GradCast

553 | Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Beyond Borders: Reality, Resilience, and Research in Canadian Health Care

Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In honour of International Nurses' Day (on Tuesday, May 12), hosts Chrisma Perera and Mark Ambrogio interview Mehtab Jaffer, a PhD candidate in Nursing here at Western University. While many topics of study are divided between practitioners and researchers, Mehtab is uniquely positioned as both, as she is a registered nurse here in Ontario studying the place of Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) in Ontario hospitals.

In their conversation, Mehtab speaks to her use of in-depth interviews with both IENs and key informants in Ontario hospitals. They discuss Mehtab's research into the lived experiences of IENs, as they navigate their journey into the Canadian healthcare system, touching upon topics such as the influence of organizational culture and identity orientation, capturing the professional, cultural, social, emotional, and psychological aspects that define and shape IENs' journeys.

Mehtab's Social Media

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mehtab.jaffer/

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/mehtab-jaffer

Instagram @mehtab.jaffer

#BookCast 10 | Special Topics in Calamity Physics

Thu, 07 May 2026 01:01:00 -0400

BookCast is an ongoing series where we delve into novels set in an academic context. For the 10th edition of BookCast, Garth Casbourn, Milan Mamman, and Mark Ambrogio discuss the 2006 novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics, by Marisha Pessl.

Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a darkly hilarious coming-of-age tale and a richly plotted suspense story, told with dazzling intelligence and wit. This novel won the inaugural John Sargent, Sr. First Novel Prize in 2006.

In their discussion, Garth, Milan and Mark share their analysis of the novel, combined with some first-hand experience of academic life.

Recorded on Friday, February 27, 2026
Produced by Mark Ambrogio
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

552 | Understanding the Abstract & Each Other: How Mentalizing Shapes the Way we Think

Tue, 05 May 2026 00:01:00 -0400

In this week's episode, PhD student Hannah Corenblum joins hosts Rafaela Platkin and Spencer Schmitz to talk about her research on abstract mental state concepts. Hannah is interested in understanding the individual differences in mentalizing abilities and how these relate to people's capacities to process cognitive concepts. Mentalizing is the ability to understand one's own and others' mental states. Hannah hopes her clinical research will help improve how mentalization is measured, with the goal of identifying impairments and developing ways to better target and treat them across a wide range of clinical populations.

Recorded on Tuesday, April 26, 2026
Produced by Evelyn MacKay-Barr
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

Art or Science #1| Music

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

How do artistic and scientific ways of thinking meet, overlap, and challenge each other?

In this special Arts & Sciences mini-series episode of GradCast, hosts Ryan Baxter and Riya Sidhu are joined by Rebekka Lagace Cusiac, a PhD student in Psychology studying music and numerical cognition, and Seyed Mohammad Tonkaboni, a DMA student in music composition whose work engages with Persian literature and Iranian musical traditions.

Together, they explore how different disciplines approach the study of music, and how creative and analytical perspectives can inform one another.

Recorded on August 12th, 2025
Produced by Bruno Mesquita
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

551 | Navigating Falls After Stroke: Research Shaped by Community Voices

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

PhD candidate Catherine George joins hosts Milan Mammen and Mark Ambrogio to discuss her research on falls and their risk factors among stroke survivors aged 30–65 living in the community. Guided by supervisors Joy MacDermid and Janelle Unger, Catherine uses a community-based participatory action research approach to center the voices of individuals with lived experience of stroke. Listen to this episode to find out more!

To learn more about Catherine, explore the links below:

Catherine’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-george-262168221

Dr Joy MacDermid, HULC Clinical Research Lab: https://www.sjhc.london.on.ca/research/hulc/meet-the-team

Dr Janelle Unger, RED Neuro Lab: https://junger61.wixsite.com/redneuro

Recorded on Tuesday, April 21st, 2026

Produced by Victor Lau

Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

550 | Where are you From? How Placed-Based Identity Affects Political Behaviour

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:01:00 -0400

Political science PhD candidate Katie McCoy returns to the podcast this week. She chats with hosts Scott Walters and Garth Casbourn about the new directions her research has taken over the past 18 months. She explains how the focus of her dissertation has broadened from the urban/rural divide to place-based identity. We get a sneak peek at some hot-off-the-presses analyses of how the places people grow up and live in shape their perceptions of economic reality, as well as shaping their political behaviours like voting.

Katie has also become a graduate fellow of Western's Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also want to listen to Katie's previous time on the podcast.

Recorded on Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Produced by Evelyn MacKay-Barr
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

Thinking with the Earth 4: Where and Why People Move

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

This is the fourth and final episode of the Thinking with the Earth miniseries, 2026. In this episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Ryan Baxter speak with Haorui Zhou, a second-year Master's student in Geography and Environment.

Haorui shared key insights from his research on mobility patterns in Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area, highlighting trends and challenges in urban transportation. He also reflected on his personal experience as an international student at Western, offering a unique perspective on adapting to a new academic and cultural environment. Connecting his research to broader themes of sustainability, Haorui emphasized the importance of individual responsibility in reducing environmental impact and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Recorded on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026
Produced by Chrishma Perera
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

549 | Caring About Caring

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 01:01:00 -0400

PhD student Kailey Cutillo joins hosts Maris Schneider and Mark Ambrogio to talk about her work in Theory and Criticism. Kailey is interested in better understanding the politics of care, particularly within institutions such as universities. The "politics of care" is a framework that examines the social, ecological, and physical welfare of individuals' opportunities within systems, but also considers how these systems seek to profit from the motives of care. She critiques current systemic practices and uses Indigenous Critical Theory and Feminist Theory to conceptualize how we, as a society, can care better.

Kailey also discusses her role as the Peer Advisor for Academic Matters for the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS).

One of the texts foundational to Kailey's research is The Care Manifesto.

Recorded on Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Produced by Mark Ambrogio, with help with Maris Schneider
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

547 | Thinking with the Earth 3: Rooted in Community

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

This is the third episode of the Thinking with the Earth miniseries. In this episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Ryan Baxter interview Javier Ponce de Leon Eyl, a PhD student in Hispanic Studies. Javier also serves as the Sustainability coordinator for the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) sustainability committee and shared a lot of insights into how the Western student community can engage in sustainability activities on campus.

Recorded on Tuesday, March 24th, 2026
Produced by Chrishma Perera
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

546 | Thinking with the Earth 2: The Water We Don’t See

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:27:03 -0400

This is the second episode of the Thinking with the Earth miniseries. In this episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Spencer Schmitz speak with Dharma Raj Dhakal, a second-year PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Dharma shares insights from his research on how landfills can contaminate groundwater, the water we rely on but rarely see. Beyond his research, Dharma also reflects on his journey as an international student in Canada and invites listeners to take part in Earth Day activities on April 22.

Recorded on Tuesday, March 17th, 2026
Produced by Kuljeet Chohan
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

548 | It's All About Carbon and Football

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:01:00 -0400

In this week's episode, hosts Bruno Mesquita and Zoe Kallenekos are joined by Samantha Hopkins, a PhD candidate from the department of biology who is investigating the exciting and complex world of carbon fluxes in dryland ecosystems. Outside of her studies, she is also a student athlete for the Team Canada Football team and is one of the top 24 scouted players in Canada. Listen to learn more about carbon flux towers, peak productivity days, and what it's like in the competitive world of national level football.

Samantha Hopkins Instagram: sam.hopkins_

Recorded on Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Produced by Anika Bushra and Bruno Mesquita
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

545 | Ungetable: Exploring How English as a Second Language Speakers Navigate Derivatives

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:35:55 -0400

In this week’s episode, hosts Maris Schneider and Kelly Wang are talking with Yuhan Zhao, a MA student in the department of Education. Yuhan looks at how adults who learned English as their second language use derivatives when they are writing. For those who need an English refresher, a derivative is a word formed from another word (like actor, which is derived from the word act). Yuhan hopes that her research will help in classrooms where ESL speakers are struggling to learn the complex aspects of English grammar.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuhan-zhao-5225aa367/

Recorded on Tuesday, March 24th, 2026
Produced by Milan Mammen
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

544 | Chick-a-Dee-Coding the Accents of Birds

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this week's episode, hosts Anthony Cruz and Rafaela Platkin are joined by Alex Muth, an MSc student in the Psychology department at Western University. Alex shares an in-depth look at his research on the communication systems of two chickadee species, like did you know birds have accents just like humans?!

He also reflects on his experience at the intersection of psychology and biology, explaining how his curiosity about human behaviour leads him to study animals as a way of exploring those questions from a different perspective.

Click on the link to learn about the Centre for Animals on the Move (the research centre that Alex is a part of) and to watch their recent movie titled Making Peace with Canada Geese.

Recorded on Tuesday, March 17th, 2026
Produced by Ella Siciliano
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

543 | Thinking With the Earth 1: Flight Paths Toward Sustainability

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

This is the first episode of the Thinking with the Earth miniseries. In this episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Garth Casbourn interview Madison Robinson, an MSc student in Biological Sciences, about her research on butterflies and her involvement in collaborative specialization of environment and sustainability at Western University.

From studying the ecology of butterfly populations to contributing to the interdisciplinary program and helping organize the Climate Hope Conference 2026, she shared insights into her research and experiences working at the intersection of ecology and environmental engagement.

Recorded on Tuesday, February 24th, 2026
Produced by Milan Mammen
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

542 | #Inspiring Minds 16: Optical Payload in Western Skylark CubeSat to Demonstrate the Future of Space Communication

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

This week, Purvaja Karthikeyan, a PhD candidate from Electrical and Computer Engineering is joined by hosts Mark Ambrogio and Victor Lau. Purvaja is supervised by Dr. Jayshri Sabarinathan, and is focusing on improving optical chip function for eventual deployment into space.. within ultra-small satellites known as CubeSats!

Listen to hear more about Purvaja’s work, and how it contributes to a bigger ecosystem (referencing the ‘nature’ of things and the Western Skylark project).

Here are some links accompanying’s Purvaja’s project, alongside hobbies outside of her research work!

https://space.uwo.ca/research/Missions%20and%20Instruments/Skylark.html

https://www.instagram.com/root_cycle?igsh=cTMxY2J3aHF1eHE0

Recorded on Tuesday, March 10th, 2026
Produced by Milan Mammen
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

541 | The Math Behind Viruses

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

In this week’s episode, hosts Kuljeet Chohan and Rafaela Platkin interview Jake Daigle, a MSc student in bioinformatics, about his research on modelling mutation accumulation (buildup of genetic mistakes) in viruses.

From a bachelor's degree in math to starting a masters in bioinformatics, he discusses insights on his day-to-day life researching mathematical models that can hopefully be applied to the real world. Listen to find out the importance of asking "who cares" when formulating research questions and if you can ever know when you get something "right"?

