Richard Carpenter, PhD, has always been interested in science communication, but it was a series of chance meetings that led the cancer researcher to add Indiana Public Media podcast host to his resume.
Carpenter, an assistant professor of biochemistry, molecular biology and pharmacology on the Indiana University School of Medicine's Bloomington campus, routinely gives educational presentations to patients, survivors and community members.
"I want to build a bridge between what's going on in research and patient care, and it's important to explain both in a way that non-scientists can understand," said Carpenter, who is also a researcher with the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Last summer, Carpenter gave one such talk at the city of Bloomington's Survivor Summit, an annual community event that educates and celebrates cancer survivors and their support communities. An Indiana Public Media employee heard his presentation and recommended he tour the broadcast station.
He then met Indiana Public Media director of content Eric Bolstridge, who told Carpenter about a new podcast series, The State of Inquiry, which had recently featured an expert on artificial intelligence as its guest host. Eventually, the two hammered out the details of a six-episode entry for State of Inquiry called “Hope in Progress,” which would feature Carpenter interviewing his fellow IU cancer researchers.
"I've never done anything like this before," Carpenter said of podcasting, which he noted did not exist when he attended college. "I recruited some of the scientists whom I knew were good talkers, and we used the campus podcasting office."
The series began publishing weekly in January and wrapped up in February. Guests included Maegan L. Capitano, PhD, an assistant professor of microbiology and immunology who studies stem cells, leukemia and other bone marrow disorders, and Mateusz Opyrchal, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology and the Vera Bradley Foundation Scholar in Breast Cancer Discovery.
Carpenter's guests discuss specific aspects of their research, but the podcast also peels back the curtain on common scientific practices, such as starting a clinical trial.
"The goal of the whole series is to try and communicate the research we are doing in a digestible way," he said. "We take a complex topic and reframe it in a way for someone who might not understand science."
Carpenter said he appreciates his colleagues' willingness to participate, adding that IU’s collegial atmosphere is partly responsible for his decision to set up his lab in Bloomington in 2017.
"There's just a huge support system at IU for cancer researchers," Carpenter said. "My department is set up well for research, and interaction between labs and faculty is easy and comfortable, which is not always the case."
Carpenter's own research is not featured on Hope in Progress. He studies how cells respond to stressors and how those responses can make tumor cells more aggressive and dangerous. He holds a National Institutes of Health grant for a project that looks to block these stress response pathways, which may make breast cancer tumor cells more responsive to treatment.
However, a planned follow-up podcast series from Indiana Public Media will feature Carpenter as a guest. He will be highlighted as an expert on cancer research, while nine other episodes will discuss alternating medical disciplines such as cardiology.
Check out all six episodes of Hope in Progress:
