GradCast

Hanna Grover and Amara Miles are both MA candidates in Occupational Therapy. They chat with hosts Yousuf Hasan, Elizabeth Mohler, and Gavin Tolometti about how COVID-19 has impacted their fieldwork over the summer. They also share with us how they have coped with these unprecedented times and found new ways to connect with people using online platforms. We talk about friendships, family, research,...

Anna Sui (PhD Candidate in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences) chats with us about a research project that has led to the increase of smartphone use during the pandemic. She joined hosts Elizabeth Mohler and Gavin Tolometti to discuss smartphone addiction and nomophobia (fear of not having your smartphone or not being able to use it). Yoah Sui (PhD graduate in Kinesiology, soon to be a post-doctor...

In this episode of GradCast, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Francesco Colosimo chat with Kristin Prentice (a PhD Candidate in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences researching leisure activity in older adults) and Adam Debosscher (a PhD Candidate in English Literature studying popular fantasy literature), about the various struggles they have faced as students in the COVID-19 era. Together, they enlighten...

When we listen to the world around us, we can tune the brain to focus on sounds or voices. Do you remember when you were last on the train or bus and there was a certain sound that stood out to you? You could figure out what that sound was right? That is you perceiving the surrounding environment. For the human brain, this is a complex yet routine ability and is something we do not think about on...

In this episode of GradCast, hosts (Elizabeth Mohler and Nikol Posnov) talk with Anna Sui (PhD Candidate in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences) about her research which looks at how women story their experiences of requesting and receiving tubal ligation (getting their tubes tied). Specifically, her research explores how various intersecting social identities (race, disability, gender, etc.) shape...

Erlantz Etxeberria (PhD Candidate in Philosophy) chats about his research on scientific method and explanations in science with hosts (Yousuf Hasan and Liam Clifford). What is the scientific method? Should we trust science? Can philosophy inform science? Is there a clash between scientific evidence and politics? We talk about these issues with Erlantz. He also shares with us what he thinks about R...

In this episode Elizabeth Mohler and Ariel Frame become informed by Francesco Colosimo on his research investigating the health information being distributed to the public on COVID-19. In his Masters of Health Information Science, Farncesco seeks to assess which information is trusted, which is correct and which channels are disseminating correct information opposed to misinformation. During a glo...

Jaclyn Siegel (PhD Candidate in Social Psychology) joins us (Yousuf Hasan and Yimin Chen) to discuss three fascinating HRTO cases involving Western University. Jaclyn has lately been fascinated by how HRTO handles applications and appeals of harassment and discrimination. As a feminist, Jaclyn provides valuable insights on related issues as well. She also discusses some of the more pernicious form...

The aftermath of a meteorite striking the surface of a planetary body leaves behind a circular depression in the ground and plumes of dust and rock. The energy left over in the crater can heat up the water that passes through the rocks, creating an environment that could have been responsible for the emergence of microbial life on Earth over 3 billion years ago. In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolome...

As a graduate student, we face academic rejection in various forms. From a journal declining your manuscript, being told you were not good enough to join a research lab or postgraduate institution, to rejection from peers because of your choices in course work. In this #GradLife episode, hosts Viki Tellios, Gavin Tolometti, and Monica Molinaro open the floor to GradCast committee members Ariel Fra...

For university students, the question “what are you going to do after you graduate?” often proves to be the bane of their existence. This stems from not only its repetitiveness from friends and family members alike, but more so from the existential dread that it causes. They may have an idea of what they want to do, but nobody truly knows for certain what will transpire, especially in the era of C...

The amazing varsity cross-country runner, Jenna Schulz, discusses medial knee osteoarthritis (OA) and the effect of high tibial osteotomy (HTO) surgical intervention on changes in loading and inflammation. "Exercise is medicine" is a common phrase used by our guest which quickly became a hot topic discussed between Jenna and hosts Viki and Nikol. This episode is packed with lots of tips and tricks...

When Italian leader Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler became cozier and more acquainted with one another, Europe found itself embroiled in a new wave of fascism that would spark a second World War. But in order to understand how a country revered for its art, culture, and gastronomy would be attracted to such a reprehensible ideology, the focus needs to shift to Italy’s position vis-à-vis the Brit...

