Explore every episode of the podcast Beyond Biology

MIT biology professor Alan D. Grossman shares the story of his medical crisis that began with unexpected lightheadedness on campus in 2002 and led to a heart in 2006. The conversation traces the medical details of sarcoidosis, heart failure, immunosuppression, and recovery, while also showing how Alan kept teaching, mentoring, and leading through it all. After listening, you will gain a broader appreciation of resilience, rare disease research, and the life-saving impact of organ donation. Mary Ellen Wiltrout guides the story from diagnosis to transplant to leadership during the pandemic, with Alan reflecting on what changed in his work, priorities, and perspective.

Key topics

• Alan Grossman explains why his heart does not race when he gets nervous.
• He shares the day his health changed in July 2002.
• The initial diagnosis was heart block, which led to a pacemaker.
• Grossman discusses sarcoidosis, a rare inflammatory autoimmune disease that in his case attacked only the heart.
• He describes trying immunosuppression and anti-inflammatory treatment.
• As symptoms advanced, he developed heart failure.
• He explains how transplant candidacy depends not only on medical severity but also on support systems, infection risk, and the ability to survive the demanding post-transplant period.
• Grossman walks through how heart transplant surgery is physically straightforward but medically complex because rejection prevention is the real challenge.
• He explains the role of antibodies and cell markers in the immune system’s response to a transplanted organ.
• He recounts waiting more than a year for a heart, including one false alarm before the actual transplant offer in 2006.
• He describes the immediate post-op period, including high-dose steroids, hallucinations, pain, and a broken rib discovered later on an X-ray.
• He reflects on returning to work, rebuilding his lab, restarting teaching, and later helping create the microbiology graduate program at MIT.
• He talks about how surviving severe illness made him both more patient and less patient in different ways, and more willing to focus on what he can control.
• He explains leading the biology department during the pandemic and why his own long experience with immunosuppression shaped his caution around COVID.
• The episode closes with a direct call to register as an organ donor and to make those wishes known to your family.

Timestamps

00:00 - Why a transplanted heart does not respond to nerves

00:31 - Introducing Alan D. Grossman and the heart transplant story

01:37 - Living with a denervated transplanted heart

02:29 - The first symptoms on a hot day walking to work

04:11 - Heart block, ambulance ride, and pacemaker placement

05:39 - What a pacemaker does and why the diagnosis was not a heart attack

06:32 - Diagnosing sarcoidosis and the mystery of organ-specific autoimmune disease

08:09 - Why a scientist wants to understand a rare disease

09:24 - Immunosuppression, inflammation, and why treatment did not stop progression

12:37 - From early normal life to heart failure symptoms

13:39 - The strict low-sodium and low-fluid strategy

14:18 - Why transplant became necessary

15:37 - What transplant candidacy requires beyond medical need

17:05 - Why transplant surgery is simple on paper but hard biologically

18:09 - How the immune system recognizes a donated heart as foreign

19:06 - Post-transplant immunosuppression and long-term medication

20:25 - Waiting for a heart and the role of arrhythmia and defibrillator support

21:35 - What a defibrillator shock feels like

23:27 - Months in the hospital and staying connected to work

24:30 - Lab meetings from home and mentoring during illness

25:32 - Focusing on what can still be controlled

27:30 - The false alarm before the real heart became available

28:29 - The transplant day and why he could not eat

29:35 - Antibodies, compatibility, and the call that the heart was his

30:42 - Steroids, hallucinations, and the rough early recovery

31:18 - Pain, a broken rib, and the weeks after surgery

32:17 - Going home, returning to MIT, and rebuilding the lab

34:18 - Realizing he could create a microbiology graduate program

35:37 - How severe illness changed patience, perspective, and administration

37:22 - Becoming department head after first trying to avoid the role

39:21 - The department’s shift toward online learning during COVID

40:31 - Why the pandemic’s early work-from-home shift was easier than returning

42:42 - Leading through uncertainty by emphasizing communication and connection

44:27 - A message on organ donation and transplantation

45:11 - How to register as an organ donor in the United States

Discover the fascinating world of parasites and their complex relationships with humans through an insightful conversation with Sebastian Lourido, a molecular parasitologist at MIT. This MIT Learn Beyond Biology episode goes into the diversity of parasites and how they infect humans, with a focus on Toxoplasma gondii but not leaving out Cyclospora. The discussion includes insights on the cutting-edge tools that scientists use to understand parasites. Sebastian also shares the story of his own encounter with the parasite that he now studies and how he thinks about science from his artistic perspective.

