode generously provided by Joe Stormer can be found here: <a href="https://bit.ly/3ubuCSu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3ubuCSu</a> SHOW NOTES: Barolo Lab website: <a href="https://www.barololab.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.barololab.net/</a> Should you go to grad school? (Via Plantae) <a href="https://plantae.org/blog/should-you-go-to-grad-school-from-science-careers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://plantae.org/blog/should-you-go-to-grad-school-from-science-careers/</a> Plantae Mentoring Center <a href="https://jobs.plantae.org/ementor/index.cfm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://jobs.plantae.org/ementor/index.cfm</a> @sbarolo @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast

S4E4: Graduate Interviews Demystified 

Ross Sozzani

In this episode, Ivan and Liz talk with Rosangela (Ross) Sozzani about her research and career path. Ross received her Ph.D. at the University of Pavia. After her post-doctoral studies at Duke University, Ross received the Armenise-Harvard Career Development Award for outstanding early-career scientists and moved back to Italy as an assistant professor, also at the University of Pavia. In 2013, Ross joined North Carolina State University’s Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, where she currently resides. Her research incorporates gene expression, genetics, mathematics, and computational biology to understand the function of biological circuits involving Arabidopsis root stem cells.We discuss a recent paper from Sozzani’s lab, “Predicting gene regulatory networks by combining spatial and temporal gene expression data in Arabidopsis root stem cells” (Balaguer et al., PNAS, 2017). We talk about how perspectives from outside plant sciences enabled this work (interestingly, the first author on this paper is an electrical engineer!) as well the limitations of technology and the importance of understanding what you can and cannot measure with tools available.In this episode, we also discuss some of the many struggles associated with being an early career scientist, such as choosing where to work, starting a lab, and figuring out when to try to fix a problem, when to accept it, and when to go a different direction. We talk about Ross’ experiences setting up her first lab at the University of Pavia and the factors she had to consider before she ultimately chose to “break the circuit” and start again elsewhere.SHOW NOTESPaper: de Luis Balaguer, M. A., Fisher, A. P., Clark, N. M., Fernandez-Espinosa, M. G., Möller, B. K., Weijers, D., ... &amp; Sozzani, R. (2017). Predicting gene regulatory networks by combining spatial and temporal gene expression data in Arabidopsis root stem cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(36), E7632-E7640.http://www.pnas.org/content/114/36/E7632Ross’ Websites:https://pmb.cals.ncsu.edu/people/people-table/dr-rosangela-ross-sozzani/ https://pmb.cals.ncsu.edu/sozzani-lab/Find us on Twitter:@RossSozzani@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcast

In this episode, Ivan and Liz talk with Rosangela (Ross) Sozzani about her research and career path. Ross received her Ph.D. at the University of Pavia. After her post-doctoral studies at Duke University, Ross received the Armenise-Harvard Career Development Award for outstanding early-career scientists and moved back to Italy as an assistant professor, also at the University of Pavia. In 2013, Ross joined North Carolina State University’s Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, where she currently resides. Her research incorporates gene expression, genetics, mathematics, and computational biology to understand the function of biological circuits involving Arabidopsis root stem cells. We discuss a recent paper from Sozzani’s lab, “Predicting gene regulatory networks by combining spatial and temporal gene expression data in Arabidopsis root stem cells” (Balaguer et al., PNAS, 2017). We talk about how perspectives from outside plant sciences enabled this work (interestingly, the first author on this paper is an electrical engineer!) as well the limitations of technology and the importance of understanding what you can and cannot measure with tools available. In this episode, we also discuss some of the many struggles associated with being an early career scientist, such as choosing where to work, starting a lab, and figuring out when to try to fix a problem, when to accept it, and when to go a different direction. We talk about Ross’ experiences setting up her first lab at the University of Pavia and the factors she had to consider before she ultimately chose to “break the circuit” and start again elsewhere. SHOW NOTES Paper: de Luis Balaguer, M. A., Fisher, A. P., Clark, N. M., Fernandez-Espinosa, M. G., Möller, B. K., Weijers, D., ... &amp; Sozzani, R. (2017). Predicting gene regulatory networks by combining spatial and temporal gene expression data in Arabidopsis root stem cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(36), E7632-E7640. <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/114/36/E7632" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.pnas.org/content/114/36/E7632</a> Ross’ Websites: <a href="https://pmb.cals.ncsu.edu/people/people-table/dr-rosangela-ross-sozzani/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://pmb.cals.ncsu.edu/people/people-table/dr-rosangela-ross-sozzani/</a> <a href="https://pmb.cals.ncsu.edu/sozzani-lab/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://pmb.cals.ncsu.edu/sozzani-lab/</a> Find us on Twitter: @RossSozzani @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast

S2E4: Understanding Biological Networks and When to Break the Circuit with Ross Sozzani

This season’s theme is “Cultivating a Career”, and we’ll talk about this from both sides--ideas and advice for your own career AND for helping the careers of others. Be sure to listen to our previous seasons while you wait and stay tuned!Follow us on Twitter:@taprootpodcast@ehaswell@baxtertwi

This season’s theme is “Cultivating a Career”, and we’ll talk about this from both sides--ideas and advice for your own career AND for helping the careers of others.  Be sure to listen to our previous seasons while you wait and stay tuned! Follow us on Twitter: @taprootpodcast @ehaswell @baxtertwi

