Our guest for today is Jennifer Doudna Ph.D, a world famous American biochemist. Her work and leadership with CRISPR genome editing technologies has helped launch the CRISPR revolution. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Dr. Doudna, her work has the ability to change and improve our world. We greatly appreciate Dr. Doudna taking time to share her thoughts, insights, and experiences with us. We are sure you will enjoy learning more about Dr. Doudna!
Show Notes & Links Of Interest
Introduction and Dr. Doudna’s background [0:00]
Question: Where did Dr. Doudna grow up and what was her childhood like? Did she grow up in a family of scientists? [1:12]
Question: Did she know she wanted to be a scientist as a child or was there a specific event that made her realize science would be her career? [1:50]
Question: Could she provide the listeners a layman’s description of CRISPR and explain why it is important? [2:23]
Question: What are some examples of what CRISPR can be used for? [3:40]
Question: Who are some of her mentors and role models? How did she find them? [6:10]
Question: How does she handle self doubt and “imposter syndrome”? [8:03]
Ellen Stofan explanation of imposter syndrome. [8:14]
Question: What advice would she give a young girl pursuing her dreams? [9:59]
Question: How does she handle attempting things she doesn’t feel qualified for? What does she recommend in choosing colleges? [11:20]
Question: What does she recommend for young women that want to get into STEM fields? How can society get more girls into STEM? [13:30]
Question: What one quality or trait do you feel young girls should embrace as they purse their dreams? [15:24]
Jennifer Doudna’s Bio
Jennifer Doudna is the Li Ka Shing Chancellor’s Chair and a Professor in the Departments of Chemistry and of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, as well as an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Her co-discovery of CRISPR-Cas9 genetic engineering technology, with collaborator, French scientist Emmanuelle Charpentier, has changed human and agricultural genomics research forever. This genome-editing technology enables scientists to change or remove genes quickly, with a precision only dreamed of just a few years ago. Labs worldwide have re-directed the course of their research programs to incorporate this new tool, creating a CRISPR revolution with huge implications across biology and medicine. In addition to her scientific achievements and eminence, Doudna is also a leader in public discussion of the ethical and other implications of genome editing for human biology and societies, and advocates for thoughtful approaches to the development of policies around the use of CRISPR-Cas9. She has received many prizes for her discoveries, including the Japan Prize (2016), the Kavli Prize (2018), and the LUI Che Woo Welfare Betterment Prize (2019). In 2015, Doudna was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Hosts
