Titus Talks

Today I get to chat with Allison Bakovic, a PhD student at George Mason University and a virologist in the middle of a pandemic. Not only is Allison working hard to fight COVID-19, but she's starting to hunt for a job after grad school and we get to talk about the search, cool strategies, and some fun advice. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable!    I hope you enjoy the conversation!   Cheers,   -Titus   ------------------   — About Allison —   Allison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bakovica/   — Let’s Chat —   THE BLOG: https://alexandertitus.com/   YOUTUBE: https://alexandertitus.com/youtube   PODCAST: https://anchor.fm/1alexandertitus   NEWSLETTER: https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter   — The Social Life —   LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/AlexanderTitus   INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/1AlexanderTitus   FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/1AlexanderTitus   TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1AlexanderTitus

Natalie wants to take biology to Mars. In order to get there, she's helping to build a biotech company that engineers phages, or little viruses that infect bacteria. Her long term goal? To be able to engineer the microbiome to keep people happy and healthy on the long trek across space. But Natalie's not going to wait for a Mars trip for adventure. She recently spent a year traveling around the world where she visited 28 countries and ate so much good food.  For those of you that aren't familiar, phages are viruses that infect bacteria. Phage therapy is a method of using these little viruses to fight off infections that are antibiotic-resistant, or just darn stubborn and won't go away. The advances in synthetic biology lately have been making this more and more possible to use for good purposes.  Like many of my guests, Natalie is a "jump in feet first" kind of person. We get to have a great conversation about how she applied to grad school in a field that she was not quite qualified for, she traveled the world for a year on a budget of $25K, she dove headfirst into management consulting to figure out the business world, and now she's trying to build a company.  Her advice to us all? Find what you love and just do it. You don't have to know everything about what you're doing to start. :-) I hope you enjoy the conversation! Cheers, -Titus ------------------ — About Natalie — Natalie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliejingma/ Natalie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NatalieMaPhD Natalie's website: https://nataliejingma.com/ (good article) Natalie's travel blog: https://neverendingeverywhere.wordpress.com/ Felix Biotech Website: https://www.felixbt.com/ Felix Biotech on Twitter: https://twitter.com/felixbiotech — Let’s Chat — THE BLOG: https://alexandertitus.com/   YOUTUBE: https://alexandertitus.com/youtube   PODCAST: https://anchor.fm/1alexandertitus   NEWSLETTER: https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter — The Social Life — LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/AlexanderTitus  INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/1AlexanderTitus   FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/1AlexanderTitus   TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1AlexanderTitus

Patrick wants to retire on Mars. Talk about a great line for what you're goals are in life! In order to get to Mars thought, we need more than just rockets and metal - we need the ability to engineer and sustain life both on the ship and when on the Martian surface. So until we actually start heading to Mars, Patrick spends his time as a leader in the wildly successful synthetic biology company, Ginkgo Bioworks.  Today, we get to sit down and discuss how Patrick grew up in rural Alaska and ended up in Boston as a biological engineer. He's had a phenomenal career ranging from MIT and Harvard, to startups and working closely with the government on issues related to pandemics and biosecurity. He even says his life from the Yukon River Delta has prepared him for retirement on Mars.  I hope you enjoy the conversation! Cheers, -Titus ------------------ — About Patrick — Patrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-boyle-a790094a/ Patrick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/p_maverick_b — Let’s Chat — THE BLOG: https://alexandertitus.com/  YOUTUBE: https://alexandertitus.com/youtube  PODCAST: https://anchor.fm/1alexandertitus  NEWSLETTER: https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter — The Social Life — LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/AlexanderTitus INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/1AlexanderTitus  FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/1AlexanderTitus  TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1AlexanderTitus

We're all tired of Zoom meetings, but can you imagine being in 1st grade and trying to learn everything?! Today I get to chat with one of my favorite people, my sister Angie Titus, who is a 1st-grade teacher and is now in the tough place of teaching our future scientists and engineers in the middle of the pandemic.    Angie's always poured her heart and soul into her teaching, but now she's working to teach equity and awareness, group dynamics, how to share, and how to read and do math, all while asking 6-year olds to sit still at a computer screen.    We had a great conversation about a ton of good resources. Angie recommends you check out these books for the best advice on how to be a bubble gum brain, how to have conversations about race, and how to teach your children the art of inquiry through the hearts and minds of little girls exploring the world.    Ada Twist, Scientist  Bubble Gum Brain Becoming The Moment of Lift  So You Want to Talk About Race Remember to thank a teacher today. In a world turned upside down, their efforts are going to keep our next generation of scientists, engineers, artists, politicians, and master craftswomen and men on track to make the world a better place.    I hope you enjoy the conversation!  Cheers,   -Titus   ------------------   — Let’s Chat —   THE BLOG: https://alexandertitus.com/   YOUTUBE: https://alexandertitus.com/youtube   PODCAST: https://anchor.fm/1alexandertitus   NEWSLETTER: https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter   — The Social Life —   LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/AlexanderTitus   INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/1AlexanderTitus   FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/1AlexanderTitus   TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1AlexanderTitus