S4E0: Teaser

In the final episode of Season 2, Liz and Ivan talk with Jeff Long, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is the vice chair of the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology department and co-director of the Cell and Developmental Biology graduate program. Jeff has worked on embryogenesis and development in Arabidopsis for most of his career. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin and completed a postdoc at the California Institute of Technology. In 2003, he joined the Salk Institute for Biological studies before moving to UCLA in 2012.Like episode S1.5, which came out between Seasons 1 and 2, in this episode we do not discuss one of our guests’ papers (although we do recommend you look up Jeff’s many impactful publications). Instead, we talk about a recent publication in Nature Biotechnology regarding graduate student mental health. Over 2000 graduate students from many countries and fields beyond plant biology were surveyed, providing astonishing evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. The authors report 41% of students scoring high for anxiety issues and 48% scoring high for depression. While these data suffer from responder bias, clearly there is a higher prevalence of mental health issues among graduate students than the general population. Postdocs most likely share this trend.In this study, many students indicate that they feel undervalued and that the Principal Investigators (PIs) in their labs were not providing adequate mentorship, support, or assets to further their career. We explore some of the reasons students might be feeling this way and discuss ways to provide support and mitigate these issues for students. We talk frankly about some of our own experiences and why it is important to think not only about what are we saying, but also how are we being heard.In this season of Taproot, and especially in this episode, we want people who are facing struggles in their careers to know that they aren’t alone and having trouble isn’t unusual. This is the wild type phenotype for scientists, especially while in training! If you are experiencing depression, anxiety, or another mental health issue, please don’t wait for a crisis! Right now, you can reach out to others for help and together we can break down the stigma associated with these struggles.SHOW NOTESPaper:https://www.mcdb.ucla.edu/faculty/jeffalongEvans, T. M., Bira, L., Gastelum, J. B., Weiss, L. T., &amp; Vanderford, N. L. (2018). Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. Nature biotechnology, 36(3), 282.Levecque, K., Anseel, F., De Beuckelaer, A., Van der Heyden, J., &amp; Gisle, L. (2017). Work organization and mental health problems in Ph.D. students. Research Policy, 46(4), 868-879.Ivan Baxter’s tweet regarding this topic; https://twitter.com/BaxterTwi/status/986730085418962944Find us on Twitter:@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcast

In the final episode of Season 2, Liz and Ivan talk with Jeff Long, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is the vice chair of the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology department and co-director of the Cell and Developmental Biology graduate program. Jeff has worked on embryogenesis and development in Arabidopsis for most of his career. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin and completed a postdoc at the California Institute of Technology. In 2003, he joined the Salk Institute for Biological studies before moving to UCLA in 2012. Like episode S1.5, which came out between Seasons 1 and 2, in this episode we do not discuss one of our guests’ papers (although we do recommend you look up Jeff’s many impactful publications). Instead, we talk about a recent publication in Nature Biotechnology regarding graduate student mental health. Over 2000 graduate students from many countries and fields beyond plant biology were surveyed, providing astonishing evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. The authors report 41% of students scoring high for anxiety issues and 48% scoring high for depression. While these data suffer from responder bias, clearly there is a higher prevalence of mental health issues among graduate students than the general population. Postdocs most likely share this trend. In this study, many students indicate that they feel undervalued and that the Principal Investigators (PIs) in their labs were not providing adequate mentorship, support, or assets to further their career. We explore some of the reasons students might be feeling this way and discuss ways to provide support and mitigate these issues for students. We talk frankly about some of our own experiences and why it is important to think not only about what are we saying, but also how are we being heard. In this season of Taproot, and especially in this episode, we want people who are facing struggles in their careers to know that they aren’t alone and having trouble isn’t unusual. This is the wild type phenotype for scientists, especially while in training! If you are experiencing depression, anxiety, or another mental health issue, please don’t wait for a crisis! Right now, you can reach out to others for help and together we can break down the stigma associated with these struggles. SHOW NOTES Paper: <a href="https://www.mcdb.ucla.edu/faculty/jeffalong" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.mcdb.ucla.edu/faculty/jeffalong</a> Evans, T. M., Bira, L., Gastelum, J. B., Weiss, L. T., &amp; Vanderford, N. L. (2018). Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. Nature biotechnology, 36(3), 282. Levecque, K., Anseel, F., De Beuckelaer, A., Van der Heyden, J., &amp; Gisle, L. (2017). Work organization and mental health problems in Ph.D. students. Research Policy, 46(4), 868-879. Ivan Baxter’s tweet regarding this topic; <a href="https://twitter.com/BaxterTwi/status/986730085418962944" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/BaxterTwi/status/986730085418962944</a> Find us on Twitter: @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast

S2E6: Graduate Student Mental Illness; A Wild Type Phenotype?

Kevin Folta

Message from Ivan and Liz:We want to bring listeners attention to this blogpost on Biofortified. https://biofortified.org/2018/08/kevin-folta-coi/We believe that evidence presented here contradicts several of Kevins assertions in the episode about ‘radical transparency’ and urge listeners to consider them while processing our conversation. ##########In this episode, Ivan and Liz talk to Kevin Folta, Professor and Chairman of the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida. Kevin’s research focuses on the functional genomics of small fruit crops, photomorphogenesis, and plant transformation. In addition to his many impressive publications, Kevin has been deeply involved in student education and communication of science to the public for many years.Unfortunately, his success in scientific communication has also made him a target. In 2015, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was filed to the University of Florida by US Right to Know as part of a campaign targeting the emails of public scientists who have spoken out in favor of biotechnology.  In this emotional episode, Kevin describes the whirlwind of fake news and misinformation that ensued after the FOIA request. We talk about the spiral of silence these efforts intend to create and why it is absolutely vital to keep speaking up for science and for the scientists under attack.SHOW NOTESPaper:Bao, Z., Clancy, M. A., Carvalho, R. F., Elliott, K., &amp; Folta, K. M. (2017). Identification of novel growth regulators in plant populations expressing random peptides. Plant Physiology, pp-00577.http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/early/2017/08/14/pp.17.00577 Kevin’s Websites http://www.talkingbiotechpodcast.com/ http://kfolta.blogspot.com/ http://arabidopsisthaliana.com/ Links to Real Newshttps://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkroll/2015/09/10/what-the-new-york-times-missed-on-kevin-folta-and-monsantos-cultivation-of-academic-scientists/#f3e425b619ad https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/jp/criticized-by-activists-professor-gives-grant-from-monsanto-to-food-pantry https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/academic-scientists-are-foot-soldiers-in-lobbying-battle-over-bioengineered-foods/104167 https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/how-to-attack-a-public-scientist/ http://scibabe.com/folta/ https://respectfulinsolence.com/2015/11/05/a-sad-day-for-public-science-advocacy/ http://croplife.ca/theres-a-new-void-to-fill-in-science-communication/ Find us on Twitter:@kevinfolta@talkingbiotech@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcasttaproot@plantae.org

