livincoastal

So I've found myself in this situation a few times. I have sent initial emails to POIs expressing interest in studying/working with them and their program. They send me a response that seems promising and begins to open up dialogue, maybe even asking a question or two. I then reply to this message aaaaaand then there's some dead air. My question is how do I casually, subtly send an email to kind of push them to respond to my previous message without coming across as pushy or impatient? And also how long should I wait until I send such an email? The POIs seem very interested in pursuing conversations and discussing research, and I am super motivated to keep the dialogue going but I want to avoid "bugging" them or coming off as overbearing or annoying. Any tips would be appreciated!!