Where Cures Begin - Salk Institute – Details, episodes & analysis

Satchin Panda is a professor in Salk’s Regulatory Biology Laboratory. He explores the genes, molecules and cells that keep the whole body on the same biological clock, also known as a circadian rhythm. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Panda talks about what a biological clock is, how living in sync with your clock can improve your health, and how growing up in India informed his research.

Dmitry Lyumkis is an assistant professor in Salk’s Laboratory of Genetics. He is using an imaging technique called cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to better understand the structure and function of proteins. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Lyumkis talks about his transition from the Soviet Union to the USA, what three-dimensional images can reveal about protein assemblies, and why Salk is such an inspirational place to pursue science.

Uri Manor is a staff scientist and the director of the Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Core Facility. He primarily focuses on integrating and applying imaging technologies to study problems of critical biological significance. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Manor talks about the importance of high-end microscopy; what mitochondria are doing in our cells; and how childhood hearing loss has affected his life.

Reuben Shaw is a professor and the director of the Salk Cancer Center. Fifteen years ago, he discovered that a gene frequently mutated in cancer (LKB1) regulates an enzyme named AMPK. Ever since, he has been studying the AMPK pathway to see if drugs originally designed to treat metabolic diseases could also work against cancer. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Shaw talks about his initial discovery; what it’s like running the Salk Cancer Center; and his continual drive to study the hardest-to-treat cancers.

Joseph Noel is a professor and director of Salk’s Jack H. Skirball Center for Chemical Biology and Proteomics. He studies the structure and chemistry of compounds produced by plants. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Noel talks about his love of nature; coming from a family of coal miners; and whether elephant poop is good for tomatoes.

Molly Matty is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Associate Professor Sreekanth Chalasani. She is interested in how environmental microbes can elicit changes in behavior and neuronal signaling in microscopic worms called C. elegans. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Matty talks about gaining insights into human behavior from these tiny worms; pun competitions; and sharing her love of science through Salk’s Education Outreach.

Salk research professor Marga Behrens is a member of Salk’s Computational Neurobiology Laboratory. She examines genes, environmental influences and the interplay between the two to determine why some individuals develop a neurodevelopmental disorder while others do not. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Behrens talks about the brain’s slow maturation; how she uses molecular tools to study mental disorders; and why science is one of her two great loves.

Wolfgang Busch is a professor and the co-director of Salk’s Harnessing Plants Initiative. He is a renowned plant biologist who focuses on understanding plant roots, which are critical for obtaining water and nutrients from the soil and play a major role in the global carbon cycle. On this episode of Where Cures Begin , he talks about why he left microbiology for plant biology; how plants can help address climate change; and possibly having the biggest collection of root movies in the world.

Where Cures Begin is the podcast of the Salk Institute, highlighting the iconic institution’s cutting-edge science and the researchers making it all possible. On the podcast, hosts Allie Akmal and Brittany Fair continue to interview Salk’s internationally renowned and award-winning scientists, who explore the very foundations of life, and learn about new understandings in neuroscience, genetics, immunology, plant biology and more.

Rusty Gage is a professor and Salk’s president as well as one of the world’s most renowned authorities in neuroscience. Aside from discovering neurogenesis, Gage has made many critical discoveries in the fields of genetics, mental disorders and aging-related dementia, like Alzheimer’s. In this episode, he talks about what it’s like to lead both a research lab and one of the top scientific research institutes in the world.