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The Science Of

The Science Of

Written by: Cloudcast
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 Where science curiosity meets the amazing scientists of UCSD!

Welcome to "The Science Of"!!!Copyright Cloudcast
Episodes
  • Season 2 Episode 15 | The Science Of Finding Your Path in STEM | Student Hosts of The Science Of

    Season 2 Episode 15 | The Science Of Finding Your Path in STEM | Student Hosts of The Science Of
    Oct 27 2026
    In this special episode of “The Science Of,” students Max and Zahra are joined in studio by partners from the Elementary Institute of Science (EIS) and UCSD Moores Cancer Center to reflect on their experiences in the program. They discuss how mentorship, internships, and conversations with scientists shaped their interest in STEM, and share their plans for college and future research—including biomedical engineering and bioengineering. The group also offers advice on navigating the transition to college, embracing curiosity, and asking for support.Program ContextThe episode was recorded as a special student-reflection discussion involving EIS, UCSD Moores Cancer Center, and Cloudcast Media.Participants highlighted the program’s student-run podcast format and its focus on exposing young people to practicing scientists.Student ExperiencesMax discussed early EIS programs, scholarships, internships, and exposure to immunology and cancer research.Zahra described robotics, internships, mentorship, and the welcoming environment created by EIS.Partner PerspectivesSarah explained that EIS relies on foundations, companies, donations, and grants to fund programs and student stipends.Margot and Dalia emphasized the importance of diverse researchers, community trust, and accessible pathways into STEM.University PlansMax chose Case Western Reserve University and is considering biomedical engineering or a broader engineering path.Zahra is choosing between UC Berkeley and UC Riverside for bioengineering, with interests in medical devices, imaging, and muscular dystrophy research.Guidance for TransitionParticipants encouraged curiosity, resilience, self-care, asking for help, exploring broadly, taking restorative courses, and learning to collaborate with different people."The Science Of" is a student-produced podcast. The team members are Kelsey Lewis, Evan Sosa, Max Arola, August Ou, Danielle-Elizabeth Mensah-Baah, Zahraa Munaim, Josue Castillo, Sasha Goldschmied, and Noor Munaim. The students who appeared on this episode and/or produced the episode are Danielle-Elizabeth Mensah-Baah, Zahraa Munaim, Max Arola, Sasha Goldschmied. The episode was engineered / mixed / mastered by Christelle Auzas from Cloudcast Media. About Cloudcast MediaAs the national leader in local podcasting, Cloudcast Media proudly produces "The Science Of" throught its SchoolCAST platform to help amplify, augment, and accelerate the mission and reach of community social impact organizations. For more information on Cloudcast Media, please visit their website at CloudCast Media. About UCSD Moores Cancer CenterEstablished in 1978, Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health is one of just 57 National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States, and the only one in the San Diego region. Such centers are prominent among the leading institutions in the nation dedicated to scientific innovation and clinical excellence. From research in molecular genetics to the most advanced treatments, Moores Cancer Center is at the forefront of the fight against cancer, developing promising new therapies and making them available to cancer patients throughout the region. Our cancer services were ranked #1 in San Diego, with 10 specialties ranking nationally by U.S. News & World Report in its 2023-2024 "Best Hospitals" survey. For more information, please visit https://moorescancercenter.ucsd.edu/.About Jackie Robinson Family YMCAThe Jackie Robinson Family YMCA serves over 20,000 youth and families each year through a wide variety of educational, recreational and sports programs. In one of San Diego's most critical communities, we have a daily opportunity to make a significant impact on thousands of lives. YMCA programs teach kids character values and valuable skills that will help them grow into responsible, successful adults. For more information, please visit https://www.ymcasd.org/locations/jackie-robinson-family-ymca.About the Elementary Institute of ScienceThe Elementary Institute of Science (EIS) is a nonprofit organization committed to increasing lifelong opportunities for students of southeast San Diego through science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Our after-school, weekend and school partnership programs broaden access to quality STEM experiences, foster critical thinking, expand technical skills and encourage students to pursue STEM careers. For more information, please visit https://eisca.org/.
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    55 mins
  • Season 2 Episode 14 | The Science of Cancer, Lived Experience & Precision Oncology | Dr. Swasti Haricharan, San Diego State University

