Sounds of Science: Recent Episodes
Charles River
Sounds of Science is a monthly podcast about beginnings: how a molecule becomes a drug, how a rodent elucidates a disease pathway, how a horseshoe crab morphs into an infection fighter. The podcast is produced by Eureka, the scientific blog of Charles River, a contract research organization for drug discovery and development. Tune in and begin the journey.
Manufacturing gene therapies is a hot topic in the pharma field, on both the supplier and the client ends. Joining me to discuss this issue is Charles River Associate Director of Gene Therapy, Andrew Frazer, and Purespring Therapeutics' VP of Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls, Amanda Weiss.
Dr. Lauren Black and Dr. Monkol Lek are both committed to the research and advancement of rare disease treatments. But when you are trying to treat just one patient, what can you learn that could help many more? We discuss the importance of n-of-1 studies, not just for that one patient and their families, but for anyone who might someday need a rare cure.
This year saw the worst spread of avian influenza yet, with fall showing another surge as migratory birds make their way south for the winter. Could an avian influenza vaccine be on the horizon for the United States? I spoke with Wayne Collins and Nastassja Ortega from Charles River’s Avian Services, and David Swayne, Lab Director for the USDA specializing in Exotic & Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research to find out.
I am joined by a very special guest - Dr. Ali Said Faqi, former employee of Charles River and current Congressman for Somalia. In 2013 his career path changed when he decided to accept an appointment as Somalia's ambassador to the European Union, but he still makes time for science.
Charles River senior account manager Brad Gartland experienced a great personal tragedy when his father took his own life in 2016. Driven by the loss, Brad worked to establish a safe place for men like his father to talk, helping them feel less alone. Listen now to learn how Brad's efforts caught the attention of the British Royal family.
Dr. Kathrin Meyer from the Center for Gene Therapy at Nationwide Children's Hospital joins me to discuss the current state of gene therapy research - where we are now, and how far we have left to go.
I am joined by consulting physician Dr. Peter Matos, an expert on viral spread through his work at the U.S. Department of Defense Global Emerging Infection Surveillance and Response System, to discuss the various viruses making their way through the world as of now.
Sex discrimination is not just something that happens with people. In many animal studies, males have historically been used more often than females, resulting in a significant sex bias that has snowballed since we started using mice and rats in research. Liz Nunamaker, Director of Animal Welfare for Charles River, joins me to discuss what this bias means for animals and patients.
Graham Tobin is one of the most noted experts on laboratory animal diets, writing several definitive texts on the subject. He joins me to discuss how a lack of attention to animal nutrition can impact research, from reproducibility to reliability.
We talk with Oliver Jonas, the Scientific Founder of Kibur Medical, about his research on implantable devices designed to distribute cancer drugs directly into tumors. Kibur is a strategic partner of Charles River, and these tiny devices could help doctors narrow down the best therapies for each individual patient.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a degenerative neurological disease most often associated with older while males. However, it is not exclusive to them, and obtaining a diagnosis as a young woman can be tricky. The women of Her ALS story are patients and spokespeople who are trying to change that by sharing their stories with the world. Listen now to hear their stories, and learn more at heralsstory.org.
Dr. Jeffrey Millman joins me and my colleague Laura Gee to discuss his work on a potential cure for Type 1 diabetes. Laura, who is herself a Type 1 diabetes patient, shares her perspective on living with diabetes and what a cure could mean for her everyday life. Using cellular replacement therapy, The Millman Lab works towards a diabetes cure.
Lawrence Ganti, president of SiO2 Materials Science, joins me to discuss ramping up production of his innovative vaccine vials to distribute COVID-19 vaccines. We also discuss how the pandemic in general affected scientific innovation and medical product manufacturing, and what it could mean for the future of medicine.
For World AIDS Day, I interviewed two pioneers in HIV/AIDS activism and research: Dr. Kenneth Mayer, Medical Research Director of Fenway Health and a professor of medicine, global health and population at Harvard; and Professor Gregg Gonsalves from the Yale School of Public Health. Ken has been part of AIDS research almost from the beginning, and Gregg is a passionate advocate for underrepresented patients. Both have devoted their careers to furthering HIV/AIDS awareness and public health responsiveness.
