Kiki Sanford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kirsten H. Sanford
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Sanford in 2016 on This Week in Science
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| Born | 1974/1975 (age 50–51) Santa Rosa, California, U.S.
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| Other names | Dr. Kiki |
| Education | University of California, Davis (BS, PhD) |
| Known for | This Week in Science podcast |
Kirsten "Kiki" Sanford is an American scientist who studies the brain (a neurophysiologist). She also loves to share science with others (a science communicator). She used to be a research scientist at the University of California, Davis. But she decided to focus on sharing science with everyone instead. She has made many audio and video shows. These include the This Week in Science radio show and podcast, and Dr. Kiki's Science Hour, where she talks to science experts.
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About Kiki Sanford
Sanford was born in Santa Rosa, California. She grew up near Stockton, California. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in conservation biology. She also has a PhD in a type of biology that looks at how living things work. Both degrees are from U.C. Davis. She is an expert in how we learn and remember things.
While in graduate school, she didn't like the rules and paperwork in academic research. So, she decided to change her career path. She wanted to move from doing research to sharing science. Sanford also has a black belt in taekwondo. She says martial arts helped her relax when research was tough.
Sharing Science with Everyone
Sanford is known as "Dr. Kiki." She creates and appears in many science education programs. She explains her work this way: "My goal is to help people who might not love science see how fun it can be." She wants to show everyone that science is interesting.
This Week in Science
Sanford is the host and editor of the This Week in Science radio show and podcast. She started this show in 1999. This Week in Science is a weekly program. It used to be streamed live from the This Week in Tech Network. Then it was replayed on U.C. Davis' KDVS radio station.
Now, This Week in Science records live every Wednesday night. They use a tool called Hangouts on Air. These shows are streamed live on both YouTube and the This Week in Science website.
Other Science Shows
In late 2007, Sanford started working on more projects. She starred in a popular series called Food Science. This show explored the science behind cooking. It also featured fun at-home experiments using food.
In 2008, she began co-hosting PopSiren for Revision3. PopSiren aimed to offer a "feminine perspective" on pop culture and technology.
In May 2008, Sanford and other scientists created a pilot for a TV show. It was called The Skeptologists. The idea was that people claiming to be experts in pseudoscience would present their ideas. Then, the team would investigate these claims.
On April 30, 2009, Dr. Kiki's Science Hour began broadcasting on TWiT.tv. This show was recorded live and later became a podcast. Guests included scientists, skeptics, and science communicators. Famous guests included astronomer Phil Plait and neurologist Steven Novella. The last episode aired on June 29, 2012.
While at TWiT, she also co-hosted Green Tech Today. This show was about environmentally friendly technology. She also hosted Science News Weekly, a short five-minute show. Sanford has also produced and hosted segments for Brink. This is a science program on The Science Channel.
In February 2015, Sanford started a new company called Broader Impacts. This company helps researchers and scientists communicate better. It creates videos and manages social media outreach for them.
Awards and Recognition
In 2005, Sanford received an award for her work. It was the American Association for the Advancement of Science Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship. This award recognized her work with her radio show This Week in Science. Through this fellowship, she worked as a TV news producer. She was at WNBC News in New York City. She worked alongside a well-known health and science reporter, Max Gomez.