Today I get to have a great conversation with Ian Simon, a virologist turned science policy guru who has worked around the world to improve the way policymakers think about science and technology.   Right after finishing grad school, Ian found himself plunging feet first into the world of Korean science, but he approached it with full force.  A whirlwind of time on the Hill and working to support the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP) later, we sit down to talk about always taking the opportunity to say yes, and how he ended up an elected official representing 2,000 citizens of Washington, DC.    Ian is a great example of the joys of unexpected opportunities, and he lives a life of saying yes to new experiences. When it comes to science policy, I'm glad we have people like Ian in the mix.    And, fun fact, he used to work with Sara Carioscia! I hope you enjoy the conversation! Cheers, -Titus ------------------ — About Ian — Ian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/IanSimonPhD/ Ian on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IanSimonANC — Let’s Chat — THE BLOG: https://alexandertitus.com/ YOUTUBE: https://alexandertitus.com/youtube PODCAST: https://anchor.fm/1alexandertitus NEWSLETTER: https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter — The Social Life — LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/AlexanderTitus INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/1AlexanderTitus FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/1AlexanderTitus TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1AlexanderTitus

Michelle Rozo has had an amazing career. Her passion for science was built from the ground up as a 7-year old studying bugs at summer camp, and now she's a biotechnology leader working in Washington, DC. If you would have asked her a few decades ago where she would end up, however, she never could have predicted it.    Today we get to have an awesome conversation about stretching yourself in your career, taking opportunities when they come up, and always finding a way to fun with what you're doing.    After finishing her PhD at Johns Hopkins, Michelle took a job as a post-doc for the Navy and eventually founder herself managing a clinical trial in Liberia after the Ebola outbreak in 2014-15. She brought the lessons she learned managing diverse teams to Capitol Hill where she worked as a Staffer in the Senate, focused on Pennsylvania healthcare policy. From there, she found herself at the State Department and eventually the Department of Defense as the Principal Director for Biotechnology.    Every step along the way, shes build relationships, had a blast, and took every opportunity to stretch herself outside of her comfort zone.    I hope you enjoy the conversation!     Cheers,    -Titus     ------------------     — About Michelle —     Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-rozo/  Michelle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Michelle_Rozo   — Let’s Chat —    THE BLOG: https://alexandertitus.com/    YOUTUBE: https://alexandertitus.com/youtube PODCAST: https://anchor.fm/1alexandertitus    NEWSLETTER: https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter      — The Social Life —     LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandertitus    INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/1alexandertitus    FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/1alexandertitus    TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1AlexanderTitus

Everyone fears rejection. It stings, it can even hurt, and it's embarrassing. But is it the end of the world? Today I get to have an awesome conversation with a great friend of mine, Reza Hosseini Ghomi.  If you took a snapshot of Reza's career, you would rightfully think he is wildly successful. He's been the co-founder of multiple startups, he's a practicing doctor, he has a wonderful family and his life is full of friends. What you wouldn't see is how he was rejected from med school twice after he recovered from cancer early in life.   We all want to be perfect on our first try, but what Reza and I get to talk about is how that's just not realistic. But it is absolutely not the end of the world if you have to try twice, three times, or more. Not giving up is the key, because when you don't amazing things can happen.    The best part is how we met. There I was, staring at a strange man in his underwear in my girlfriend's apartment when...   You'll have to listen to the podcast to get the rest!   I hope you enjoy the conversation!   Cheers,   -Titus   ------------------   — About Reza —   Reza on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rezahg/   BrainCheck: https://braincheck.com/   Avicenna: https://www.avicenna.care/   His website: http://www.brainmindedmd.com/    — Let’s Chat —   THE BLOG: https://alexandertitus.com/   YOUTUBE: youtube.com/alexandertitus   PODCAST: https://anchor.fm/1alexandertitus   NEWSLETTER: https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter    — The Social Life —   LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandertitus   INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/1alexandertitus   FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/1alexandertitus   TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1AlexanderTitus