Recorded on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026
Produced by Scott Walters and Milan Mammen
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

540 | Demystifying Job Hunting Through Peer Advising

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:01:00 -0500

In this week's episode, hosts Milan Mammen and Chrishma Perera are joined again by Varsha Vasudevan, a PhD candidate in the Health & Rehabilitation Sciences department at Western University, in the Health Promotion stream. Varsha went into depth in her work in a previous episode. Here, she goes more into her life outside her research, expanding on her journey as a Peer Advisor and the services available to help one market their skills in the job market and how peer advising can even empower oneself.

Click on the link to learn about the services offered by the Peer Advising team. Check out Western Connect it you would like to apply to become a Peer Advisor (Western Connect > Job Postings > Western Peer Leader Program > Job ID 126956 (Peer Advisor - Career Education).

Recorded on Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Produced by Evelyn MacKay-Barr and Anika Bushra
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

539 | #Inspiring Minds 15: Inside Speech Development, Altered Auditory Feedback, and Growing Voices

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:01:00 -0500

In this week's episode, hosts Maris Schneider and Mark Ambrogio talk to Jessica Holmes. Jessica is completing a combined MCISc/PhD in Speech-Language Pathology and Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. Her work focuses on how children respond when hearing the sound of their own voice subtly shifted, and what that reveals about speech development.

Jessica explains how altered auditory feedback is used to study children’s speech adjustments, what it's like to work with children in the lab, and what it’s like to balance clinical training with research.

Recorded on Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Produced by Kuljeet Chohan and Victor Lau
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

538 | Studying Shape: From Human Histories to Earth Processes

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In this week’s episode, hosts Kelly Wang and Scott Walters interview Sorcha Rountree, a PhD student in Earth Science, about their journey from archaeology to geology and what studying ancient skull shapes can tell us about identity in the past.

Sharing insights from their MA research on cranial modification in Prehispanic Peru, Sorcha explains how geometric morphometric methods help researchers study shape and cultural practices, what their results revealed about identity and social status, and how their interdisciplinary background opened the door to a new path in Earth Science.

Recorded on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026
Produced by Milan Mammen
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

537 | Zola, but Make it Funny: The Comedies You Missed

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:41:20 -0500

This week, French studies PhD candidate Kaitlyn Gagnon takes hosts Garth Casbourn and Mark Ambrogio into both the literary and theatrical worlds of mid-nineteenth-century France. Her research focus is the short-lived foray of Émile Zola into writing comic works for the stage. We learn about the various pitfalls and opportunities this work afforded him, and how it fit into the broader picture of his life and career.

Follow the links below to learn more about Kaitlyn's research, and about that of her supervisor, Dr. Geneviève De Viveiros.

https://www.instagram.com/zolaspy?igsh=Y3R4MnJrbnpxbDZh&utm_source=qr

https://www.uwo.ca/french/people/faculty/deviveiros.html

Recorded on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026
Produced by Garth Casbourn
Theme tune "Feelin Good" provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

536 | How Kids Process Stories and Sharing our (Scientific) Stories with the World

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:01:00 -0500

In this week's episode, hosts Garth Casbourn and Bruno Mesquita interview Jessica Lammert, a fifth year PhD student in the Cognitive, Developmental, and Brain Sciences research cluster in Psychology, to talk about her work studying narrative processing and storytelling in children.

Jessica also shares past projects bridging the arts and science to facilitate scientific communication and the importance of open science practices.

Recorded on Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Produced by Evelyn MacKay-Barr
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

535 | #Inspiring Minds 14: “One-Size-Fits-All” Myth: Concussions are Different in Male and Female Brains

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 00:01:00 -0500

In this week's episode, hosts Milan Mammen and Kuljeet Chohan interview Emilie Potts, a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering, to talk about what we still don’t fully understand about concussions, brains, and biological sex differences.

Sharing what it's like to bridge engineering and neuroscience, Emilie explains what surprised her most about female vs male brains and the life lessons she took from her PhD.

Recorded on Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Produced by Evelyn MacKay-Barr
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

534 | Midwives on the Frontline of Maternal Mental Health Care

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In this week's episode, hosts Anthony Cruz and Bruno Mesquita interview Shahnaz Shahid Ali, a PhD student in Nursing under the supervision of Dr. Panagiota Tryphonopoulos. Shahnaz's research explore midwives' experiences providing physical and mental health care to women during pregnancy, childbirth, and afterbirth. Tune in to learn how sociocultural factors shape midwifery practice, where gaps exist in screening and referral pathways, and how improved training and structured mental health care systems can lead to better outcomes for mothers and families.

Follow this link to learn more about Shanaz.

Recorded on Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Produced by Milan Mammen
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

533 | #Inspiring Minds 13: Accessibility by Design: Musical Instruments in Student Hands

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 01:01:00 -0500

In this week's episode, hosts Ryan Baxter and Mark Ambrogio interview Ran Jiang, a PhD candidate in Music Education, in Western's Don Wright Faculty of Music. In her research, Ran explores how certain norms sometimes go unquestioned in music; especially, by non-disabled people. Music-making is sometimes associated with an "ideal" body, such as having above-average dexterity. In her field work, Ran works with secondary school students in China who use computer software and DIY electronics to expand what musical instruments are and who they are for.

In their conversation, Ryan, Mark, and Ran also discuss piano music and what it is like at Western's music faculty, as a place for research in music, music-making, and as a community.

Ran's supervisor is adam patrick bell, who, in addition to teaching at Western, is also the Canada Research Chair in Music, Inclusion, and Accessibility.

Recorded on Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Produced by Mark Ambrogio and Ryan Baxter
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

532 | Taking a Close Look at Protein Oxidation Using Mass Spectrometry

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:01:00 -0500

In this week's episode, hosts Anthony Cruz and Milan Mammen interview Evelyn MacKay-Barr, a third year PhD student in Physical/Analytical Chemistry. Evelyn is studying the effects of oxidation on protein structures and dynamics. Though her lab studies small model proteins, their findings have big implications for larger protein therapeutics! Tune in to learn how they use mass spectrometry and other techniques to study protein behaviour.

Evelyn, Anthony, and Milan also discuss finding the right research group for you and the importance of having a supportive research environment.

Follow these links to learn more about Evelyn's research and her supervisor, Dr. Lars Konermann, and his research group!

Recorded on Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Produced by Evelyn MacKay-Barr
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

531 | #Inspiring Minds 12: Walking to the Beat: Music, Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, and Parkinson’s

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 01:01:00 -0500

In this week's episode, hosts Kelly Wang and Mark Ambrogio speak with Marina de Oliveira Emerick, a PhD candidate in Neuroscience. Marina's research looks at the relationship between music and cognition; more specifically, how music and non-invasive brain stimulation can affect walking patterns (gait) in healthy older adults and those with Parkinson's Disease.

Although walking feels automatic, it relies on brain systems that help us start moving and keep a steady rhythm, which can be disrupted by aging and Parkinson’s. Early studies with young adults show promising improvements in step rhythm when people synchronize their steps to music. Marina is now expanding this work to older adults and those with Parkinson's, which means she is working directly with a clinical population.

In addition to being found on LinkedIn, Marina has a ResearchGate profile. Marina's supervisor is Dr. Jessica Grahn, a cognitive neuroscientist who studies music.

Those in the broader London area may find more information and community support from the Parkinson Society of Southwestern Ontario.

Recorded on Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Produced by Mark Ambrogio and Kelly Wang
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

530 | Changing Minds: Improving Hiring Practices with Growth Mindset Messaging

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:01:00 -0500

This week, hosts Garth Casbourn and Maris Schneider speak to Sarah Capellaro, a master's student in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Sarah is developing methods to reduce bias against autistic people seeking to enter the workforce. Her particular focus is on promoting a growth mindset amongst hiring managers via carefully prepared infographic interventions. She studies how viewing these interventions affects managers' attitudes towards autistic applicants.

Sarah has been able to recruit a very impressive 400 participants in her experiment and shows us that it is possible to change, or at least momentarily influence, people's biases to create more fair hiring practices.

Recorded on Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Produced by Evelyn MacKay-Barr

Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot)

529 | #Inspiring Minds 11: We Were Saying This All Along: Person-Centered Long Term Care and Small Homes

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 14:00:00 -0500

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 through the COVID pandemic and its many impacts, especially on older adults in long term care; please consider this a content warning if this is a particularly sensitive subject for you.

Denise is part of the Caregiving Research (CARE) Lab at Western University.

Recorded on Tuesday, November 18, 2025.
Produced by kirstyn seanor.
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot).

#BookCast 9 | People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 19:55:56 -0500

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 tumultuous past. Blending actual history with fictional accounts of the text's origins and mysterious migrations through time, and telling the stories of the people, both real and imagined, that brought it to the present. We discuss the uncommon structure of this novel, the historic foundations of Brooks sweeping epic, and several of the principal themes. Join us in exploring what has been described as "an erudite Davinci Code".

This episode was recorded on June 4, 2025

Produced by Scott Walters

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

528 | #InspiringMinds 10: Caravaggio with a Cellphone: Merging Tradition With Digital Identity

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 01:01:00 -0500

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 the Italian renaissance painter Caravaggio (1571- 1610). While portraiture is sometimes associated with the past, Natasha would like to see this tradition continue.

Natasha can be found on Instagram and her website is: https://tashaskates.wixsite.com/mysite

Some of Natasha's paintings will be featured at Western's McIntosh Gallery, from June 6 to July 4, 2026.

Recorded on Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Produced by Mark Ambrogio
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

527 | STEM Teacher Retention and our Sense of Belonging in Education

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:01:00 -0500

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 their experiences in elementary and high school, the Irish teaching system, and how getting involved on campus can lead to a greater sense of belonging in our own educational environments. Tune in to learn more!

Recorded on Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Produced by Evelyn MacKay-Barr

Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot)

526 | #InspiringMinds 9: Relations, Not Relationships: Values, Algorithms, and Dating Platforms

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 01:01:00 -0500

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's first episode, as a guest, can be heard here.

Meghan studies the interaction between economic value and values on mobile dating platforms such as Tinder, Hinge, and Coffee Meets Bagel, drawing from the political economy of communication, mobile dating studies (MDS) and critical data studies (CDS). Ryan and Mark engage with Meghan on these ideas, asking about the intersection between so-called "soft values" (such as honesty and loyalty) and economic value ($). They also ask Meghan about her field research, interviewing human subjects, and the steps involved in obtaining ethics approval.

Recorded on Tuesday, November 5, 2025
Produced by Mark Ambrogio and Kelly Wang
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

525 | #InspiringMinds 8: Challenges to LGBTQIA+ Rights in Education:

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

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 highlights ways to foster safer, more equitable educational environments. Listen to learn more!

Recorded on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.
Produced by Milan Mammen.
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot).

523 | A Pocket Guide to Trans Inclusivity through Art and Activism

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 07:34:31 -0400

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 nir book, A Pocket Guide to Pronouns. Listen to learn more! You can find even more about Sydney's work at nir website, Instagram, or Facebook.

