YouTube version:
Audio version:
Hey everybody! Episode 96 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza. Rosa is a Peruvian-born and USA/Peru-based chemical biologist, storyteller, conservationist, National Geographic Explorer, and artist. It was a pleasure for me to have Rosa on and talk about her ongoing work in the Peruvian Amazon mapping the microbial life of the boiling river near the jungle city of Pucalpa. I think this is really fascinating work as the microbes that can live in such extreme conditions potentially may give rise to a better understanding of life, lead to new medicines, and help to bring balance to the climate, all issues that Rosa spoke about. Rosa is doing really good work and I think you will gain a lot from her insight and wisdom. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!
YouTube: bit.ly/YT-UW
Apple : bit.ly/Appl-UW
Spotify: bit.ly/Spot-UW
Google: bit.ly/Ggl-UW
Amazon: bit.ly/Amzn-UW
“Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza is a chemical biologist, storyteller, conservationist, National Geographic Explorer, educator, and award-winning artist. Of Peruvian-Andean and Amazonian descent, Rosa grew up learning about traditional medicine from her grandmother in their backyard’s "natural pharmacy". Inspired to dive deeper, she went onto discovering new antibiotics and green chemistry tools during her PhD. Today, Rosa travels to the most extreme environments in the planet from the Amazon Rainforest to Yellowstone’s acidic, boiling waters searching for the tiniest creatures, from microbes to stingless bees, to create big changes in the world.
With her scientific-based explorative nature, Rosa is an avid communicator that connects the micro-to-macro worlds to nourish our appreciation for biodiversity in all its magnitudes. She also advocates for scientific exploration of untapped ecosystems, living more sustainably as organizations and individuals, conservation of fragile ecosystems, diversity in STEAM, equal access to education and scientist-artist collaborations.
As a researcher, Rosa focuses on deciphering the chemical and genetic diversity of our planet to facilitate the discovery of new medicines, bioremediation tools, and biotechnological solutions in collaboration with local experts. She works closely with communities to use science to empower their economies in sustainable and ethical manners.
During her Ph.D. at University of Michigan and under the mentorship of Dr. David H. Sherman and John Montgomery, Rosa created MicroAmazon, a project that explores the micro-world of the Amazon in collaboration with local experts. Currently, she investigates the Peruvian Boiling River and its heat-loving microbes, and Amazonian stingless bees and their medicinal honey.
As a scientist and award-winning artist, Rosa is driven by curiosity and the adventure of guiding others into discovering and learning about the planet through creative thinking. She collaborates closely with educators to integrate hands-on scientific exploration and conservation into the classroom.
Rosa is a compelling storyteller and has participated in international campaigns with National Geographic & Disney on the recycling of common plastics, sustainability in the beauty industry, and the power of water in science. She also appears as an expert narrator in “Secrets in the Jungle”, a new show with the Science Channel. Rosa is the recipient of the 2020 American Chemical Society CAS Leadership Award, which recognizes outstanding PhD students and postdoctorate fellow that demonstrate promise as leaders in their fields. Her research has been featured in ABC Studios Tamron Hall, Science Friday “20 Top Stories of 2020”, National Association of Science Writers, ASBMB, National Geographic Magazine and Andina Perú.”
To learn more about or contact Rosa, visit her website at: https://www.rosavespinoza.com/
If you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth. If you’re watching on YouTube if you could take a second and Subscribe to the channel and Like the video and if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, Follow the show and leave a starred rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!
My colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) and I are guiding plant dietas in the Sacred Valley of Peru October 14-31, November 14-30, and the month of February 2023. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at:
https://www.NicotianaRustica.org
If you are able to and would like to donate to the show to help out with new content that would be deeply appreciated. For just a few dollars a month you can subscribe through Patreon and it gives you some really nice added benefits like early access to shows, bonus episodes, and a chance to ask personalized questions.
Integration/Consultation call: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.com
Patreon: https://patreon.com/UniverseWithin
YouTube join & perks: https://bit.ly/YTPerks
PayPal donation: https://paypal.me/jasongrechanik
Website: https://jasongrechanik.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/JasonGrechanik
Facebook: https://facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcast
Music courtesy of: Nuno Moreno (end song). Visit: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/ And Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project (intro song). Visit: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H
And please leave any questions or comments in the comment section or email at:
https://www.UniverseWithinPodcast.com
Thanks and until the next episode!