Driven to Discover

University at Buffalo

A podcast that explores innovative University at Buffalo research through candid conversations with the researchers about their inspirations and goals.

  1. 12/09/2025

    Sleep and the Brain with Carleara Weiss

    Growing up in a multigenerational household, Carleara Weiss was a caregiver from the start. But as she lay awake at night listening to her elders snore, she didn’t realize those sounds were signs of obstructive sleep apnea—or that OSA is linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Now, as an assistant professor of nursing at the University at Buffalo and a nationally recognized sleep researcher, Weiss is advancing our understanding of how sleep affects the brain. In this episode, she talks with host Cheryl Quimba about why sleep is essential, what happens when we don’t get enough of it, and how disrupted sleep can contribute to cognitive decline. She also breaks down her latest research and shares practical strategies for getting a better night’s rest. Weiss is currently recruiting for two studies related to sleep, aging and Alzheimer’s. If interested, please contact Ayesha Rahman at 716-829-3218.  Credits:    Host: Cheryl Quimba Guest: Carleara Weiss Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group  Coming Feb. 3: Frank Scannapieco is a leading oral biologist whose research has transformed our understanding of how oral health impacts overall health. He discusses the role oral bacteria play in a wide range of diseases—including diabetes, pneumonia, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer—and outlines simple habits that can help keep your mouth, and your body, healthy.

    20 min

  2. 11/04/2025

    Making Chatbots Better with Rohini Srihari

    Not all chatbots are created equal. Some, like those used in customer service, are relatively simple. Others—like the systems Rohini Srihari builds—can take on far more complex tasks, such as giving a voice to someone with ALS who has lost the ability to speak. In this episode, Srihari, an artificial intelligence pioneer at the University at Buffalo, shares how she combines her love of language with computer science to create AI-based tools that not only help people with motor neuron diseases communicate, but also address the nation’s mental health crisis, predict the flow of refugees, and even assist choreographers in creating new works. As she tells host Cory Nealon, this work represents just the beginning of how AI can be harnessed for the public good. Credits:    Host: Cory Nealon Guest: Rohini Srihari Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group  Coming Feb. 3: Frank Scannapieco is a leading oral biologist whose research has transformed our understanding of how oral health impacts overall health. He discusses the role oral bacteria play in a wide range of diseases—including diabetes, pneumonia, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer—and outlines simple habits that can help keep your mouth, and your body, healthy.

    18 min

  3. 10/07/2025

    Magic and Witchcraft with Phillips Stevens

    As a Peace Corps volunteer in Nigeria in his early 20s, Phillips Stevens witnessed an act of sorcery that blew his mind. He turned that moment into a 50-year career as a cultural anthropologist at the University at Buffalo, exploring religion, spirituality and the supernatural in cultures across the world. In this episode, Stevens joins host Tom Dinki to share insights from his new book, “Rethinking the Anthropology of Magic and Witchcraft: Inherently Human.” He explains why magical thinking isn’t a relic of the past—it’s hardwired into us, a survival strategy that still shapes how we navigate the unknown and process the unthinkable. From common superstitions and religious rituals to conspiracy theories like QAnon, Stevens shows how belief in magic and witchcraft persists, and what makes it inherently human.  Credits:    Host: Tom Dinki Guest: Phillips Stevens Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group  Coming Feb. 3: Frank Scannapieco is a leading oral biologist whose research has transformed our understanding of how oral health impacts overall health. He discusses the role oral bacteria play in a wide range of diseases—including diabetes, pneumonia, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer—and outlines simple habits that can help keep your mouth, and your body, healthy.

    21 min

  4. 09/09/2025

    Combatting the Opioid Crisis with Joshua Lynch

    Inspired by his grandfather’s service as a volunteer fire chief, Joshua Lynch joined the fire department at 18 and was soon patrolling the streets of Buffalo as an EMT. At the same time, he was pursuing a path to medical school as a psychology major at the University at Buffalo. That blend of frontline emergency response and human-centered health care became the hallmark of his career. Today, Lynch is a professor of emergency medicine at UB, a medical director for Mercy Flight and several volunteer fire departments, and the founder and chief medical officer of MATTERS—a multistate program that has transformed the delivery of care to people with opioid use disorder. In this episode, Lynch talks with host Laura Silverman about the personal losses that fueled his commitment to addiction medicine, why quick, barrier-free access to treatment is essential, and how MATTERS has grown from a Buffalo-based pilot into a national model for tackling the opioid epidemic. Credits:    Host: Laura Silverman Guest: Joshua Lynch Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group  Coming Feb. 3: Frank Scannapieco is a leading oral biologist whose research has transformed our understanding of how oral health impacts overall health. He discusses the role oral bacteria play in a wide range of diseases—including diabetes, pneumonia, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer—and outlines simple habits that can help keep your mouth, and your body, healthy.

