Science, Stand-Up, & Song

Science, Stand-Up, & Song is an educational initiative founded by Dr. Marissa Lithopoulos to bridge the gap between scientists and the public.

The show includes a brilliant scientific panel & hilarious comedians. Marissa also provides musical performances of her original science songs along the way!

Operations are expertly carried out by Andrew Johnston. There is also a team of wonderful volunteers who help with each show!

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Previous Scientific Panels

-Dr. Anna Blakney is an Assistant Professor at UBC focused on translating RNA delivery technologies to the clinic. Dr. Blakney is also a science communication expert (some may say a TikTok superstar).

-Dr. Annie Ciernia is an Assistant Professor at UBC focused on gaining a better understanding of modications made to DNA within different brain cell types. Dr. Ciernia is also a key UBC advocate for equity, diversity, & inclusion. (Fun fact: Dr. Ciernia studies one of the coolest cell types - microglia - immune cells found in the brain).

-Dr. Nicholas Weilinger is Chief Scientific Officer & Co-Founder of CereCura Nanotherapeutics. Dr. Weilinger will provide us with industry perspective on some of the important challenges facing science today.

-Dr. Shernaz Bamji is the Co-Director of the Djavad Mowafaghian Center for Brain Health & a founding member of the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) at UBC. Dr. Bamji is helping us to understand and potentially treat neurodegenerative disorders.

-Carie-Ann Hancock, P.Geo., is passionate about geology, landslides, and floods in BC. You can often find her staring at the mountains, wondering how the rocks got to the bottom of the slope, and how they might affect houses, roads, and other things we care about.

-Dr. Nika Shakiba is an Assistant Professor in the SBME at UBC focused on understanding cell competition to develop new engineered cell therapies. Nika is also the Co-Founder of the Advice to a Scientist Initiative.

-Dr. Chana Davis is a Medical Scientist at Gilead Sciences where she connects healthcare professionals to the latest updates on cancer research and treatments. Dr. Davis is a passionate science communicator, as the Founder of Fueled by Science and a Contributing Writer with Those Nerdy Girls.

-Dr. David Ng is a geneticist and the Associate Director of the Michael Smith Laboratories, where he supervises the Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory. He is a remarkable leader in science education, with a special talent for combining art with science.

-Dr. Adriana Suarez-Gonzalez is a Senior Science and Technology Advisor at 10X Genomics, a company at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, allowing for the study of large datasets of cells at a single cell resolution. Dr. Suarez-Gonzalez provides essential guidance and support to scientists across many disciplines of biology.

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-Dr. Freda Miller is a neurobiologist and the Deputy Director of the UBC Michael Smith Laboratories. She is a pioneer in the stem cell field, discovering that our skin contains stem cells that are capable of repairing damaged tissue. Freda's impressive scientific contributions were recently recognized in Calgary, with the naming of the "Dr. Freda Miller" public school.

-Dr. Nika Shakiba is a systems and synthetic biology expert. She is an Assistant Professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) at UBC. Utilizing her bioengineering background, her work focuses on understanding cell competition to develop new engineered stem cell therapies.

-Dr. Peter Zandstra is the Founding Director of the UBC SBME, as well as the Co-Founder of Excellthera Therapeutics, Notch Therapeutics, and the Centre for the Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine. He is a world-class stem cell bioengineer, whose research focuses on understanding how to leverage stem cells to design new therapeutic technology.