GradCast

In this week's episode, hosts Milan Mammen and Kelly Wang interview Denise Bedard, a PhD candidate in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Health and Aging). Denise shares with us her immense professional and academic experience in long term care, including reimagining person-centered care in small home service areas. Denise also kindly shares the difficult lessons learned about long term care thro...

For this edition of #BookCast, your hosts Garth Casbourn, Meghan Voll, and Scott Walters cover the unique writing of People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, a tale based on a real and highly important Jewish prayer book told through fictional vignettes of its history. Hanna is a book conservator tasked with restoring a famous (and very real) copy of the Haggadah Jewish text that has experienced a...

In this week's episode, hosts Ryan Baxter and Mark Ambrogio interview Natasha Beaudoin, a student in the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program.  The MFA has both academic and production elements, which enables Natasha to pursue her interests, mixing traditional painting techniques with influences from social media, gaming, and digital culture.  Natasha is inspired by the use of light in the works of t...

This week, hosts Anthony Cruz and Mark Ambrogio interview Aoife Hawthorne, a master's student in Western's Curriculum Studies program in the Faculty of Education. Aoife's research focuses on teacher attrition and how different factors like courses taught, funding, and even postal code affect likelihood to remain in a teaching position.  On top of her research, Aoife, Mark, and Anthony discuss thei...

In this week's episode, hosts Ryan Baxter and Mark Ambrogio interview Meghan Voll, a PhD candidate in Media Studies here at Western University. GradCast listeners will recognize Meghan's voice, as Meghan served as a long-time host and Social Media Manager for this show.  This is Meghan's second time with us as a guest, as she approaches the conclusion of her doctorate, for those interested, Meghan...

This week on GradCast, hosts Garth Casbourn and Bruno Mesquita are joined by Carlos Eduardo Barzotto, a PhD Student in Western's Department of Education. Carlos investigates how anti-gender movements in Brazil and Canada use transnational rhetoric to undermine inclusive education and LGBTQIA+ rights. Through his research, he reveals how these movements operate across national contexts and highligh...

This week on GradCast, hosts Maris Schneider and Milan Mammen are joined by Sydney Brouillard-Coyle, a PhD Student in Western's Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies. Sydney researches the importance of creative arts to trans and gender-diverse individuals. Sydney also discusses nir activism in the queer community, including the development of Rainbow Allyship and the publication of...

This week, hosts Maris Schneider and Anthony Cruz discuss one of the most daunting aspects of being a graduate student, publishing. The team walk through key parts of the publishing process and how speed bumps can occur along the way. The GradCast team have reached out to ask for reviewer comments from the broader graduate student audience to share on this timely Halloween episode. Join us to refl...

This week, hosts Anthony Cruz and Mark Ambrogio are joined by Milan Mammen, a first-year master's student in Western's department of biochemistry. Milan's research focuses on how nonsense suppressor tRNAs may be used to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a severe type of muscular dystrophy that has severe negative impacts on a person's movement capabilities. Listen to learn more about Milan'...

What's a better way to start off the school year than with a brand new mini-series! GradCast is teaming up with Learning, Development and Success , out of Western Student Experience. We talk to experts on campus who support graduate students in doing research, writing theses, and have all the tips and tricks to succeed in grad school! In our last episode, hosts Anthony Cruz and Scott Walters chat...

In this installment of the #TheScoopOnSOGS miniseries, host Maris Schneider is joined by Saghar Soltanabadi, a fourth-year PhD candidate in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, serving as the Vice President Student Services (VPSS) for the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) at Western University. In her role, Saghar acts as a main operational role for graduate student support, coordinating across c...

What's a better way to start off the school year than with a brand new mini-series! GradCast is teaming up with Learning, Development and Success , out of Western Student Experience. We talk to experts on campus who support graduate students in doing research, writing theses, and have all the tips and tricks to succeed in grad school! In our third episode, hosts Anthony Cruz and Chrishma Perera ch...

In this installment of the #TheScoopOnSOGS miniseries, host Maris Schneider is joined by Kirsty Ng, a PhD Candidate in Western's Department of Chemistry who currently serves as the Board Chair at the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS). Listen to this episode to learn about Kirsty's research, background, and roles at SOGS. Recorded on September 23, 2025.  Produced by Anthony Cruz & Milan Mamme...

