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Science with a Twist

Thermo Fisher

It’s almost impossible to overstate how many aspects of daily life are impacted by science. From technologies that help ensure the quality of the water we drink, to medicines that deliver lifesaving treatments – it’s all thanks to science. Each month, members of Thermo Fisher Scientific's team talk to experts who are on the cutting-edge of redefining how we exist. This is Science with a Twist.

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  • 20 episodes
  • Avg 26 min
  • English

Episodes 20

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  • S3 · E5
    Sep 25, 2025 · 27 min

    From Organ Donation to Drug Safety: The Power of HLA

    Discover how human leukocyte antigens (HLAs)—once key to organ transplantation—are now transforming cancer immunotherapy and autoimmune disease treatment. Marcelo Fernandez Vina, Director of the Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics Laboratory at Stanford Blood Center, and Dave Lowe, Senior Director of R&D, Transplant Diagnostics at Thermo Fisher, reveal how this decades-old tool is reshaping modern medicine.

  • S3 · E4
    Jul 14, 2025 · 27 min

    Gene Therapy: A New Era of Medicine Bringing Fresh Hope to Patients

    Explore the future of medicine in this podcast episode on gene therapy. Hear from Namritha Ravinder, Director, Cell and Gene Therapy R&D at Thermo Fisher, about the latest breakthroughs, innovative technologies and how the industry can bring lifesaving therapies to more patients.

  • S3 · E2
    Jul 11, 2024 · 32 min

    Enabling Healthier Communities: Thermo Fisher's Impact

    In this episode of Science With a Twist, join host Terri Somers as she explores how Thermo Fisher Scientific leverages science, innovation, and customer relationships to help drive health equity, which is described as a state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to reach their highest level of health. Thermo Fisher is continually working to improve health equity through its Healthier Communities Initiative. Joining Terri to share the details of the global program on this episode a

  • S3 · E1
    Jun 25, 2024 · 19 min

    Access to Clinical Trials: Eliminating Barriers to Enrollment for Women

    In this episode of "Science with a Twist," host Terri Somers speaks with Dr. Rose Blackburne, MBA, Vice President, Medical Science and Strategy, and Global Head of General Medicine and Women’s Health at the PPD clinical research business at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Dr. Blackburne, a thought leader in women’s health and clinical trials, emphasizes the critical need for diversity in clinical trials to achieve health equity, highlighting how different populations experience varying symptoms and r

  • S2 · E20
    Apr 22, 2024 · 29 min

    From Waste to Worth: Rethinking Plastics with NREL's Insights

    In this episode of Science with a Twist, host Terri Somers speaks with Kat Knauer, Ph.D., Senior Researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Chief Technology Officer of the BOTTLE Consortium. They delve into both the value of plastics and the pervasive issue of plastic pollution and its impact on the environment. Kat shares insights on the role scientific research and industries play in addressing plastic waste and promoting sustainability. Kat’s expertise offers listeners a deep

  • S2 · E19
    Mar 6, 2024 · 24 min

    It’s In Our Genes: The Potential of Gene Therapy with Dr. Peter Marks

    In this episode of Science with a Twist, Dr. Peter Marks, Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the FDA, joins host Dr. Timothy Miller to dive into the complexities and promise of gene therapy. They discuss the potential of gene therapy to revolutionize medicine, narrowing in on the scientific progress made and recent advancements in treating patients and families with Rare Diseases. Dr. Marks shares insights on the FDA's role in ensuring safety and efficacy, emp

  • S2 · E18
    Dec 21, 2023 · 19 min

    Decoding Cellular Secrets: Advances in Mass Spectrometry Technology

    In this episode of Science with a Twist, host Rosy Lee welcomes Joshua J. Coon, a distinguished professor from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and head of Coon Laboratories. They dive into the fascinating world of mass spectrometry and its revolutionary impact on biomedical research. Coon shares his journey from rural Michigan to a leading figure in mass spectrometry, highlighting his passion for both science and instrument building. The conversation shifts to Joshua's groundbreaking work

  • S2 · E17
    Nov 29, 2023 · 35 min

    Tackling HIV Drug Resistance: Brazil's Approach and Global Implications

    In this episode of Science with a Twist, host Dr. Obiageli Okafor dives into the pressing issue of global health equity in HIV treatment, emphasizing the pivotal role of HIV drug resistance testing. She highlights Brazil's commendable efforts, which include providing free antiretroviral drugs and access to no-cost CD4 and viral load testing. This proactive approach has led to a significant reduction in HIV cases in the country. Guest Dr. Ricardo Diaz, a renowned infectious disease expert from

  • S2 · E16
    Sep 27, 2023 · 19 min

    Powering Everyday Life: The significance and impacts of the semiconductor industry

    Semiconductors are silicon chips that conduct electricity in concrete and sophisticated ways, allowing them to be the brains of most devices that drive our modern lives. But despite the projections saying the semiconductor industry will hit the trillion-dollar mark by 2030, it's still facing many challenges. For instance, supply shortages have led to bottlenecks in the production of everything from cars to home appliances. The deficit shows how critical these tiny silicon chips are to the smoo

