The Lab Coats & Life™ Podcast

In this episode, Dr. Nicole Quinn speaks with scientist Dr. Chantelle Leveille and software engineer Peyton Lee from the Allen Institute for Cell Science about the power of interdisciplinary collaboration in modern research. Chantelle shares her journey from biochemistry and biophysics into large-scale imaging data analysis, while Peyton discusses combining his interests in programming, design, and biology to build interactive scientific tools. Together, they describe the development of the Timelapse Feature Explorer, a visualization tool that allows researchers to explore complex cellular imaging data and uncover patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed. The conversation explores the value of interdisciplinary collaboration, open science, and creating research environments where people feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, and relying on each other’s expertise. Chantelle and Peyton also reflect on the importance of communication, curiosity, and finding the “secret sauce” each person brings to a scientific team, offering thoughtful advice for researchers looking to build collaborative, meaningful careers in science. Image courtesy of Chantelle Leveille and Peyton Lee. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

  In this episode, Dr. Nicole Quinn speaks with Dr. Rachel Owen, a sustainability and science policy entrepreneur and founder of RKO Consulting, about how scientists can engage effectively in policy and advocacy. Rachel shares her journey from soil science to science policy and explains how researchers can get “in the room” with policymakers through professional societies, relationship-building, or formal policy roles. The conversation explores how to communicate uncertainty, build trust across political divides, and present science using an honest broker approach. Rachel also outlines practical pathways for scientists who want to stay at the bench while influencing policy, as well as those considering full-time careers in science policy. Image courtesy of Dr. Rachel Owen. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

  In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Daylon James speak with Dr. Sarahanne Field, Assistant Professor at the University of Groningen and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Trial and Error, about the importance of publishing negative results and studying science itself through meta-science. Sarahanne shares how the journal was founded to challenge publication bias and create space for well-designed studies that produce unexpected or null findings. The conversation explores incentives in academic publishing, the “file drawer problem,” registered reports, open data, and how cultural and structural change can support more transparent and rigorous science. Sarahanne closes with a hopeful vision for a research culture that rewards honesty, collaboration, and high-quality work, even when the results are not flashy. Image courtesy of Dr. Sarahanne Field Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In this episode, co-hosts Drs. Nicole Quinn and Arun Sharma speak with Euan Adie, Founder of Altmetric, about rethinking how we measure research impact beyond traditional citations. Euan shares the origin story of Altmetric and explains the difference between attention and real-world influence, including policy, education, and clinical impact. The conversation explores the challenges of reforming research assessment, the role of social media and institutional communications in increasing visibility, and how AI is changing the way scientific information is discovered and evaluated. Euan also reflects on the need to better reward researchers for contributions outside of traditional publications, and what meaningful change in research culture could look like. Image courtesy of Euan Adie. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In this episode, co-hosts Drs. Nicole Quinn and Jason Goldsmith chat with Dr. César de la Fuente, Presidential Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. de la Fuente discusses his work using AI to discover new antibiotics, and building a new large language model in his lab. He talks about opportunities for AI to assist researchers with administrative tasks, as well as current limitations of the technology. He also touches on the future of AI, including the generation of “AI scientists,” and the need to address server use and environmental impacts. Image courtesy of Dr. César de la Fuente Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

In this episode, co-hosts Drs. Nicole Quinn and Daylon James chat with Drs. Lisa Corwin and Sandhya Krishnan from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Dr. Corwin is an Associate Professor and Principal Investigator of the REACH Lab, which studies how early-career scientists engage with and persevere through challenges in their research. Dr. Krishnan is a NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Postdoc Associate with FLAMEnet, and Project Lead at the Science of Failure. They talk about how students cope with research failures and how mentors can normalize and allow for failure on a smaller scale. They also talk about how researchers can be transparent with their experimental results. Images courtesy of Drs. Lisa Corwin and Sandhya Krishnan Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

In this episode, co-hosts Drs. Nicole Quinn and Arun Sharma chat with Dr. Karen Kelsky, the founder of The Professor Is In, an online resource, book and consultancy for navigating academic careers. Dr. Kelsky shares how she has helped over 15,000 PhDs find fulfilling paths inside and outside academia, reflects on her own career journey, and gives practical advice for thriving in the academic job market. Image courtesy of Dr. Karen Kelsky Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Brenda Raud chat with Dr. Nokuthula Mchunu, Deputy Director of the African Open Science Platform. Dr. Mchunu discusses challenges faced by scientists in Africa, including infrastructure limitations, language barriers, and inequities in research funding and publishing. She shares insights on fostering equitable partnerships, strengthening research systems, and rethinking scientific publishing to ensure broader access to knowledge and collaboration across the global scientific community. Image courtesy of Dr. Nokuthula Mchunu Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Guest: In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Jason Goldsmith chat with Dr. Alex Shalek, the J. W. Kieckhefer Professor in the Institute for Medical Engineering & Science and the Department of Chemistry at MIT. He and members of his lab strive to engineer and create technologies and methods achievable by any lab, anywhere in the world through open source experimental protocols and computational packages. He talks about ownership, reproducibility, and privacy considerations when sharing data. Featured Products and Resources: Which Scientific Conferences Should You Attend? How to Prioritize and Manage Your Research Image courtesy of Dr. Alex Shalek Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Guest: In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Arun Sharma chat with Dr. Caroline Hookway, a Scientist at the Allen Institute for Cell Science, who specializes in live-cell imaging. She talks about how to choose the right technology to answer scientific questions, strategies to ensure quality and reproducibility, and overcoming barriers to adopting new technologies. Image courtesy of Dr. Caroline Hookway Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Guest: In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Arun Sharma chat with Dr. Raeka Aiyar, Vice President of Scientific Outreach & Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF). Raeka is an experienced geneticist turned science communicator, whose research has focused on applying genomics to the study of disease, with the goal of enabling precision medicine. She and the hosts talk about the importance of inclusive science and how NYSCF and other organizations are working to promote equity. Image courtesy of Dr. Raeka Aiyar Get Updates! Sign up to receive helpful advice and updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Guest: In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Jason Goldsmith chat with Dr. Nima Najand, Director of the Life Sciences Innovation Hub at the University of Calgary. They discuss the ways in which scientists can transition their research into the clinic with a focus on transferring early-stage technologies from academic labs to industry, starting spin-off companies, and strategies for commercialization. Image courtesy of Dr. Nima Najand Get updates!Sign up to receive helpful adviceand updates on new episodes. Sign Up

Launching in February 2024, the Lab Coats & Life Podcast will provide listeners with reflective conversations with guests from all corners of science who are passionate about passing on their knowledge and experience to others. Although this podcast is for scientists, it is not your typical science podcast. Instead, each episode aims to keep you informed about useful soft skills, relevant trends, and important efforts from within the scientific community to help you thrive as a scientist. Stay tuned for episodes with influential guests, including career coach Jen Polk, bioRxiv co-founder Richard Sever, SciComm specialist Sara Yeo, and more. The Lab Coats & Life Podcast is brought to you by STEMCELL Technologies, a global biotechnology company supporting life science research and fostering communication and collaboration in science. The podcast forms part of the Lab Coats & Life Mentorship Resources, where you can find helpful articles, free downloadable toolkits, and more. STEMCELL provides the podcast under its Science Communication Program, alongside several other services to keep scientists current and connected with their fields. Get updates!Sign up to receive helpful adviceand updates on new episodes. Sign Up