Welcome to  Living Biology - the SEB Podcast

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The SEB Podcast brings you closer to the people behind experimental biology. Through engaging conversations with researchers, early-career scientists, and experts across the field, each episode explores the discoveries, challenges, and career journeys shaping modern biology.

From plant biology and animal physiology to emerging technologies and experimental approaches, the podcast highlights the human side of science and the diverse paths that lead people into research.

Whether you are a student, early-career researcher, or established scientist, the SEB Podcast aims to inspire, inform, and connect the experimental biology community.

 

Latest Episodes

We are excited to share our first two episodes, now available to listen here:

SEB Podcast - Episode 1

  • Episode 1: Dyslexia, Autism and a PhD - with Declan Perry

    In this episode of Living Biology, Poppy speaks with plant scientist Declan Perry about his journey through education as someone with severe dyslexia and autism. Declan reflects on the challenges he faced growing up, the teachers and mentors who helped him succeed, and how his neurodivergence has shaped his approach to scientific research.

    Declan explains his PhD research at Royal Holloway, University of London, into chloroplast development in plants, why photosynthesis remains a fascinating scientific puzzle, and how understanding it could help improve crop productivity in the future.

SEB Podcast - Episode 2

  • Episode 2: Emails from Sea Turtles - With Lucy Hawkes

    In this episode of Living Biology, Poppy speaks with physiological ecologist Dr Lucy Hawkes about a career driven by curiosity, adventure, and enthusiasm for the natural world. Lucy reflects on how a chance essay about sea turtles sparked an unexpected path into science, leading her from early fieldwork in North Carolina to tracking some of the ocean and sky’s most extraordinary travellers.

    She also explores how advances in biologging have opened up a hidden world of animal behaviour, from migration routes and deep-sea journeys to breaching basking sharks and tuna evading killer whales. Along the way, she shares stories from the field that highlight both the chaos and wonder of working with wild animals, and explains how these discoveries are helping to reshape conservation and our understanding of life on the move.

 

Stay tuned

New episodes will be released regularly, featuring researchers from across the global SEB community. Subscribe and follow along as we continue to explore the people and ideas driving experimental biology forward.

Interviewer and Editor:

Poppy Lambert Poppy Lambert

Podcast Interviewer

Poppy studied Biological Sciences for her undergraduate degree and later moved into the field of Comparative Cognition for a PhD, studying for a MSc in Science Communication along the way. This is when she fell in love with the medium of radio and podcasts. She is drawn to opportunity they offer of connection, and the ability to immerse oneself in someone else’s world for a brief time. Poppy is incredibly excited to be interviewing experimental biologists for the Living Biology podcast and looks forward to learning about guests’ research, motivations, challenges and sources of joy in their work – and, most of all, to sharing these conversations with the listeners!

 

Sam Stemp Sam Stemp

Podcast Editor

Sam studied Biomedical Sciences for his undergraduate degree, during which he discovered a passion for science communication. This led him to pursue an MSc in the subject at UCL, where he developed a particular interest in the relationship between science and the media, as well as the power of personal stories to bring research to life. He’s especially drawn to science communication that highlights the personality and passion of the researchers behind the work. Through the SEB podcast, Sam hopes to help uncover the human side of experimental biology and share the stories that make the science memorable.

Suggest a guest:

The SEB podcast will explore the stories and experiences of people working in experimental biology and related careers.

Do you have a story to share or something you wish someone had told you earlier in your career? This could be a story about overcoming a challenge, an unusual or non-traditional career path (e.g. starting a PhD later in life or after a career break), facing prejudice or adversity, or something meaningful you do outside your day-to-day work, like outreach, citizen science or diversity and inclusion work.

If you'd like to be considered as a guest for the SEB podcast, please complete the form below or fill out the details of the person you want to nominate (members and non-members are welcomed!):

Be Aware! Unfortunately, we’re not able to produce a podcast with every person who expresses interest. However, if your story doesn't happen to be a good fit for this series, we may be in touch in future years if your story is a good fit for another series. We also encourage SEB members to contact Ben at [email protected] about featuring your story in the SEB Magazine's ‘Member Spotlight’ area.

Contact us:

Contact Ben Danois, SEB Communications Manager, at [email protected]