Recorded on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
Produced by Anthony Cruz.
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot).

Halloween Special | Publish or Perish

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

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 reflect on the publishing process and discuss reviewer comments in horror.

Recorded on August 5, 2025

Produced by Bruno Mesquita and Maria Khan

Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

Sound effects sourced from Scott Arc (Spotted! & Hallowed Ground) and Leigh Haggerwood (Werewolf & The Scarecrow)

524 | Can We Treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy with Nonsense Suppressor tRNA?

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:01:00 -0400

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's research!

Recorded on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
Produced by Evelyn MacKay-Barr.
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot).

Thrive, Don’t Just Survive #4: Writing and Learning Support for Grad Students

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

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 with Maggie Kubow, a Senior Writing Advisor at the Writing Support Centre and Heather Ellis, a Learning Specialist at Learning Development & Success, to share everything a grad student needs to know about writing and learning how to balance it all! We chat about the services offered by the Writing Support Centre by Maggie. Then we shift to Heather, who shares resources provided by Learning Development & Success when it comes to writing and project management. Tune in to learn some tips to help with the writing process!

The Writing Support Centre offers free 50-minute one-to-one appointments with a writing advisor. Come in-person to one of our two campus locations or meet with us online. The Writing Support Centre supports undergrads, graduate students, postdocs, and faculty and assists writers with any academic or professional writing, at any stage of the writing process, in any genre, across the disciplines.

You can book an appointment with Learning Development & Success online! Workshops are being hosted with Own Your Future in October/November on sustaining motivation, AI and graduate school, the hidden curriculum/inculturation and project management! Here is the list of events!

Recorded on September 2, 2025

Produced by kirstyn seanor and Maria Khan

Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

#TheScoopOnSOGS | Vice-President student services (Saghar Soltanabadi)

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 23:59:00 -0400

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 committees, services, and the executive team to enhance student life beyond the classroom and lab. She oversees key areas including mental and physical health initiatives, ancillary fees, orientation programming, recreation, and overall student well-being. Through committees such as Graduate Peer Support, the Health Plan Committee, and the Orientation and Social Committee, Saghar helps deliver essential services like the orientation week, graduate wellness week, health and dental coverage, social and athletic events, buss pass system, and support funds for students. From launching large-scale activities like the SOGS Summer Games to strengthening partnerships with campus partners, she is committed to building graduate community and ensuring graduate students have the resources, opportunities, and support they need to thrive at Western.

Recorded on Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Produced by Mohammad Zeraati
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

Thrive, Don’t Just Survive #3: The Hidden Curriculum, Navigating the Ins and Outs of Grad School

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In our third episode, hosts Anthony Cruz and Chrishma Perera chat with Aldean Ellis and Heather Ellis, Learning Specialists at Learning Development & Success, to dive into the hidden curriculum. We explore what exactly is the hidden curriculum in graduate school? Why is it hidden and what are some common hidden curriculum topics Learning Specialists discuss with graduate students? Tune in to learn more about this mysterious hidden curriculum!

Recorded on August 26, 2025

Produced by Mohammad Zeraati and Maria Khan

Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

#TheScoopOnSOGS | Board Chair (Kirsty Ng)

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:01:00 -0400

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 Mammen.
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

Thrive, Don’t Just Survive #2: Time Management for Graduate Students

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In our second episode, hosts Riya Sidhu and Garth Casbourn chat with Heather Ellis, a Learning Specialist at Learning Development & Success, to explore a timely topic: time management in graduate school. Heather shares how time management can be a huge task for a grad student to tackle. She shares tips and tricks for time management, such as breaking down bigger tasks into smaller ones and using sticky notes!

You can book an appointment with Learning Development & Success online! There are workshops being hosted with Own Your Future in October/November on sustaining motivation, AI and graduate school, the hidden curriculum/inculturation and project management! Here is the list of events!

Recorded on August 12, 2025

Produced by Riya Sidhu and Maria Khan

Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

#TheScoopOnSOGS | Vice-President Academic (Anthony Cruz)

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 00:01:00 -0400

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.
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

Thrive, Don’t Just Survive #1: Sustaining Motivation in Graduate School

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

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 chat with Aldean Ellis, a Learning Specialist, to dive into motivation. He defines motivation, key factors that shape and sustain motivation and practical strategies for navigating periods of low motivation or feeling stuck. Aldean will be hosting an Own Your Future workshop about sustaining motivation on November 11 through Western Connect.

Own Your Future complements the doctoral curriculum by focusing on the often-overlooked skills and attributes of PhDs that contribute to their success within and beyond their studies. Own Your Future makes professional development meaningful and makes the advantages of participating transparent and explicit. Here is the list of events!

Recorded on August 5, 2025

Produced by kirstyn seanor and Maria Khan

Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)3

522 | #InspiringMinds 7: Residential Decarbonization using Solar Photovoltaics

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

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 skills.

This week, hosts Riya Sidhu and Ryan Baxter chat with Shafquat Rana, a PhD student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. Her research at the Free Appropriate Sustainable Technology (FAST) lab focuses on decarbonization of Canada’s residential sector by integrating renewable resources with mechanical systems by using solar photovoltaics, heat pumps and thermal batteries. She shares practical application, its importance in Canada and how the system works to reduce carbon emissions. Check out Shafquat’s Appropedia, her Inspiring Minds submission and the Free Appropriate Sustainability Technology (FAST) Research Group’s LinkedIn page!

Recorded on Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Produced by Riya Sidhu & Maria Khan
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

521 | Matrices All The Way Down: The Limits of Large Language Models

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 01:00:00 -0400

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 Youtube: Part 1 | Part 2.

Recorded on Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Produced by kirstyn seanor
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

520 | Archaeological Insights into Infant Feeding in Colonial Quebec

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 23:59:00 -0400

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 feeding practices—particularly breastfeeding and weaning—shaped survival, health, and social dynamics in early modern populations.

For her master’s work, Sydney studied skeletal remains from a 17th–18th century rural community near Montreal. By analyzing teeth and bones, she investigated how families navigated feeding decisions, such as the use of wet nurses, the timing of weaning, and responses to food scarcity. These practices left measurable traces in the skeletons, providing unique insights into daily life and challenges faced by families.

Using stable isotope analysis, Sydney revealed that variations in infant feeding strategies directly influenced health outcomes and mortality. Her findings highlight how cultural choices and environmental pressures intersected to impact some of the most vulnerable members of society. This work not only deepens our understanding of early Canadian communities but also underscores the enduring importance of infant care practices across time.

Recorded on Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Produced by Mohammad Zeraati
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

519 | Mind the Gait: Walking the Internal Talk

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 01:01:00 -0400

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-pharmacological interventions to help improve walking.

Sarah, Riya, and Ryan discuss interdisciplinary research opportunities and ways in which graduate students can become involved in the local community.

Sarah is co-supervised by:
- Dr. Jessica Grahn, the Principal Investigator of the Music and Neuroscience Lab based out of the Centre for Brain and Mind
- and Dr. Jeffrey Holmes, the Principal Investigator of the Health and Human Performance Lab based out of the School of Occupational Therapy

For further information on Sarah's research, one may check out her Twitter / X account and her Linkedin.

For those in the London community, the Parkinson Society Southwestern Ontario focuses on education, advocacy, community building, and research.

Recorded on Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Produced by Mark Ambrogio
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

518 | Press to start: Mind over muscle

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 00:15:00 -0400

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 Sidhu
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

517 | Theater Kid to Brain Nerd: The Connection Between Music & Memory

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:05:00 -0400

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 OurBrainSCAN, you can do so online: https://ourbrainscan.uwo.ca/

If you're interested in attending a public defense at Western, consider reviewing details available on Western's Events Calendar and filtering by Public Events: https://www.events.westernu.ca/

Recorded on Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Produced by kirstyn seanor
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

516 | How are your Knees? Understanding Injury-induced Osteoarthritis

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 01:01:00 -0400

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 patients develop osteoarthritis and why some don’t.

Geneva discusses graduate student life, both in and out of the lab, with Ryan and Maris.

Learn more about the lab Geneva works in! https://www.schulich.uwo.ca/appletonlab/

Rcorded on Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Produced by Mark Ambrogio
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

515 | The Price of Precision: Are Surgical Robots Worth It?

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

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 Sidhu and kirstyn seanor.
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

514 | I'm an Adult Now: Supporting Young Adults With a Rare Disease

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 01:01:00 -0400

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 degree. In this conversation, Ryan and Mark learn about the support networks available for PLWRD -- and where support may be lacking; especially, as youth transition into legal adulthood.

An important part of the conversation is the awareness that human "subjects" not only need to be treated with dignity, but also that their voices need to be heard. Dima's supervisor is Dr. Pamela Block. You can follow Dima on Twitter / X.

Recorded on Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Produced by Mark Ambrogio
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot)

513 | It's Just Me and Millions of Tax Records

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 00:05:00 -0400

In this week's episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and kirstyn seanor interview Ian O'Donnell, a PhD student in Economics. Ian discusses how he's analyzing tax records available through Statistics Canada to better understand income trajectories over time, especially of immigrant workers in Canada.

Recorded on Tuesday, July 08, 2025.
Produced by kirstyn seanor.
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

512 | Reaching, Grasping, and Research Abroad

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:01:00 -0400

This week on GradCast, hosts Maris Schneider and Mark Ambrogio sit down with Linda Rosbach, a visiting research student from the University of Regensburg. Linda studies how the brain controls everyday actions, such as reaching and grasping. Her research explores whether our brains function the same way in the real world as they do in virtual reality. Tune in to learn more about her fascinating work and what it’s like to conduct research abroad in a brand-new environment.

Recorded on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
Produced by Anthony Cruz and Chrishma Perera.
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot).

511 | Mapping It Out: The Cerebellum in Action

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 00:01:00 -0400

In this week's episode, hosts Anthony Cruz and Ryan Baxter interview Ince Husain, a PhD student in Neuroscience. Ince discusses her research on mapping the actions and impacts of the cerebellum, as well as her contributions to the London community as a local journalist.

Recorded on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
Produced by kirstyn seanor.
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

510 | Music and Math? You don't know the half of it!

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 00:01:00 -0400

In this week's episode, hosts Bruno Mesquita and Anthony Cruz interview Rebekka Lagacé-Cusiac, a PhD candidate in Psychology. Rebekka discusses her PhD research on ratio processing, her passion projects, and how music and math may have more in common than you think.

Recorded on Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Produced by Riya Sidhu
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot)

509 | The Pursuit of Science: Implanted Materials and the Human Body

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 01:01:00 -0400

In this week's episode, hosts Garth Casbourn and Mark Ambrogio interview Zoltan Richter-Bisson, a PhD candidate in Chemistry. Zoltan is studying the interaction between proteins, abundant in the human body, and the breakdown of implanted medical devices. While there are a large number of such devices, Zoltan is specifically interested in hip and knee implants. Tune in to learn about efforts to minimize the deleterious effects of device breakdown inside the human body.