This year's Society for Neuroscience meeting was supposed to be in person, but with COVID cases still high, moved to virtual. Charles River scientists Carina Peritore and Toni Ahtoniemi join me to discuss what else is new in the field of neuroscience, and how COVID has affected research over the past two years.
With global warming affecting the tick population, the time is right to try again with a human Lyme disease vaccine. I talk with Dr. Richard Marconi, professor at Virginia Commonwealth University's Department of Microbiology and Immunology, about his research into ticks, Lyme, and the promise of a human vaccine.
In this episode, I speak with Dr. Peter Matos about vaccine boosters past and present. We discuss a brief history of vaccine booster research, how we arrived at the current recommended vaccine schedule, and what the future may hold for COVID vaccine boosters.
At the time of posting, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only recommends COVID boosters for immunocompromised people, though the US government announced broader rollout through the fall and winter. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends focusing on first dose rollout for populations that have not gotten access yet, and says that "introducing booster doses should be firmly evidence-driven and targeted to the population groups in greatest need."
Stay updated on your region's booster policies.
Scientist Marcus Gerald experienced first hand what it feels like to be a patient at a young age. Now he helps children by researching the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology (DART) of new drugs. In this episode he tells us about his experiences as a young Black man in science, and how he turned his early childhood experiences into his passion.
COVID impacted everyone differently, including early career scientists who found their work resources diverted to COVID research. One such scientist is doctoral candidate Daisy Hoagland from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, whose earlier work on viruses made her a valuable contributor to COVID research. But what did it do to her career plans? Listen now to find out.
Elaine Duncan and Alan Mukuvare are early career scientists who understand the importance of scientific mentors. They themselves have benefited from inspiring STEM mentors, and are now giving back to their local communities through the UK's STEM Ambassador Programme. Listen now, especially if you or someone you know are thinking about getting into a STEM field.
For this episode, I am joined by Ziva Abraham, CEO of the pharmaceutical consulting company Microrite. Ziva grew up in India, and fell in love with fungi while studying in college. Her passion has taken her all over the world, dispensing knowledge and mentoring a new generation of young women scientists.
In honor of Earth Day 2021, we speak with Corporate Sustainability experts Gregg Belardo and Erik Mohn about the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the effects of stay-at-home orders could be seen from space, but did they have any impact on climate change? Listen now to learn more.
Scientific Advisor Mike Templin joins us to discuss what drug developers have learned from working with the FDA during the pandemic. Where can we improve the relationship between science and government regulations? Find out now by listening to this episode.
In honor of Rare Disease Month, we are joined by Terry Pirovolakis from CureSPG50.org. Terry's son Michael was born with the ultra-rare SPG50 disease. Listen now to hear their story.
Yugal Sharma, Ph.D., from CAS and David Clark, Ph.D., from Charles River join us to discuss machine learning in chemistry. We discuss the importance of organizing big data to avoid creating a data dump, and how machine learning can speed up drug discovery.
Antonio Maltese, a senior studying political science in Virginia, is passionate about advocating for the rare disease community. He belongs to the community himself twice over, with a diagnosis of Huntington’s Disease and osteonecrosis. He speaks with Charles River scientists Lauren Black and David Fisher about his studies, their research, and how scientists and patients can help each other.
COVID-19 wreaked havoc with academic labs - students were sent home, campuses were closed, and research projects were delayed or cancelled. Given the critical value of academic research, especially for preparing for or even preventing future pandemics, how can we avoid this situation in the future? Emory University's George Painter and Charles River's Joe Cornicelli discuss one potential solution.
Simon Chapleo, an expert in plant metabolism, joins us to discuss agrochemical safety testing and the difficulties of cultivating banana plants in Scotland.
Stem cells are a valuable tool in a drug researcher’s shed, but they are notoriously tricky and time consuming to grow. The biotech company Bit Bio hopes to change that by streamlining the process through their innovative cell reprogramming technology, making batches of cells ready at shorter notice. Bit Bio founder Mark Kotter and Charles River researcher Mariangela Iovino talk shop in this episode.
Gracie van Brunt – singer, songwriter, and rare disease survivor – joins us for a candid interview about her life, career, and experiences with growing up rare.
Foster Jordan knows a thing or two about horseshoe crabs, and isn't afraid to share his opinion! Listen now to learn about the future of endotoxin testing, and the potential pitfalls of recombinant technology.
With chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy, patients’ own immune cells can be “souped up” and used as a cancer treatment. This immunotherapy and its variants are a promising area of research, with fascinating safety considerations. Listen now to learn about CAR T and TCR T from Sanne Holt, a biologist at Charles River.
Dementia is a tricky disease with no cure and precious few treatments. Join host Mary Parker and biologist Sarah Almond to learn about the Dementia Consortium, a public-private partnership determined to change this narrative through collaboration.
What does corporate sustainability mean for the pharmaceutical industry? Gregg Belardo, Senior Director for Corporate Sustainability at Charles River, discusses the “no-brainer” policies that can help any company meet their green goals.
Rich Horgan and Karen Morales from the nonprofit biotech Cure Rare Disease join host Mary Parker to discuss their work. Rich’s brother Terry has a rare form of muscular dystrophy, with no treatment available for adults. Rich founded Cure Rare Disease for his brother and patients like him, and after three years they are on the cusp of a breakthrough. Listen now to hear their story.
How can we keep animals healthy without antibiotics? In this episode we talk with avian expert Nastassja Ortega, who develops therapies to protect her chickens from disease through natural antibodies and vaccines. In the fight against antibiotic resistance, she is on the front lines, keeping her birds antibiotic-free.
The tumor microenvironment (TME) insulates cancer from the body’s natural defenses. But like all defenses, the more we know about the TME, the easier it is for us to find chinks in the armor. Join host Mary Parker as she interviews Rhiannon Jenkinson, Director of Science for Discovery Services at Charles River’s Portishead site, about this fascinating and frustrating microworld.
At the end of 2019, we wanted to take time to predict some of the hot research trends for the coming year. Many companies are taking up the challenge to reduce the time to market for vital therapies, so what are the cutting edge technologies that can make that goal a reality? I spoke with Charles River Discovery scientists Ian Waddell and Chris Hill about two of their favorite trends: AI and biomarkers in early drug discovery. How can these research tools get drugs to patients faster? Find out in this month’s episode!
Genome mapping has made personalized medicine achievable, but how can the FDA balance safety requirements with the speed that is necessary for desperate patients?
Meet Gina Mullane and Chris Garcia, the hosts of Vital Science, a brand new podcast that shares the personal stories of those impacted by life science. Today, Gina and Chris are responsible for global marketing and sales operations, but they both began their careers in the lab. They've experienced the impact of life science from every angle, and use those experiences to tell the stories of patients, scientists, employees and advocates. Subscribe now and download the first episode on Tuesday, October 22nd!
Central nervous system (CNS) diseases are well known for being tricky to treat and difficult to research. However, some researchers are getting excited about the possibilities of new research into neuroinflammation. For this episode of Sounds of Science we speak with Carina Peritore, product manager neuroscience discovery at Charles River. We will be discussing the relatively recent resurgence of research on neuroinflammation, which could hold the key to new therapeutic avenues for CNS diseases.
Dr. Allyson Berent speaks with us about her work to find a cure for her daughter’s rare disease.
Herodotus may be the first human historian, but to travel farther back in time we need our fossil friends, the horseshoe crab.
How California veterinarian Jamie Peyton uses tilapia skins to heal four-legged burn victims, including those hurt in the California wildfires.
How vaccines can protect everyone if enough people get them. A conversation with microbiologist Ken Henderson.
A tool that seems inspired by Hollywood animation imagery allows us to accurately model and measure subtle movements in rodent models of CNS disease.
The debilitating liver disease, a consequence of bad diets, is on the rise. So is the pipeline of drugs trying to arrest it.
CRISPR technology has enabled rapid advances in gene editing, but it also invites unintended consequences.
One of the trickiest parts of drug discovery is moving from test tubes to animals. Here’s a way to not only pick up the pace of the process, but also the expectations for results.
Poultry products are going antibiotic free. Unfortunately for farmers, chickens won’t magically be healthy all the time.
In the real world, we are constantly surrounded by countless living organisms. For the extraordinary germ-free mouse, this presents a problem. Join host Mary Parker and hear how Senior Manager Rich Morin and his team at Charles River’s transgenic facility are creating (literally) customized solutions to this problem.