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BioScience Talks

American Institute of Biological Sciences

We hope you enjoy these in-depth discussions of recently published BioScience articles and other science stories. Each episode of our interview series delves into the research behind a highlighted story, giving listeners unique insight into scientists' work.

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21 episodes
monthly
Avg 36 min
English

Episodes 21

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#182
September 2 · 26 min
Science Communication, with Thom Sanger
For this episode, we're joined by Dr. Thom Sanger, Associate Professor at Loyola University Chicago, in the Department of Biology. He was here to science communication, and in particular, the ways that scientists can communicate more effectively about topics that are often a source of controversy among the general public.
#181
July 17 · 33 min
Type Localities and Topotypes, with Prosanta Chakrabarty and Bruno Soares
For this episode, we're joined by Prosanta Chakrabarty, Director of Louisiana State University's Museum of Natural Science, where he is also the Fish Curator and a professor. Also joining us is Bruno Soares, Scientist and Adjunct Professor at the University of Regina in Canada. Dr. Soares holds a Collaborator-Professor appointment at the Federal University of Rio De Janeiro, in Brazil. They were here to talk about their recent publication in BioScience on the concept of type localities, and how their use can help make taxonomic research more equitable and efficient.
#180
June 23 · 39 min
Policy and Public Engagement for Early-Career Scientists, with SNAP
For this episode, we were joined by Anna Rader Groves, Amanda Finn, and Alex Rich from the Scientist Network for Advancing Policy, or SNAP. They were here to discuss their recent special report in BioScience that describes the grassroots coalition and some of its important work in helping early-career scientists reach the general public and policymakers. Sign up for the SNAP newsletter. Learn more about Stance on Science. Volunteer with Stance on Science. More information about AIBS workshops and programs, including Congressional Visits, Communications Bootcamps, and Writing for Impact and Influence, can be found here.
#179
May 20 · 28 min
Great Plains Grassland Management, with Jesse Nippert and Chris Helzer
For this episode, we're joined by Jesse Nippert, Professor in Biology at Kansas State University, and Chris Helzer, Director of Science and Stewardship for the Nature Conservancy in Nebraska. They were on the show to discuss their recent BioScience article "Rethinking grassland management in the Great Plains during the era of woody plant encroachment."
#178
March 24 · 1 hr 4 min
The Red List Project
For today's episode, we're joined by Luiza F. A. de Paula, Vanessa Handley, Raphael Ocelli, and Peggy Fielder, who are four of the authors of the recent BioScience article "Beyond Scents: Calling on the Fragrance Industry to Champion Plant Diversity." In it, they describe The Red List Project, which is a conservation-first initiative that pairs partners from the fragrance industry with local environmental groups and communities to achieve biodiversity objectives and safeguard biocultural heritage, while creating viable fragrance products. Learn more about one of the initiatives discussed in the podcast, the Magnolia masphi fragrance, in this podcast episode from Beyond the Journey.
#177
February 18 · 45 min
Prairie Strips and Pollinators, with Amy Toth and Matt O'Neal
For this episode, we are joined by Amy Toth, Professor in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University, and Matt O'Neal, a Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture and Professor in the Plant Pathology, Entomology, and Microbiology Department, also at Iowa State University. They were here to discuss their article from BioScience's forthcoming special issue on One Health, entitled, "Can Native Vegetation in Agroecosystems Provide a Net Benefit for Pollinators, Despite Pesticide Use?"
#176
January 8 · 28 min
Canopy of Titans, with Paul Koberstein
For this episode, we're joined by journalist Paul Koberstein, who was here to discuss his first book, Canopy of Titans, which is about the connection between forests and climate. In particular, the book focuses on the Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest, which constitutes one of the world's most important carbon stores. You can read recent expose on timber industry misinformation here.
#175
Dec 12, 2025 · 45 min
AI and Ecosystem Modeling, with Scott Spillias and Beth Fulton
For this episode, we were joined by Scott Spillias, who is a Research Scientist at CSIRO and affiliated with the Centre for Marine Socioecology at the University of Tasmania, and Beth Fulton, who is Chief Research Scientist with CSIRO and the Deputy Director of the Center for Marine Socioecology. We spoke about their recent BioScience article "The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Ecosystem Modeling."
#174
Nov 7, 2025 · 24 min
A Cautionary Tale of Ecoservice Valuation, with John Van Stan
For this episode, we're joined once again by John Van Stan, a Professor at Cleveland State University, in the Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences. He also runs an independent press, The Press of a Ridiculous Man, which you can find on Amazon. Dr. Van Stan was here today to discuss his recent BioScience article "A cautionary tale about urban trees: could ecoservice monetary estimates become economic sleights of hand?"
#173
Oct 15, 2025 · 41 min
BIOFAIR to Solve Key Challenges
For this episode, we were joined by members of the Biodiversity Collections Network, who discussed the NSF-funded BIOFAIR project, the subject of a recent Special Report in BioScience entitled, "Integrating biological and environmental data to solve key scientific and societal challenges." Learn more.
