Sausage of Science

About Sausage of Science

The Human Biology Association is a vibrant nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to supporting and disseminating innovative research and teaching on human biological variation in evolutionary, social, historical, and environmental context worldwide.

Publisher

Human Biology Association

Category

science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Dec 2017

Latest episode

6 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

295 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Jul 2026

   SoS 285: Female Reproductive Function and Fieldwork Adventures

   In this episode, hosts Cara and Anna talk with Dr. Virginia Vitzthum about novel findings in female reproductive functioning across populations, tell exciting fieldwork stories, and reflect on the changing nature of the field of Anthropology. Dr. Virginia Vitzthum is a professor emeritus in the Department of Anthropology at Indiana University. Currently, she is an Honorary Professor in the School of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver; Member of the Scientific Advisory Council at CeMCOR (Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research, UBC); and scientific advisor for Clue, a Germany-based menstrual tracking app. Her research focuses on women’s reproductive functioning and how it differs between individuals and across populations around the world. This work has direct implications for improving women’s health including reducing breast cancer, depression, autoimmune diseases, and other hormone related disorders; treating infertility and preventing early pregnancy loss; and developing more effective contraceptives with fewer side effects. Contact Virginia at dr.vj.vitzthum@gmail.com ------------------------------ Find the book chapter discussed in this episode: Chapter: How It Works: The Biological Mechanisms that Generate Demographic Diversity In Book: Burger, O., Lee, R., & Sear, R. (Eds.). (2024). Human evolutionary demography. Open Book Publishers. https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/items/3777a36c-41cf-4a57-a8ec-4c0cdf21f69b ------------------------------ Contact the Sausage of Science Podcast and the Human Biology Association: Facebook: facebook.com/groups/humanbiologyassociation/, Website: humbio.org Cara Ocobock, Co-Host, Website: sites.nd.edu/cara-ocobock/ Email: cocobock@nd.edu, Twitter: @CaraOcobock Anna Samsonov, Co-Host, Email: anna_samsonov1@baylor.edu Bluesky: @annasamsonov.bsky.social

2. 

   1 Jul 2026

   SoS 284: Dr. Amy Boddy Explains Microchimerism: How Much of You Is Actually You?

   Join us for a conversation with Dr. Amy Boddy, Professor of Anthropology at UC Santa Barbara and head of the Boddy Lab, a human evolutionary biologist whose work asks why cancer varies across the animal kingdom, how pregnancy reshapes the body, and what it means that nearly all of us carry living cells that originated in someone else. In this episode, Amy explains microchimerism, the phenomenon in which foreign cells can invade and persist in our bodies for decades, turning up in the blood, bone marrow, and pancreas; sometimes with a benefit. Amy makes the case that microchimeric cells deserve a central place in how we think about health and inheritance, and in what it means to be an individual when the boundaries of the body prove so porous. ------------------------------ Find the papers mentioned in this episode: Chua, K. J., Quilang, R. C., Sallinger, K., Aktipis, C. A., Arck, P., Bianchi, D. W., Chang, D., Eikmans, M., S Fjeldstad, H. E., Haig, D., Harrington, W. E., Horsnell, W., Jacobsen, D. P., Kanaan, S. B., Khosrotehrani, K., Lambert, N. C., Nelson, J. L., Olsen, M. B., Pan, T. D., . . . Boddy, A. M. (2025). Identifying Key Questions and Challenges in Microchimerism Biology. Advanced Science, 12(48), e14969. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202514969 Boddy, A. M., Fortunato, A., Sayres, M. W., & Aktipis, A. (2015). Fetal microchimerism and maternal health: A review and evolutionary analysis of cooperation and conflict beyond the womb. Bioessays, 37(10), 1106. https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.201500059 ------------------------------ Contact Dr. Boddy: boddy@anth.ucsb.edu ------------------------------ Contact the Sausage of Science Podcast and Human Biology Association: Facebook: facebook.com/groups/humanbiologyassociation/, Website: humbio.org Chris Lynn, Host Website: cdlynn.people.ua.edu, E-mail: cdlynn@ua.edu, Twitter:@Chris_Ly Cristina Gildee, Co-Host & Co-Producer Website: cristinagildee.com, E-mail: cgildee@uw.edu

3. 

   22 Jun 2026

   SoS 283: Non-academic Career Paths, Inflammation, and Ovarian Function with Dr. Anneliese Long

   In this episode, Chris and Mecca discuss the non-academic job search and career experience with Dr. Anneliese Long, as well as her work assessing the connections among inflammation and ovarian reserve biomarkers. Anneliese Long is an applied anthropologist with a background in studying the biological and sociocultural aspects of reproductive health and fertility. She completed her B.A. in anthropology at the University of South Florida, followed by her PhD in Biological Anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2025. She now works in the market research industry as a quantitative data analyst at OptiBrand Rx, where she helps bridge the gaps in knowledge between biotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations and healthcare practitioners. She also continues to teach and mentor students part-time in her home department at UNC-Chapel Hill. Contact Anneliese at anneliesemlong@gmail.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/annelieselong/ ------------------------------ Find the paper discussed in this episode: Inflammation and Ovarian Function in Reproductive-Aged Women https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajhb.24196 ------------------------------ Contact the Sausage of Science Podcast and the Human Biology Association: Facebook: facebook.com/groups/humanbiologyassociation/, Website: humbio.org Chris Lynn, Co-Host, Website: cdlynn.people.ua.edu/, E-mail: cdlynn@ua.edu Mecca E. Howe, Co-Host, E-mail: howemecca@gmail.com, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mecca-howe/

Who has been a guest on Sausage of Science

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Emily Barron
• Seth Dornisch
• Dr Pablo Nepomnaschy
• Christopher Bae
• Agustín Fuentes

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

324

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

19 ratings

Spotify

4.3 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 76 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

90

Social presence

0

YouTube

64

Engagement

90

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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