Inspiration Dissemination

In vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment is a procedure in which a woman’s mature eggs are removed via surgery, combined with sperm in a petri dish in a lab, and then the fertilized egg is placed in the uterus to continue growing into an embryo. Unfortunately, IVF is not covered by all insurance companies and is successful less than 50 percent of the time. Consequently, undergoing IVF can be a significant burden financially, physically, and emotionally for those who seek out this procedure. So what makes a “good” fertilizable egg? In this week’s special episode, we’re joined by Sweta Ravisankar, a 5th year PhD candidate in the Cell and Developmental Biology program at OHSU (Oregon Health Sciences University), who is trying to answer this question in hopes that being able to screen for the “more likely to succeed” eggs, will lower the economic, financial, and physical hurtles of IVF. Hosted by Heather Forsythe and Lauri Lutes. Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook

The use of chemotherapy to fight various forms of cancer in the human body has been a successful method for decades, but what happens when it fails? This question strikes a personal note for Martin Pearce, a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Siva Kolluri’s Cancer Biology lab group at Oregon State University researching new strategies that target the cancer cells that continue to grow after treatment with chemotherapeutic agents. In this episode of Inspiration Dissemination, we talk to Martin about his work screening tens of thousands of compounds to find one capable of binding to proteins that are typically expressed in cancer-resistant cells and transform them from proteins that protect the cancer cell into those that kill it. Beyond discovery, through the work of his Ph.D. Martin has also realized other critical steps in the long process of developing effective cancer treatments that occur outside of the lab, such as patent protection. The dedication to ‘translational research’ or science that is specifically designed

Have you ever wondered why you see birds in some places and not in others? Or why you see a certain species in one place and not in a different one? Birds have wings enabling them to fly so surely we should see them everywhere and anywhere because their destination options are technically limitless. However, this isn’t actually the case. Different bird species are in fact limited to where they can and or want to go and so the question of why do we see certain birds in certain areas is a real research question that Jenna Curtis has been trying to get to the bottom of for her PhD research. Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration/ Radio Station: www.orangemedianetwork.com/kbvr_fm Host University: oregonstate.edu This show was founded in 2012 by Joey Hulbert and Zhian Kamvar. It has been made possible by all the current and former hosts of the show, Orange Media Network, the KBVR-FM students a

Your eye lenses host one of the highest concentration of crystallin protein in your entire body and Heather Forsythe, a 4th year PhD candidate working with Dr. Elisar Barbar in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, uses incredibly detailed spectroscopic techniques to identify what happens to this protein as we age and why cataracts may develop later in life. Heather's specialty is Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, or NMR, of disordered proteins, and her work on crystallin is just one piece of her PhD. We also discussed her humble beginnings in Arkansas, her push towards medical school that was transformed on a Portuguese rooftop, and her ongoing efforts to lead her department through a climate change and culture working group. Hosted by Lisa Hildebrand and Adrian Gallo. Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration/ Radio Station: www.orangemedianetwork.com/kbvr_fm Host University: oregonstate

Grace Deitzler is a second year PhD student in microbiology working on the gut-microbiome and its relation to autism spectrum disorder. When the gut communicates with the brain, we call this, the “gut-brain axis”. Grace’s work narrows in on the gut-brain axis and more specifically, how one bacterial species in particular impacts autism spectrum disorder. We talk about the gut microbiome, mice, bees, ScienceTwitter, and interplay between the fine arts and sciences. Hosted by Heather Forsythe. Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration/ Radio Station: www.orangemedianetwork.com/kbvr_fm Host University: oregonstate.edu This show was founded in 2012 by Joey Hulbert and Zhian Kamvar. It has been made possible by all the current and former hosts of the show, Orange Media Network, the KBVR-FM students and staff, and of course the amazing graduate students at Oregon State University.

How does language usage affect participation of marginalized groups in natural resources? Although the demographics of who is contributing to natural resources research is slowly changing, language usage in the field has remained somewhat static. Conventional language used in natural resources is not connected to the historical trauma associated with forest spaces and requires change moving forward. Our guest this week is Jasmine Brown, a master's student in Forest Ecosystems and Society. Her research has consisted of examining how language usage reinforces barriers to inclusion. For example, the usage of terms such as Women or Minorities fails to capture identities that exist at the intersection of both categories. As a Black woman working in forestry, Jasmine’s understanding and lived experience of the forestry profession is acutely different from the typical experience of a White male. Listen to hear how she has used methods from social sciences to expand natural resources research, and how she is working