• The video of this episode at learn.mit.edu
• Learn more about cell biology courses at learn.mit.edu
• Sebastian Lourido's Lab at MIT

• What are parasites? Definitions, types, and their relationship with hosts
• The diversity of parasites: from tiny cells and worms to insects and their transmission methods
• How parasites like Toxoplasma gondii and malaria impact human health globally
• The life cycle of Toxoplasma and its ability to persist silently in the body
• Advances in genetic tools, focusing on CRISPR, revolutionizing parasite research
• Potential for new therapies based on understanding parasite biology
• The intersection of art and science: Sebastian’s unique journey combining visual arts and biology

00:00 - The significance of parasite infections and their prevalence

02:00 - Defining parasites: from general organisms to clinical pathogens

04:10 - The diversity within parasites: from insects to single-celled eukaryotes

06:33 - Unique biological adaptations of parasites in harsh environments

08:01 - Common parasitic infections: soil-transmitted worms, Toxoplasma, malaria, and Chagas disease

10:24 - How water and food contribute to parasite transmission

13:11 - Deep dive into Toxoplasma gondii: global prevalence and health effects

15:33 - Personal story: contracting toxoplasma after traveling in France

19:14 - Risks of toxoplasma during pregnancy and effects on the fetus

22:33 - Why Toxoplasma is considered a neglected tropical disease

25:30 - Challenges in diagnosing parasitic infections in the US

29:49 - How parasites invade host cells: unique mechanisms of Toxoplasma

36:56 - Tools and techniques: the impact of CRISPR on parasitology research

42:14 - Resistance challenges and the importance of understanding parasite genetics

43:13 - The intersection of art and science: Sebastian’s background and approach to research

47:03 - Varieties of scientific inquiry: discovery versus analytical approaches

48:30 - Visual communication in science and Sebastian’s artistic influence

49:58 - Resources for further exploration and academic opportunities at MIT

In this episode of the MIT Learn Beyond Biology podcast, Dr. Summer Morrill, a high school biology teacher with deep roots in cancer genetics from her PhD work at MIT, unpacks the complex topic of cancer. Summer shares how her personal family history shaped her interest in the field, why cancer is not one disease, and how fundamental biology research helps explain everything from DNA repair to tumor suppression in humans.

This conversation is both scientifically rich and deeply human. This episode represents the reality that cancer research is not only about cells and mutations, but also about families, mentorship, resilience, and the ongoing search for answers. Learn more about biology and genetics at learn.mit.edu.

• 7.00x Introductory Biology course from learn.mit.edu
• Video of this episode on MIT Learn

• Why having the BRCA1 gene is usually a misunderstanding
• How inherited mutations can increase cancer risk
• Why cancer is not a single disease
• What the cell cycle is and how the process can go wrong
• The difference between oncogenes, tumor suppressors, and DNA repair genes
• How genetic testing and counseling can be empowering
• Why yeast is such a powerful model organism in cancer research
• What haploinsufficiency means and why it matters
• How curiosity, failure, and mentorship shape scientific discovery
• Why cancer research requires many different disciplines working together

Summer explains that cancer often develops through a combination of mutations, environmental exposure, and the body’s own normal processes of cell division and DNA repair. She also highlights why the idea of a simple cure is misleading: cancer involves many pathways, many tissues, and many biological checks and balances.A major theme of the conversation is balance. Too little activity in a gene can be harmful, but too much can also cause problems. Summer’s research on haploinsufficiency showed that the body’s systems are more delicate and interconnected than they first appear.The episode also emphasizes the value of curiosity and mentorship. From her professors to her advisor to her mentor Professor Angelika Amon, Summer’s path shows how the right people at the right time can shape a scientific career.

Understanding how bacteria evade our immune systems and cause disease is vital for developing better treatments and diagnostics. In this MIT Learn Beyond Biology episode, MIT professor Becky Lamason shares her insights on bacterial pathogens, their interaction with human cells, and the future of infectious disease research. This discussion reveals not only the complexity of microbes but also how innovative science can uncover new paradigms in host-pathogen interactions. Stay to the end to learn more about Becky’s personal path to the lab.

