Penn Science Policy Podcast

Former PSPDG board member, Liana Vaccari (PhD '17), describes her experience with the National Academies' Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship. Produced & Edited: Ian McLaughlin https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianalexandermclaughlin/ https://twitter.com/_Anthropoid Liana Vaccari is a Senior Program Specialist in Community Engagement for the Oceans Observatory Initiative. She completed her PhD in 2017 at the University of Pennsylvania, where she focused on the rheological behavior of oil-water interfaces in the presence of bacteria, with implications including increased understanding of genetics on bacteria film formation at fluid interfaces, and insight into the fate of oil drops in the water column after oil spills. She was a Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellow at the National Academies of Sciences from January-April 2018. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianavaccari/

Ian sits down to interview Molly Sheehan, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's department of bioengineering, and candidate for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. I chat with Molly about what it's like to run for office while still working in the lab and being a mother, her experiences so far on the campaign, what got her into politics, and her suggestions for college, graduate or medical students - or other postdocs - who are interested in getting politically engaged, but don't know where to start. If you're interested in volunteering for her, visit: https://mollysheehan.org/contact/

Liana and Ian discuss the concerns regarding how pipelines have been constructed and regulated, and how that may be changing. Then, the proposed budget cuts to science-related agencies are discussed, and what we might expect from the next budget.

Ian McLaughlin chats with Enrique Lin Shiao, the founder of the Penn Science Diplomacy Group, about what exactly science diplomacy is, how scientists can participate in international relations, and some of the ongoing projects in the Penn Science Diplomacy Group. They also discuss the upcoming Penn Science Policy & Diplomacy Symposium, which will take place in Houston Hall on April 24th. Follow the Penn Science Diplomacy Group on twitter: @PennSciDip

In this first episode of the Penn Science Policy Podcast, Ian McLaughlin & Liana Vaccari discuss 3 topics. First, a way to help voters contact their legislators who are involved in either appropriating funds to, or regulating, federally funded science. Second, we discuss the nature of the last bill to be passed that appropriates funds to biomedical science. Finally, we discuss some of the challenges regarding the use of antibiotics