What happens to plastics when we put them in the recycling container? Some may go to be reused, but due to the ubiquity of plastics in our consumer and food products they are making their way into the ocean as fragments and as they break down further they are also taken up by fish. As plastics degrade they shrink into smaller and smaller pieces, but they don't magically disappear. Our guest is Katherine Lasdin, a MS student in the Fisheries and Wildlife Department, who studies the abundances of microplastics in black rockfish off the Oregon coast. Her work focuses on figuring out if plastics are eaten or absorbed by fish and whether being near protected Marine Reserves has an impact on the quantity of plastics in fish. Be sure to listen to learn more about how plastics are impacting ocean ecosystems, and what you can do to help. Hosted by Adrian Gallo and Daniel Watkins. Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonsta

This week we have a special episode where the script is flipped. One of our hosts will be interviewed by a graduate student as part of her research into people’s perceptions of nature. Adrian Gallo, a regular host, is interviewed by Betsy Emery in the same format she will conduct her MS research. Betsy is a MS student in the Forest Ecosystems and Society Department within the College of Forestry where she conducts qualitative research that is interview based to elucidate how individuals have constructed the concepts of what nature is, and is not, by asking a unique series of questions. This interview was truly organic and ranged from what is Wilderness, the importance of soundscapes, to how Adrian feels about using genetically modified trees to battle climate change. This episode was guest hosted by Betsy Emery with our normal host Adrian Gallo sitting in the passenger's seat. Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.or

Our guest is Shauna Otto, a PhD student in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics in the lab of Dr. Colin Johnson who broads focuses on protein research. Shauna studies dysferlin, a subgroup of the ferlin protein, which helps mend membrane tears in muscle cells. Mutations in the dysferlin gene lead to Muscular Dystrophy II. Through her work, Shauna has characterized portions or "domains" of the large dysferlin protein via Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). We also discuss her road to graduate school and how some mental health hurdles shaped her research experiences. We especially focus on how supportive university institutions (Counseling and Psychological Services CAPS, as well as Disability Access Service DAS at Oregon State University) and a supportive lab group can help in academic and personal success. Hosted by Kristen Finch and Adrian Gallo Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration

Vaclav Kuna, a doctoral candidate in seismology in the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences working with Dr. John Nabelek, is studying the Blanco Transform fault - how it slips and how it moves, and whether its motion is seismic (involving an earthquake) or aseismic (slow movement without an earthquake). A collection of movements is called a seismic swarm. Through his research, Vaclav hopes to decipher what occurs in a swarm, and discover if there is a pattern in the fault’s motions. Hosted by Maggie Exton and Heather Forsythe. Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration/ Radio Station: www.orangemedianetwork.com/kbvr_fm Host University: oregonstate.edu This show was founded in 2012 by Joey Hulbert and Zhian Kamvar. It has been made possible by all the current and former hosts of the show, Orange Media Network, the KBVR-FM students and staff, and of course the amazing graduate stude

Hankyu Kim PhD student in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, is using long term ecological data from HJ Andrews Experimental Forest to study the Hermit Warbler and other bird species. Hankyu is interested in how and why bird communities are changing over time. With 11 years of bird observations and extensive temperature data, he is attempting to estimate how population of birds persist in the forests. Hosted by Kristen Finch and Lauri Lutes. Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration/ Radio Station: www.orangemedianetwork.com/kbvr_fm Host University: oregonstate.edu This show was founded in 2012 by Joey Hulbert and Zhian Kamvar. It has been made possible by all the current and former hosts of the show, Orange Media Network, the KBVR-FM students and staff, and of course the amazing graduate students at Oregon State University.

A.J. Fillo is in the final year of his PhD in Mechanical Engineering working to better understand how the microscopic motion of molecules impacts the type of combustion that we use in jet engines. In addtion to his research, A.J. is passionate about outreach, and magic. Hosted by Heather Forsythe and Adrian Gallo. Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration/ Radio Station: www.orangemedianetwork.com/kbvr_fm Host University: oregonstate.edu This show was founded in 2012 by Joey Hulbert and Zhian Kamvar. It has been made possible by all the current and former hosts of the show, Orange Media Network, the KBVR-FM students and staff, and of course the amazing graduate students at Oregon State University.

This week’s guest, Hoda Tahami, is a third year PhD student in Dr. Jihye Park’s geomatics research group in the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering. Using geomatics - the science of gathering, storing, processing, and delivering spatially referenced information – Hoda is working to improve weather models for hurricane prediction. Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration/ Radio Station: www.orangemedianetwork.com/kbvr_fm Host University: oregonstate.edu This show was founded in 2012 by Joey Hulbert and Zhian Kamvar. It has been made possible by all the current and former hosts of the show, Orange Media Network, the KBVR-FM students and staff, and of course the amazing graduate students at Oregon State University.