What's a better way to start off the school year than with a brand new mini-series! GradCast is teaming up with Learning, Development and Success , out of Western Student Experience. We talk to experts on campus who support graduate students in doing research, writing theses, and have all the tips and tricks to succeed in grad school!  In our second episode, hosts Riya Sidhu and Garth Casbourn cha...

In this installment of the #TheScoopOnSOGS miniseries, host Maris Schneider is joined by Anthony Cruz, a PhD Candidate in Western's Department of Psychology who currently serves as the Vice-President Academic at the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS). Listen to this episode to learn about Anthony's research, background, and roles at SOGS. Recorded on September 16, 2025.  Produced by Anthony Cruz....

What's a better way to start off the school year than with a brand new mini-series! GradCast is teaming up with Learning, Development and Success , out of Western Student Experience, to talk to experts on campus who support graduate students in doing research, writing theses, and have all the tips and tricks to succeed in grad school!  In our first episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Ryan Baxter ch...

Join us for the 7th episode of our collaboration with Inspiring Minds, which is a campus-wide partnership between  Western Research , the  School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies , the  Writing Support Centre ,  Western Libraries ,  Student Experience , and Western's  11 faculties . Inspiring Minds seeks to broaden awareness and impact of graduate student research while enhancing transferable...

Hosts Anthony Cruz and Scott Walters chat with Anemily Machina, a PHD candidate in Computer Sciences. Anemily puts our hosts on the spot with a word association game as part of summarizing their work on explainable AI, the limits of large language models (LLMs), and the risks of the ongoing AI bubble. For even more from Anemily on this topic, consider watching their two part series, available on Y...

In this week’s episode, hosts Krishna Pereira and Anthony Cruz interview Sydney Holland, a second-year PhD student in Anthropology at Western University. Sydney’s research focuses on bioarchaeology, using human remains such as teeth and bones to study life in the past. Sydney Holland explores the lives of past communities through the lens of bioarchaeology. Her research focuses on how infant feedi...

In this week's episode, hosts Riya Sidhu and Ryan Baxter interview Sarah Park, a student in the combined  MScOT/PhD program in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.  Parkinson's disease can have a deleterious effect on walking, or gait. Left untreated, worsening gait (such as uneven pacing, or irregular steps) can lead to negative outcomes, such as falls. Sarah discusses her research in non-pharmaco...

In this week's episode, hosts Bruno Mesquita and Garth Casbourn interview Ben Pilling a Master’s student in Psychology.  Ben shares how he plans to build on the classic motor homunculus model using video games in the fMRI throughout his Master's. He also discusses the benefits and considerations of making research more ecologically valid. Recorded on Tuesday, August 12, 2025. Produced by Riya Sidh...

Hosts Ryan Baxter and Chrishma Perera chat with Caitlin Fitzpatrick, a MSc student about to defend her master's in Neuroscience. Caitlin returns to GradCast to discuss her findings into the emotional connection between music and memory, specifically in older adults experiencing "normal" forgetting or mild cognitive impairment. If you'd like to register as a prospective research participant with Ou...

Hosts Ryan Baxter and Maris Schneider chat with Geneva Herold, a MSc student in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. Geneva studies patients who are at high risk of developing osteoarthritis in their knees due to a previous injury, like an ACL tear. She is studying the cells in a special tissue in the joint called the synovium, which she hopes will help us better understand why some pati...

In this week's episode, hosts Anthony Cruz and Riya Sidhu interview Anthony Tannous, an incoming PhD student in Physical Therapy. Anthony is going to study whether robotic surgical assistants can improve patient satisfaction while saving healthcare dollars. Tune in for a look at how technology might reshape recovery—and the healthcare system. Recorded on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Produced by Riya Si...

In this episode, hosts Ryan Baxter and Mark Ambrogio interview Dima Kassem, a PhD student in Anthropology on her research in the field of Sociocultural Anthropology.  More specifically, Dima is studying the assistance provided for People Living with a Rare Disease (PLWRD).  Entering the second year of her PhD, Dima is furthering her research on this subject, continuing work she did in her Master's...