Message from Ivan and Liz: We want to bring listeners attention to this blogpost on Biofortified. <a href="https://biofortified.org/2018/08/kevin-folta-coi/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://biofortified.org/2018/08/kevin-folta-coi/</a> We believe that evidence presented here contradicts several of Kevins assertions in the episode about ‘radical transparency’ and urge listeners to consider them while processing our conversation. ########## In this episode, Ivan and Liz talk to Kevin Folta, Professor and Chairman of the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida. Kevin’s research focuses on the functional genomics of small fruit crops, photomorphogenesis, and plant transformation. In addition to his many impressive publications, Kevin has been deeply involved in student education and communication of science to the public for many years. Unfortunately, his success in scientific communication has also made him a target. In 2015, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was filed to the University of Florida by US Right to Know as part of a campaign targeting the emails of public scientists who have spoken out in favor of biotechnology. In this emotional episode, Kevin describes the whirlwind of fake news and misinformation that ensued after the FOIA request. We talk about the spiral of silence these efforts intend to create and why it is absolutely vital to keep speaking up for science and for the scientists under attack. SHOW NOTES Paper: Bao, Z., Clancy, M. A., Carvalho, R. F., Elliott, K., &amp; Folta, K. M. (2017). Identification of novel growth regulators in plant populations expressing random peptides. Plant Physiology, pp-00577. <a href="http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/early/2017/08/14/pp.17.00577" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/early/2017/08/14/pp.17.00577</a> Kevin’s Websites <a href="http://www.talkingbiotechpodcast.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.talkingbiotechpodcast.com/</a> <a href="http://kfolta.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://kfolta.blogspot.com/</a> <a href="http://arabidopsisthaliana.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://arabidopsisthaliana.com/</a> Links to Real News <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkroll/2015/09/10/what-the-new-york-times-missed-on-kevin-folta-and-monsantos-cultivation-of-academic-scientists/#f3e425b619ad" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkroll/2015/09/10/what-the-new-york-times-missed-on-kevin-folta-and-monsantos-cultivation-of-academic-scientists/#f3e425b619ad</a> <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/jp/criticized-by-activists-professor-gives-grant-from-monsanto-to-food-pantry" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/jp/criticized-by-activists-professor-gives-grant-from-monsanto-to-food-pantry</a> <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/academic-scientists-are-foot-soldiers-in-lobbying-battle-over-bioengineered-foods/104167" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/academic-scientists-are-foot-soldiers-in-lobbying-battle-over-bioengineered-foods/104167</a> <a href="https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/how-to-attack-a-public-scientist/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/how-to-attack-a-public-scientist/</a> <a href="http://scibabe.com/folta/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://scibabe.com/folta/</a> <a href="https://respectfulinsolence.com/2015/11/05/a-sad-day-for-public-science-advocacy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://respectfulinsolence.com/2015/11/05/a-sad-day-for-public-science-advocacy/</a> <a href="http://croplife.ca/theres-a-new-void-to-fill-in-science-communication/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://croplife.ca/theres-a-new-void-to-fill-in-science-communication/</a> Find us on Twitter: @kevinfolta @talkingbiotech @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast taproot@plantae.org

S2E3: Spiraling out of Silence; Speaking up for Science and Scientists with Kevin Folta

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso who is a faculty member at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom to bust the myth competition is a part of science that cannot be avoided.Dr. Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso is originally from Cuba, and completed her graduate studies at the Universidad de Córdoba in Spain. After graduating with her Ph.D., she did two postdocs, one at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories and another at the John Innes Center. She started her independent faculty position at University of Leeds in 2013 where she currently studies plasmodesmata, a kind of communication channel between plant cells.In this episode, we discuss one of her recent publications, “Callose-Regulated Symplastic Communication Coordinates Symbiotic Root Nodule Development” which was made possible by collaborating with Carvalho-Niebel’s lab in France. Using this project as an example, Yoselin explains how “with a bit of trust your alleged competition can become a friend and an amazing collaborator.”We also discuss the pros and cons of competition, why you should not be afraid or avoid it, and how to determine when collaboration will help you cover more ground and help further scientific advancement.But wait, there’s more! We’re planning an upcoming show – “Interrogate the Taproot”, in which we answer your questions. Please submit any questions for Liz and Ivan (about science, science careers or scientific culture) to @taprootpodcast or email us at taproot@plantae.org.A transcript of this episode, generously provided by Joe Stormer, can be found here: https://bit.ly/3bq6z9KSHOW NOTES:Paper: Gaudioso-Pedraza et al., Callose-Regulated Symplastic Communication Coordinates Symbiotic Root Nodule Development. Current Biology 2018https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(18)31226-0Benitez-Alfonso lab website: https://benitezalfonso.wordpress.com/the-lab/@benitez_lab@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcast#TaprootTuesday

