New Matter: Inside the Minds of SLAS Scientists
The official Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) podcast explores advances in automation, cellular imaging, big data and what's coming in the spaces between traditional scientific disciplines. Guests often include members of SLAS along with innovators, leading experts and other members of the global scientific community to highlight technology and even career stories. Episodes are released every week and subscribe to New Matter - available on all podcast players.
New Matter: Inside the Minds of SLAS Scientists
From Stargazing to World Record Breaking | Career Trajectories with Rupert Dodkins, Ph.D.
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Our guest for this episode is ViQi Inc. AI Engineer and Data Scientist Rupert Dodkins, Ph.D., who shares his story on how a visit to the Jodrell Bank Observatory as a child inspired him to pursue a career in astrophysics before transitioning into the life sciences field. Also, Dodkins explains what it was like to achieve the Guinness world record for the most consecutive heelflips while he was still a Ph.D. student!
Key Learning Points:
- The criteria for selecting the best-fit institution for grad school
- The importance of setting a destination for your goals
- What goes into preparing for setting a new world record
About Rupert Dodkins, Ph.D.:
While Dodkins was completing his Ph.D. at the University of Oxford, and his postdoc at the University of California, Dodkins applied machine learning to exoplanet imaging with single-photon cryogenic-detectors. At ViQi, Inc, he develops machine learning algorithms for high-content virology assays. A unique accomplishment of Dodkins' is that he jointly owns the Guinness World Record for Most Skateboard Heelflips in One Minute.
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About SLAS:
SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) is an international professional society of academic, industry and government life sciences researchers and the developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. The SLAS mission is to bring together researchers in academia, industry and government to advance life sciences discovery and technology via education, knowledge exchange and global community building. For more information about SLAS, visit www.slas.org.
SLAS publishes two peer-reviewed
Upcoming Events:
SLAS Europe 2026 Conference and Exhibition (19-21 May 2026 | Vienna, Austria)
SLAS Meet-Ups
- Basel, Switzerland (30 April 2026)
- Chicago, Illinois (June 18, 2026)
- Leiden, Netherlands (10 September 2026)
- Tübingen, Germany (20 October 2026)
SLAS 2026 Sample Management Symposium (October 21-22, 2026 | South San Francisco, California)
SLAS2027 International Conference & Exhibition (January 30 - February 3, 2027 | San Diego, California)
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