Ward Shalash, a first-year PhD student studying bioengineering with Dr. Morgan Giers, is working to find a better way to treat back-pain-causing deteriorated intervertebral disks using STEM cells and MRI. Hosted by Heather Forsythe and Daniel Watkins Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration/ Radio Station: www.orangemedianetwork.com/kbvr_fm Host University: oregonstate.edu This show was founded in 2012 by Joey Hulbert and Zhian Kamvar. It has been made possible by all the current and former hosts of the show, Orange Media Network, the KBVR-FM students and staff, and of course the amazing graduate students at Oregon State University.

Jackie Delie is a 2nd year Masters student in the Fisheries and Wildlife Department who is examining how humans interact with black bears in Oregon. Her work is using the human ecology mapping technique, where researchers look at both the spatial land management factors and how social factors overlay on those same areas to better make management decisions. Jackie is pioneering this research in Oregon with black bears but hopes to continue her work internationally. She studied in Switzerland, worked in Australia, Papua New Guiana, and Kenya among other exotic locations. She hopes to use her Masters work to inform decision making in other countries that don’t have as strong a presence of non-profits or public land management agencies as the USA. Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration/ Radio Station: www.orangemedianetwork.com/kbvr_fm Host University: oregonstate.edu This show was founded in

Delia Shelton, a National Science Foundation post-doctoral fellow in the Dept. of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, uses zebrafish to investigate how cadmium exposure in an individual affects the behavior of the group. How does a zebrafish become a leader, how do sick zebrafish influence group behavior, and what are the traits of individuals occupying different social roles? These specific questions are born from larger inquiries about what factors lead to individual animals wielding inordinately large influence on a group’s social dynamic. Can we engineer groups that are resilient to anthropogenic influences on the environment and climate change? Hosted by: Lillian Padgitt-Cobb and Kristen Finch. Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration/ Radio Station: www.orangemedianetwork.com/kbvr_fm Host University: oregonstate.edu This show was founded in 2012 by Joey Hulbert and Zhian Kamvar.

Charles Camacho, a sixth-year PhD student in the Department of Mathematics at Oregon State University, spends a lot of time thinking about shapes. He works in a branch of mathematics called topology and describes his research as such: ’I study the symmetries of abstract mathematical surfaces made from gluing triangles together.’ Hosted by Maggie Exton and Daniel Watkins Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration/ Radio Station: www.orangemedianetwork.com/kbvr_fm Host University: oregonstate.edu This show was founded in 2012 by Joey Hulbert and Zhian Kamvar. It has been made possible by all the current and former hosts of the show, Orange Media Network, the KBVR-FM students and staff, and of course the amazing graduate students at Oregon State University.

Jason Sarkozi-Forfinski, a PhD student in Anthropology, wants to gain insight into the linguistic landscape students at Oregon State University are exposed to and their actions and feelings about about it, especially for students from non-English speaking countries. Hosted by Kristen Finch and Marcus Weinman Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration/ Radio Station: www.orangemedianetwork.com/kbvr_fm Host University: oregonstate.edu This show was founded in 2012 by Joey Hulbert and Zhian Kamvar. It has been made possible by all the current and former hosts of the show, Orange Media Network, the KBVR-FM students and staff, and of course the amazing graduate students at Oregon State University.

In this special segment: Graduate student researchers Brian Erickson and Chelsea Behymer talk about their transition from natural sciences to social sciences and the process of finding their place within their disciplines. Hosted by Kristen Finch. Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration/ Radio Station: www.orangemedianetwork.com/kbvr_fm Host University: oregonstate.edu This show was founded in 2012 by Joey Hulbert and Zhian Kamvar. It has been made possible by all the current and former hosts of the show, Orange Media Network, the KBVR-FM students and staff, and of course the amazing graduate students at Oregon State University.

In this special segment, we interview third year PhD student, Pipiet Larasatie, and her undergraduate mentee, Taylor Barnett about how mentorship can foster gender diversity in the male-dominated forest sector. Listen while Pipiet and Taylor discuss their research findings alongside popular women’s empowerment anthems. Across respondants, Pipiet founds that to be successful in the male-dominated work setting, young females need a support on multiple levels e.g. good bosses/leaders, mentors, and networks. The interviewees also voiced that education is important when finding a niche in the workplace and for making young females more competitive in the job market. Hosted by: Kristen Finch Please find us on social media! Twitter: twitter.com/kbvrID facebook: www.facebook.com/InspirationDissemination/ Blog: blogs.oregonstate.edu/inspiration/ Radio Station: www.orangemedianetwork.com/kbvr_fm Host University: oregonstate.edu This show was founded in 2012 by Joey Hulbert and Zhian Kamvar. It has been made po