Make People Better Podcast

Science fiction is becoming science fact. In 2018, the team behind this podcast uncovered that a Chinese scientist, Jiankui He (nicknamed “JK”), was creating the world’s first genetically enhanced babies. The experiment opened the door to what may become a commercial market for "designer babies" and for governments to enhance entire populations. In the controversy that followed, the Chinese government disappeared JK and later sentenced him to three years in prison. Dr. He is now out of prison and has started a new genetic engineering company. He sits down with us in our first episode to discuss his plans. But the story does not stop there. In recent years, gene editing has exploded into a technological revolution that is poised to transform society and redefine what it means to be human. In this 7-part podcast series, we investigate the race to unlock age reversal and immortality in humans, new tools that can re-engineer entire species of animals and plants in nature, the inevitability of bioterrorists creating synthetic viruses, an underground movement of do-it-yourself biohackers who are setting up labs in their garages, how pop culture has informed the genomic revolution, and much more. This podcast was funded by the RandomGood Foundation and was produced by Rhumbline Media, LLC.

Host

Samira Kiani

Samira is a genetic engineer, science communicator, and multimedia producer. An artist at heart, her work is dedicated to fostering science that is soulful, self-aware, human-centered, and informed by the collective wisdom of society. Kiani is an associate professor of pathology and bioengineering at University of Pittsburgh, where her research is focused on improving the safety of CRISPR gene editing technology for the treatment of disease. She started working in the area of genetic engineering in 2010 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and started her own research lab at Arizona State University in 2016. She is the recipient of a number of grants from National Institute of Health and DARPA, and has served as a Leshner Leadership Fellow at the AAAS’s Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology. Her work increasingly extends beyond the laboratory, with a podcast, virtual reality experiences, and theatrical productions in the works.