#181 DNA Experiments with Stephanie Ryan

DNA Today: A Genetics Podcast

To celebrate DNA Day we are joined by Dr. Stephanie Ryan! In this podcast episode, Dr. Ryan discusses science education and communication, especially making science understandable for kids.

To keep the celebrations going we will be co-hosting a virtual event on DNA Day itself, Monday, April 25th at 6pmET! During this special DNA Day event we will do a live DNA experiment with Dr. Stephanie Ryan. You can follow along at home to do the experiment with us! You can register for the event here.

Stephanie Ryan, Ph.D. is a chemist, boy mom, and a social media influencer who enjoys using her background in academia to create educational products and content, helping young kids learn through play about the fascinating world around them. Over the years, Dr. Ryan has taught science to all age groups, both in and out of the classroom, helping toddlers learn about their world and college students define theirs. She is an active member of the chemistry education community and is currently a committee member of the International Activities Committee for the Division of Chemical Education. Ryan earned her Ph.D. in the Learning Sciences and her M.S. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry from Saint Mary’s College.

On This Episode We Discuss:

Thoughts on correcting kids if they have an incorrect understanding

What to do if kids ask questions that we don’t know how to answer

Recommended resources for parents/caregivers to foster scientific curiosity in their children from a young age

The recommended age kids should start learning about STEM concepts

The inspiration behind Dr. Ryan’s book, “Lets Learn About Chemistry”

Advice for being a science communicator, especially on social media

Want a free copy of “Lets Learn About Chemistry”? Head over to our social media to enter our giveaway! Search “DNA Today” on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

For great learning activities in the sciences, book recommendations, and more, follow Dr. Ryan on Instagram and visit her website letslearnaboutscience.com.

Also don’t forget to mark your calendar for Monday, April 25th. It’s DNA Day! At 6pmET we will be co-hosting a virtual event with Dr. Ryan. She will be our guide for doing these at-home DNA experiments together! Register here.

Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on April 29, 2022, where we’ll be discussing the completion of the human genome with Dr. Eric Green, Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)! New episodes are released on Fridays. In the meantime, you can binge over 180 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video on our YouTube channel.

DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli.

See what else we are up to on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNApodcast.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to [e-mail].

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If you enjoy DNA Today, especially Episode 139 with Dani Shapiro who discovered she was donor conceived, then you’ll also enjoy more shocking discoveries from DNA testing in a new podcast I love, BioHacked: Family Secrets. It’s a brand new podcast all about hidden ancestry, medicine, and technology. The show follows the children of anonymous sperm and egg donors — some with dozens or hundreds of half-siblings — who accidentally learn the truth because of commercial DNA kits like 23andMe. The podcast drops some bombshells...and shows how new technology is unraveling the deep, dark secrets of the baby business. Along with scandalous personal stories, BioHacked: Family Secrets also reveals unexpected ethical, scientific, and political questions. It’s a vital listen for anyone who loves wild stories about science, tech, and history...or even just messy family drama. You can find BioHacked: Family Secrets...wherever you’re listening right now. New episodes drop every Wednesday.

The Big Biology podcast dives deep on some of the most provocative and exciting topics in biology today, in a fun and accessible way. In each episode, hosts Art Woods and Marty Martin, biology professors themselves, talk to leading scientists and journalists from around the world about the biggest, most cutting-edge topics in biology. From human consciousness, human origins, new directions in evolutionary theory, to the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases like COVID-19, and much more! Whether you are a researcher, teacher, student or simply curious about science and biology you’ll love the entertaining and deep conversations about biology and the exposure to new research they bring. Learn more at BigBiology.org, and subscribe, rate and review on, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever else you get your podcasts.