Zoltan, Garth, and Mark also discuss science communication and the benefits of being involved in the graduate student community.

To learn more about Zoltan's supervisor: Dr. Yolanda Hedberg and her lab.

Recorded on Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Produced by Garth Casbourn & Mark Ambrogio
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot)

508 | AI; or, Another Modern Prometheus.

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Hosts Garth Casbourn and Kirstyn Seanor are joined by Rawan El Moghrabi, a student in the master's program in computer science.

How can human attitudes, behaviors, and expectations influence the internal representation and behaviors of AI? In this quite topical episode, Rawan offers some insight into the behind-the-scenes of large language models, as well as discussing her research project on AI safety and alignment.

Recorded on May 27, 2025.

Produced by Bruno Mesquita.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

507 | Teen Spirit: Growing Up in 1950s Windsor

Tue, 27 May 2025 01:01:00 -0400

Hosts Maris Schneider and Mark Ambrogio interview Taylor Northwood, a Master's student in Public History. Taylor is interested in exploring the experience of teens in the past, particularly teens living in Windsor, Ontario, during the 1950s. Taylor shares her insights into how teens navigated a postwar world shaped by shifting cultural values, emerging youth identities, and the growing influence of American media just across the border. She uses oral histories, a method of research that focuses on the perspective of her interviewees, which offers a uniquely personal insight into the lived experiences of people from the 50s.

To learn more about Taylor’s work, be sure to check out her project: https://tnorthwo.wixsite.com/thearchivedive

Recorded on Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Produced by Mark Ambrogio
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot)

506 | Environmentally-Conscious Music

Tue, 20 May 2025 01:01:00 -0400

In this week's episode, hosts Riya Sidhu and Ryan Baxter interview Catherine Birt, a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) candidate in Performance and Literature. Catherine is studying collaborative piano -- this, though, is just the tip of the iceberg! In addition to her interest in piano, Catherine explores the emerging interplay between climate activism and classical music. Intriguingly, Catherine points out that there has been a growing presence of environmental themes in classical music -- one example being the interplay of whale vocalizations ("whale songs") with some classical music in the late 1970s and early 80s, coinciding with the anti-whaling campaign.

Catherine plans on doing case studies and interviews with prominent musicians to better explore this interplay. Tune in for more!

Recorded on Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Produced by Mark Ambrogio
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot)

505 | Aging Actively

Tue, 13 May 2025 01:01:00 -0400

In this week's episode, Maddie Hertz, a PhD candidate in Anthropology, is interviewed by hosts Garth Casbourn and Mark Ambrogio. Maddie's research touches upon the intersection of aging and physical activity. More specifically, her research looks at bone loss in menopausal women, to see how physical activity may mitigate bone loss, comparing the effects of swimming and running.

Garth, Mark, and Maddie compare notes on research methods and discuss how even graduate students need to enjoy some outdoor activity!

Those interested in learning more may read about the PAVE Lab (Phenotypic Adaptability, Variation, and Evolution Laboratory) here: https://pavelab.ca/

Maddie's doctoral supervisor is Professor Jay Stock.

Recorded on Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Produced by Mark Ambrogio
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot)

504 | The Chicken Trials

Tue, 06 May 2025 01:01:00 -0400

In this week’s episode, hosts Maris Schneider and Meghan Voll interview Carly Charron, a PhD candidate in Biology, and previous GradCast host! Carly breaks the news about the dangers of eating raw chicken and eggs (say goodbye to that cookie dough batter!) as she researches how to make food safer for consumption, starting at the source – chickens. She is designing a plant-based vaccine to administer to chickens to induce immunity against Salmonella. Carly has just finished her first round of chicken trials, administering her vaccine to a group of chickens who will be studied in various ways to test their immunity. Join us as we talk about her research, her experience patenting her vaccine, and all the educational outreach she does along the way.

Recorded on Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Produced by Mark Ambrogio
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot).

Chairs Chat 2

Thu, 01 May 2025 01:01:00 -0400

This follows up on a previous “Chairs Chat” from March 2021 Special Episode: Chairs Chat | GradCast, which commemorated 500 episodes. This “Chairs Chat” commemorates another milestone; namely, over 600 episodes, with specials, and hitting 500 regular episodes, wherein we interview individual graduate students about their research.

In this episode, Amalie Hutchinson, Anthony Cruz, and Mark Ambrogio chat in the Radio Western studio, while Ariel Frame joins from Sheffield, England via Zoom. Together, they share fond memories of GradCast and discuss some of the history of the radio show and podcast.

Recorded on Friday, April 25, 2025
Produced by Amalie Hutchinson and Mark Ambrogio
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot).

503 | Owning your future: Transferring skills from academia to the job market

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 01:01:00 -0400

Hosts Anthony Cruz and Garth Casbourn sit down with Jenny Richmond-Bravo, an EdD candidate and coordinator of Western’s Own Your Future program, to discuss how she is helping PhD students identify, build, and market their skills for career success beyond academia.

Recorded on Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Produced by Riya Sidhu

Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot).

Special Episode: 39th Annual Western Research Forum

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:01:00 -0400

GradCast heads to the Western Research Forum! Get a glimpse into Western's largest multidisciplinary graduate research conference as hosts Liam Clifford, Mohammad Zeraati, Riya Sidhu, & Mark Ambrogio conduct short interviews with attendees, presenters, and organizers. This year's conference featured over 60 different presentations from across Western's 11 faculties. See below for interview questions and timestamps.

Funding for the 39th Annual Western Research Forum was provided by Western's Society of Graduate Students (SOGS), Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, and the Academic Joint Fund, a partnership among Western Research, SOGS, and Western's School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS).

Recorded on March 14, 2025.
Produced by Anthony Cruz.
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

Interview Questions & Timestamps

What’s the biggest takeaway from your presentation?
What inspired you to pursue this research?
What is the effect of your research on real life?

01:00 - Jeremias
02:57 - Caitlin
04:47 - Elisabeth
06:24 - Rafaela

How has presenting here helped you refine your ideas?
What’s one skill that has helped you succeed in your research?
What’s your best networking tip for first-time conference attendees?

07:37 - Sid
09:51 - Lauren
11:10 - Xavier
13:10 - Liam

Summarize your research in one sentence.
What has been the highlight of the WRF?
How has AI influenced your research?

14:36 - Chloe
15:49 - Saghar
16:34 - Reza
19:29 - Andrew
20:16 - Aranya
21:25 - Anthony
22:12 - Ashley
23:09 - Olivia

502 | You'd Better Be Done!

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 08:10:14 -0400

In his fourth time with us, Alex Mayhew joins his fellow office-mates in Western's Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS), hosts Mark Ambrogio and Meghan Voll, as he rapidly approaches the finish line. By the time this episode airs, Alex may officially have his PhD in Library and Information Science! Alex discusses what is involved in the final weeks of one's PhD, such as his forthcoming public lecture. He also shares the experience of receiving feedback from his students (in the Master of Library and Information Sciences program) to some of his ideas around Aging Justice. And how feedback is not always a bad thing.

EDIT: Alex successfully defended his dissertation on Tuesday, April 22. Congratulations, Dr. Mayhew!

Recorded on Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Produced by Mark Ambrogio

Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot).

#GlobalGrads Redux: Policy and Practice

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In the second episode of #GlobalGrads, hosts Liam Clifford and Anthony Cruz are joined by Eva Deligiannis — a MSc student in Neuroscience and the PSAC610 Communications Chair. Eva shares her background in research, her journey through activism, and highlights key contemporary developments affecting international students at Western.

Shifting from the personal to the political, the conversation explores Navitas — a private education company whose proposed international student pathway was previously rejected by the Western community. Eva breaks down what Navitas is, how the proposal could impact international student prospects, and how both the union and broader campus community are organising in response.

Tune in for insight on how institutional policy affects our international colleagues and how domestic students can show solidarity.

For updates on the matter, follow @stopcutsatwesternu and the union @PSAC610 on Instagram. You may find additional information on the local's and UWOFA's respective websites.

Recorded on April 8, 2025
Produced by Liam Clifford

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

501 | #InspiringMinds: Fit or Fixated? Unpacking Emerging Fitness Ideals and the Role of Disordered Eating

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 00:01:00 -0400

This week, join us for the 5th episode of our collaboration with Inspiring Minds, 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 transferrable skills.

Hosts Maris Schneider and Anthony Cruz sit down with guest Lisa Zhu, a master’s student in clinical psychology, to explore the psychological impacts of today’s fitness trends that idealize muscularity. Lisa’s research investigates the often-overlooked connection between fitness ideals and food-related behaviours, revealing how disordered eating can be masked as "healthy" habits. She sheds light on how these unrealistic muscular ideals perpetuate harmful perceptions of health, especially among men, whose experiences with body image and disordered eating are frequently ignored. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation that challenges conventional ideas of fitness and wellness.

Check out Lisa's Inspiring Minds showcase here!

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of body image and disordered eating.

Recorded on April 8, 2025.
Produced by Anthony Cruz.
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot).

500 | Big Brain Energy

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Hosts Liam Clifford and Ryan Baxter meet with Rafaela Platkin, a MSc student in Cognitive, Developmental and Brain Sciences Psychology. Her research looks at how engaged children become with different story themes, and how this may influence broader cognitive domains (listening effort, attention, load, etc). She discusses studies with behavioural dual task to measure listening effort through reaction time, gaze and EEG brain activity. The hope is to better understand how children engage with auditory-only narratives and general stimuli and see how their listening effort and/or fatigue are affected. Rafaela talks about how she became charmed by the field of Psychology and her future plans for her PhD, to look at hearing aid users to see whether there is a disproportionate increase in listening effort.

Recorded on April 1, 2025

Produced by Maria Khan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

499 | Third Time's a Charm: Exploring Representations of, and Attitudes Towards, Snakes

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:52:00 -0400

And yes, he's back! Liam Clifford and Mark Ambrogio are joined, for the third time, by William Laur, a PhD candidate at Western in Biology, as he shares how he is making good progress on his doctoral research.

William discusses his research on snakes; more specifically, he is interested in the human reaction towards snakes, which he studies by looking at both the scientific literature and social media posts. Topics discussed include threat perception, human-animal conflict, and the importance of ecological diversity. Snakes are not as dangerous as commonly perceived; indeed, it is possible, as William discusses, for us to learn to live alongside them.

Recorded on Mark 25, 2025
Produced by Mark Ambrogio

Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot).

#BookCast 8 | The Secret History by Donna Tart

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 00:01:00 -0400

For this edition of #BookCast, we dive deep into The Secret History by Donna Tart, the origin of the dark academia genre. Join us as we discuss the book, which follows a student at a prestigious New England College, where he experiences new friends, an eclectic professor, and murder. The Secret History is a novel heavily laced with classical symbolism, and we discuss some of the central themes as well as engage in a breakdown of the main characters.

