The JCR: A Massey Podcast

Join Junior Fellow Sarah Semchism and audience members for an afternoon of classical music recorded at Massey College. Hosted by Violetta Kurkurina, a Master’s student in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Toronto, the concert features performances by fellow student musicians Cathy Wang, Victoria Jiang, and Yanfeng Charlie Pan. Through performance and conversation, the musicians e...

In this episode of  The JCR: A Massey Podcast , Junior Fellow and biomedical engineer Megh Rathod speaks with Hugo Higueros, a PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto, about his work developing new tools to monitor kidney health. The conversation explores many of the vital roles that kidneys place including in supporting the cardiovascular system, the limitations of cu...

In this episode of the JCR: A Massey Podcast, Junior Fellow Sarah Semchism speaks with Western University professor and  Massey  Senior Fellow, Dr. Lisa Cameron about how genetics and the environment shape asthma. Dr. Cameron  breaks down why treatments don’t work the same for everyone and how new, more personalized approaches could change the future of care. #uof #masseycollege  #western #asthma...

In this episode of “The JCR: A Massey Podcast,” Junior Fellow Rodginie Dorcent sits down with Sanjana Jones, a Master of Public Health candidate at Uof T to explore Black women’s health in Canada. From community-centred research, the importance of language in research and advocacy, to mentorship, creativity, and care, this conversation highlights why listening to lived experience is es...

In this episode of The JCR: A Massey Podcast , Junior Fellow Rowan Munson speaks with Dr. Rafael Do Nascimento Grohmann, Assistant Professor in Media Studies (Critical Platform Studies) at the University of Toronto about his research in South America into worker-led technology development. #labour #AI #massycollege #uoft #mediastudies #technology #computer #cooperatives

In this episode of  The JCR: A Massey Podcast  we’re taking a walk or at least talking about what it’s like to take a walk, a really long walk. Massey College Junior Fellow Ben Pulver speaks with Senior Fellow Kim Kierans about her pilgrimage across Spain in the fall of 2025, 38 days and 700 kilometres walking The Camino Frances. #walking #camino #spain #pilgrimage #masseycollege #spir...

This episode of the JCR: A Massey Podcast discusses research to improve the accuracy of pulse oximeters in measuring oxygen saturation across various skin types. Massey College Junior Fellow Brohath Amrithraj speaks with Megh Rathod, a Ph. D. candidate in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto and Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research about his work to adapt pulse oximeters to account...

In this edition of The JCR: A Massey Podcast, Junior Fellow Margaret De Leon speaks with UofT professor, Dr. Robert Gibbs about his latest book, “What a University Could Be.” They discuss his proposal to introduce rigorous research and the logic of inquiry into the undergraduate curriculum. @uofT @masseycollege  #education #undergraduate #university #research

Jane Zhao, fifth year health policy PhD candidate at the University of Toronto (UofT), speaks with Dr. Adalsteinn (Steini) Brown, the Dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at UofT about navigating academic leadership, improving health systems, and what’s he’s reading. #UofT #MasseyCollege #DLSPH #Publichealth #academy #university #health #healthpolicy #leadership

Paramedics and firefighters depend on respirators for protection against infectious bioaerosols like COVID-19 virus. In this episode Junior Fellow Utkarsh Mali speaks with Rachel Tyli, a PhD candidate at UofT’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine about her research into respirator fit. Tyli looks at how facial features and tasks like CPR determine levels of safety with the aim of improving protectio...

In this edition of “The JCR: A Massey Podcast” host Brohath Amrithraj speaks with Nelly Matorina, a PhD Candidate in Psychology at UofT about her research into memory, sleep, and dreams. The conversation touches questions such as how do we make memories, and how sleep and dreaming could affect how we perceive our memories. #sleep #dreams #memory #UofT #MasseyCollege @Massey_College #ed...

What can the ripples of gravitational waves in space and time tell us about the universe? Utkarsh Mali, a Phd student in astrophysics tells Junior Fellow Rachel Tyli about his dive into the world of gravitational waves, from Einstein’s prediction to the detectors that finally heard the waves, and the data science tools he uses to decode their secrets. It’s a story of discovery, technology, and lea...

