In Season 1 of The Taproot, co-hosts Liz Haswell and Ivan Baxter dug beneath the surface of a manuscript to understand how scientific publications in plant biology are made. But manuscripts don’t include methods for managing people, maintaining a work/life balance, or staying motivated–yet these things are just as important to success in science.

This season we will be talking to five guests who have succeeded despite facing huge challenges–challenges like resisting the pressure to relocate, taking time off to raise a family, facing gender discrimination, recovering from big mistakes, and being targeted by anti-science activists.

We hope that listeners who might be struggling with these or any other challenges will realize that they are not alone. If things are hard, that doesn’t mean you’re not meant to be a scientist! In fact, few scientific careers have a smooth trajectory–we all experience turbulence at one time or another. Join us in Season 2 to listen to five honest, inspiring, and eye-opening stories behind the science.

How to listen, download and subscribe to The Taproot podcast

While you wait, be sure to listen to our previous Season.