This episode was recorded on March 5, 2025

Produced by Scott Walters

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

#GlobalGrads Redux New Horizons: From Nepal to Western: Deepmala Rana Bhat's Journey as an International Student and Advocate for SOGS

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 01:01:00 -0400

#GlobalGrads is back! In this episode, hosts Liam Clifford and Riya Sidhu sit down with Deepmala Rana Bhat, a PhD student in Epidemiology from Nepal and the International Commissioner for SOGS at Western. As an international student herself, Deepmala shares insights into Nepal’s rich culture, fun facts, and her experiences advocating for international students. They also dive into the evolving landscape of international student policies in Canada and how these changes impact students like Deepmala. Tune in for a lively and informative conversation about culture, advocacy, and student life!

This episode was recorded on March 18, 2025

This episode was produced by: Jessica Eblie

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/

Produced by White Hot

498 | #InspiringMinds 4: Development of Parasports in Ghana

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0400

On our fourth episode of our collaboration with Inspiring Minds, 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 transferrable skills.

Our hosts Riya Sidhu and Ryan Baxter are joined by Dennis Osei-Nimo Annor, a PhD candidate in the Department of Kinesiology, under the Faculty of Health Sciences. His research examines the ways in which sport can be used as a toolkit to address physical and sociocultural challenges faced persons who experience disability (PWEDs). By addressing this gap, he hopes to use sports as a tool for social inclusion to address harmful cultural stereotypes and perceptions about disability in Ghana. Dennis also talks about his journey to his PhD and his work in sports journalism.

Check out Dennis' Inspiring Minds Showcase here!

Recorded on March 11, 2025

Produced by Maria Khan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

497 | Am I Pronouncing This Correctly? Reading, Context, and Word Recognition

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 00:23:00 -0400

In this week's episode, hosts Liam Clifford and Bruno Mesquita interview Niki Sinha (they/them), a PhD candidate in Neuroscience. Niki's research delves into the processes by which, when we read, we connect letters with sound and words with meanings. As an example, the word "lead" has a very different meaning (and a very different pronunciation!) in the context of "lead singer," as opposed to "lead pipe."

These cognitive processes are so quick as to almost appear automatic. In this interview, we learn, from Niki, that making connections between visual information and language isn't something that our brain is programmed to do by itself (unlike recognizing faces for instance), but it is something almost all of us learn to do anyways.

Do tune in for a very erudite and engaging conversation!

Recorded on Mark 4, 2025
Produced by Mark Ambrogio

Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot).

496 | A Bone by Any Other Name: Refining the Science of Anthropological Investigations Using CT Scans

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 00:01:00 -0500

Hosts Maris Schneider and Meghan Voll welcome Sarah Bidinosti to discuss her research on adapting traditional bone analysis methods for the digital age using CT scans. Sarah explains how techniques for estimating age, biological sex, and stature—commonly used in forensic and archaeological studies—must be refined when applied to digital scans. By creating a standardized methodology, she aims to improve accuracy and repeatability in osteobiography, the process of identifying unknown individuals based on skeletal characteristics.

Our conversation explores the advantages of CT scans, which allow researchers to study bones non-invasively, preserving remains in forensic cases and with cultural artifacts like mummies. Sarah highlights challenges in translating physical bone analysis to the digital realm, as scan parameters and software algorithms can alter bone appearances. Sarah’s work bridges archaeology, forensic science, and medical imaging, offering applications across cultures and time periods.

Recorded on February 25, 2025
Produced by Scott Walters

Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot).

495 | Algorithms, Hate Engagement, and the Digital Divide

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 00:01:00 -0500

Hosts Mark Ambrogio and Meghan Voll welcome Alanna Acchione, a PhD student in Media Studies at Western University, to discuss her research on data harms and the role of algorithms in curating hate engagement on social media. Alanna explores how platforms intentionally foster ideological clashes by amplifying content that triggers emotional responses, ultimately driving user engagement and platform profitability.

Drawing from Wendy Chun’s "Discriminating Data", Alanna explains how users are categorized into marketable groups, often pushed into ideological echo chambers that reinforce extreme narratives. She shares how these algorithmic structures fuel anti-feminist and anti-minority rhetoric, shaping online discourse in ways that can have real-world consequences.

The conversation also delves into rhetorical silence—the act of disengaging from online debates—as a potential resistance strategy. Alanna discusses the effectiveness of "feed cleansing" to disrupt harmful engagement patterns and considers whether quitting social media entirely is the only true form of protest against these platforms’ exploitative models.

Recorded on February 25, 2025
Produced by Mohammad Zeraati
Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot).

494 | Advancing Ultrasound Imaging: Speed, Accuracy, and Biomedical Innovation

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 00:01:00 -0500

Hosts Mark Ambrogio and Ryan Baxter welcome back Kian Esmailian, a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at Western University, to discuss his research on ultrafast ultrasound imaging and Doppler applications. Kian shares his journey from Iran to Western, detailing his passion for merging engineering and medicine. He explains how ultrasound imaging plays a crucial role in diagnostics due to its affordability, safety, and real-time capabilities, making it a preferred choice over MRI and CT scans.

The conversation dives into Doppler ultrasound applications, which allow for velocity estimation in blood vessels, helping doctors detect abnormalities like clogged arteries and aneurysms. Kian breaks down the trade-offs between frame rate and accuracy, highlighting how ultrafast ultrasound improves speed but requires balancing image quality. He discusses how his research focuses on optimizing transmission techniques to achieve both high-speed imaging and precise velocity estimation, ultimately improving diagnostic accuracy.

Recorded on February 19, 2025
Produced by Mohammad Zeraati

Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot).

493 | #InspiringMinds 3: Easing the Load: Shoulder Injuries and Firefighters

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This week, we engage in the third episode of our collaboration with Inspiring Minds, 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 transferrable skills.

Our hosts Garth Casbourn and Ryan Baxter are joined by Temitope Osifeso, a PhD Candidate at the School of Physical Therapy in the Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Temitope’s research explored how firefighters manage shoulder injuries and what they need to recover effectively by interviewing firefighters in North America. We chat about potential gender differences, what made Temitope engage with this research area and what can be done to minimize and treat these shoulder injuries in a high-risk occupation.

Recorded on February 11, 2025

Produced by Maria Khan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

#GradLife | For the Love of Grad School

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 00:01:00 -0500

Just in time for Valentine's Day, GradCast hosts Anthony Cruz, Riya Sidhu, and Liam Clifford discuss all things love in graduate school. The hosts review a series of would-you-rather questions centered around dating within academia, planning a wedding during graduate school, and balancing research-related and romantic demands.

Recorded on February 4, 2025.

Produced by Anthony Cruz

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

#BookCast 7 | The Book of Two Ways

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 00:01:00 -0500

For our seventh episode of #BookCast, we discuss “The Book of Two Ways” by Jodi Picoult—a story that explores whether we make our choices—or our choices make us. Our story begins with a plane-crash, where our main character, Dawn Edelstein is faced with the choice to return home to her life as a death-doula, or continue on to Egypt to complete her doctoral studies researching the coffin-texts and “Book of Two Ways”, a map of routes souls can take to the afterlife.

Join Riya Sidhu, Garth Casbourn, Scott Walters, resident Egyptologist: Maris Schneider, and Meghan Voll as we dive into the book’s main themes and quirks, such as it’s non-linear writing style, the duality of life and death, the nature of choices, and selfless versus selfish action. This podcast edit features a reveal of the next title in our ongoing series.

Aired February 6th, 2025 at 11 AM on Radio Western, 94.9 FM in London, Ontario.

Recorded on January 28, 2025

Produced by Scott Walters

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

492 | Mining and Modeling: Here and Abroad

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This week, hosts Garth Casbourn and Ryan Baxter speak with GradCast's own Mohammad Zeraati, a third-year PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering about some of the real-world implications of his research into the “Instability behaviour of granular soil and tailings and particle cementation.” Some of the topics discussed include mining regulation, computational methods, and the environmental effects of mining, through mining waste.

Recorded on January 28, 2025

Produced by Jessica Eblie, Scott Walters, Maria Khan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

491 | Politics and Media Representation of Cow Violence

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Hosts Mark Ambrogio and Maris Schneider are joined by Sananda Sahoo, a Postdoctoral Associate at the Faculty of Information and Media Studies. In Sananda's PhD dissertation, her research extrapolated how mainstream English-language Indian newspapers represent Muslims in the context of cow violence. She discusses the tension between the Muslims and other communities, mainly Hindus from colonial India and contemporary settings. Now, in Sananda’s post-doctoral research, she is looking into the government's usage of AI and facial recognition technology in the public sector in India and how it impacts human behaviour and surveillance. She also shares her academic joinery and her work at a newspaper and radio station. Content disclaimer: This episode touches upon religious lynching and violence against Muslims in India.

Recorded on January 21, 2025

Produced by Maria Khan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

490 | Theoretical to Practical, and Skills Learned Along the Way

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This week, hosts Mark Ambrogio and Liam Clifford are joined by Jessica Eblie, a student in the professional master's program in Media, Journalism, and Communications. Jessica shares her fascinating journey from a music background to journalism and communications, discussing how her experience as a musician brings valuable skills and perspectives to her work as a journalist.

Recorded on January 14, 2025.

Produced by Bruno Mesquita.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

489 | Journalism during Nigerian Political Crisis

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:01:00 -0500

This week, hosts Mark Ambrogio and Scott Walters are joined by Aloa Alota, a PhD Candidate in Western's Faculty of Information and Media Studies. His research focuses on political journalism in Nigeria following the June 12 Crisis, the annulment of a presidential election that plunged the country into a political turmoil. Listen to learn about the guerilla journalism that ensued while Nigeria worked its way back to Democracy.

Recorded on January 7, 2025.

Produced by Scott Walters.

Edited by Anthony Cruz.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

488 | #InspiringMinds 2: Joeana Cambranis, Improving Biomedical Procedures with Virtual Tools

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 00:01:00 -0500

This week, we engage in the second episode of our collaboration with Inspiring Minds, 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 transferrable skills.

Hosts Mark Ambrogio and Ryan Baxter converse with Joeana Cambranis, who is pursuing her PhD in Biomedical Engineering. Joeana's research focuses on developing augmented and virtual reality tools to help surgeons practice and improve procedures related to the treatment of liver cancer. She also shares her thoughts on life as an international graduate student from Yucatán, Mexico, what Western means to her, and discusses her next steps.

Want to know more about Joeana's work? Take a look at her page on the Inspiring Minds website.