The biotechnology industry is booming, and synthetic biology is the hottest topic of the decade. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Andrew Hessel and chatting about SynBio and the world of designer viruses. In today's world, COVID-19 dominates the discussion about viruses, but in reality, there are countless opportunities to use viruses as everything from new cancer therapies to understanding the human genome.  On top of founding a synthetic virus company, Andrew is also the Founder and Chairman of the Genome Project Write, and complementary synthesis project to the human genome. The goal, write the human genome from scratch. Now we're a long way off before biology can do this, but it's within our grasp.  I hope you enjoy the conversation! Cheers, -Titus --- About Andrew --- Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewhessel/ Andrew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewhessel GP-Write: https://engineeringbiologycenter.org/ Humane Genomics: https://www.humanegenomics.com/ His website: https://andrewhessel.com/ --- Let's Chat --- THE BLOG: https://alexandertitus.com/ YOUTUBE: https://alexandertitus.com/youtube PODCAST: https://alexandertitus.com/podcast NEWSLETTER: https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter --- The Social Life --- LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandertitus INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/1alexandertitus FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/1alexandertitus TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1AlexanderTitus ------ #biotech #biotechnology #biology #lifescience #lifesciences #science #research #DIYBio #CommunityBiology #STEM #Startups

People ask me all the time if a biotechnology PhD is required to be successful in the industry. Given I'm only half the conversation, I called a good friend, Joe Buccina, and we had a great conversation about careers in the biotechnology industry, and when and how a PhD benefits you. We also talked about when other routes are useful as well. The key take away, as in many of my discussions, is your network is the most powerful thing you have in your toolbox. Build your community, and they will help build you.  Overall, it depends! I know, I know. That's a hard one, but hopefully, our conversation helps out a bit in the decision process! Either way, Joe's an amazing guy, and I recommend everyone knows him. ;-) I hope you enjoy the conversation! Cheers, -Titus --- About Joe --- Joe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-buccina-622a925/ --- Let's Chat --- THE BLOG: https://alexandertitus.com/ ARTICLE: https://alexandertitus.com/2020/06/16/phd-not-required/ YOUTUBE: https://alexandertitus.com/youtube PODCAST: https://alexandertitus.com/podcast NEWSLETTER: https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter --- The Social Life --- LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandertitus/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/1alexandertitus/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/1alexandertitus TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1AlexanderTitus ------ #biotech #biotechnology #biology #lifescience #lifesciences #science #research #DIYBio #CommunityBiology #STEM #Startups

The DIY biology community is full of amazing people who are driving the entire field of biotechnology forward with pure curiosity. The group that considers themselves involved with community biology come from all walks of life and nearly every industry. DIYBio is it's often called, is a collection of labs and curious minds that get together to explore the biotech world.    There are people that you meet throughout your life that just leave an impression. Yong-Bee Lim is one of them. I'm excited to share our conversation this week about his work at the intersection of the social sciences, biotechnology, and community biology. This is yet another fascinating career that has wound through national security into community labs across the country.    I hope you enjoy the conversation!      Cheers,    -Titus        --- About Yong-Bee ---     Yong-Bee on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FuturistYB    --- Let's Chat ---     THE BLOG: https://alexandertitus.com    YOUTUBE: https://alexandertitus.com/youtube    PODCAST: https://alexandertitus.com/podcast    NEWSLETTER: https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter        --- The Social Life ---     LINKEDIN: https://linkedin.com/in/alexandertitus    INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/1alexandertitus    FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/1alexandertitus    TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1alexandertitus       ------     #biotech #biotechnology #biology #lifescience #lifesciences #science #research #DIYBio #CommunityBiology #STEM #Startups

Today I get to talk to Vishaal Bhuyan, who was a history of science major and esoteric finance guru now turned into the snack-pack man and CEO of a biotech company. I know, that's a lot to process. Hang in there! His startup, Aanika Biosciences, creates synthetic biology tools for the supply chain industry and they work with companies ranging from agriculture to diamond distributors. He co-founded Aanika with last week's guest, Dr. Ellen Jorgensen. We find time to talk about careers, cool tech, and receiving feedback in life. Take a look!  I hope you enjoy the conversation!    Cheers,   -Titus    --- About Vishaal ---   Vishaal on Twitter: https://twitter.com/VishaalBhuyan  Aanika Bioscience on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aanikabio  Aanika Bioscience on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aanikabio/   --- Let's Chat ---   THE BLOG: https://alexandertitus.com   YOUTUBE: https://alexandertitus.com/youtube   PODCAST: https://alexandertitus.com/podcast   NEWSLETTER: https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter    --- The Social Life ---   LINKEDIN: https://linkedin.com/in/alexandertitus   INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/1alexandertitus   FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/1alexandertitus   TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1alexandertitus     ------   #biotech #biotechnology #biology #lifescience #lifesciences #science #research #DIYBio #CommunityBiology #STEM #Startups #AnikaBiosciences

