Season Two

EPISODE SUMMARY

Clinical trials are essential for the discovery of new treatments and support the development of new life-saving drugs and medical devices that can benefit millions worldwide. But one of the greatest challenges in clinical research is the lack of representation.

We kick off our two-episode Clinical Research Series on the Science With a Twist podcast, as our host John Manns welcomes guests Tim Rich and Thad Wolfram. Tim is the VP of Digital and Decentralized Services for the PPD clinical research business of Thermo Fisher Scientific. Thad is the president of EmVenio Research. They talk about the benefits of decentralized trials, the importance of improving representation in clinical research, and different ways to make trials more patient-centric.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Biomarker testing for targeted therapies is a game changer for lung cancer, and it ensures that patients get the proper treatment at the right time. But how do we make it accessible to all patients, regardless of race or ethnicity?

In this episode of the Science With a Twist podcast, our host Jeff Smith welcomes Dr. Upal Basu Roy, the executive director of Research at LUNGevity. They talk about the importance of diversity in the oncology workforce, why it's essential to be more inclusive, and the critical role of biomarkers and targeted therapies for lung cancer patients.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this Science With a Twist episode, our host Kathy Davy is joined by Dr. Jeffrey Scott, the chief medical officer and president of population health solutions at Integra Connect. Dr. Scott's team is on a mission to help specialty care organizations – from providers and health systems to payers and life sciences companies become clinically and financially successful with value-based precision medicine.

As part of this mission, Integra Connect and Thermo Fisher recently collaborated on research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, the world's leading oncology conference. This episode is dedicated to sharing the details of this research and the impact new approaches to genomic testing can have on cancer patient outcomes.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Cryo-electron microscopy, or cryo-EM, is a powerful structural analysis method. It's being used to help researchers better understand cancer and see how biomolecules move and interact in the body.
 

But Penn State's cryo-EM technique is one of a kind. In this episode of the Science With a Twist podcast, our host Kathy Davy welcomes Deb Kelly, the director of the Center for Structural Oncology at Penn State University. They talk about Professor Kelly's approach to cancer research, how it's helping researchers better understand breast cancer, and the immense value of cryo-EM in outsmarting cancer.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Genomics, or the field of microbiology devoted to studying genomes, has the potential to help us diagnose and more precisely target disease; but we can also use genomics to understand the biological link between the environment, humans, and animals.
 

In this episode of the Science With a Twist podcast, our host Candia Brown welcomes Luther King Abia Akebe, Associate Professor of Applied & Environmental Microbiology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. They talk about the concept of One Health and how human, environmental, and animal health intersect.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Many of us have created time capsules — boxes filled with objects from when we were growing up — and buried them in the backyard for future generations to discover. However, a group of experts from various fields have taken this to the next level and created a time capsule that will be sent to the moon.

In this episode of Science With a Twist, our host Sung-Dae Hong welcomes Dylan Vitone, Mark Baskinger, and Matt Zywica. Mark, Dylan, and Matt are associate professors at Carnegie Mellon University, School of Design, and the creators of one of the ultimate time capsules — the mysterious and innovative MoonArk.

Mark, Dylan, and Matt share the story behind the project and the people involved, give details about the object's design, and explain how it’s being tested on its preparedness for space expedition.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Most people think that forensic science is just used to solve crimes. But, forensics can offer so much more. When partnered with other sciences, forensics can help us get answers to historical questions. Therefore, forensics can bring history closer to the non-scientific community and help the public understand its impact on humankind.

In this episode of Science With a Twist, Dr. Marta Diepenbroek joins host Sheri Olson to discuss DNA analysis and its impact on identifying the victims of war and totalitarian regimes. Dr. Diepenbroek is a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Institute of Legal Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in Germany. So far, she has worked on several projects, including the Sobibor Project, which led to the identification of Jewish Holocaust victims.

Dr. Diepenbroek shares the findings from working on this project and explains the significance of the joint work of forensics and other sciences, such as archaeology and history, on this and similar projects.

EPISODE SUMMARY

COVID-19 has gone through a gamut of changes over the last two years. And it has been brewing in different populations much faster than other recent viruses.
 

Further, even though viruses undergo mutation constantly, most other viruses have not managed to trigger a pandemic the way COVID did.
 

In this episode of the Science With a Twist podcast, our host and Chief Scientific Officer at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Karen Nelson, welcomes Kamini Varma and Andy Felton. Kamini is the Vice President of Research and Development, and Andy is the Vice President of Platforms, Research, and Applied at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
 

In this episode, they discuss the uniqueness of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the difference between variants of concern and variants of interest, and their prediction for the future of COVID-19.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In 2020, we had hoped that 2021 would signify the end of the coronavirus. But, here we are, in 2022, and the pandemic is still going on.
 

Fortunately, things do seem to be getting back to normal, but we still have a long way to go before we can say that coronavirus is over. Therefore, new technology to help fight the virus is becoming increasingly important. 
 

In this episode of Science With a Twist, Miguel Faustino and Michelle Jensen join our host, Ron O'Brien to discuss the AerosolSense Sampler, a solution designed to detect the presence of coronavirus in the air.
 

Miguel is the President of the Chemical Analysis Business at Thermo Fisher Scientific, which developed the AerosolSense sampler. Michelle is the District Administrator for Deerfield Community School District, and the schools she manages are part of a pilot project using the device. 
 

Miguel shares what the device is and explains how it works, while Michelle discusses the implementation of AerosolSense in schools and its results.