Chen Zhong, a Junior Fellow at Massey College and a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science speaks with Professor Kariuki Kirigia, Assistant Professor at the School of the Environment and the African Studies Centre at UofT about evolving models of environmental conservation and how we might reimagine human-nature relations in an increasingly uncertain world. #environment #masseycolleg...

What do innovators and startup founders have in common? Surprises! Philip Playfair studied history and planned on a career in public service. Instead, he became a startup founder, building strong teams and solving real customer needs with technology. A self-described  accidental serial entrepreneur , Playfair’s   path shows how unexpected turns, and even being unprepared (!) can lead to bold...

Today, three past and present Junior Fellows at Massey College dive into what the final year of a PhD looks like, from the perspective of a job market candidate. Leting Liu, a recent graduate from UofT’s Rotman’s School of Management speaks to Robbie Steel and Brohath Amrithraj about her journey from PhD candidate to Assistant Professor at Boston University’s Questrom School of B...

Evan Chan, a PhD Student at the University of Toronto and Research Fellow at Swift Medical speaks with Dr. Sheila Wang, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto with a specialty in dermatology and the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Swift Medical. Dr. Wang’s winding journey from the chemical laboratory to clinician and leader has been marked by personal triumphs, unspoken barriers,...

In this episode of  The JCR: A Massey Podcast,  Jane Zhao, a PhD candidate studying health policy and primary care at the University of Toronto speaks with the 7th Principal of Massey College, Dr. James Orbinski, a full professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Temerty Faculty of Medicine and professor at Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Dr. Orbinski’s s...

In this episode of the JCR: A Massey Podcast,  Titi Ayegbusi discusses her research into Black Canadian Women’s life narratives with Junior Fellow Alison D’Cruz. They examine the dominant themes in these texts while also exploring some of the key factors that prompt Black Canadian women to document their lived experiences. #UofT  #blackwomen  #women #blackCanadianwomen #narrative #memoir @ma...

In this episode The JCR looks up to the heavens to learn more about how satellites and space data help to detect, monitor and predict global phenomena. Former Junior Fellow, Rakshith Ramesh, a senior research scientist of Image Processing and Avionics at Pixxel Space speaks with the JCR’s Brohath Amrithraj, a PhD candidate studying renewable energy systems in Chemical Engineering at the Univ...

In this episode, Southam Fellow Beatrice Senadju, an award-winning broadcast journalist with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), speaks with Pia Ranada, the 2024 Marshall McLuhan Fellow from the Philippines and former investigative journalist with the digital news outlet, Rappler. Ranada, now the Community Lead with Rappler, works with citizens to produce impactful journalism on pressing soc...

In this week’s JCR: A Massey Podcast kick back and enjoy some new music from the Winnipeg band, Blueblood’s debut LP  Discount Everything. Band members Courtney Fox, Sam Little and Conrad Sweatman also talk about their journey and creative process with Canadian music journalist Michael Barclay.                                @itscourtneyfox, @samlittell, and @conrad_sweatman #winnipeg...

What’s it like to juggle an intensive graduate program and become a new parent? Omni Elebyary and Sonali Ravi share their experiences and insights for change with host Sara Maqsood. #masseycollege #uoft #education #parenthood #phD

In this episode, Junior Fellow Robbie Steele speaks with the Massey College Librarian, Andreea Marin, about the Robertson Davies Library at Massey College and its focus on the history and technical aspects of the book arts. They discuss what it means for a rare books library to focus on the history of the book, what goes into being Massey’s rare books librarian, and some of the amazing exhibitions...

In this episode of The JCR, Junior Fellow Nancy Tahmo talks with Mary Aglipay, a PhD candidate in Epidemiology and co-founder of Pippen AI. Mary shares how her training in machine learning and artificial intelligence led to the creation of an AI platform that simplifies administrative tasks for family medicine physicians. Together, they discuss how academic training can fuel impactful innovations...

Junior Fellow Brohath Amrithraj, a PhD candidate studying renewable energy systems in Chemical Engineering, brings you “A fireside chat with Jonathan Rose.” Dr. Rose shares his journey of innovation in the academy – from a graduate student at Massey College to his collaborations with Silicon Valley as post-doc at Stanford University, to esteemed professor at University of Toronto...