• MIT Learn online cell biology courses
• Video of this episode
• MIT Department of Biology Profile of Becky Lamason

• How bacterial pathogens break the rules of survival and adaptation
• Examples of bacterial infections and the dangers they pose—Listeria, Rickettsia, Salmonella, Vibrio
• The unique strategies bacteria use to invade and persist inside human cells
• The difference between bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic pathogens
• Antibiotic resistance: development, implications, and the importance of proper use
• How bacterial size and shape compare to human cells
• Mechanisms of bacterial entry into cells via force or protein tricks
• The obligate dependence of certain bacteria like Rickettsia on living inside host cells
• The tick transmission cycle and how bacteria jump from vectors into humans
• Cell-to-cell spread of bacteria and the importance of intracellular movement
• The role of modern tools—genetics, microscopy, genome editing—in understanding pathogen biology
• Future directions: expanding research to environmental vectors, developing broad-spectrum diagnostics, and leveraging new technologies

00:00 - The unpredictability of pathogens and their survival strategies

00:24 - Introduction to Becky Lamason and the importance of bacterial pathogens

01:08 - Common bacterial pathogens and infections in daily life

01:33 - Food recalls and bacterial contamination in the environment

02:13 - Focus on Listeria monocytogenes and clinical implications

02:41 - Other bacteria like Rickettsia and their deadly potential

03:15 - Symptoms of spotted fevers caused by Rickettsia

03:20 - The range of bacterial disease symptoms and severity

04:01 - Categorizing pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites

04:28 - Bacteria’s size relative to other microbes and complexity

05:04 - The diversity within bacterial pathogens and their unique features

05:20 - Treatment options for bacterial infections and antibiotic sensitivity

05:48 - Antibiotic resistance: evolution, biology, and clinical impact

06:26 - Practical advice: importance of completing antibiotic courses

08:02 - The analogy of pathogens as cell biologists and their survival tactics

08:41 - Bacteria’s ability to break rules of host cell biology

11:25 - Comparing bacterial size to human cells; visualization of scale

12:19 - How bacteria enter human cells through force or mimicry

12:33 - The dependency of certain bacteria on living inside host cells

15:28 - Transmission cycles involving ticks and environmental reservoirs

17:28 - Mechanisms of bacterial cell spreading and invasion strategies

19:00 - The concept of acute infection phases and bacterial proliferation

20:14 - The ultimate goal of bacteria: replication and dissemination

21:28 - Safety measures in the lab working with pathogenic bacteria

23:33 - Connecting basic research to clinical applications and diagnostics

25:09 - The power of microscopy and visual data in understanding infection

27:38 - Memorable discoveries and unexpected breakthroughs in the lab

29:28 - Future tech: genome editing, large-scale genetic analysis, and new directions

31:33 - The significance of bacteria targeting host cell organelles like ER and nuclei

33:01 - Becky’s journey, switching questions and embracing multidisciplinary work

35:41 - Building community and embracing the unknown in scientific research

37:25 - From high school curiosity to MIT professor: Becky’s personal story

39:56 - Balancing real-world jobs and academic pursuits

42:12 - The future of bacterial research: new tools and broader applications

44:02 - Final thoughts and encouragement to explore and collaborate

In this episode, MIT Professor Pawan Sinha delves into the science of vision, brain plasticity, and the transformative power of scientific innovation in addressing global health challenges. Discover how research on early visual deprivation has shaped our understanding of neural development, and explore the inspirational journey of his nonprofit, Project Prakash, transforming lives in India.

In this episode:

• The historical context of the 1981 Nobel Prize on critical periods in vision development
• The mechanisms of visual processing in the brain, as discovered by Hubel and Wiesel
• The role and surprising findings from the monocular deprivation studies in kittens
• How William James' description of a newborn's sensory experience relates to visual development
• The personal story of Darius, Professor Sinha's son, and its impact on his research
• The global challenge of childhood blindness, especially in India, and the potential for treatment
• The surgical process and scientific opportunities provided by early intervention in cataract cases
• The experimental insights into how dynamic perception plays a crucial role in visual development
• The founding, achievements, and ongoing work of Project Prakash over the past 21 years
• The educational impact of immersive global experiences for MIT students in India
• A discussion on autism, sensory sensitivities, and the link with visual processing differences
• The importance of challenging received wisdom and embracing scientific curiosity for advancing knowledge

MIT Learn: MIT’s hub for a growing collection of lifelong learning experiences

Project Prakash: To learn about Pawan Sinha's ongoing work in India