I Came For Science I Came For Science

Imagine if you were sexually assaulted, decided to get evidence collected from your body, and then that evidence sat uninvestigated for decades. In 2010, this was the reality for about 14,000 victims of sexual assault in Ohio alone. In this episode, Laura interviews criminologist Dr. Rachel Lovell of Cleveland State University. They discuss how Ohio cleared the sexual assault test kit backlog over a five year period and how the results have been used to prosecute perpetrators in Cuyahoga County, becoming a role model for other parts of the country. In addition, Dr. Lovell shares how the results of these analyses have resulted in new findings about patterns of sexual assault and new approaches to caring for victims.

Laura talks with her colleague, Dr. Diana Pérez Staples, a research professor at the Universidad Veracruzana in Xalapa, Mexico, who has conducted research in six different countries on four different continents. Dr. Pérez Staples provides a cross-cultural perspective on the challenges and benefits of being a researcher in developing countries. She then discusses the importance that role models and words have on making aspiring scientists feel welcome or unwelcome in STEM.

This is a powerful one. It is a discussion with your host, Laura Sirot, and her colleague, Eileen Hebets, who studies the reproductive behavior of arachnids. We talk about how our early life experiences influence our research questions, and the work Eileen is doing to support survivors of sexual assault. It demonstrates that one of the reasons it is important to have people with diverse lived experiences in science is that those experiences make them curious about questions that have never been asked.

If you are a mentor or a mentee, this episode is for you! Laura talks with her mentor, Mariana Wolfner, who studies molecular and genetic mechanisms of reproduction in fruit flies. Mariana is a distinguished professor at Cornell University and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. We discuss Mariana’s journey through STEM, her emphasis on including diverse perspectives in approaching scientific questions, and the important role of kindness and mentorship in encouraging the next generation of scientists. You’ll even learn a new term: the caramel effect! The episode ends with a debrief between Laura and her mentee, Natalia, where they reflect on the benefits that both mentors and mentees get from the mentoring relationship.

Please join us for a very special episode. It’s a story about one man’s decision to take the HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP. But it is so much more. It is a story of love between a mother and son. It’s a coming out story. It’s a story about how trans-generational trauma can be turned into gratitude, resilience, and hope. It's a story about how the science of sex saves lives.

Welcome to I Came For Science: a show that explores all things sex, reproduction, and inclusion in STEM! Your host is Laura Sirot, a professor of Biology who has been studying animal sex for over 30 years. Join us as we normalize talking about the intersections of sex and science, as well as hearing about the lived experiences of the scientists that study it. To get in touch, email us at icameforscience@gmail.com or message us on X or Instagram @icameforscience.

In this week’s episode, we’re exploring pubic hair! Why we have it, common pubic hair removal practices, and potential risks (or not) of pubic hair removal. Laura is joined by her 30-something former student, her aesthetician, and a fellow scientist to discuss all things pubic hair!