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Madison Science Mystery Tour

Madison Science Mystery Tour

Written by: WSUM
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On Madison Science Mystery Tour, host Nalina Cherr invites researchers into her spaceship and asks them about what they’d most like to talk about. From the history of animal testing to the riveting details of life as a lab technician, this show offers an insider perspective on campus research, the context needed to understand it, and a dash of good-natured humor and nerdy curiosity.© 2025 WSUM Science
Episodes
  • Opioids with Nick Burgraff
    Dec 8 2025

    Researcher, assistant professor, and host of the Neuro Network podcast Nick Burgraff studies opioid overdoses and how to prevent them. He’s here to answer all our host’s questions about naloxone (brand name: Narcan), the autonomic nervous system, and goat treats. He might even walk away with the prize for best science name mentioned before the year is over (hint: it’s a region of the brain a bunch of scientists named over a bottle of wine).


    If you want to know what things were used to research this episode, a list of sources can be found here.

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    33 mins
  • SSRIs and Pregnancy with McKenna Crossen
    Nov 20 2025

    Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used to treat depression and other brain chemical imbalances, but how does that affect the other 90% of serotonin floating around the body? What about a developing body? PhD student McKenna Crossen talks about her work studying different ways SSRIs might affect placental and fetal development in mice.


    If you want to know what things were used to research this episode, a list of sources can be found here.


    For more information on the Hernandez lab where McKenna works, visit this website.

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    20 mins
  • Surprise Halloween Episode: Bones with Samantha Weaver
    Nov 5 2025

    Spooky scary skeletons send shivers down your spine and regulate your blood calcium levels. Professor and Principal Investigator of the Weaver lab Samantha Weaver answers all the questions you didn’t know you had about dairy cows, pac man, and osteoporosis


    The background for this episode was all taken from my biocore unit on the endocrine system taught by Professor Weaver herself.


    If Professor Weaver’s work intrigues you, please read up all about it on her lab website.

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    31 mins
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