    Season 2 Episode 14 | The Science of Cancer, Lived Experience & Precision Oncology | Dr. Swasti Haricharan, San Diego State University
    Oct 20 2026
    In this episode of The Science Of, students speak with Dr. Swasti Haricharan, an associate professor at San Diego State University affiliated with the UCSD Moores Cancer Center. Dr. Haricharan explains how her lab studies the ways lived experiences—including age, sex, and socioeconomic stress—can shape cancer biology and treatment response. She also discusses research into breast cancer disparities and the goal of using a fuller picture of each patient’s biology and history to guide more effective, personalized treatments.Background and MotivationDr. Haricharan described her path from zoology and laboratory research through law and industry before returning to academic cancer research.Her breast cancer work began with research into pregnancy-related risk and ultimately contributed to a chemoprevention clinical trial.Laboratory ResearchThe lab studies how personal experiences change cells and influence cancer susceptibility and treatment response.Research examines DNA repair-related proteins and communication among cancer cells with different genetic errors.Breast Cancer DisparitiesThe discussion covered higher breast cancer mortality among Black women and the roles of healthcare access, structural factors, and socioeconomic stress.A Veterans Affairs collaboration enabled the lab to build a dataset combining tissue analysis with information on race, socioeconomic status, sex, and age.Clinical TranslationThe lab pursues diagnostic biomarkers, therapeutic clinical trials, and better matching of drugs to individual patients.Patient advocates help researchers assess treatment effects beyond laboratory measurements.Future of the FieldBetter representative datasets and collaboration across disciplines were identified as necessary to reduce disparities.AI was described as promising for analysis but unreliable without careful verification.The closing message emphasized curiosity, independent thinking, fact-checking, and critical reasoning."The Science Of" is a student-produced podcast. The team members are Kelsey Lewis, Evan Sosa, Max Arola, August Ou, Danielle-Elizabeth Mensah-Baah, Zahraa Munaim, Josue Castillo, Sasha Goldschmied, and Noor Munaim. The students who appeared on this episode and/or produced the episode are Danielle-Elizabeth Mensah-Baah, Zahraa Munaim, Max Arola, Sasha Goldschmied. The episode was engineered / mixed / mastered by Christelle Auzas from Cloudcast Media. About Cloudcast MediaAs the national leader in local podcasting, Cloudcast Media proudly produces "The Science Of" throught its SchoolCAST platform to help amplify, augment, and accelerate the mission and reach of community social impact organizations. For more information on Cloudcast Media, please visit their website at CloudCast Media. About UCSD Moores Cancer CenterEstablished in 1978, Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health is one of just 57 National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States, and the only one in the San Diego region. Such centers are prominent among the leading institutions in the nation dedicated to scientific innovation and clinical excellence. From research in molecular genetics to the most advanced treatments, Moores Cancer Center is at the forefront of the fight against cancer, developing promising new therapies and making them available to cancer patients throughout the region. Our cancer services were ranked #1 in San Diego, with 10 specialties ranking nationally by U.S. News & World Report in its 2023-2024 "Best Hospitals" survey. For more information, please visit https://moorescancercenter.ucsd.edu/.About Jackie Robinson Family YMCAThe Jackie Robinson Family YMCA serves over 20,000 youth and families each year through a wide variety of educational, recreational and sports programs. In one of San Diego's most critical communities, we have a daily opportunity to make a significant impact on thousands of lives. YMCA programs teach kids character values and valuable skills that will help them grow into responsible, successful adults. For more information, please visit https://www.ymcasd.org/locations/jackie-robinson-family-ymca.About the Elementary Institute of ScienceThe Elementary Institute of Science (EIS) is a nonprofit organization committed to increasing lifelong opportunities for students of southeast San Diego through science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Our after-school, weekend and school partnership programs broaden access to quality STEM experiences, foster critical thinking, expand technical skills and encourage students to pursue STEM careers. For more information, please visit https://eisca.org/.
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    33 mins
  • Season 2 Episode 13 | The Science of Exposure in Environmental Health and Equity | Dr. Nicolas Lopez-Galvez, San Diego State University

