Talks

Visit Imnovate Consulting for more information on past talks and bookings. 

Dr. Madden’s 2017 TED Talk

What people are saying… 

“Thanks again for your wonderful seminar and teaching us about the mostly hidden world.”

– TED workshop attendee 2018

“Loved your talk today here at TED. Brilliant work and storytelling.” – TED attendee 2017

“Your keynote was excellent. Working with undergraduates, it’s sometimes a challenge to get them to see the bigger picture. All of my students were talking about your talk on the way home and how much they enjoyed it. It was also helpful for them to see your path…. such a cool story.”  – NEMPET attendee 2019

“Loved your talk today here at TED. Brilliant work and storytelling.” – TED attendee 2017

Past Events (selected)

---

GENERAL PUBLIC & INDUSTRY

---

• 2025 Pink Boots Society Conference (Association for Women in the Brewing Industry), Virtual Event, Title: “Wasp beer: a case study”
• 2025 New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA, Invited Talk, Title: “Challenging assumptions: the case study of wasp yeast beer and the opportunity for future microbial discovery”
• 2024 Craft Brewers Conference, Las Vegas, NV, Title: “Brewing the perfect sour beer”
  • US’s largest gathering for the beverage alcohol industry
• 2023 Conference on Sport and Science, Royal Institute of Sports, Rabat, Morocco, Invited Talk, Title: “The future of sports will be microbial”
• 2021 New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA, Virtual Event, Invited Talk, Title: “The value of science communication (including science art projects) to scientists: Using evidence-based models for effective science communication, outreach, and engagement”
• 2020 North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Lunchtime Discovery Talk, Invited Talk, Virtual Event, Title: “Exploring the biological cosmos: hunting for the wild microbes that make our lives longer, better, and more sustainable”
• 2020 University of Tasmania, Fermentation Fest Conference, Virtual Event, Invited Talk, Title: “Researching the microbial cosmos”
• 2020 Synbiobeta Industry Conference, Virtual Event, Invited Panelist, Session Title: “How the (lab-grown) sausage is made: the media, synthetic biology, and how the story will be told”
  • World’s leading synthetic biology conference
• 2020 American Society for Microbiology Exploring Microbiology Event at the Field Museum, Chicago, IL, Invited Presenter. Event canceled due to Covid-19
• 2019 DefCon Biohacking Village, Invited Talk, Las Vegas, NV, Title: “Wasp beer: hacking nature’s pipeline for better beer”
  • World’s largest hacker conference
• 2019 TED SUMMIT Conference, Community Theater Talk, Edinburgh, Scotland, Invited Talk, Title: “Using hats as innovative science communication tools”
• 2018 TED Sessions, TED @ Dupont (TechCon), Invited Talk, Wilmington, DE, Title: “Meet the microscopic life in your home… and on your face”
• 2018 TEDxGateway Conference, Invited Talk, Mumbai, India, Title: “Mysteries of the microbial world” Link.
  • Audience: >5.5K live, 4.3K views online
• 2018 The Year of the X Technology Conference, Invited Talk, Munich, Germany, Title: “The food microbiome”
• 2018 Food Fest at the Bell Museum, Minneapolis, MN, Invited Keynote, Title: “The future of flavor”
• 2018 Indigo Ag, Invited Talk, Boston, MA, Title: “How the microorganisms around us can transform our world”
• 2017 TED Conference, Mainstage Speaker, Invited Talk, Vancouver, BC, Title: “Meet the microscopic life in your home… and on your face” Link.
  • Audience: >1K live, >1.7M views online
• 2017 Johnson and Wales University International Bread Symposium: The Future of Bread, Invited Talk, Charlotte, NC, Title: “New yeasts from strange (and not so strange) places for better breads”
• 2017 Puratos Corp. Taste Beyond Imagination Industry Bread Conference, Invited Talk, Napa Valley, CA, Title: “New bread microorganisms from unexpected and expected locations (expanded)” Event canceled due to fires
• 2016 TEDxCharlotte Conference, Charlotte, NC, Title: “The future of flavor”
  • Audience: >1K live, >4.5K views online
• 2016 Natural Selections: Wake County Science and Brewers Expo, at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, Raleigh, NC, Title: “The science of beer”
• 2016 North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC, Title: “The art and science of beer” Co-speaker with Rob Dunn (North Carolina State University).
• 2015 Natural Selections: Wake County Science and Brewers Expo, at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, Raleigh, NC, Title: “The science of beer”
• 2014 The Story Collider, Cambridge, MA, Mainstage Speaker, Title: “Small things”
• 2014 Natural Selections: Wake County Science and Brewers Expo, at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, Raleigh, NC, Title: “The science of beer”
• 2014 The World Beer Festival, Raleigh, NC, Speaker and Exhibitor, Title: “The science of beer” Co-speaker with John Sheppard (North Carolina State University)