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso who is a faculty member at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom to bust the myth competition is a part of science that cannot be avoided. Dr. Yoselin Benitez-Alfonso is originally from Cuba, and completed her graduate studies at the Universidad de Córdoba in Spain. After graduating with her Ph.D., she did two postdocs, one at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories and another at the John Innes Center. She started her independent faculty position at University of Leeds in 2013 where she currently studies plasmodesmata, a kind of communication channel between plant cells. In this episode, we discuss one of her recent publications, “Callose-Regulated Symplastic Communication Coordinates Symbiotic Root Nodule Development” which was made possible by collaborating with Carvalho-Niebel’s lab in France. Using this project as an example, Yoselin explains how “with a bit of trust your alleged competition can become a friend and an amazing collaborator.” We also discuss the pros and cons of competition, why you should not be afraid or avoid it, and how to determine when collaboration will help you cover more ground and help further scientific advancement. But wait, there’s more! We’re planning an upcoming show – “Interrogate the Taproot”, in which we answer your questions. Please submit any questions for Liz and Ivan (about science, science careers or scientific culture) to @taprootpodcast or email us at taproot@plantae.org. A transcript of this episode, generously provided by Joe Stormer, can be found here: <a href="https://bit.ly/3bq6z9K" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3bq6z9K</a> SHOW NOTES: Paper: Gaudioso-Pedraza et al., Callose-Regulated Symplastic Communication Coordinates Symbiotic Root Nodule Development. Current Biology 2018 <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(18)31226-0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(18)31226-0</a> Benitez-Alfonso lab website: <a href="https://benitezalfonso.wordpress.com/the-lab/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://benitezalfonso.wordpress.com/the-lab/</a> @benitez_lab @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast #TaprootTuesday

S3E6: Opening Channels of Communication Between Cells and Scientists

In this episode, Liz and Ivan talk with Dr. Rishi R. Masalia to bust the myth that early to late-career scientists should not speak up and make a difference to training programs and local communities. But how can we know when to or when not to STFU? (Listen to the episode to find out what that stands for.)Rishi is currently the Director of Bioinformatics at LeafWorks, a herbal genetics company. Rishi received his B.S. degree from the University of Arizona with a double major in Biology and Molecular and Cellular Biology. He finished his PhD in Plant Evolutionary Genetics in 2018 with a focus on cultivated sunflower genomics at the University of Georgia. During his graduate training, he co-founded Athens Cafe Observer, Athens Science Cafe, and the SPEAR science communication organization at Georgia. He started out as an ASPB Graduate Student Ambassador in 2015 and he is currently a member of the ASPB Membership Committee and the Plantae Steering Committee.We talk about his recent publication "Multiple genomic regions influence root morphology and seedling growth in cultivated sunflower under well-watered and water-limited conditions" and his transition to industry after his PhD. While his PhD project technically prepared him for a career in industry, he noticed many gaps in his graduate education. We chat about the #ASPBforward movement as we ask questions about graduate training and underrepresentation of early career scientists.Rishi also shares the story of the Town Hall Meeting at the ASPB Plant Biology conference in Montreal, where he stood up and told the board: “rather than talking about us [early career scientists], talk directly to us!”.While Rishi’s experience illustrates the power of “speaking your truth”, we also discuss how speaking up also depends on the individual’s situation and comfort zone.We make recommendations on how to voice your opinion in a respectful manner and suggest finding your people who share your opinions, especially within societies such as ASPB.A transcript of this episode was generously provided by Joe Stormer https://bit.ly/3dxNwNt SHOW NOTES: @RishiMasalia@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcast#aspbforward #TaprootTuesday Rishi’s website: https://rishimasalia.com/LeafWorks https://www.leafworks.com/ Athens Science Cafe https://athenssciencecafe.wordpress.com/Athens Science Observerhttps://athensscienceobserver.com/UGA Science, Policy, Education, Advocacy and Research (SPEAR) organization: https://ugaspear.wordpress.com/ Article: Masalia, R.R., A.A. Temme, N. de leon Torralba, J.M. Burke. 2018. Multiple genomic regions influence root morphology and seedling growth in cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under well-watered and water-limited conditions. Plos One, 13(9): e0204279.Early Career Professionals to ASPB Committees: https://blog.aspb.org/early-career-professionals-to-aspb-committees/Resources for Early Career Scientists by the Union of Concerned Scientists: https://www.ucsusa.org/action/science_network/career-resources-early-career-scientists

In this episode, Liz and Ivan talk with Dr. Rishi R. Masalia to bust the myth that early to late-career scientists should not speak up and make a difference to training programs and local communities. But how can we know when to or when not to STFU? (Listen to the episode to find out what that stands for.)Rishi is currently the Director of Bioinformatics at LeafWorks, a herbal genetics company. Rishi received his B.S. degree from the University of Arizona with a double major in Biology and Molecular and Cellular Biology. He finished his PhD in Plant Evolutionary Genetics in 2018 with a focus on cultivated sunflower genomics at the University of Georgia. During his graduate training, he co-founded Athens Cafe Observer, Athens Science Cafe, and the SPEAR science communication organization at Georgia. He started out as an ASPB Graduate Student Ambassador in 2015 and he is currently a member of the ASPB Membership Committee and the Plantae Steering Committee. We talk about his recent publication "Multiple genomic regions influence root morphology and seedling growth in cultivated sunflower under well-watered and water-limited conditions" and his transition to industry after his PhD. While his PhD project technically prepared him for a career in industry, he noticed many gaps in his graduate education. We chat about the #ASPBforward movement as we ask questions about graduate training and underrepresentation of early career scientists. Rishi also shares the story of the Town Hall Meeting at the ASPB Plant Biology conference in Montreal, where he stood up and told the board: “rather than talking about us [early career scientists], talk directly to us!”.While Rishi’s experience illustrates the power of “speaking your truth”, we also discuss how speaking up also depends on the individual’s situation and comfort zone. We make recommendations on how to voice your opinion in a respectful manner and suggest finding your people who share your opinions, especially within societies such as ASPB. A transcript of this episode was generously provided by Joe Stormer <a href="https://bit.ly/3dxNwNt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3dxNwNt</a> SHOW NOTES:  @RishiMasalia @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast #aspbforward #TaprootTuesday Rishi’s website: <a href="https://rishimasalia.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://rishimasalia.com/</a> LeafWorks <a href="https://www.leafworks.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.leafworks.com/</a> Athens Science Cafe <a href="https://athenssciencecafe.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://athenssciencecafe.wordpress.com/</a> Athens Science Observer <a href="https://athensscienceobserver.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://athensscienceobserver.com/</a> UGA Science, Policy, Education, Advocacy and Research (SPEAR) organization: <a href="https://ugaspear.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ugaspear.wordpress.com/</a> Article: Masalia, R.R., A.A. Temme, N. de leon Torralba, J.M. Burke. 2018. Multiple genomic regions influence root morphology and seedling growth in cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under well-watered and water-limited conditions. Plos One, 13(9): e0204279. Early Career Professionals to ASPB Committees: <a href="https://blog.aspb.org/early-career-professionals-to-aspb-committees/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://blog.aspb.org/early-career-professionals-to-aspb-committees/</a> Resources for Early Career Scientists by the Union of Concerned Scientists: <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/action/science_network/career-resources-early-career-scientists" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ucsusa.org/action/science_network/career-resources-early-career-scientists</a>

