{"podcast":{"title":"People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers","slug":"people-behind-the-science-podcast-stories-from-scientists-about-science-life-research-and-science-careers-170988","podcast_index_feed_id":170988,"rss_url":"https://peoplebehindthescience.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"http://peoplebehindthescience.com/","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/7/5/1/7/75176757b4abf5df/People-Behind-the-Science-Final-2048-podcast-V2.jpg","author":"Dr. Marie McNeely","episode_count":300,"summary":"Are you searching for great stories to ignite your curiosity, teach you to perform better in life and career, inspire your mind, and make you laugh along the way? In this science podcast, Dr. Marie McNeely introduces you to the brilliant researchers behind the latest scientific discoveries. Join us as they share their greatest failures, most staggering successes, candid career advice, and what drives them forward in life and science. <![CDATA[ Our website with show notes ]] Greetings science fans! We're elated to welcome you to People Behind the Science where we explore the lives and experiences of the people behind the research and scientific discoveries of today. People Behind the Science's mission is to inspire current and future scientists, share the different paths to a successful career in science, educate the general population on what scientists do, and show the human side of science. In each episode, a different scientist will guide us through their journey by sharing their successes, failures, and passions. We are excited to introduce you to these inspiring academic and industry experts from all fields of science to give you a variety of perspectives on the life and path…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-06T14:18:03.468246+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/people-behind-the-science-podcast-stories-from-scientists-about-science-life-research-and-science-careers-170988"},"episode":{"title":"847: Scientist with Her Sights Set on Using Stem Cells to Study and Treat Retinal Degeneration - Dr. Natalia Vergara","slug":"847-scientist-with-her-sights-set-on-using-stem-cells-to-study-and-treat-retinal-degeneration-dr-natalia-vergara","published_at":"2026-01-12T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/people-behind-the-science-podcast-stories-from-scientists-about-science-life-research-and-science-careers-170988/847-scientist-with-her-sights-set-on-using-stem-cells-to-study-and-treat-retinal-degeneration-dr-natalia-vergara","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/people-behind-the-science-podcast-stories-from-scientists-about-science-life-research-and-science-careers-170988","url":"https://peoplebehindthescience.libsyn.com/847-scientist-with-her-sights-set-on-using-stem-cells-to-study-and-treat-retinal-degeneration-dr-natalia-vergara","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/peoplebehindthescience/847_Natalia_Vergara_Final.mp3?dest-id=193191","summary":"Dr. Natalia Vergara is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Natalia uses stem cells to understand how the retina forms during development and how it degenerates during disease with the goal of developing therapies to help patients who suffer from vision loss. For her research, Natalia uses a type of stem cells called induced pluripotent stem cells which can be reprogrammed so they can form any type of cell in the body. With these cells, they can make human retina tissue using any individual's cells in a petri dish in the lab to better understand diseases, test treatments, and potentially prepare retinas for transplant. In her free time, Natalia loves hanging out, cooking, and enjoying food with friends and family, including her husband and two young kids. Natalia is also an avid traveler, and she delights in the thrill of discovery that comes along with exploring new places. Natalia received her B.S. in biochemistry from the National University of the Litoral in Argentina. She worked as an instructor and research intern at the National University of Entre Ríos for about three years before beginning graduate school. Natalia was awarded her PhD in retinal regenerative biology from Miami University in Ohio. Afterwards, she conducted postdoctoral research at the Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She served as a Research Associate Faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine for about two years before joining the faculty at the University of Colorado. Natalia has received awards for research and for mentoring, including the Ruben Adler Research Award from the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in…","meta_description":"Dr. Natalia Vergara is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine on the An…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2581,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/people-behind-the-science-podcast-stories-from-scientists-about-science-life-research-and-science-careers-170988/episodes/847-scientist-with-her-sights-set-on-using-stem-cells-to-study-and-treat-retinal-degeneration-dr-natalia-vergara/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/people-behind-the-science-podcast-stories-from-scientists-about-science-life-research-and-science-careers-170988/847-scientist-with-her-sights-set-on-using-stem-cells-to-study-and-treat-retinal-degeneration-dr-natalia-vergara.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}