Denny Chin (PhD Student in Microbiology and Immunology) joins us (Elizabeth Mohler and Yousuf Hasan) to chat about his research on combating bacterial infections. Denny is especially interested in a particular kind of pathogen known as Staphlococcus aureus (S. aureus) since it can cause many well-known infections including skin infections, pneumonia, and sepsis. Some strains of S. aureus have beco...

Hosts Elizabeth Mohler and Viki Tellios welcome back fellow Gradcast host Monica Molinaro, PhD candidate in the Health Promotion stream of the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Graduate Program. Monica brings us up to date on the progress of her research regarding the caregiving stories of nurses in pediatric oncology, as well as her motivations in studying this field and how this passion develop...

Indra Bishnoi (PhD Student in Neuroscience) chats about her research on Anticipatory Nausea in the context of chemotherapy. Despite chemotherapy saving millions of lives every year, Indra explains to hosts Yousuf Hasan and Liam Clifford why people sometimes discontinue the treatment and stay away from hospitals. This has to do with the nausea that is induced by chemotherapy. Patients sometimes avo...

After having shoulder surgery, is seeing your surgeon an absolute necessity? And if it is, how can we make this process easier? Hosts Monica Molinaro and Ariel Frame are joined by Rochelle Furtado, an MPT/PhD student seeking to develop an app that makes the shoulder surgery process so much easier. Rochelle tells us what inspired the app, how the app can reduce travelling, waiting times and access...

In this episode Tyler Dexter, PhD student in Neuroscience, speaks with Ariel Frame and Laura Baena about his research on goal directed cognition in mice. Tyler discusses how he uses touch screens and optogenetics to investigate the role of particular neurons in the brain. To find out more from Tyler follow him on Twitter @TylerDexter13 or learn about rodent touch screens at touchscreencognition.or...

Besides its obvious destructive properties, lava can tell us a lot about Earth and other planetary bodies in our solar system. Changing our relationship with molten rock could have implications far beyond the confines of our solitary planet. As hosts Yousuf Hassan and Liam Clifford learn from Earth Sciences PhD Gavin Tolometti, analyzing volcanic and impact melt flows increases our understanding o...

In April 1994, the small Central African country of Rwanda would begin to spiral uncontrollably into the darkest period of its short history. What ensued over the course of the next three months was a genocide supported by the incumbent regime that slaughtered an estimated 500,000-1,000,000 people. With so many murdered, how could this have happened? In a fascinating conversation with PhD candidat...

Dr. James Steinhoff is a recent graduate from the Media Studies PhD program in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University, currently a Post-Doctoral researcher at University of Washington. James enlightens Yimin Chen and Ariel Frame about his work investigating how artificial intelligence, or simply automation in general, impacts work and workers. For a deeper dive into Jam...

In tough times, we all need a little help from our friends. Sometimes, those tough times are when we are caring for someone with dementia, or had a stroke. Jovana Sibalija joins hosts Monica Molinaro and Sarah Klapman to discuss the necessity of social networks (not the Facebook kind) for caregiver wellness. They discuss who may be in a social network, what social support may look like, and why ca...

Olivia Ghosh-Swaby is a PhD student in the neuroscience program conducting research with mice elucidating how poor diet reduces and exercising benefits the brain. Olivia excitedly informs hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Ariel Frame about her growing expertise in the field of brain plasticity and her newest research findings including treatment of mice with the drug metformin. To find out more from...

How do you turn capitalism into a force for environmental protection? Join hosts Yousuf Hasan and Sarah Klapman as they talk to Economics Ph. D. candidate Emmanuel Murray Leclair about economics, international relations, pollution havens, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and everything in between.    If you would like to contact Emmanuel and learn more about his research you can find him on F...

Hosts Monica and Greg interview P.T./Ph. D. student Morgan Jennings about her work on virtual visits for individuals post-knee surgery. Started before the COVID-19 pandemic (and before virtual visits became more popular), Morgan’s research has been focused on developing an app to identify knee wounds post-surgery and identify if someone would need to visit a physician for a follow-up appointment i...