Recorded on December 10, 2024

Airing at 11am on December 17, 2024 on Western Radio, 94.9 FM

Produced by Scott Walters

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

487 | Snakes 2: Electric Boogaloo

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Hosts Mark Ambrogio and Liam Clifford are re-joined by William Laur, PhD Candidate in the Biology Department. His research focuses on exploring representations of and attitudes towards snakes in online media, through an ethnozoological approach. He was previously in the GradCast studio over the summer (Episode 470). This time around, William completed his written scoping review and qualitative analysis of the snake and bear-specific scientific literature. William chats about human perspectives and attitudes towards snakes and bears, the theological perspectives, how snakes are charismatic and the importance of snake conservation.

Recorded on December 3, 2024

Produced by Maria Khan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

#BookCast 6 | Fifth Business by Robertson Davies

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 20:01:00 -0500

In our sixth installment of our #BookCast mini-series, we discuss Fifth Business, by Robertson Davies. The novel builds upon childhood events and grows into a personal epic spanning decades of national and world history, centered through the perspective of an older academic looking back over his life. The story begins, and the main characters all originate from, Deptford, a fictional town based on the real community of Thamesville, Ontario. Join us as your hosts Garth Casbourne, Meghan Voll, Mark Ambrogio, and Scott Walters dive into some of the book's main themes, including spirituality, ageing & changing perspectives, and socioeconomics.

The podcast edit features an extended discussion by Mark on the concept of unreliable narrators, and Meghan reveals the next title in our ongoing series.

Aired December 5th at 11 AM on Radio Western, 94.9 FM in London, Ontario.

Recorded on November 27, 2024

Produced by Scott Walters

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

486 | Is That You? Hearing, Audio Perception, and Voice Familiarity

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 00:01:00 -0500

Hosts kirstyn seanor and Maris Schneider interview our own Bruno Mesquita, a PhD candidate in Neuroscience at Western and a member of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Communication and Hearing Lab. Topics discussed include how experience shapes our perception of auditory stimuli, voice familiarity, and speech intelligibility. For the discerning listener, they even discuss “selective hearing”!

Recorded on November 26, 2024.

Produced by Mark Ambrogio.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

#TheScoopOnSOGS | Academic Committee Chair (Andrew Grgas-Svirac)

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 00:01:00 -0500

In this installment of #TheScoopOnSOGS, host Liam Clifford is joined by Andrew Grgas-Svirac, a PhD Candidate in Western's Department of Civil Engineering who currently serves as the Chair of the Academic Committee at the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS). Listen to this episode to learn about Andrew's research and all of the amazing initiatives led by the Academic Committee, including the 125th Scholarship and the Western Research Forum.

The 39th annual Western Research Forum, with the theme Interdisciplinary Research in the Digital Age, will take place on March 14, 2025. Abstract submissions are due on January 6, 2025. We hope to see you there!

485 | What Satisfies your Desire? How Tags Structure Erotic Content on Pornographic Websites

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Hosts Meghan Voll and Liam Clifford are joined by kirstyn seanor, as she talks about her research on how the design and navigation systems of pornography websites influence users' exposure to content. Along the way we will also discuss how to define pornography, and how access and availability of this content has changed over time.

Check out Kirstyn's s research Instagram Here!

Recorded on November 19, 2024.

Produced by Bruno Mesquita.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

484 | #InspiringMinds: At the Beginning of Phonation

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Here is our first-ever collaboration with Inspiring Minds, 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 transferrable skills. GradCast will feature selected students to discuss their research every third Tuesday of the month!

Hosts Meghan Voll and Maris Schneider chat with Charmaine Iormetti, who recently completed her Masters of Music (MMus) in Literature and Performance (Voice) degree in the Don Wright Faculty of Music and is currently a Music Instructor at Riverbend Academy and Sound in Motion Studio. Charmaine’s research looks at how the larynx and vocal tract produce and filter vocal qualities so singers can ensure emotionally compelling performances. Charmaine shares her interest in vocal pedagogy, the discipline of understanding the singing instrument and how it optimizes sound. She also shares her favourite musical repertoires, tips on having a healthy sound and her experiences with Inspiring Minds.

You can find Charmaine on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Here is her work with Inspiring Minds and some of the musical repertoires mentioned: Tosca, La Bohème, Turandot, Madama Butterfly and Wagner's Wesendonck Liede.

Recorded on November 12, 2024

Produced by Maria Khan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

483 | Quantifying Rurality: How urban/rural divide impacts voting behaviour

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 00:01:00 -0500

Katie McCoy, a PhD candidate in political science, joins Liam Clifford and Garth Casbourn. She tells us about her research on why people vote how they do, especially in rural communities. She also discusses how MPs from rural areas may differ in behaviour compared to urban MPs.

Recorded on November 6, 2024

Produced by Riya Sidhu

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

482 | Rethinking Urban Mobility with the 15-Minute City

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Host Mark Ambrogio welcomes John Hutchenreuther, a PhD student in the Department of Geography and Environment, to discuss the transformative potential of the "15-minute city" in urban planning. John’s research envisions a shift towards walkable cities, where essential amenities are accessible within a short walk or bike ride, making cars a choice rather than a necessity. He delves into the challenges in cities like London, Ontario, and explains how North American urban development, particularly after World War II, heavily favored car infrastructure. This, he notes, often left residential neighborhoods without local stores and services, compelling residents to drive for daily needs. John also discusses the inefficiencies of car-dominated roads, advocating for safer, more pedestrian-friendly environments that prioritize people over vehicles, ultimately fostering more sustainable and inclusive urban spaces.

Recorded on October 29, 2024

Produced by Mohammad Zeraati

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

481 | Live from the Production Control Room

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week, hosts Garth Casbourn and kirstyn seanor are joined by Eric Scarfone, a Master of Media in Journalism and Communication (MMJC) student in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies. Eric talks about his transition from undergraduate to graduate studies and delves deeper into what the MMJC program entails. He shares his goals in broadcasting and what is a part of good journalistic storytelling. He also talks about his involvement in student government and at Radio Western, hosting “On the Eric” and newscasts. To keep up to date, follow Eric on Instagram @escarf12

Recorded on October 22, 2024.

Produced by Maria Khan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

#BookCast 5 | Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 11:00:00 -0400

For our fifth installment of our book club series, the #BookCast team read Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. Join us for a discussion led by Garth Casbourn with co-hosts Meghan Voll, Riya Sidhu, and Scott Walters.

We dive into the complex narrative of Gifty, a young scientist getting her PhD at Stanford, attempting to discover secrets behind addictive behavior. This story is one of grief, hope, childhood trauma, conflicts between faith and science, and racism and immigration in North America.

We'll cover many of the books themes and writing devices, its approach at describing science and graduate student life, and talk about the challenges faced by the protagonist both in the lab and her difficult past.

ADVISORY: This book has themes of addiction and overdose that are central to the story. In the second part of our conversation, we dive into these topics. Some listeners may wish to either avoid or prepare for this portion of our episode.

Airing October 31th at 11 AM on Radio Western.

Recorded on October 2, 2024

Produced by Scott Walters

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

480 | A Symphony of Music Making, Education and Disability

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week, hosts Mark Ambrogio and Ryan Baxter are joined by Lauren Jarman, a Masters of Music Education Candidate in the Don Wright Faculty of Music. Her research is focused on the impact of policy, globalization and neoliberalism and how it affects students with disabilities through a windband pedagogy. Lauren explores how AI and technology enable learning for musicians and how it can improve student and teacher experience. She also talks about her involvement in student government and her own experiences with disability as a student.

Recorded on October 15, 2024

Produced by Maria Khan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot)

479 | Black Paint on a Black Canvas

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Hosts Anthony Cruz and Meghan Voll are joined by Emiko Muraki, a PhD candidate with the University of Calgary, and a visiting PhD student at Western University. Emiko studies how context and differences between people affect how we learn and use concepts, and understand language. She also studied people with aphantasia, who can't form mental images, and found that they may still engage in sensorimotor simulation during semantic processing, even if they lack conscious, voluntary imagery.

Recorded on October 8, 2024.

Produced by Bruno Mesquita.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

478| China's Rap Evolution: From Underground to Mainstream

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 08:25:56 -0400

Hosts Mark Ambrogio and Meghan Voll are joined by Shengpei (Leslie) Li, a Ph.D. student in Media Studies. Leslie discusses his research on rap music in China and the politics surrounding it.

Recorded on October 1, 2024.

Produced by Riya Sidhu

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

477 | Music, Memory & Media (Libby’s version)

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Hosts Mark Ambrogio and Ryan Baxter are joined by Elisabeth (Libby) Roberts, a Ph.D. candidate in the music cognition specialization at the University of Western Ontario, Don Wright Faculty of Music. Libby discusses her research in music-evoked autobiographical memory and how she combines methods from behavioural sciences, sociology, and music theory. She discusses how social media, a space of interaction, memory, and, importantly, hearing and playing music, influences the way we remember popular music.

Check out Libby’s research, composition and performances here!

Recorded on September 24, 2024.

Produced by Maria Khan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

#TheScoopOnSOGS | Vice-President Advocacy (Jasmine Proctor)

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 00:01:00 -0400

In this installment of the three-part #TheScoopOnSOGS miniseries, host Liam Clifford is joined by Jasmine Proctor, a PhD Student in Western's Faculty of Information and Media Studies who currently serves as the Vice-President Advocacy at the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS). Listen to this episode to learn about Jasmine's research, background, and roles at SOGS, as well as what she enjoys about being a student leader.

Recorded on September 10, 2024.

Produced by Anthony Cruz.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

476 | Ashar’s Cosmic Storytelling Corner

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week, hosts Maris Schneider and Garth Casbourn are joined by writer, curator and visual culture PhD candidate at the Department of Visual Arts, Ashar Mobeen. Ashar studies ancient and indigenous civilizations and the manifestation of astronomical understanding within their art and architecture. He explores the stories of groups marginalized by Eurocentric ideologies. Ashar chats about his love for the cosmos, working to implement new pedagogical methods in the classroom, sustainable curatorial projects and managing the Ecologies in Practice podcast (launching this Fall)!

Here are links to the curatorial projects: In the Heart of the Bronze: A Liu Shiming Experience and of many worlds in this world (featured at Western’s artLAB Gallery!)

Recorded on September 17, 2024.

Produced by Maria Khan.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

#TheScoopOnSOGS | President (Cherin Chung)

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 00:01:00 -0400

In this installment of the three-part #TheScoopOnSOGS miniseries, host Liam Clifford is joined by Cherin Chung, a PhD Candidate in Western's Department of French who currently serves as the President of the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS). Listen to this episode to learn about Cherin's research, background, and roles at SOGS, as well as what she enjoys about being a student leader.

If you would like to learn more or get involved, check out sogs.ca and follow SOGS on Instagram @westernsogs! To get in touch with Cherin, you can contact her by email (president@sogs.ca) or follow her personal Instagram @cherinchung.

Recorded on August 27, 2024.

