Today we are joined by a fellow Rutgers alumnus, David Calianese. He recently completed a post-doc at Osaka University in Japan and is now starting a new lab at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. David’s new lab will study the process of programmed cell death and its influence on the immune system, specifically as relates to cancer. The link between cell death and the immune system lies within particular enzyme-receptor interactions, and understanding these linkages and pathways more deeply will help to develop novel therapeutics and targets for cancer treatments. This is one short-term goal David envisions for his lab. Moving across the world from the US to Japan for his post-doc and then back to the US for a new position, was a big transition for David, filled with ups and downs, but in the end he was able to land a job he really wanted. Even though David is now miles away from the friendships (personal and professional) he built in Japan, he is very optimistic about keeping the connections he made abroad. As he sees it, “science is what unites the world,” because ultimately his research is going to help people he will never meet, and in a way that connects us all. Looking back at his first months as an assistant professor, David really enjoys the freedom of his new role and mentoring young students. It truly brings him excitement every single day. Some daily challenges he encounters as a new assistant professor come in two flavors–teaching and research. With his very limited teaching experience, David has to find ways of distilling complex topics appropriately for an undergraduate audience. And with working in a research environment, just setting up a lab can be tricky–where do you put new equipment? How do you organize the lab space and keep it functional? Despite these minor setbacks, David still has wonderful advice for anyone interested in a similar career path–find what you love and make it your life’s work. Hear more about David’s work on the podcast!        

Check out the latest episode on the website: https://welovesciencepodcast.com 


Tune into this episode to hear David’s perspective on:

  • The application process in going from post-doc to assistant professor 
  • How to find the right support in becoming a new PI (primary investigator)
  • Star Trek; yes, Star Trek (Trekkies, this one’s for y’all) 


Reach out to David on:


If you enjoyed this episode, also listen to:

Ep 26: From Post doc to Assistant Professor - The Work

Ep 13: Estrogen Heals Both Sexes - The Work

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Music from Pixabay: Future Artificial Intelligence Technology 130 by TimMoor
Music from https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes: Hotshot by ScottHolmesMusic 

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