  • S2 · E15
    Aug 30, 2023 · 28 min

    Shaping the Future through STEM Education: The importance of access and equity

    In this episode of Science with a Twist, host Meron Mathias engages in a riveting discussion with Maya Ajmera from the Society for Science and Eleanor Sigrest, a previous winner of Society’s middle school STEM competition. The conversation revolves around the critical need for diversity in STEM fields and the role of competitions like the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge in increasing equitable access to high-quality STEM learning experiences. The dialogue delves into the i

  • S2 · E14
    Jul 26, 2023 · 21 min

    Pharmacogenomics: A New Era of Patient-Centric Care

    In this Science with a Twist episode, host Jami Elliott engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Jeff Shaman, Chief Scientific Officer at Coriell Life Sciences. They delve into the fascinating world of precision medicine and pharmacogenomics, exploring how these fields are revolutionizing healthcare by tailoring treatments to individual patient characteristics. Jeff illustrates the concept of pharmacogenomics, explaining how it combines pharmacology and genomics to understand how a per

  • S2 · E13
    May 24, 2023 · 24 min

    Forever Chemicals: The effects of PFAS and how to protect against it

    Water is the source of life. Still, we live in a world where some people have limited access to drinking water, and let’s not forget the horror stories about oil or chemical spills that raise additional concerns regarding the state of our water systems. This episode of Science with a Twist is dedicated to the importance of testing water for PFAS. Our guest is Dr. Lee Ferguson, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University. Dr. Ferguson and host John Lesica d

  • S2 · E12
    Apr 19, 2023 · 28 min

    Green Chemistry: Designing for a Sustainable Future

    We are keenly aware of the pressing need to care for our environment and the incredible potential of innovation to drive positive change. Green chemistry plays a pivotal role in sustainability by promoting environmentally benign and socially responsible chemical processes and products. It's all about reducing pollution and conserving precious resources in ways that benefit both the planet and our communities. In this episode of the Science with a Twist podcast, our host Vinod Mirchandani welco

  • S2 · E11
    Mar 22, 2023 · 23 min

    Delivering on the promise of cell therapies: Programmed immune cells attack cancer and other diseases

    Cell therapy is a promising field that uses living cells to treat disease. And it's a powerful way to improve the immune system's ability to fight cancer. But cell therapies have other potential medical applications, such as treating autoimmune diseases, cardiac or pulmonary fibrosis, and infectious diseases. In this episode of the Science with a Twist podcast, our host Rupa Pike welcomes Dr. Wendell Lim, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at the University of California, San Fr

  • S2 · E10
    Feb 22, 2023 · 24 min

    Disrupting the Status Quo: The Importance of Diversity in Clinical Trials

    We live in an increasingly diverse world, and in order to deliver the best quality healthcare, we need to embrace and improve patient diversity in clinical trials. But how do we improve clinical research and expand treatment access to a more diverse patient population? In the second and final episode of our Clinical Research Series on the Science with a Twist podcast, our host Lloryn Hubbard welcomes Nik Kolatkar, VP of Scientific Operations & Evidence Generation at Genentech. They discuss the

  • S2 · E9
    Jan 26, 2023 · 26 min

    Putting Patients First: The Benefits of Decentralized Clinical Trials

    Clinical trials are essential for the discovery of new treatments and support the development of new life-saving drugs and medical devices that can benefit millions worldwide. But one of the greatest challenges in clinical research is the lack of representation. We kick off our two-episode Clinical Research Series on the Science with a Twist podcast, as our host John Manns welcomes guests Tim Rich and Thad Wolfram. Tim is the VP of Digital and Decentralized Services for the PPD clinical resear

  • S2 · E8
    Dec 21, 2022 · 29 min

    No One Missed: Empowering Lung Cancer Patients with Biomarker Insights

    Biomarker testing for targeted therapies is a game changer for lung cancer, and it ensures that patients get the proper treatment at the right time. But how do we make it accessible to all patients, regardless of race or ethnicity? In this episode of the Science with a Twist podcast, our host Jeff Smith welcomes Dr. Upal Basu Roy, the executive director of Research at LUNGevity. They talk about the importance of diversity in the oncology workforce, why it's essential to be more inclusive, and

  • S2 · E7
    Nov 29, 2022 · 19 min

    Saved Time Saves Lives: The Impact of Rapid Turnaround Time for Cancer Patients

    In this Science with a Twist episode, our host Kathy Davy is joined by Dr. Jeffrey Scott, the chief medical officer and president of population health solutions at ​Integra Connect​. Dr. Scott's team is on a mission to help specialty care organizations – from providers and health systems to payers and life sciences companies become clinically and financially successful with value-based precision medicine. As part of this mission, Integra Connect and Thermo Fisher recently collaborated on rese

  • S2 · E5
    Sep 14, 2022 · 28 min

    One Health: How human, environmental, and animal health intersect

    Genomics, or the field of microbiology devoted to studying genomes, has the potential to help us diagnose and more precisely target disease; but we can also use genomics to understand the biological link between the environment, humans, and animals. In this episode of the Science with a Twist podcast, our host Candia Brown welcomes Luther King Abia Akebe, Associate Professor of Applied & Environmental Microbiology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. They talk about the

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