Produced by Anthony Cruz.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

475 | Fat in Flight: The Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Migratory Shorebird Energetics and Thermoregulation

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:01:00 -0400

This week, hosts Garth Casbourn and Riya Sidhu are joined by Kevin Young, a PhD Candidate in Western's Department of Biology. Kevin researches how the omega-3 fats in the diets of migratory shorebirds help them regulate their body temperature and save energy during their long journeys. Listen to learn about some of the amazing avian research happening at Western!

Recorded on September 10, 2024.

Produced by Anthony Cruz.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

#TheScoopOnSOGS | Vice-President Finance (Evan Sauve)

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:01:00 -0400

In this installment of the three-part #TheScoopOnSOGS miniseries, host Liam Clifford is joined by Evan Sauve, a PhD Candidate in Western's Department of Economics who currently serves as the Vice-President Finance at the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS). Listen to this episode to learn about Evan's research, background, and roles at SOGS, as well as what Evan enjoys about being a student leader.

Follow Evan on Instagram, @EvanSauve_SOGS!

Recorded on August 20, 2024.

Produced by Anthony Cruz.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

474 | Ultracool Dwarf Planets

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 00:01:00 -0400

This week, hosts Mark Ambrogio and Garth Casbourn are joined by Astronomy PhD student Sami Lambier. Sami researches ultracool dwarfs, some of the smallest stars in the Universe. Sami also discusses her work at the Cronyn Observatory. Listen to learn some ultra-cool facts about the night sky!

Recorded on September 3, 2024.

Produced by Anthony Cruz.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

#BookCast 4 | The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 00:01:00 -0400

For our August book of the month, the #BookCast team tackled The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, the discussion led by Meghan Voll and joined by Mark Ambrogio, Garth Casbourn and Maria Khan. The team looks at the writing style, character development, accuracy to real-life academia and problematic elements in the storyline. Will this experiment combust in our protagonist's face? Airing September 5 at 11 AM on Radio Western.

Recorded on August 22, 2024

Produced by Maria Khan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

#GradLifeXXI | Right Place, Right Thai-m

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 00:01:00 -0400

This week, join hosts Ryan Baxter, Mark Ambrogio, and Anthony Cruz as they discuss graduate student life at Western. Topics include Summer travel, musical performance, and the hosts' various research interests.

Recorded on August 27, 2024.

Produced by Anthony Cruz.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

473 | Sorry, Can You Repeat That?

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week, hosts Anthony Cruz and Riya Sidhu are joined by psychology PhD student Joseph Rovetti. Taking a different look at our ability to understand speech in different environments, Joseph is studying the cognitive side to speech perception - and just how deep that goes. If you've ever had trouble understanding someone in a noisy room, tune into this week's episode to find out why it might not be your hearing that causes this.

Recorded on August 20, 2024

Produced by Anthony Cruz, Edited by Suzy Lee

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

#BookCast 3 | Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 10:32:18 -0400

For our July book of the month, the #BookCast crew reads Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis. Tune in a discussion of the novel led by Garth Casbourn featuring hosts Scott Walters, Meghan Voll, Mark Ambrogio, and special guest Helen Button! We discuss the literary format of the novel, its relation to our experiences as academics, and the historical context behind this witty work of fiction! Airing August 29 at 11am on Radio Western.

Recorded on August 13, 2024

Produced by Scott Walters, Edited by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

Audio clip from Lucky Jim (1957) - British Lion Films

472 | The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 00:10:00 -0400

Join GradCast Hosts Meghan Voll and Mark Ambrogio as they chat with our favourite repeat guest, Alex Mayhew. This time, Alex discusses what it's like in the final few months of a PhD, from wrapping up to writing to deciding when to defend, there IS light at the end of the tunnel.

Recorded on August 13, 2024

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

471 | Talking Teddy Bears: Obama is that you?

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 08:54:47 -0400

This week, hosts Anthony Cruz and Meghan Voll are joined by a MSc Psychology student, Lincoln Inglis. Covering everything from AI ethics to how producing plays with children sparked his interest, they talk about how Lincoln uses Deepfake technology to help understand how we categorize the voices we hear.

Recorded on August 6, 2024

Produced by Riya Sidhu

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

470 | Snakes on a plane: Uncoiling public perceptions

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 09:08:48 -0400

This week, hosts Mark Ambrogio and Liam Clifford are joined by William Laur, to talk about his PhD work on attitudes towards his favourite animal, the snake. To help inform conservation efforts, William studies the perception of snakes through analysis of social media posts, as well as articles written by scientific researchers. William also talks about how snakes have been important throughout his life and throughout history.

Recorded on July 20, 2024

Produced by Riya Sidhu

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

469 | Futuristic Verdicts: Lessons Learned from Science Fiction

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week, hosts Mark Ambrogio and Liam Clifford are joined by a gentleman who seems like he's done it all, Law PhD student Joel Welch. Student by day and bartender by night, in this episode Joel delves into his work examining the lessons we can learn from science fiction. He also delves into his past experience working with the RCMP and speaking at fan conventions.

Follow Joel on X (formerly known as Twitter) @Joel_Welch and on Instagram to @joelwelch.

Also, check out his podcast The SciFi Pubcast!

Joel at the future birthplace of Captain Kirk in Riverside Iowa.

Recorded on July 23, 2024

Produced by Suzy Lee

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

#BookCast 2 | The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 01:06:00 -0400

Join us for our second edition of #BookCast where we discuss The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker. Your hosts for this episode are Mark Ambrogio, Amalie Hutchinson, Meghan Voll, Scott Walters and Garth Casbourn. Note for listeners, this episode contains many spoilers! Sweet dreams....

Recorded on July 16, 2024

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

468 | Can AI Be Poetic? A Dialogue on AI Ethics and Instapoetry in the 21st Century

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week, hosts Anthony Cruz and Maris Schneider are joined by Tanja Grubnic, a PhD Candidate in Western's Department of English. Tanja is interested in the ethics of generative AI. Tanja organized an event at Western called Can AI Be Creative? where she invited several guest speakers to tackle this topic. In this episode, Tanja shares some tips for other graduate students who might be interested in hosting similar events! For her PhD research, Tanja is conducting several case studies on so-called instapoets to explore how literature develops and spreads in the 21st century. Listen to learn all about her work.

If this topic interests you, be sure to visit DLC+, Tanja's fantastic open-access research network for literary scholars!

Recorded on July 9, 2024.

Produced by Anthony Cruz.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

#GradLifeXX | Summer Adventures

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 01:00:00 -0400

What do graduate students get up to during the summer? Tune in to hear what Amalie Hutchinson, Meghan Voll, and Mark Ambrogio have planned this summer.

Recorded on July 2, 2024

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot)

467 | Spoken with Pride: Gender in the Romance Languages

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In this special episode, host Anthony Cruz is joined by Tyson de Moura Umberger, a PhD Student in Hispanic Studies. Tyson researches the evolution of Spanish, French, and Portuguese in the Western hemisphere. How are these gendered languages evolving over time? Listen to find out. We also discuss Tyson's work as the Society of Graduate Students' Pride Commissioner.

Recorded on June 25, 2024.

Produced by Anthony Cruz.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

466 | It's A Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Medical Delivery Drone!

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week, hosts Anthony Cruz and Mark Ambrogio are joined by Brianne O'Sullivan, a PhD Candidate in Health Information Science. Brianne's doctoral research focuses on medical delivery drones, which deliver essential healthcare supplies to people in hard-to-reach places. Could drones play a vital role in healthcare in the future? In addition to her doctoral research, Brianne is a policy analyst on Canada's World Health Organization team at the Public Health Agency of Canada. Brianne is also passionate about STEM education! Listen to learn all about her work.

Recorded on June 25, 2024.

Produced by Anthony Cruz.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

465 | Categorizing the Vibes

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:01:00 -0400

This week, GradCast hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Anthony Cruz chat with Maddie Bloomberg, a Master's student in the department of psychology. Maddie shares her research into category learning and individual differences that can arise between neurotypical and neurodivergent fish-categorizers.

To find out more about Maddie's work, check out her linkedin

Recorded on June 18, 2024

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

464 | Hold My Medal: Ethical Dilemmas in Sports

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week, hosts Mark Ambrogio and Garth Casbourn are joined by Alan Oldham, a PhD candidate in Western's School of Kinesiology. In his work, Alan asks some challenging questions about sports. Is it fair for games to end in a tie? How do we decide who can or can't play a sport? Sports play a huge role in our lives, but these questions aren't easy to answer. Fittingly, Alan also talks about his experience in the Olympic sport of rowing.

To get in contact with Alan, find him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Recorded on June 11, 2024.

Produced by Anthony Cruz.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

463 | "I'm in my Graduate Era": Transitioning from Undergraduate To Graduate School

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In this very special episode, Meghan Voll and Mark Ambrogio interview soon-to-be Master of Media Studies graduate student Janelle Allan. In this episode, Janelle asks our hosts her burning question about all things grad school, from getting a teaching assistantship, to managing new academic workloads. If you're entering a graduate program, you'll want to tune into this episode!

To follow Janelle on this new journey, follow her on Linkedin!

Recorded on June 4, 2024

Produced by Suzy Lee

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

462 | A Study of Nostalgia as an Act of Nostalgia

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:01:00 -0400

This week, GradCast welcomes Ameena Abid back to the interview table to follow up on her independent study project within her Master's of Social Work. Join hosts Mark Ambrogio and Anthony Cruz in their discussion with Ameena into her own family history - an autoethnography - and explore topics of nostalgia, the connection between grandparents and grandchildren, and how a story that seems like an outlier case may well comprise a whole story on its own.

To get in contact with Ameena, check out her Linkedin

Recorded on May 28, 2024

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

461 | Pulling an Architect out of History

Tue, 28 May 2024 00:45:00 -0400

This week, hosts Mark Ambrogio and Ryan Baxter interview Benjamin Vazquez, a student at Huron here at Western working on a master of arts in theology. They chat about the work of Gordon Lloyd, a local architect who lived and worked in the late 19th century. Benjamin follows Lloyd's career and spends, in his words, altogether too much time in old churches - but he loves it!

Recorded on May 21, 2024

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

460 | Desk Purple Yellow Blue: The Best (Worst) Way to End a Story

Tue, 21 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week, hosts Liam Clifford and Amalie Hutchinson are joined by Alexander Sallas, a PhD candidate in Western's Department of English and Writing Studies. In his dissertation, Alexander talks about the Deus Ex Machina, a special, unpredictable way to end a story. Some people believe that this is not a great way to end a story, but Alexander strongly disagrees. Unpredictable events happen all the time in real life, so why can't they happen in a story?

Recorded on May 14, 2024.

Produced by Anthony Cruz.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).

459 | Look at all that Information: Examining Ontologies and Knowledge Translation across Domains

Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week hosts Mark Ambrogio and Liam Clifford are joined by John Kausch, a PhD student in Information Science studying knowledge organization systems and ways to translate knowledge. This episode delves into what an ontology is, John's work on creating a formal model for knowledge translation and wider applications of information science research in other domains.