    Season 2 Episode 13 | The Science of Exposure in Environmental Health and Equity | Dr. Nicolas Lopez-Galvez, San Diego State University
    Oct 13 2026
    In this episode of “The Science Of,” the students are joined by environmental health researcher Dr. Nicolas Lopez-Galvez, an assistant professor at San Diego State University and member of the UCSD Moores Cancer Center’s Cancer Control Program. Dr. Lopez-Galvez discusses how environmental exposures—from tobacco smoke to pesticides—may affect health across the lifespan, especially in vulnerable and border communities, and why strong community partnerships and clear science communication matter.Guest BackgroundNico described his path from Ecuador through biology, public health, and environmental exposure research.His work focuses on vulnerable populations, including farm workers and border communities.Carcinogens And ExposureDiscussion covered carcinogens, smoking, glyphosate, PFAS, pesticides, plastics, and chemical substitution.Nico explained that determining carcinogenicity can require decades of research and that exposure effects depend on dose, timing, and duration.Prenatal, childhood, and other critical exposure windows were discussed, along with animal models used when human experiments are not possible.Environmental JusticeBorder-region policy can overlook community realities and cross-border healthcare use.Imperial Valley cancer data may miss residents who obtain screening or treatment in Mexico.Community-based research should involve residents in defining questions and collecting data.Research And CommunicationNico discussed research linking previous tobacco use in homes with heavy metals, including lead.Scientists should present findings directly through public forums, explain correlation versus causation, and communicate caveats.Future And PreventionPersonal steps discussed included reducing plastic use, limiting red meat, and making small environmental changes.Nico emphasized that broader prevention depends on policy, renewable-energy investment, stronger environmental protections, and community engagement.Students interested in STEM were encouraged to contact researchers and seek early laboratory or field experience."The Science Of" is a student-produced podcast. The team members are Kelsey Lewis, Evan Sosa, Max Arola, August Ou, Danielle-Elizabeth Mensah-Baah, Zahraa Munaim, Josue Castillo, Sasha Goldschmied, and Noor Munaim. The students who appeared on this episode and/or produced the episode are Danielle-Elizabeth Mensah-Baah, Zahraa Munaim, Max Arola, Sasha Goldschmied. The episode was engineered / mixed / mastered by Christelle Auzas from Cloudcast Media. About Cloudcast MediaAs the national leader in local podcasting, Cloudcast Media proudly produces "The Science Of" throught its SchoolCAST platform to help amplify, augment, and accelerate the mission and reach of community social impact organizations. For more information on Cloudcast Media, please visit their website at CloudCast Media. About UCSD Moores Cancer CenterEstablished in 1978, Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health is one of just 57 National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States, and the only one in the San Diego region. Such centers are prominent among the leading institutions in the nation dedicated to scientific innovation and clinical excellence. From research in molecular genetics to the most advanced treatments, Moores Cancer Center is at the forefront of the fight against cancer, developing promising new therapies and making them available to cancer patients throughout the region. Our cancer services were ranked #1 in San Diego, with 10 specialties ranking nationally by U.S. News & World Report in its 2023-2024 "Best Hospitals" survey. For more information, please visit https://moorescancercenter.ucsd.edu/.About Jackie Robinson Family YMCAThe Jackie Robinson Family YMCA serves over 20,000 youth and families each year through a wide variety of educational, recreational and sports programs. In one of San Diego's most critical communities, we have a daily opportunity to make a significant impact on thousands of lives. YMCA programs teach kids character values and valuable skills that will help them grow into responsible, successful adults. For more information, please visit https://www.ymcasd.org/locations/jackie-robinson-family-ymca.About the Elementary Institute of ScienceThe Elementary Institute of Science (EIS) is a nonprofit organization committed to increasing lifelong opportunities for students of southeast San Diego through science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Our after-school, weekend and school partnership programs broaden access to quality STEM experiences, foster critical thinking, expand technical skills and encourage students to pursue STEM careers. For more information, please visit https://eisca.org/.
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
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