Discovery Dialogues

Why do Nashville’s food deserts line up so closely with its old redlining maps? Mandy Muise, a PhD candidate in anthropology, explores that question, and others, through fieldwork with local farmers, gardeners, and activists. She discusses her partnerships with the Nashville Food Project and the Growing Together farmers’ market. Mandy also shares her creative approach to funding, the campus resources that support her, and her advice for fighting isolation in graduate school. 
For more information about Discovery Dialogues and show notes from this episode, visit the Discovery Dialogues website.
Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.”

What happens when preventive care is available, but people don't trust it? That's the question driving Stacey Carter, PhD candidate in nursing science, whose research examines HPV vaccine hesitancy, health communication, and the gap between the educational materials parents receive and what they actually find useful. Drawing on her background as a nurse practitioner, Stacey discusses what she's learned about vaccine hesitancy through the process of sitting down and listening to concerned parents. She details her partnership with the American Cancer Society's HPV Roundtable to build an adaptable toolkit for Girl Scout troops to empower adolescents as community health leaders. She also reflects on mentorship, the Vanderbilt resources that shaped her work, and balancing a PhD with clinical practice and parenthood. 
For more information about Discovery Dialogues and show notes from this episode, visit the Discovery Dialogues website.
Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.

In this episode of Discovery Dialogues, Emily Harriott, PhD candidate in Neuroscience, and Harrison Parent, PhD candidate in Pharmacology, discuss how a chance meeting at a Vanderbilt research conference sparked an interdisciplinary collaboration funded by the Lacy-Fischer grant. Emily studies how brain structure, specifically white matter pathways, supports reading and academic achievement in children, while Harrison researches drug discovery for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Together, they've uncovered correlations between specific genetic variants, cognitive performance, and reading ability; bridging Harrison's molecular bench work with Emily's clinical and cognitive data. The two reflect on what they've learned from each other, the Vanderbilt resources that made the project possible, and the mentors and communities that have shaped their PhD journeys. 
For more information about Discovery Dialogues and show notes from this episode, visit the Discovery Dialogues website.
Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Michael Kim, recent PhD graduate in Computer Science, joins Discovery Dialogues to discuss his dissertation work building the informatics infrastructure needed to study white matter in the brain at a massive scale. He walks through the winding path to a first-author Nature publication, including an initial rejection, months of revisions, and the mentorship that shaped him as a scientist. Michael reflects on Vanderbilt's collaborative research culture, from proximity of collaborators to the resources that made his large-scale data analysis possible. He closes with advice for future trainees on pivoting and the importance of asking for help. 
For more information about Discovery Dialogues and show notes from this episode, visit the Discovery Dialogues website.
Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.

In this episode of Discovery Dialogues, Dr. Hannah Richards a recent graduate in the chemistry department and Vanderbilt’s first Schmidt Science Fellow, shares how a last-minute campus visit turned into a decision she "just knew" was right. She discusses her work as an electroanalytical chemist developing a sensor platform that detects inflammatory markers linked to preterm birth. Hannah discusses looking ahead to her Schmidt Fellowship, which will take her from the lab bench to the beach studying fungal infections in endangered leatherback sea turtles, and offers advice for trainees on believing in themselves, applying for every opportunity, and giving research the time it needs. 
For more information about Discovery Dialogues and show notes from this episode, visit the Discovery Dialogues website.
Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.

Season 2 of Discovery Dialogues launches September 1st!

In this episode of Discovery Dialogues, Dr. Heather Hartmann shares her journey from chemistry undergraduate to Vanderbilt graduate student and postdoctoral scholar, highlighting the experiences that shaped her career in biomedical research. She discusses her groundbreaking work on thyroid cancer biomarkers and the effects of PFAS “forever chemicals,” as well as her current research on drug metabolism and Cytochrome P450 enzymes. Heather also reflects on the transition from graduate student to postdoc, the importance of mentorship, and how Vanderbilt's collaborative research environment has helped her develop new skills and explore diverse career possibilities. Along the way, she offers practical advice for trainees about embracing uncertainty, seeking out new experiences, and finding the right fit in research and mentorship.

In this episode of Discovery Dialogues, neuroscience PhD candidate Soren Emerson shares how personal experiences and a passion for helping others led him to study addiction and brain function at Vanderbilt. He explores how cocaine changes the brain and how his research could uncover new paths for treating substance use disorders. Along the way, Soren reflects on the challenges, collaboration, and resilience that define life as a graduate researcher. 

Go beyond blueprints and into the human side of engineering as PhD candidate Joshua McDuffie explores how people make life-changing decisions in the face of disasters. From personal experiences with flooding to groundbreaking research on risk perception and trust, this episode reveals why the biggest challenges aren’t always technical—they’re human. It’s a powerful story of resilience, community, and discovering the impact you can make when you understand both systems and the people within them. 
For more information about Discovery Dialogues and show notes from this episode, visit the Discovery Dialogues website.
Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.
This podcast was recorded in Studio 608 at Vanderbilt University, with the assistance of JT Spangler. This podcast is produced by Anna Thomas, Nick Hyer, and Stacey Satchell in the Graduate School at Vanderbilt University, with audio editing by Ben Hill. The perspectives shared in this episode are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of Vanderbilt University.
Follow the Vanderbilt Graduate School on Social Media.

Step into the fascinating intersection of religion, politics, and mental health as PhD candidate Caleb Kobosh uncovers how “madness” was understood in early modern England. Through the gripping story of George Tross, this episode explores how personal crisis, faith, and identity collide—and what that reveals about how we still think about mental health today. It’s a thought-provoking conversation about research, resilience, and the courage to follow where curiosity leads. 
For more information about Discovery Dialogues and show notes from this episode, visit the Discovery Dialogues website.
Copyright 2026, Vanderbilt University.
This podcast was recorded in Studio 608 at Vanderbilt University, with the assistance of JT Spangler. This podcast is produced by Anna Thomas, Nick Hyer, and Stacey Satchell in the Graduate School at Vanderbilt University, with audio editing by Ben Hill. The perspectives shared in this episode are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of Vanderbilt University.
Follow the Vanderbilt Graduate School on Social Media.