---

ACADEMIC

---

• 2025 Gordon Research Conference, Microbiology of the Built Environment, Waterville, NH, Invited Discussion Leader and Speaker, Title: “Engineering and design”
• 2025 Harvard University Graduate School of Medicine, Invited Webinar Presenter, Title:“Dissecting careers in science communication”
• 2021 World Microbe Forum, Virtual Event, Invited Talk, Session Title: “Art + science: how art can engage audiences and communicate science”
  • World’s leading academic microbiology conference
• 2021 Campbell University, Biology Honors Class, Fireside Invited Talk, (Virtual) Title: “The value of biodiversity and the case study of wasp beer”
• 2020 Wellesley College, Biology Department, Invited Talk, Wellesley, MA, Title: “How wasps helped an industry brew better beer”
• 2020 North Carolina State University, Fermentation Miniseries, Invited Talk, Raleigh, NC, Virtual Event, Title: “Hunting for yeasts of the future”
• 2020 American Society for Microbiology, Invited Talk at Microbe 2020 Conference, Chicago, IL, Session Title: “Art + Science: How art can engage audiences and communicate science” Event cancelled due to Covid-19
• 2020 Boston Bacterial Meeting, Invited Panelist, Boston, MA, Topic: “Food Microbiology and Brewing” Event cancelled due to Covid-19
• 2019 North Carolina State University, Department of Applied Ecology, Raleigh, NC, Title: “Engaging microbes: using a systems-based approach to target microbial applications & engaging the public with this discovery”
• 2019 Harvard University Microbial Sciences Initiative, Invited Talk, Cambridge, MA, Title: “How the wasp microbiome helped us create better beer, new bread, and future plastic: a case study in academic-industry partnerships”
• 2019 New England Microbiology, Physiology, and Ecology Conference, Conference keynote speaker, Invited Talk, Blue Lake, NY, Title: “Tasty [beer] innovations from wasp yeast: the benefits of academic and industry partnerships”
• 2019 Rowan University School of Earth and Environment, Commencement Speaker, Glassboro, NJ, Title: “Career opportunities for Earth and environment graduates”
• 2019 Boston Bacterial Meeting, Invited Panelist, Boston, MA, Topic: “Careers beyond the bench”
• 2018 Farm to Table Working Group North Carolina State University, Invited Talk, Raleigh, NC, Title: “Engaging the public in microbial discovery and technology invention: The case study of wasp beer”
• 2018 Harvard University Microbial Sciences Initiative, Invited Talk, Cambridge, MA, Title: “Wasp yeast beer: microbial wrangling with insects for industrially relevant yeasts”
• 2017 University of Nebraska Prather Lecture, Lincoln, NE, Invited Keynote, Title: “Translating fundamental research into commercial applications: How a wasp helped the brewing industry make better beers”
• 2017 Oxford University Making the Microbiome Public Conference, Oxford, UK, Invited Keynote, Title: “Building our future microbial relationships in the age of the microbiome” 
• 2017 Tufts University NSF REU Program, Invited Panelist, topic: “Alternative careers in science”
• 2016 International Congress of Entomology, Orlando, FL (only slides presented), Title: “Tracking DNA footprints in home dust: Continental-scale arthropod diversity of our homes”
• 2016 Tufts University NSF REU Program, Invited Panelist, topic: “Alternative careers in science”
• 2015 Alfred P. Sloan Microbiology of the Built Environment International Workshop, Kuopio, Finland, Title: “Continental-scale mapping of home arthropods using molecular methods”
• 2015 Alfred P. Sloan Microbiology of the Built Environment Conference, Boulder, CO, Title: “Molecular mapping of arthropods of our homes across the USA”
• 2014 North Carolina State University Summer College in Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Invited Talk, Raleigh, NC, Title: “New discoveries in old places”
• 2014 Tufts University Graduate School of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering, Doctoral Hooding Speaker. Medford, MA, Title: “The importance of sharing in science”
• 2013 Entomological Society of America Eastern Branch Meeting, Lancaster, PA, Title: “The mycobiomes of sympatric native and invasive paper wasp species”
• 2013 Arizona State University Social Insect Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Invited Talk, Tempe, AZ, Title: “A microbial jungle overhead: bacteria and fungi associated with paper wasps”
• 2011 Biology New England South (BioNES) meeting, Bristol, RI, Title: “Paper wasp bacterial associates display antimicrobial activity”
• 2010 Tufts University NSF REU Program, Invited Panelist, topic: “Alternative careers in science”
• 2009 Tufts University NSF REU Program, Invited Panelist, topic: “Alternative careers in science”

