Episode 35: Dr. Corrado Nai

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Corrado Nai,  a science writer working as a freelancer, currently based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Corrado’s dissertation research focused on microbiology, specifically on a special type of fungi that can live in the desert, called black fungi. His work now focuses on creating a graphic novel about the forgotten woman who introduced agar to the laboratory, Fanny Angelina Hesse, which he hopes will be published in 2026. Here, Corrado recounts his experience starting in one PhD program and switching to a different one, and how that impacted his future career path as well as his views on science culture as a whole. However, despite the challenges, Corrado learned how to have a long-term perspective on work and life, and the importance of exploring your options in graduate school. Let’s listen!

• Transcript: Here
• Scientist Info: Corrado Nai
  • Patreon: www.patreon.com/corradonai 
• Fail-Safe Science Repository: https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe 
• International Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (MHA): https://www.ispmha.com/ 
• Mental Health Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing
• Land Acknowledgement Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0