Under the Microscope with Scintica
All about Science, Scientists & Their Research
Kristine Deleon - Pennell, PhD
Dr. DeLeon-Pennell was trained in cardiovascular sciences at Baylor University, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She has >10 years’ experience with all aspects of the inflammatory and fibrotic components of cardiac remodeling following a heart attack. Her current research projects focus on the role of the adaptive immune system and how it interplay with the innate immune system to regulate cardiac wound healing.
Kristine Deleon - Pennell, PhD
Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)
Anand Narayanan , PhD
Dr. Anand Narayanan has an interdisciplinary background in engineering, biology, and physiology, with specialized training in cardiovascular sciences, in lymphatics while at Texas A&M University and in heart and blood vascular adaptations now at Florida State University, having also studied cardiovascular-coupled organ system adaptations including cerebral, musculoskeletal, and gastrointestinal physiology. He has more than 10 years of physiology and immunology experience.
Anand Narayanan , PhD
NASA Space Biology Postdoctoral Fellow, Florida State University
Bruce Arthur Young , PhD
Dr. Young's current research area is the neurobiology and biophysics of sensory systems, and particularly audition, in reptiles. Audition in this group is remarkably diverse, including: pressure-coupled tympani in some taxa; tympanic and non-tympanic ears; elaborate stapedial dampening systems; separate low-frequency and high-frequency auditory pathways; as well as integration with pressure and/or vibration detection systems.
A second area of research is the neurobiology of venom secretion, storage, and activation.
Bruce Arthur Young , PhD
Professor of Anatomy Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
Erik Blackwood , PhD
Dr. Erik Blackwood is currently a researcher at the University of Arizona, in the College of Medicine. Erik earned his PhD under Dr. Chris Glembotski at the San Diego State University Heart Institute, after completing his bachelor’s degree at the University of Notre Dame. Throughout his career, Erik’s research has focused on unlocking the therapeutic potential of various targets on pathological cardiovascular remodeling.
Erik Blackwood , PhD
Faculty in Training, Translational Cardiovascular Research Center
University of Arizona, College of Medicine Phoenix
Kara Wendel, PhD
Dr. Kara Wendel is a product manager at Scintica Instrumentation, she specializes in the Aspect M-Series compact MRI. Kara received her Ph.D. from UC Irvine where she studied how early life experiences shape brain circuits.
During her Ph.D., she utilized MRI and viral tracing to map circuits within animal models. She followed her passion for science and cutting-edge technology by joining Scintica Instrumentation where she now works closely with researchers to implement and optimize the use of MRI in laboratories.
Kara Wendel, PhD
Product Manager at Scintica
James E. Trosko, PhD
Dr. James Trosko received his Ph.D. in radiation genetics. Later, Dr. Trosko issued the first paper showing that normal human cells could repair their UV-damaged DNA. He was highlighted on the cover of Cancer Research as one of the researchers who linked gap junctions to the carcinogenesis process.
James E. Trosko, PhD
Department of Pediatrics & Human Development
Ben Rush, PhD
Dr. Ben Rush attended Indiana University Bloomington for his undergrad and masters in public health, where he served as a graduate student researcher. He served two years with the American corps as a personal chef. He later returned to graduate school to obtain his Ph.D. in nutritional sciences where he studied how various body composition and bio-imaging methods can capture muscle quality with the goal to use those methods in lung cancer and aging intervention.
Ben Rush, PhD
Founder of the Deeper than Data Podcast
Jevin Lortie, PhD
Dr. Jevin Lortie is currently conducting post-doctoral research at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in the Nutritional Sciences Department. He grew up in the Chicago, Illinois area. He was first introduced to science by experimenting with cooking and baking. His current research involves muscle imaging, gut microbiome, and heart failure.
Jevin Lortie, PhD
Post-doctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin
Savita Dhanvantari, PhD
Dr. Savita Dhanvantari received her Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Toronto. She carried out her post-doctoral studies at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD under the supervision of Dr. Y. Peng Loh.
In 2002, she joined the Lawson Health Research Institute where she is a scientist in both the Metabolism and Diabetes Program and the Imaging Program. She is also an Assistant Professor at the University of Western Ontario, and cross-appointed to the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
Savita Dhanvantari, PhD
Assistant Professor at the University of Western Ontario
Terry Jordan
Terry Jordan was born in Wisconsin USA. He graduated from high school in 1967 and went into the army for two years in 1969 during the Vietnam Era. He then lived a vagabond life for ten years until joining the Navy where he stayed until he retired. Terry has survived throat cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma. At the age of 74, he became a songwriter who wrote 12 songs, including on that was submitted for a Grammy nomination in the category of Best Song for Social Change.
Terry Jordan
Iran-Iraq War Veteran
Three-Time Cancer Survivor
Songwriter & Storyteller
Dr. Krista Rantanen
Host Allison Lambert interviews Dr. Krista Rantanen (Baker) about the often-overlooked role of oxygen levels in biomedical research. Most labs culture cells at atmospheric oxygen (~21%), but human tissues typically experience much lower oxygen concentrations. This mismatch can significantly affect results in areas like cancer biology, stem cell research, and regenerative medicine.
Krista Rantanen, PhD
Director of Scientific Applications at Baker
Science Highlights
Doppler Flow Velocity System
Past Webinars
(April 9th, 2026) Webinar: Driving NAMs-Aligned Preclinical Research with the Newton 7.0 Optical Imaging Systems
(March 12, 2026) Webinar: Preclinical Imaging of Multiple Myeloma Bone Disease by Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA)
(February 25, 2026) Webinar: How to Optimize Your Western Blot Workflow and Choose Between Epi-Fluorescence vs. Chemiluminescence
(February 12, 2026) Webinar: Sharper Images, Stronger Studies- Optimizing Your Preclinical Ultrasound Techniques
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Dive deeper into the microscope with Scintica
Scintica Morning Coffee Chat Episode 2: FAQ – Installing & Operating the iNSiGHT DXA System
https://youtu.be/KfbEW_b5Gpg?si=2xXwoxw-DuGtjq77 In this episode of Scintica Morning Coffee Chat, we examine the technical and operational requirements
(April 9th, 2026) Webinar: Driving NAMs-Aligned Preclinical Research with the Newton 7.0 Optical Imaging Systems
(April 9th, 2026) Webinar: Driving NAMs-Aligned Preclinical Research with the Newton 7.0 Optical
Publication Highlight: Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism prevents coronary microvascular dysfunction in intermittent hypoxia independent of blood pressure
Publication Highlight: Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism prevents Coronary microvascular dysfunction in intermittent hypoxia independent
Publication Highlight: Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Mediates Bradyarrhythmia in Leigh Syndrome Mitochondrial Disease Mice
Publication Highlight: Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Mediates Bradyarrhythmia in Leigh Syndrome Mitochondrial Disease Mice
Scintica and KA Imaging Announce New Partnership to Expand Access to Advanced X-ray Imaging Solutions for Preclinical Research
London, Ontario and Waterloo, Ontario – March 26, 2026 -Scintica is pleased to
Publication Highlight: T Cell-specific Non-viral DNA Delivery & In Vivo CAR-T Generation Using Targeted Lipid Nanoparticles
Publication Highlight: A Targeted Lipid Nanoparticle Platform for T Cell-Specific Non-Viral DNA Delivery