POSTERS AND CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

• 2023    Sanders D, Mathews S, Madden A, Nichols L, Grunden A, and RR Dunn. “Influence of fabric composition and dye status on the bacterial microbiome of denim fabric.” American Society for Microbiology (Poster), Houston, TX
• 2019    Debenport T, Jackson AA, and AA Madden. “The Microbial Pillow Project: Using photography and unconventional design to engage audiences with the science of beneficial microbes.” Science Talks Science Communication Conference (Poster), Portland, OR
• 2018    Lyke MM, Di Fiore A, Fierer N, Madden AA, and JE Lambert. “Seasonal variation in arthropod abundance and consumption by omnivorous guenon in Kibale National Park, Uganda.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology (Conference Proceeding), 162-163
• 2017    Lyke MM, Di Fiore A, Fierer N, Madden AA, and JE Lambert. “The role of primate entomophagy in niche partitioning and species coexistence: a molecular case study from Kibale National Park, Uganda.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology (Conference Proceeding), 49
• 2013    Madden AA, Soriano JN, Ellis N, Grassetti A, Fierer N, and PT Starks. “Fungal patterns across space and species: Comparative studies of the mycobiomes of sympatric paper wasp species.” Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference (Poster), San Francisco, CA
• 2013    Madden AA, Lattin C, Romero LM, Fierer N, and PT Starks. “The effect of chronic stress on the avian gut microbial community.” Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference (Poster), San Francisco, CA
• 2012    Madden AA, Lattin C, Romero LM, Fierer N, and PT Starks. “The effect of chronic stress on the gut bacteria of wild-caught house sparrows.” Ecohealth Conference of the International Association for Ecology & Health (Poster), Kunming, China
  • Honorable Mention Poster Award
• 2012    Madden AA, Fierer N, and PT Starks. “The microbiology of a social insect invasion: invasive paper wasps as microbial ecosystem engineers?”International Society for the Study of Social Insects, North American Section (Poster), Greensboro, NC
• 2012    Madden AA and PT Starks. “Antimicrobial producing leaf-cutter ant symbionts isolated from paper wasp nests (Hymenoptera, Vespidae).” Annual Boston Bacterial Meeting (Poster), Cambridge, MA
• 2011    Madden AA and PT Starks. “Paper wasp bacterial associates display antimicrobial activity.” New England South (BioNES) Meeting (Poster), Bristol, RI
• 2007    Madden AA, Banica M, and M Allen. “Effects of Heavy Metal Interaction, Medium Composition and pH on Lead and Chromium Resistance of Bacteria Isolated from Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil.” American Society for Microbiology, Abstracts of the 107^th Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada
• 2006    Madden AA, Banica M, and M Allen. “Characterization of Lead, Chromium, and Antibiotic Resistance in 17 Bacterial Strains Isolated from Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil: Effects of Heavy Metal Interaction, Media Composition, and pH.” Northeastern Microbiology Conference: Physiology, Ecology, Taxonomy (NEMPET) (Poster), Blue Mt. Lake, NY
• 2006    Madden AA, Banica M, and M Allen. “Poisons, Pollution, and Plasmids: An investigation of the plasmid conferred antibiotic and heavy metal resistance in bacteria.” Wellesley College Ruhlman Conference (Poster), Wellesley, MA