S3E4: Challenging Environments: Sunflowers, Drought, and Making Waves as an Early Career Scientist

In this episode, Ivan and Liz talk with Elizabeth ‘Toby’ Kellogg about her research interests and career path. Toby received her PhD at Harvard University, then completed a postdoc with R.A. Howard, also at Harvard University. She worked at the Harvard Herbarium before being becoming an Associate Professor of Biology at Harvard University. From there she became E. Desmond Lee and Family Professor of Botanical Studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. In 2014, she joined the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center where she currently resides as a Robert E. King Distinguished Investigator. Read more about this episode: https://plantae.org/taproot-s2e2-minding-the-gap-with-elizabeth-toby-kellogg/SHOW NOTESIntraspecific and interspecific variation in 5S RNA genes are decoupled in diploid wheat relatives (Kellogg et al., 1995) http://www.genetics.org/content/140/1/325.short http://kellogglab.weebly.com/Research Fellowships for STEM professionals returning to their careers after a break: http://www.daphnejackson.org/fellowshipsFind us on Twitter:@TheKelloggLab@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcast

In this episode, Ivan and Liz talk with Elizabeth ‘Toby’ Kellogg about her research interests and career path. Toby received her PhD at Harvard University, then completed a postdoc with R.A. Howard, also at Harvard University. She worked at the Harvard Herbarium before being becoming an Associate Professor of Biology at Harvard University. From there she became E. Desmond Lee and Family Professor of Botanical Studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. In 2014, she joined the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center where she currently resides as a Robert E. King Distinguished Investigator. Read more about this episode: <a href="https://plantae.org/taproot-s2e2-minding-the-gap-with-elizabeth-toby-kellogg/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://plantae.org/taproot-s2e2-minding-the-gap-with-elizabeth-toby-kellogg/</a> SHOW NOTES Intraspecific and interspecific variation in 5S RNA genes are decoupled in diploid wheat relatives (Kellogg et al., 1995) <a href="http://www.genetics.org/content/140/1/325.short" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.genetics.org/content/140/1/325.short</a> <a href="http://kellogglab.weebly.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://kellogglab.weebly.com/</a> Research Fellowships for STEM professionals returning to their careers after a break: <a href="http://www.daphnejackson.org/fellowships" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.daphnejackson.org/fellowships</a> Find us on Twitter: @TheKelloggLab @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast

S2E2: Minding the Gap with Elizabeth 'Toby' Kellogg

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Ambika Kamath, a behavioral ecologist and a postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley, about her undergraduate research and how to make value-based career decisions. Ambika is originally from India and gained her B.A. in Biology at Amherst College in 2011. She received the Schupf Scholarship at Amherst which provided unlimited funding for her independent research on the evolution of flower morphology. She completed her Ph.D. at Harvard University studying the behavioral ecology of lizards. As a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley, she received a Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship. Earlier this year she was awarded the 2019 American Society of Naturalists’ Young Investigator Award. In this episode, we discuss her publication, “Floral size and shape evolution following the transition to gender dimorphism” which was the outcome of her undergraduate research. She shares how her interest in mathematics led her to ecology, how much she enjoyed the fieldwork, and statistics behind the paper. Picking her graduate school was not a ‘no brainer decision’ so she talked to her supervisors, and made a list of things that she wanted before even having opportunities. This proactive decision system - instead of a reactive one - helped her choosing her graduate school and deciding to continue in academia as a postdoc. Ambika also talks about how helpful therapy was in her last year of graduate school and she shares some of the values she used when deciding to pursue a postdoc. We discuss how ‘sitting with your feelings’ is probably the best advice to everyone deciding on their career choices - it is hard to formulate general advice for everyone but list making is a great first step! Finally, Ambika shares some advice for established researchers who want to encourage trainees to stay in science.We leave you with the best advice she has ever received:"You are really good at being you, and you've gotten to where you are by being you. Just keep being you, there's no reason to stop now."A transcript of this episode generously provided by Joe Stormer can be found here: https://bit.ly/3scjp2qSHOW NOTES:Paper: Kamath, A., Levin, R.A. and Miller, J.S., 2017. Floral size and shape evolution following the transition to gender dimorphism. American Journal of Botany, 104(3), pp.451-460. https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3732/ajb.1600442Ambika’s blog: https://ambikamath.wordpress.com/blog/@ambikamath@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcast#TaprootTuesday

