In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Laura Strawn, professor and extension specialist in the Department of Food Science and Technology at Virginia Tech! 🦠🍎 Dr. Strawn shares her journey into the field of food safety and discusses her work in microbial food safety, fresh produce, and extension. We also talk about how research can be translated into real-world food safety practices, and her experiences throughout her career!

Happy National Food Safety Education Month!!!!!!!

In this week's episode, the Pathogems talk with Dr. Rachel Cheng about her research in food microbiology and Salmonella. We discuss how she got into the field, what makes different Salmonella serovars unique, why some strains can cause more severe illness, and how research on Salmonella can help inform food safety and public health. We also talk about practical ways to reduce the risk of Salmonella infection and what it’s like to work in food microbiology and academia.

In this episode, the Pathogems sit down with Amy Hagen, a longtime organizer of Virginia Tech’s Science on Tap and lead author of a recent paper examining the program. We talk about the story behind Science on Tap, the wide variety of speakers and topics featured over the years, how the team helps scientists turn their research into engaging conversations, and what they’ve learned about connecting science with the community!

Science on Tap Email: scienceontapnrv@gmail.com

Science on Tap YouTube: @scienceontapnrv9315

Science on Tap Instagram: scienceontapnrv

Paper: https://jces.ua.edu/articles/10.54656/hpj1dw58

This episode the girls sit down with CEZAP-affiliated faculty at Virginia Tech that are accepting rotation students. If are interested in reaching out to any of the faculty featured in this video their emails are linked below in the order in which they appeared in the video:

Dr. Ira Blader: iblader@vt.edu

Dr. José Vargas-Muñiz: jvm15@vt.edu

Dr. Hanh Lam: hanhlam@vt.edu

Dr. Kirsten Nielsen: kirstennielsen@vt.edu

Dr. James Weger-Lucarrelli: weger@vt.edu

In this episode of Pathogems, we sit down with Dr. Dana Hawley, Professor of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech, to talk about her path into science and the research questions that have shaped her career. We discuss how diseases spread among wild bird populations, what influences transmission in nature, and some of the surprising things scientists have learned by studying birds.

What is it really like moving across the world for graduate school? In this episode, Aryn and Caroline sit down with international students at Virginia Tech to share their experiences adjusting to life in Blacksburg, finding community, overcoming challenges, and creating a home away from home in the beautiful city of Blacksburg, Virginia!

In this episode of Pathogems, we sit down with Dr. Luis Escobar to discuss hantavirus, including what it is, how it spreads, and some of the most common misconceptions surrounding the virus. We also talk about recent hantavirus-related news, disease ecology, and the importance of public health communication when discussing emerging zoonotic diseases.

In this episode, the girls sit down with Dr. James Weger-Lucarelli to discuss what motivates professors, how to form a committee, and, of course, the color of science.

The girls gab about all things interview weekend.