The Lab Coats & Life™ Podcast

In this episode, Drs. Nicole Quinn and Brenda Raud speak with Dr. Rachel Perry at the Yale School of Medicine about the long-standing expectation that scientists must move between institutions or countries to advance their careers. Rachel shares her unconventional path of remaining at Yale from undergraduate training through faculty appointment, and discusses the intentional decisions, mentorship strategies, and clear scientific differentiation required to build independence while staying in one place. Brenda offers a contrasting perspective shaped by international mobility, highlighting both the professional benefits and personal costs of relocating. Together, they explore how shifting norms around dual-career couples, family considerations, remote collaboration, and open data are challenging traditional models of academic progression, and offer practical advice for scientists navigating whether to move—or stay—while building meaningful, impactful careers in science.

Image courtesy of Dr. Rachel Perry.









































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In this episode, co-hosts Drs. Nicole Quinn and Arun Sharma speak with Euan Adie, Founder of Altmetric, about rethinking how we measure research impact beyond traditional citations. Euan shares the origin story of Altmetric and explains the difference between attention and real-world influence, including policy, education, and clinical impact. The conversation explores the challenges of reforming research assessment, the role of social media and institutional communications in increasing visibility, and how AI is changing the way scientific information is discovered and evaluated. Euan also reflects on the need to better reward researchers for contributions outside of traditional publications, and what meaningful change in research culture could look like.

Image courtesy of Euan Adie.









































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In this episode, co-hosts Drs. Nicole Quinn and Jason Goldsmith chat with Rob Henderson, President and CEO of BioTalent Canada. Rob shares insights on workforce trends in the life sciences and explains why the biggest skills gaps in biotech aren’t technical, but in so-called “success skills” like communication, project management, and critical thinking. He discusses how co-ops, internships, and work-integrated learning help bridge the gap between academic training and industry expectations, the role of government and employers in building talent pipelines, and what trainees can do to better prepare for careers in today’s bioeconomy.

Image courtesy of Rob Henderson









































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In this episode, co-hosts Drs. Nicole Quinn and Jason Goldsmith chat with Dr. César de la Fuente, Presidential Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. de la Fuente discusses his work using AI to discover new antibiotics, and building a new large language model in his lab. He talks about opportunities for AI to assist researchers with administrative tasks, as well as current limitations of the technology. He also touches on the future of AI, including the generation of “AI scientists,” and the need to address server use and environmental impacts.

Image courtesy of Dr. César de la Fuente









































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In this episode, co-hosts Drs. Nicole Quinn and Arun Sharma chat with Tamara Poles, Founder and CEO of Universal SciCom. Tamara discusses her career path into science communication and how she helps scientists become effective communicators. She also talks about the importance of authenticity and storytelling when engaging with the public, and how early-career scientists can cultivate their communication skills.









































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