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Ambika Kamath, a behavioral ecologist and a postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley, about her undergraduate research and how to make value-based career decisions.  Ambika is originally from India and gained her B.A. in Biology at Amherst College in 2011. She received the Schupf Scholarship at Amherst which provided unlimited funding for her independent research on the evolution of flower morphology. She completed her Ph.D. at Harvard University studying the behavioral ecology of lizards. As a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley, she received a Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship. Earlier this year she was awarded the 2019 American Society of Naturalists’ Young Investigator Award.  In this episode, we discuss her publication, “Floral size and shape evolution following the transition to gender dimorphism” which was the outcome of her undergraduate research. She shares how her interest in mathematics led her to ecology, how much she enjoyed the fieldwork, and statistics behind the paper.  Picking her graduate school was not a ‘no brainer decision’ so she talked to her supervisors, and made a list of things that she wanted before even having opportunities. This proactive decision system - instead of a reactive one - helped her choosing her graduate school and deciding to continue in academia as a postdoc.  Ambika also talks about how helpful therapy was in her last year of graduate school and she shares some of the values she used when deciding to pursue a postdoc. We discuss how ‘sitting with your feelings’ is probably the best advice to everyone deciding on their career choices - it is hard to formulate general advice for everyone but list making is a great first step! Finally, Ambika shares some advice for established researchers who want to encourage trainees to stay in science. We leave you with the best advice she has ever received: "You are really good at being you, and you've gotten to where you are by being you. Just keep being you, there's no reason to stop now." A transcript of this episode generously provided by Joe Stormer can be found here: <a href="https://bit.ly/3scjp2q" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3scjp2q</a> SHOW NOTES: Paper: Kamath, A., Levin, R.A. and Miller, J.S., 2017. Floral size and shape evolution following the transition to gender dimorphism. American Journal of Botany, 104(3), pp.451-460. <a href="https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3732/ajb.1600442" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3732/ajb.1600442</a> Ambika’s blog: <a href="https://ambikamath.wordpress.com/blog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ambikamath.wordpress.com/blog/</a> @ambikamath @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast #TaprootTuesday

S4E1: Identifying the Principle Components: Gender Dimorphism in Flowers and Consciously Building a Happy and Rewarding Career in Science

This season of the Taproot is all about busting myths. In this episode, we talk with Dan Kliebenstein and bust the myth that if p &lt; 0.5 your conclusion is correct.Dan Kliebenstein is a full professor at the University of California Davis, as well as a visiting professor at the University of Copenhagen. Before moving to California, Dan completed his Ph.D. at Cornell University under the advisement of Rob Last and then did a postdoc at the Max Planck Institute with Dr. Thomas Mitchell-Olds and Jonathan Gershenzon. Dan is currently an editor at four journals including the Plant Cell and eLife.Dan has many publications to choose from, but in this episode, we talk with him about a recent paper from his lab, "The quantitative basis of the Arabidopsis innate immune system to endemic pathogens depends on pathogen genetics." This work looks into how many genes actually control a host-pathogen interaction and what their identities might be. We talk about judgment calls his lab had to make when looking at their data, ambiguity, and how they dealt with it. We also discuss what led Dan to lead a Plant Cell perspective article on reassessing the t-test and explore how the scientific community can avoid incorrect conclusions, and putting undue emphasis on “mechanism” and “novelty”.A transcript of this episode, generously provided by Joe Stormer can be found here https://bit.ly/3bjjavz SHOW NOTES: @SpicyBotrytis ‏@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcastCorwin, J. A., Copeland, D., Feusier, J., Subedy, A., Eshbaugh, R., Palmer, C., ... &amp; Kliebenstein, D. J. (2016). The quantitative basis of the Arabidopsis innate immune system to endemic pathogens depends on pathogen genetics. PLoS genetics, 12(2), e1005789.Brady, S. M., Burow, M., Busch, W., Carlborg, Ö., Denby, K. J., Glazebrook, J., ... &amp; Springer, N. M. (2015). Reassess the t test: interact with all your data via ANOVA. The Plant Cell, tpc-15.Additional Papers Mentioned:Stoeger, T., Gerlach, M., Morimoto, R. I., &amp; Amaral, L. A. N. (2018). Large-scale investigation of the reasons why potentially important genes are ignored. PLoS biology, 16(9), e2006643.Su, A. I., &amp; Hogenesch, J. B. (2007). Power-law-like distributions in biomedical publications and research funding. Genome biology, 8(4), 404.Edwards, A. M., Isserlin, R., Bader, G. D., Frye, S. V., Willson, T. M., &amp; Frank, H. Y. (2011). Too many roads not taken. Nature, 470(7333), 163.Monroe, J. G., Powell, T., Price, N., Mullen, J., Howard, A., Evans, K., ... &amp; McKay, J. (2018). Drought adaptation in nature by extensive genetic loss-of-function. bioRxiv, 372854.Terminology:GWAS - Genome Wide Association Mapping; a method of looking at the association between genetic markers which we will call SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) in this discussion

This season of the Taproot is all about busting myths. In this episode, we talk with Dan Kliebenstein and bust the myth that if p &lt; 0.5 your conclusion is correct. Dan Kliebenstein is a full professor at the University of California Davis, as well as a visiting professor at the University of Copenhagen. Before moving to California, Dan completed his Ph.D. at Cornell University under the advisement of Rob Last and then did a postdoc at the Max Planck Institute with Dr. Thomas Mitchell-Olds and Jonathan Gershenzon. Dan is currently an editor at four journals including the Plant Cell and eLife. Dan has many publications to choose from, but in this episode, we talk with him about a recent paper from his lab, "The quantitative basis of the Arabidopsis innate immune system to endemic pathogens depends on pathogen genetics." This work looks into how many genes actually control a host-pathogen interaction and what their identities might be. We talk about judgment calls his lab had to make when looking at their data, ambiguity, and how they dealt with it. We also discuss what led Dan to lead a Plant Cell perspective article on reassessing the t-test and explore how the scientific community can avoid incorrect conclusions, and putting undue emphasis on “mechanism” and “novelty”. A transcript of this episode, generously provided by Joe Stormer can be found here <a href="https://bit.ly/3bjjavz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3bjjavz</a> SHOW NOTES:  @SpicyBotrytis ‏ @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast Corwin, J. A., Copeland, D., Feusier, J., Subedy, A., Eshbaugh, R., Palmer, C., ... &amp; Kliebenstein, D. J. (2016). The quantitative basis of the Arabidopsis innate immune system to endemic pathogens depends on pathogen genetics. PLoS genetics, 12(2), e1005789. Brady, S. M., Burow, M., Busch, W., Carlborg, Ö., Denby, K. J., Glazebrook, J., ... &amp; Springer, N. M. (2015). Reassess the t test: interact with all your data via ANOVA. The Plant Cell, tpc-15. Additional Papers Mentioned: Stoeger, T., Gerlach, M., Morimoto, R. I., &amp; Amaral, L. A. N. (2018). Large-scale investigation of the reasons why potentially important genes are ignored. PLoS biology, 16(9), e2006643. Su, A. I., &amp; Hogenesch, J. B. (2007). Power-law-like distributions in biomedical publications and research funding. Genome biology, 8(4), 404. Edwards, A. M., Isserlin, R., Bader, G. D., Frye, S. V., Willson, T. M., &amp; Frank, H. Y. (2011). Too many roads not taken. Nature, 470(7333), 163. Monroe, J. G., Powell, T., Price, N., Mullen, J., Howard, A., Evans, K., ... &amp; McKay, J. (2018). Drought adaptation in nature by extensive genetic loss-of-function. bioRxiv, 372854. Terminology: GWAS - Genome Wide Association Mapping; a method of looking at the association between genetic markers which we will call SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) in this discussion

