How'd You Think of That? with Temple Grandin

How do the unique ways that every person thinks affect the work they do - especially in STEM fields? How do we create an education and early career system that recognizes and takes advantage of every individual’s skill set, experiences, and perspective? In a new podasct series "How’d You Think Of That? with Temple Grandin", we delve into these questions with STEM professionals and learn about their important work and the benefit of a multifaceted approach to STEM education. This podcast is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1745674.

Co-host

Erik Jorgensen

Dr. Erik Jorgensen is a professor of Biology at the University of Utah, as well as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. Dr. Jorgensen studies how the human brain works on a molecular level, using a microscopic worm called C. elegans as the model. The synapses in worms work similarly, and use many of the same genes, as in other organisms - including humans. In one study published in the journal Neuron in 2012, Jorgensen and one of his students, Jaimie White, were able to essentially "flip" the switch of synapses in the brains of female worms to make them sexually attracted to other females.