#172
Sep 3, 2025 · 42 min
Socioeconomics, Biodiversity, and Birdsong Beats, with Diego Ellis Soto
For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Diego Ellis Soto, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, and a research scientist at the California Academy of Science. He's an ecologist working at the intersection of technology, conservation, policy, and environmental justice. And there's even some music in the mix, as you'll soon hear. You can find links to more of Dr. Ellis Soto's work on his personal website and more music on Spotify and SoundCloud.
#171
Aug 5, 2025 · 21 min
iNaturalist and Biodiversity Research, with Brittany Mason and Corey Callaghan
For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by two guests, Brittany Mason, a Data Management Analyst at the University of Florida, and Corey Callaghan, Assistant Professor at the University of Florida in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. They were here to discuss their recent BioScience article, iNaturalist Accelerates Biodiversity Research.
#170
Jul 16, 2025 · 28 min
Science Storytelling, with Kristy Ferraro and Adam Meyer
For this episode of BioScience Talks, we were joined by Dr. Kristy Ferraro, who is a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador, and Adam Meyer, a PhD candidate in the Ecosystem Ecology Lab, also at Memorial University. They were here to talk about their recent article in BioScience, "Beyond hero and villain narratives in ecology and conservation science," in which they discuss storytelling and narratives in science writing—and explain which approaches work best.
#169
Jul 1, 2025 · 29 min
Systemic Sexism in Academia, with Olivia del Giorgio, María Piquer-Rodríguez, and Silvia Lomáscolo
For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Olivia del Giorgio, at McGill University Department of Geography, in Montreal, Quebec, María Piquer-Rodríguez, at the Institute of Geographical Sciences, at Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany, and Silvia Lomáscolo, at the Institute of Regional Ecology at University of Tucumán and CONICET, in Argentina. They were here to discuss their recent BioScience Viewpoint "Systemic Sexism in Academia - An Early Career Viewpoint."
#168
Jun 17, 2025 · 24 min
Urban Rewilding, with Patt Finnerty
For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Dr. Patt Finnerty, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Global Ecology Lab at the University of Sydney. We discussed his recent BioScience article, Urban Rewilding to Combat Global Biodiversity Decline. More information on Writing for Impact and Influence can be found here.
#167
May 20, 2025 · 29 min
Drones in Fieldwork, with Thilina Surasinghe, Kunwar Singh, and Amy Frazier
For today's episode, we are joined by Thilina Surasinghe, Professor at Bridgewater State University in the Department of Biological Sciences, Kunwar Singh, Senior Geospatial Scientist at AidData and affiliate faculty at the Center for Geospatial Analysis, at the College of William & Mary, and Amy Frazier, Professor and the Jack and Laura Dangermond Chair of Conservation Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in the Department of Geography. They joined us to discuss their BioScience article about the promise that drone technology presents for undertaking biodiversity and conservation fieldwork.
#166
Apr 18, 2025 · 23 min
Moving Beyond Crisis and Ecological Grief, with Marco Malavasi
For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Marco Malavasi, plant ecologist and cartographer at the University of Sassari, in Italy. We discussed his recent BioScience article "Beyond crisis and grief: Rethinking conservation narratives," which serves as a guide to more productively communicating about—and thinking about—conservation in a rapidly changing world.
#165
Mar 14, 2025 · 50 min
Gentoo Penguins in the Falklands, with John Bates, Sushma Reddy, and Rachael Herman
For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by John Bates, Curator of Birds at the Field Museum, Sushma Reddy, Breckenridge Chair of Ornithology at the University of Minnesota and the Bell Museum, and Rachael Herman, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Stonybrook University. Our guests were here to chat about a recent research trip to the Falkland Islands, and more specifically, about the gentoo penguins they were studying on those islands. Pictures from the trip can be viewed on YouTube. Be sure to check out the fantastic Birds of a Feather Talk Together podcast, cohosted by guest John Bates. Learn more about island vegetation restoration at Roots in the Ground, which describes the work of Giselle Hazell, discussed in the episode.
#164
Mar 6, 2025 · 34 min
Coalition-Building for Labor Actions in Life Sciences Departments, with Aspen Ellis
For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Aspen Ellis, PhD candidate at University of California, Santa Cruz, for a discussion of the largest academic strike in history and a recent BioScience article on the topic.
#163
Nov 25, 2024 · 46 min
The Morris Animal Foundation Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, with Kelly Diehl
For this episode of BioScience Talks, we're joined by Dr. Kelly Diehl, who has been a veterinarian for almost 40 years and currently works at Morris Animal Foundation, which is one of the largest nonprofits dedicated to animal health research in the world. She was here to talk about the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study and its implications for animal and human medicine. Learn more about the Morris Animal Foundation's important work, including the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study at morrisanimalfoundation.org.

Showing 1–20 of 21 episodes