S3E2: The World According to Dan: truth, Stats, and SNPs

This season we are busting myths, and in this episode, we discuss the myth that mentoring is a one-way street. We talk with our guest Beronda Montgomery, Ph.D., about a cyanobacterium that changes shape in response to stress, and how mentors and trainees also need to change in response to their mutual needs during a research project. Beronda Montgomery is a Michigan State University (MSU) Foundation Professor in the Departments of Biochemistry &amp; Molecular Biology - Microbiology &amp; Molecular Genetics. She is also the Assistant Provost for Faculty Development at  MSU. Beronda completed her Ph.D. at the University of California Davis and was a National Science Foundation-funded postdoctoral fellow at Indiana University. Dr. Montgomery also conducts scholarship and training initiatives on mentoring issues related to diversity, junior scientists, and faculty development. She has received many awards, including recently being elected a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. Beronda's laboratory is broadly interested in how photosynthetic organisms, and specifically cyanobacteria, respond to light and nutrient availability. In this episode, we discuss one of her lab's recent publications on the regulation of carboxysome structural proteins and the mentor/mentee dynamics that helped shape the direction of this research. We also talk about Beronda's inspiring mentoring model and the similarities between plants and people (as well as the differences).SHOW NOTES@BerondaM@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcastRohnke, B. A., Singh, S. P., Pattanaik, B., &amp; Montgomery, B. L. (2018). RcaE-Dependent Regulation of Carboxysome Structural Proteins Has a Central Role in Environmental Determination of Carboxysome Morphology and Abundance in Fremyella diplosiphon. mSphere, 3(1), e00617-17.Beronda Montgomery: Growing From Advisor to MentorMontgomery, B. L. (2017). Mapping a Mentoring Roadmap and Developing a Supportive Network for Strategic Career Advancement. SAGE Open, 7(2), 2158244017710288.IDPS:Vincent BJ et al., (2015). Yearly planning meetings: individualized development plans aren't just more paperwork. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26046646Of possible interest: JAMA article on ‘mentorship malpractice’: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2512789

This season we are busting myths, and in this episode, we discuss the myth that mentoring is a one-way street. We talk with our guest Beronda Montgomery, Ph.D., about a cyanobacterium that changes shape in response to stress, and how mentors and trainees also need to change in response to their mutual needs during a research project. Beronda Montgomery is a Michigan State University (MSU) Foundation Professor in the Departments of Biochemistry &amp; Molecular Biology - Microbiology &amp; Molecular Genetics. She is also the Assistant Provost for Faculty Development at  MSU. Beronda completed her Ph.D. at the University of California Davis and was a National Science Foundation-funded postdoctoral fellow at Indiana University. Dr. Montgomery also conducts scholarship and training initiatives on mentoring issues related to diversity, junior scientists, and faculty development. She has received many awards, including recently being elected a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. Beronda's laboratory is broadly interested in how photosynthetic organisms, and specifically cyanobacteria, respond to light and nutrient availability. In this episode, we discuss one of her lab's recent publications on the regulation of carboxysome structural proteins and the mentor/mentee dynamics that helped shape the direction of this research. We also talk about Beronda's inspiring mentoring model and the similarities between plants and people (as well as the differences). SHOW NOTES @BerondaM @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast Rohnke, B. A., Singh, S. P., Pattanaik, B., &amp; Montgomery, B. L. (2018). RcaE-Dependent Regulation of Carboxysome Structural Proteins Has a Central Role in Environmental Determination of Carboxysome Morphology and Abundance in Fremyella diplosiphon. mSphere, 3(1), e00617-17. Beronda Montgomery: Growing From Advisor to Mentor Montgomery, B. L. (2017). Mapping a Mentoring Roadmap and Developing a Supportive Network for Strategic Career Advancement. SAGE Open, 7(2), 2158244017710288. IDPS: Vincent BJ et al., (2015). Yearly planning meetings: individualized development plans aren't just more paperwork. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26046646" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26046646</a> Of possible interest: JAMA article on ‘mentorship malpractice’: <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2512789" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2512789</a>