    21 min

  5. 05/06/2025

    Earthworm Ecology with Nick Henshue

    Bullied as a kid, Nick Henshue spent much of his childhood roaming the woods behind his house, fueling a love for nature that propels him to this day. Now an associate teaching professor of ecology at UB, and co-director of the EarthEd Institute, Henshue is an expert in restoration and soil ecology, with a primary focus on earthworms. He is also a passionate and celebrated educator. His conversation with host Cheryl Quimba dives deep into earthworm ecology, and it is fascinating—a testament both to the surprising complexity of this humble creature and to the remarkable talent Henshue has (he calls it his “superpower”) to engage and entertain while teaching about the natural world.  Credits: Host: Cheryl Quimba Guest: Nick Henshue Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group  Coming Feb. 3: Frank Scannapieco is a leading oral biologist whose research has transformed our understanding of how oral health impacts overall health. He discusses the role oral bacteria play in a wide range of diseases—including diabetes, pneumonia, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer—and outlines simple habits that can help keep your mouth, and your body, healthy.

    19 min

  6. 04/08/2025

    Weight-Loss Drugs with Nicole Albanese

    Nicole Albanese grew up in a holistic household that emphasized diet over drugs. Now, as a clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice at the University at Buffalo, she embraces medication—but as only one piece of the overall health puzzle. In this episode, Albanese, whose research focuses on diabetes, obesity and nutrition, talks to host Laurie Kaiser about the pros and cons of modern weight-loss drugs. Their conversation covers everything from unforeseen side effects to unexpected health benefits, with discussions along the way on how these drugs work, why they’re so hugely popular, what prevents most users from achieving long-term success, and what’s next on the horizon. Hint: It won’t be long before we’re looking back on Ozempic and Wegovy as weight-loss drugs 1.0.  Credits:  Host: Laurie Kaiser Guest: Nicole Albanese Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group  Coming Feb. 3: Frank Scannapieco is a leading oral biologist whose research has transformed our understanding of how oral health impacts overall health. He discusses the role oral bacteria play in a wide range of diseases—including diabetes, pneumonia, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer—and outlines simple habits that can help keep your mouth, and your body, healthy.

    19 min

  7. 03/11/2025

    Urban Classical Music with Jeff Scott

    Since his band teacher went alphabetically by last name, Jeff Scott’s choices were limited when it came his turn to pick an instrument. The sixth grader pointed to the French horn—and the rest is history. Today, Scott is one of the nation’s premier French horn players and a Grammy-winning composer. Among other accomplishments, he’s played on Broadway, toured with the likes of Barbra Streisand and Ray Charles, and co-founded a world-renowned woodwind quintet. In this laughter-filled episode, Scott tells host Cory Nealon about his unlikely path to musical success, his experiences on the road with A-list artists, what it felt like to win a Grammy, and how his multicultural upbringing in Queens, N.Y., shaped the urban classical music he shares with the world today. Credits: Host: Cory Nealon Guest: Jeff Scott Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group  Coming Feb. 3: Frank Scannapieco is a leading oral biologist whose research has transformed our understanding of how oral health impacts overall health. He discusses the role oral bacteria play in a wide range of diseases—including diabetes, pneumonia, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer—and outlines simple habits that can help keep your mouth, and your body, healthy.

    25 min

  8. 02/04/2025

    Multispecies Design with Joyce Hwang

    As a young girl growing up in suburban Los Angeles, Joyce Hwang loved seeing how urban animals would create little moments of disorder in the highly manicured landscape. Now the intersection between animals and the built environment is at the very heart of her work as a professor of architecture at the University at Buffalo and as director of the ecologically focused practice Ants of the Prairie. Hwang’s projects, from bat towers to bee elevators to multispecies installations, have been on display throughout the world and have won multiple awards. In this episode, she talks to host David Hill about incorporating animals into our constructed spaces—what it entails, why it’s critical (for us as well as them), and what everyday people can do to make their homes and yards more accommodating to our non-human friends. Credits: Host: David Hill Guest: Joyce Hwang Writer/Producer: Laura Silverman Production and editing by UB Video Production Group  Coming Feb. 3: Frank Scannapieco is a leading oral biologist whose research has transformed our understanding of how oral health impacts overall health. He discusses the role oral bacteria play in a wide range of diseases—including diabetes, pneumonia, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer—and outlines simple habits that can help keep your mouth, and your body, healthy.

    18 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

A podcast that explores innovative University at Buffalo research through candid conversations with the researchers about their inspirations and goals.

Information

  • Creator
    University at Buffalo
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Driven to Discover
  • Show Website
    Driven to Discover

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