Today I get to talk to Dr. Ellen Jorgensen, who co-founded the DIYBiology movement, inspired the world through her TED talks, and is now the co-founder of a biotechnology company using microbes as tracking tags.     I had the good fortune to get to chat with Ellen and share my approach to life and we bonded over biotechnology, synthetic biology, and traveling to Alaska.    One of the common themes I hear a lot is how people find their way into biotech through exploring the world rather than a simple path everyone follows.  So listen to Ellen’s story and take in all her great ideas!    I hope you enjoy the conversation!     Cheers,   -Titus     --- About Ellen ---   Ellen on TED: https://www.ted.com/talks/ellen_jorgensen_what_you_need_to_know_about_crispr  Ellen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/feyscientist  Aanika Bioscience on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aanikabio  Our first conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghlzC0XS1rQ66    --- Let's Chat ---     THE BLOG: https://alexandertitus.com   YOUTUBE: https://alexandertitus.com/youtube   PODCAST: https://alexandertitus.com/podcast   NEWSLETTER: https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter     --- The Social Life ---     LINKEDIN: https://linkedin.com/in/alexandertitus   INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/1alexandertitus   FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/1alexandertitus   TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1alexandertitus     ------     #biotech #biotechnology #biology #lifescience #lifesciences #science #research #DIYBio #CommunityBiology #STEM #Startups

Sara Carioscia, who joined a triathlon without knowing how to ride a bike, talks about networking and life. Get more great insights @ https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter. (0:10) She’s also a trailblazer with me kicking off the first episode of Titus Talks! (0:40) In this episode of Titus Talks, we’re chatting with Sara Carioscia, who’s a PhD student at Johns Hopkins University, an overall lover of life, and a huge proponent of empowering others. (3:15) Today we’re talking about networking and putting ourselves out there to meet people and grow in our careers. For anyone, whether you’re an undergrad, new grad, grad student, or CEO, meeting new people can be intimidating. (7:00) One of the big questions we’re tackling is, what if you don’t feel like you have anything to offer to the conversation? Too often we sell ourselves short when we’re out there networking and think we need to be the fanciest person in the room for anyone to take us seriously. The reality is just the opposite. (15:15) We’re also talking about grad school, life, and our love for biotech. Sara’s a PhD student in the JHU Cell, Molecular, Developmental Biology, and Biophysics Program (phew, that’s a mouthful) (https://cmdb.jhu.edu/) and is passionate about getting into biotech both in school and throughout her career. (26:00) On top of it all, Sara is a triathlete, a cyclist, and the kind of person that puts herself out there for adventures. She did, in fact, join the triathlon team in college before she ever knew how to ride a bike! That takes the spirit of trying new things to a whole new level. I hope you enjoy the conversation! Cheers, -Titus --- Let's Chat --- THE BLOG: https://alexandertitus.com YOUTUBE: https://alexandertitus.com/youtube PODCAST: https://alexandertitus.com/podcast NEWSLETTER: https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter -- LINKEDIN: https://linkedin.com/in/alexandertitus INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/1alexandertitus FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/1alexandertitus TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1alexandertitus ------ #biotech #biotechnology #biology #lifescience #lifesciences #triathlon #triathlons #cycling #bikepacking #backpacking #gradschool #graduateschool #phd #science #research

We’re gonna talk about technology, with a special love for biotechnology, and we're gonna talk about how technology is impacting our careers and our lives. Thrown in the mix, we’re gonna talk about all the great things people are doing with their lives and we’re gonna keep a focus on the people who make industries thrive and the world go around. Whether you’re an undergrad, new grad, grad student, CEO, or an everyday member of a community like me, you’ll love our talks and our guests, and you have to subscribe! Everyone should join the conversation. Welcome to Titus Talks. Subscribe! Newsletter: alexandertitus.com/newsletter Podcast: alexandertitus.com/podcast Video: alexandertitus.com/youtube LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexandertitus Instagram: instagram.com/1alexandertitus Facebook: facebook.com/1alexandertitus Twitter: twitter.com/1alexandertitus