S3E1: Changing the Shape of Microbes and Mentoring

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Needhi Bhalla to bust the myth that science is set up to be a meritocracy. We discuss one of her recent manuscripts, and how scientists can embrace complexity and diversity as we ask questions and mentor early career researchers. Dr. Needhi Bhalla is currently an Associate Professor in the Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She finished her Ph.D. with Dr. Andrew Murray at the University of California, San Francisco and completed a postdoc at the University of California, Berkeley with Dr. Abby Dernberg before becoming an Assistant Professor at Santa Cruz.Needhi is our first guest who is not a plant scientist. Her lab investigates chromosome structure and function in the nematode C. elegans. We talk about one of her recent pre-prints, “PCH-2TRIP13 regulates spindle checkpoint strength” and how her lab learned to tackle paradoxes and think outside of the box to make sense of unintuitive data.In this episode, we also discuss how increasing diversity can provide the perspectives needed to understand scientific complexity. We list ways in which underrepresented groups can find support, and talk about how those in the majority can work to counteract bias and disparity.SHOW NOTES: @NeedhiBhalla@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcastDefachelles, L., Russo, A. E., Nelson, C. R., &amp; Bhalla, N. (2018). PCH-2TRIP13 regulates spindle checkpoint strength. bioRxiv, 389080.Lambing, C., Osman, K., Nuntasoontorn, K., West, A., Higgins, J. D., Copenhaver, G. P., … &amp; Franklin, F. C. H. (2015). Arabidopsis PCH2 mediates meiotic chromosome remodeling and maturation of crossovers. PLoS genetics, 11(7), e1005372.Drugmonkey blog@drugmonkeyblogGinther, D. K., Schaffer, W. T., Schnell, J., Masimore, B., Liu, F., Haak, L. L., &amp; Kington, R. (2011). Race, ethnicity, and NIH research awards. Science, 333(6045), 1015-1019.Montgomery, B. L. (2018). Building and Sustaining Diverse Functioning Networks Using Social Media and Digital Platforms to Improve Diversity and Inclusivity. Frontiers in Digital Humanities, 5, 22.@9replyguysThe nine types of reply guys twitter postThe Matthew EffectHow men can contribute –  blog post by Needhi:A Beginner’s Guide for Addressing Sexual HarassmentBoynton J.R., Georgiou K., Reid M., Govus A. (2018) Gender Bias in Publishing. The Lancet, 392(10157):1514-1515.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Needhi Bhalla to bust the myth that science is set up to be a meritocracy. We discuss one of her recent manuscripts, and how scientists can embrace complexity and diversity as we ask questions and mentor early career researchers. Dr. Needhi Bhalla is currently an Associate Professor in the Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She finished her Ph.D. with Dr. Andrew Murray at the University of California, San Francisco and completed a postdoc at the University of California, Berkeley with Dr. Abby Dernberg before becoming an Assistant Professor at Santa Cruz. Needhi is our first guest who is not a plant scientist. Her lab investigates chromosome structure and function in the nematode C. elegans. We talk about one of her recent pre-prints, “PCH-2TRIP13 regulates spindle checkpoint strength” and how her lab learned to tackle paradoxes and think outside of the box to make sense of unintuitive data. In this episode, we also discuss how increasing diversity can provide the perspectives needed to understand scientific complexity. We list ways in which underrepresented groups can find support, and talk about how those in the majority can work to counteract bias and disparity. SHOW NOTES: @NeedhiBhalla @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast Defachelles, L., Russo, A. E., Nelson, C. R., &amp; Bhalla, N. (2018). PCH-2TRIP13 regulates spindle checkpoint strength. bioRxiv, 389080. Lambing, C., Osman, K., Nuntasoontorn, K., West, A., Higgins, J. D., Copenhaver, G. P., … &amp; Franklin, F. C. H. (2015). Arabidopsis PCH2 mediates meiotic chromosome remodeling and maturation of crossovers. PLoS genetics, 11(7), e1005372. Drugmonkey blog @drugmonkeyblog Ginther, D. K., Schaffer, W. T., Schnell, J., Masimore, B., Liu, F., Haak, L. L., &amp; Kington, R. (2011). Race, ethnicity, and NIH research awards. Science, 333(6045), 1015-1019. Montgomery, B. L. (2018). Building and Sustaining Diverse Functioning Networks Using Social Media and Digital Platforms to Improve Diversity and Inclusivity. Frontiers in Digital Humanities, 5, 22. @9replyguys The nine types of reply guys twitter post The Matthew Effect How men can contribute – blog post by Needhi: A Beginner’s Guide for Addressing Sexual Harassment Boynton J.R., Georgiou K., Reid M., Govus A. (2018) Gender Bias in Publishing. The Lancet, 392(10157):1514-1515.

S3E3: Answering Complex Questions with a Complex Community

Stayed tuned for Season 3, where our theme will be "myth-busting". While we have some topics, we also want to hear from our audience about their ideas as well. Please take our brief survey: https://goo.gl/forms/a96VBgBG8RwHDieZ2, tell us more about yourself and help us plan for Season 3. Also - if you are attending Plant Biology 2018 in Montreal, stop by the Taproot roundtable discussion in the Plantae Pavilion on Tuesday, July 17 at 12:45-1:30 pm EST to meet Ivan Baxter and Liz Haswell. They'll be answering questions about interviewing scientists, crafting stories, and giving some glimpses into upcoming ideas and episodes.  Find us on Twitter:@ehaswell@baxtertwi@taprootpodcast

Stayed tuned for Season 3, where our theme will be "myth-busting". While we have some topics, we also want to hear from our audience about their ideas as well. Please take our brief survey: <a href="https://goo.gl/forms/a96VBgBG8RwHDieZ2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://goo.gl/forms/a96VBgBG8RwHDieZ2</a>, tell us more about yourself and help us plan for Season 3. Also - if you are attending Plant Biology 2018 in Montreal, stop by the Taproot roundtable discussion in the Plantae Pavilion on Tuesday, July 17 at 12:45-1:30 pm EST to meet Ivan Baxter and Liz Haswell. They'll be answering questions about interviewing scientists, crafting stories, and giving some glimpses into upcoming ideas and episodes. Find us on Twitter: @ehaswell @baxtertwi @taprootpodcast

S2S3: Getting Ready for Season 3

The best podcasts on investing. For anyone interested in the stories in the investing industry, whether it's an interview with Ray Dalio or Ed Thorp to the writer of The Big Short. This topic includes the most fascinating stories from all the best investors. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Investing Podcasts

The best podcast episodes on physical health. Episodes talk about your diet, sleep, exercise and all the things that people do to improve their physical health and live a healthier life. This topic is for everyone, with applications in all of our everyday lives. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!