Join us for this amazing collaboration between taste of science and Nerd Nite Silicon Valley! Hear directly from the scientists about their fun science at Tabard Theater!!

Meet our speakers!

Anand Rao

Neuroscientist, Stanford University

The Skeleton Key: Unlocking the mysteries of brain disease and injury

If I asked you to define what a skeleton is and why it is important, chances are you'd be able to give me the right answer! But did you know our cells also have a skeleton? Just like our bones, they provide support as cells grow and move. They can also become weak, break, and change over time. But we're discovering a much deeper role for the cytoskeleton (“cell skeleton”). One that can help us treat brain injury, disease, and even develop safer anesthetics that can be personalized!

Matt Gebbie

Postdoctoral researcher, Stanford University

What can growing diamonds teach us about nature?

Have you ever purchased a diamond as an 'investment'? How about growing one in the lab? Our research aims to understand the earliest stages of diamond growth to create new materials for next-generation quantum computers and biomedical devices. Along the way, we discovered insights that can be used to help understand natural processes, ranging from cloud formation to bone growth. 

Dr. Leonardo Tozzi

Postdoctoral researcher, Stanford University

Mapping brain connections to improve treatment of mental illness

Depression and anxiety affect over 400 million people globally and are leading causes of disability. At present, diagnoses of these disorders don’t take into account the biology of the brain and there is no way to predict if a treatment is going to be effective for an individual patient. In my research, I leverage data from the Human Connectome Project, a large effort to map connections between areas of the brain, to improve diagnosis and treatment of depression and anxiety.