48 episodes

Dr Megan Hanlon delves into the world of scientific research and gets to know the people behind the labcoats

Unravelling Science Podcast Dr Megan Hanlon

    • Science
    • 5.0 • 3 Ratings

Dr Megan Hanlon delves into the world of scientific research and gets to know the people behind the labcoats

    Episode 48: Provost Linda Doyle: Wireless Communications, Creativity & Making History

    Episode 48: Provost Linda Doyle: Wireless Communications, Creativity & Making History

    I am extremely honored to introduce Provost Linda Doyle, the 45th Provost and first female Provost of Trinity College Dublin as my guest on the podcast this week. Linda chats to me about her experiences as professor of engineering and the arts at Trinity, her wide range of expertise in the fields of wireless communications and dynamic use of resources her current role as Provost of Trinity College Dublin.
    She chats about growing up in Cork, how her experiences in industry cemented her love for academia and why she is so passionate about marrying creative arts with engineering. We also chat about what led her to run for the election of Provost of Trinity College Dublin, what that historical moment felt like when she won and what she hopes to achieve in her ten-year term.
    What an utter privilege to have had her time, as you will see we could have chatted for another 40 minutes. This episode marks the end of Season 4 of Unravelling Science, I hope you have all enjoyed listening in this season, will catch you all for Season 5.
     
    Follow Linda: LindaDoyle
    Follow me: MeganHanlon4
    This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.

    • 44 min
    Episode 47: Dr Barry Moran: Flow Cytometry, Part Time PhD & Work/Life Balance

    Episode 47: Dr Barry Moran: Flow Cytometry, Part Time PhD & Work/Life Balance

    Dr Barry Moran core facility manager of the Flow Cytometry Facility, at the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute is my guest this week. He chats to me about his 'unconventional' journey through academia, deciding to do a part time PhD while running the Cytometry core facility and why the 'journey-man' in him may be relatable. 
    Barry also discusses how flow cytometry can advance our scientific knowledge and its benefits particularly in the context of immunology. He describes his own research examining immune dysfunction in the skin disease hidradenitis suppurativa and why this is research that adds value to patients lives.
    Follow Barry: tcdflow
    Follow me: MeganHanlon4
    This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.

    • 53 min
    Episode 46: Prof Ellen Roche: Medical Devices, Soft Robotics & Collaboration

    Episode 46: Prof Ellen Roche: Medical Devices, Soft Robotics & Collaboration

    Prof Ellen Roche, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Institute of Medical Engineering and Science at MIT joins me this week. She directs the Therapeutic Technology Design and Development Lab at MIT and her research focuses on applying innovative technologies to the development of cardiac devices.
    She chats to me about growing up in Galway, her experiences in California working in medical device engineering and why she decided to leave industry to do a PhD in Harvard as a Fulbright Scholar. 
    She describes her work using soft robotic approaches to augment heart function and her collaborations with Boston's Children's Hospital. 
    She also discusses juggling family life & academia and how most of her work 'gets done when the kids are gone to bed'. 
    Follow Ellen: ellentroche
    Follow me: MeganHanlon4
    This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.

    • 38 min
    Episode 45: Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell: Pulsars, Astrophysics and Sexism in STEM

    Episode 45: Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell: Pulsars, Astrophysics and Sexism in STEM

    The incredible Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell joins me this week!! Jocelyn is an astrophysicist from Northern Ireland who, as a postgraduate student, discovered the first radio pulsars, the discovery of which eventually earned the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1974. 
    She chats to me about making that crucial discovery, the media attention surrounding it, her research group focused on binary stars and her role as first female president of the Institute of physics. We also chat about the sexism she had faced throughout her academic career and the imposter syndrome she felt before attending Cambridge to do her PhD.
    She also chats about growing up in Armagh and the controversy surrounding the Nobel or 'No-Bell' Prize. Such a fascinating episode with great insights into how she navigated her path in a male-dominated field.
    Follow me: MeganHanlon4
    This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.

    • 43 min
    Episode 44: Dr Garret FitzGerald: Cardiology, Pharmacology and A Series of Accidents

    Episode 44: Dr Garret FitzGerald: Cardiology, Pharmacology and A Series of Accidents

    Dr Garret FitzGerald, professor of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania joins me on the podcast today. Hailing from Wicklow, Garret is an international leader in cardiovascular disease research and leading world figure in pharmacology.
    He discusses his work into the development of low-dose aspirin for cardioprotection and his investigations into harmful effects and cardiovascular risks of NSAIDs. He also discusses the importance of the presence of molecular clocks in the cardiovascular system.
    We chat about his 'unusual' upbringing in the 'Grand Hotel' in Greystones, being an only child and the 'series of accidents' that have led to him becoming a physician scientist. We also discuss his move to London and subsequently the US and his hopes for the future of Irish science. Garret is also extremely passionate about bridging the gap between basic science and clinical impact and the importance of creating structures for career progression for younger researchers. 
     
    Follow Garret: FitzGerald__Lab
    Follow me: MeganHanlon4
    This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.

    • 53 min
    Episode 43: Prof Margaret Murnane: Lasers, Microscopes and Accidental Discoveries

    Episode 43: Prof Margaret Murnane: Lasers, Microscopes and Accidental Discoveries

    An absolute powerhouse Irish Woman in STEM Abroad Prof Margaret Murnane joins me on the podcast this week. Margaret is a Professor of Physics at the University of Colorado and Director of the STROBE Science and Technology Center. She is among the foremost active researchers in laser science and technology and chats to me about her pioneering discoveries into ultra-fast x-ray lasers, table top lasers and why she is passionate about 'building the microscopes of tomorrow'.
    We chat about her upbringing in Limerick, her fathers 'reward systems' for learning, being one of only two female physicists in her degree at UCC and why she decided to leave Ireland for her PhD. She reminisces on her time at UC Berkley in California where she met her now husband and long-term collaborator Henry Kapteyn and discusses the discoveries they have made together.
    Margaret also shares some of her insights into being a mentor and how she doesn't view science as a race, instead values collaboration and shared credit. Brilliantly honest and refreshing episode, I hope you enjoy!
    Follow me: MeganHanlon4
    This season is kindly sponsored by Bio-Sciences Ltd, now part of Thermo-Fisher Scientific.

    • 37 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
3 Ratings

3 Ratings

Top Podcasts In Science

Hidden Brain
Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
Something You Should Know
Mike Carruthers | OmniCast Media | Cumulus Podcast Network
Radiolab
WNYC Studios
Ologies with Alie Ward
Alie Ward
StarTalk Radio
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Crash Course Pods: The Universe
Crash Course Pods, Complexly