Innovation UBC is taking science out of the lab and into the realm of entertainment with the launch of Beaker Banter, a new podcast hosted by Dr. Marissa Lithopoulos.
The podcast is designed to spotlight innovators who are changing the world for the better while helping listeners get to know the people and stories behind the research. Presented in partnership with Innovation UBC, Beaker Banter blends science, storytelling, and humour in an effort to make research more accessible to a wider audience.
Lithopoulos brings an unusual mix of credentials to the microphone. A Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of British Columbia, she studies how stem cells contribute to brain development and how that potential could be harnessed to treat conditions affecting the brain. She is also a scientist, comedian, musician, Co-Founder of Beaker Banter, and Founder of Science, Stand-Up, & Song.
Episode 0, titled Marissa Spills the Tea, flips the format before the series officially gets underway. Instead of interviewing a guest, Lithopoulos sits down with her husband, Andrew Johnston, for a lively conversation about her own path into science, storytelling, and public engagement.
Johnston is also Co-Founder of Beaker Banter and Director of Operations for Science, Stand-Up, & Song. A professional engineer with more than a decade of experience developing automation systems in manufacturing, he brings his own technical background to the introductory episode.
The episode offers listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the person behind the podcast, including the inspirations that shaped Lithopoulos’s scientific career and her interest in connecting researchers with the public.
The first full episode of Beaker Banter is expected to drop in early July.
Leave a Reply