You do belong in science - even if it doesn't always feel that way. Coming Tuesdays this April, Double Shelix will be releasing a special series of episodes on the theme You do Belong in Science featuring experts in science, education, and inclusion in conversation about creating STEM communities where all can feel belonging. Stay tuned here and on Twitter @doubleshelixpod for more info on how you can get involved.

Share your story of belonging
We want to feature your stories on the podcast! Call our voice mailbox 415-895-0850, and leave us a message, or record yourself and email it to us - [email protected]. Let the prompts below inspire you, share your story, and we may just feature it on the pod.

Prompts:
- Is there a time when you felt like you did not belong in science? What happened and how did it make you feel?
- What would you say to someone who is experiencing dis-belonging?
- What can the scientific community (or your school/department/professors/peers) do to help people experience belonging?

Subscribe now on iTunes or Google Play Music to catch the episodes when they launch in April! And check back here for exclusives from our guests and a sneak peek trailer - coming soon!

Sending all our love, and remember - you do belong in science!
-Sally + Kayla

PS - The best remedy for Double Shelix FOMO is to join our mailing list. Hot takes and inside scoops abound! Sign up here:

Going in, graduate students expect they'll have to work hard, but most students are unprepared for the mental anguish that grad school can induce - especially when experiments aren't going well, or when we compare to themselves to others' successes. Penn Bioengineering PhD students Meagan Ita and Michael Magaraci join Sally and Kayla to discuss wellness in graduate school. Meagan and Mike discuss the importance of actively taking charge of your own wellness, and what departments can do to support student wellness. Things also get real with discussions of the value therapy and/or medicine to address depression or anxiety, and we sound off on the harm caused by toxic mentor/mentee relationships. If you've struggled with being well, want to stay well, or want to support others on their journey to wellness, check this out!

Resources:
Professor Arjun Raj's blog - truly, a font of knowledge
UC Berkeley graduate student wellbeing survey results​
Fixyourrun.com and Philly Surge Running
Meagan's Lab, the Spine Pain Research Lab
Mike's Lab, the Chow Lab
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Headspace - a meditation app
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck  by Mark Manson

Follow us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod

Feedback? We love it - [email protected]

Thanks to the University of Pennsylvania Department of Bioengineering for supporting our podcast and this episode!! We love their Twitter @pennbioeng and their blog.

Zoe Leavitt, senior consumer product and retail analyst at CB Insights, joins Sally and Kayla to discuss what's hot at the intersection of tech and retail. She truly has her finger on the pulse of the hottest trends - and the data to back that up! We also talk about her experiences working for Bank of China in Shanghai, and communicating technical content to lay audiences - like on Good Morning America! We also calls BS on VCs being "afraid to meet solo with women founders" in the post-#MeToo era and conclude that the future of futurism is female. Zoe's a master communicator, and shares some excellent technical communication tips. You'll love Zoe's insights!!!


Resources:
- Follow Zoe on Twitter @zoe_leavitt and on LinkedIn
- Find some of Zoe's analysis here, including her work on coffee, Amazon drone warehouses, and more
- Zoe on Good Morning America and CNBC Asia
- Subscribe to Zoe's newsletter to follow all the hottest trends in consumer goods! and on Twitter
- CB insights is on Twitter @CBinsights, and check out their blog - cbinsights.com/research

Dr. Kathleen Norton, obstetrician-gynecologist extraordinaire, joins Kayla and Sally to tell us what grad students need to know about women's health! She dispels contraceptive myths and gets real about HPV vaccines, Pap smears, and mammograms. Dr. Norton (Sally's mom, y'all) also discusses her work in hospitals in Kenya, early-career struggles, timing family and career, and dealing with difficult people in the workplace. There's something for everyone in this episode, even (especially?) if you don't have a vagina!

The fun never ends on Twitter @doubleshelixpod
Who should we interview next? Other thoughts? [email protected]
Thanks again to University of Pennsylvania Department of Bioengineering for supporting the production of this episode!