{"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":"870: Determining the Drivers of Diversity in Bats and Other Mammals - Dr. Sharlene Santana","slug":"870-determining-the-drivers-of-diversity-in-bats-and-other-mammals-dr-sharlene-santana","published_at":"2026-06-22T07:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/people-behind-the-science-podcast-stories-from-scientists-about-science-life-research-and-science-careers-170988/870-determining-the-drivers-of-diversity-in-bats-and-other-mammals-dr-sharlene-santana","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/870-determining-the-drivers-of-diversity-in-bats-and-other-mammals-dr-sharlene-santana","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/peoplebehindthescience/870_Sharlene_Santana_Final.mp3?dest-id=193191","summary":"Dr. Sharlene Santana is Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington and Curator of Mammals at the University of Washington's Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. As an integrative and evolutionary biologist, Sharlene explores questions about evolution from a variety of perspectives. She is working to understand why some groups of organisms are more diverse in terms of their number of species, appearance, or behavior. There are over 1,400 species of bats that fulfill a variety of ecological roles, and much of Sharlene's research focuses on diversity in bats. Outside of work, Sharlene loves trying new restaurants in Seattle, as well as traveling to other countries and learning about other cultures. In her free time, you can find Sharlene hiking or swimming with her dog, attending ballet performances, and listening to music and podcasts. She is also a fan of good storytelling in books, movies, TV series, and documentaries. She completed her undergraduate training in biology at the University of the Andes in Venezuela, and she was awarded her Ph.D. in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Afterwards, Sharlene conducted postdoctoral research at the Institute for Society and Genetics at the University of California, Los Angeles. She joined the faculty at the University of Washington in 2012. In our interview, Sharlene shares more about her life and research.","meta_description":"Dr. Sharlene Santana is Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington and Curator of Mammals at the University of Washi…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2277,"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/870-determining-the-drivers-of-diversity-in-bats-and-other-mammals-dr-sharlene-santana/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-170988/870-determining-the-drivers-of-diversity-in-bats-and-other-mammals-dr-sharlene-santana.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}