To learn more about John, check out his Twitter page @kausch and Observable Portfolio.

Recorded on May 7, 2024

Produced by Maria Khan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

458 | Musical Clarity: Music, Emotions, and Memory

Tue, 07 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This week, hosts Mark Ambrogio and Ryan Baxter are joined by Caitlin Fitzpatrick, a Masters of Neuroscience student who is interested in examining the emotional effects of music on older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Tune in to this week's episode for discussions on the two sides of emotion in relation to music, as well as the grander applications of this research.

To learn more about Caitlin and her work, check out her LinkedIn page!

Recorded on April 30, 2024

Produced by Suzy Lee

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

#BookCast 1 | The Idiot by Elif Batuman

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:01:00 -0400

For our first #BookCast recording, hosts Scott Walters, Amalie Hutchinson, Mark Ambrogio, Garth Casbourn, and Meghan Voll discuss The Idiot by Elif Batuman. Join our book club for a discussion about writing style, dissociation with the world around you, and how we can all relate to being a bit of an idiot.

Note: no spoilers, so if you've read the book already or haven't yet, you'll be able to enjoy this podcast.

Recorded on April 9, 2024

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

457 | Power House of the Squirrel

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 00:01:00 -0400

Join hosts Carly Charron and Liam Clifford in their chat with biology MSc student Lauren Rego. Studying how mitochondria change during hibernation in thirteen-lined ground squirrels, Lauren shares her expertise in squirrel trapping and care, the physiology behind hibernation and what ground squirrels really do all winter.

To learn more about Lauren's work, check out her twitter @laurenrego3

Recorded on April 16, 2024

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Ground squirrel audio from youtube

Ground squirrel photo available here

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

#PostDocsTalk 4 | High Ideals, Low Expectations with Dr. Ariel Frame

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 08:15:00 -0400

For this special #PostDocsTalk episode, former GradCast managing editor Dr. Ariel Frame joins hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Carly Charron to share his stories and advice on all things post-doc. We chat about finding a position, dealing with setbacks, how to defend work/life balance, and the trick of striving for your ideals while keeping expectations low (or at least manageable).

To find Ariel on social media--though don't expect any comments--look for @arielframe on everything.

Recorded on April 9, 2024

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

456 | Shelf Care: A Tale of Book Preservation, Library Accessibility, and More!

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:04:00 -0400

This week, hosts Mark Ambrogio and Liam Clifford interview MLIS student Aleesa Prendergast. Aleesa shares about some exciting projects she's done for her coursework, including investigating old tomes of fairytales and determining how libraries can be made more accessible for all.

Recorded on April 9, 2024

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

455 | Aging (Dis)Gracefully: Eliminating Discrimination & Extending Capacity

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 00:01:00 -0400

In the third installment of interviewing LIS Ph.D Candidate Alex Mayhew, we turn to Alex’s work on Aging Justice. Approached through a bio-ethical and health justice perspective, Alex makes the bold claim that aging should not only be treated at the same level as disease, but that it is necessary in order to expand capacity and quality of life for older people.

Read Alex’s article here!

Additional articles mentioned in the episode:

Listen to Alex's previous episodes:

Recorded on April 2, 2024

Produced by Suzy Lee

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

454 | Happy and Healthy in Mind, Body, and Soul

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 00:03:00 -0400

This week, Amalie Hutchinson and Anum Anjum are joined by a fellow GradCast host, Apurva Desai. A Master's student in Health Promotion here at Western, Apurva shares about the three components of health, how qualitative research methods fit his goals of connecting with people, and general wisdom to create healthy habits.

To find out more about Apurva's research journey, check out his LinkedIn profile linked here: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/apurva-desai-uwofans4285091

Recorded on March 26, 2024

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

453 | Synchronize and Groove: a Three Part Story

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 03:40:00 -0400

This week, hosts Anthony Cruz and Carly Charron speak with Riya Sidhu, a PhD candidate in psychology specializing in music cognition. Riya explains the three different projects she's working on to evaluate the factors that influence synchronizing in various contexts, such as during walking or in response to music. These factors include empathy, music training, and dance training and she focuses on talking about groove behaviour. Riya also describes her experience setting up a synchronization study using motion capture technology at the University of Oslo.

Recorded on March 19, 2024

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

452 | Infinity Error 404: Density Not Found

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 00:01:00 -0400

This week, GradCast hosts Meghan Voll and Mark Ambrogio are joined by Farshid Soltani, a PhD candidate in physics studying all about the nature of black holes. If you were ever curious about the science of black holes, the value of both classical and quantum physics, or wanted to know about the mysterious "white hole", tune in to this week's episode!

Recorded on March 12, 2024

Produced by Suzy Lee

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

451 | Hear ye, hear ye!

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 01:01:00 -0400

This week, Scott Walters and Meghan Voll interview one of our own producers, Maria Khan. Maria shares about her master's program in clinical science and audiology. She tells GradCast what a degree in audiology looks like and what an audiologist actually does. Maria is involved with other research activities at Sick Kids, and discusses her research with infant screening tests for hearing, and more.

Check out Maria's other producing efforts, the Hear Here podcast at Sick Kids at this link.

Recorded on March 5, 2024

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

450 | Not Boron at All: Fundamental Chemistry and Sustainability

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This week, hosts Anum Anjum and Anthony Cruz join Gabriel Jobin, a PhD student with the Drover Research Group working with fundamental chemical reactions to design new and efficient catalysts. We dive into how Gabriel’s research relates to sustainability, life outside of the lab and future directions of addressing global challenges with chemistry. Tune in for Al-uminating chemistry puns!

Recorded on February 27, 2024

Produced by Maria Khan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

449 | A Hunter's Guide to Occupational Therapy

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 03:43:00 -0500

This week, hosts Carly Charron and Ryan Baxter speak with Hunter Pharazyn, an occupational therapy student. They discuss the goals of occupational therapy and the unique program offered here at Western. Hunter also describes what led him to this area of work, and what he hopes to pursue in the future.

Recorded on February 20, 2024

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

448 | Bouncing Back with Mindfulness in Mind

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 00:01:00 -0500

This week, GradCast hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Apurva Desai are joined by two guests: Varsha Vasudevan and Mani Ahluwalia, both studying topics in Health Promotion. We chat about holistic health, how graduate students experience resilience, and what mindfulness can do for many aspects of success in university.

Recorded on February 13, 2024

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

#GraduatedLife 5 | Can I print this? with MA in Library and Information Sciences Matt Skidmore

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 00:01:00 -0500

For this special #GraduatedLife episode, Meghan Voll and Garth Casbourn are joined by MLIS alumnus Matt Skidmore. Matt tells how his grad degree at Western helped him get his current job as a librarian in Mississauga, and how the things he learned during the degree and on-the-job experience prepared him for what he does now.

Recorded on February 8, 2024

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

#JarringGradLife: Cats vs Dogs, Time Travel, and Extracurricular Extraordinaire

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 00:01:00 -0500

Today's episode is a merger of two of our beloved mini-series #JarringQuestions and #GradLife. Join co-hosts Meghan Voll, Mark Ambrogio, and Suzy Lee in this mashup as they talk all about extracurriculars, places (and time periods) they'd love to travel to, and the eternal debate: cats or dogs?

Recorded on February 6, 2024

Produced by Suzy Lee

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

#JarringQuestions4: Make Today Great, Drunken Cucumbers, and Morning Moods

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 03:24:00 -0500

Another installment of #JarringQuestions, where you get to learn more about three of our GradCast members as we answer an interesting range of questions pulled from a jar (paper ruffling noises included). This week, Carly Charron, Anthony Cruz, and Jordan VanderBurgt have some hot takes on morning vs. night people, appetizers vs. desserts, people who talk on speaker phone in public, and so much more.

Recorded on January 23, 2024

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

447 | Heritage of Hesed: The Hebrew Book of Ruth in Art, Plays, and Poetry

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 00:01:00 -0500

This week, join hosts Mark Ambrogio and Meghan Voll as they interview Luigi De Angelis Soriano about his recent dissertation exploring the Hebrew book of Ruth and the concept of Hesed, "a Hebrew term that is often translated as loving kindness and connotes loyalty, love, and extraordinary commitment", in the context of Spanish plays, European art, and Latin American poetry. We hear about the interesting story of Ruth, its importance to both Hebrew and Christian traditions, and how it has influenced artistic expression in various forms.

Recorded on January 23, 2024

Produced by Scott Walters

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

This episode features the first Sonnet of Ruth by Gabriela Mistral:
Poetry recitation in the original Spanish is read by Luigi De Angelis Soriano
The recitation of the English translation is read by Scott Walters

446 | Disjuncture & Disruption: Queer Experience, Identity, and the Holocaust

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0500

In our first episode of 2024, Amalie Hutchinson and Meghan Voll interview Jacob Evoy, a PhD student in the Women’s Studies program at Western University. Jacob tells us about their oral history research investigating the stories of queer children of Holocaust survivors. Jacob talks to us about what queer experience is, the effects of the Holocaust on these individuals, and how narrative is constructed.

Recorded on January 16, 2024

Produced by Maria Khan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

445 | Pianos & Pedagogy: a journey into the Doctor of Musical Arts program

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 00:01:00 -0500

One of GradCast's own, host Ryan Baxter, is interviewed about his studies as a doctoral student in the Doctor of Musical Arts program at the Don Wright Faculty of Music. Ryan chats with us about his program, the balance between research and musical practice, and performing both on campus and in the community. We also discuss Ryan’s diverse passions, including education, distance learning, and truth and reconciliation with the Memegwaanh Indigenous Learning Honour program here at Western. Join hosts Mark Ambrogio and Amalie Hutchinson for this week’s special and insightful episode.

UWO Faculty of Music Events

Memegwaanh: Indigenous Learning Honour

Recorded on December 12, 2023

Produced by Scott Walters

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

Intro and episode feature music by Bach, and the outro features music by Kapustin; performed by Ryan Baxter.

444 | Cruz & Classify: A Study of Cognitive Categories

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 03:31:00 -0500

This week hosts Carly Charron and Anum Anjum speak to one of our GradCast members Anthony Cruz about his PhD work in psychology. Anthony studies the cognitive process of categorization, where we break down information perceived from the environment into smaller components to understand and group them. Tune in to hear some bonus discussions on qualifying exams, clothing for cats, and Anthony's experience as an international student in Canada.

To learn more about Anthony and his work you can check out his website linked here.

Recorded on December 5, 2023

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

The Scoop on SOGS 4 | Council

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 00:01:00 -0500

In our last episode from the special miniseries "The Scoop on SOGS", GradCast host Mark Ambrogio speaks with two other SOGS councilors, Kayla Davies and Evan Sauve. They chat about how council functions for SOGS, how they found their way to their roles and what they enjoy most about them.

To learn more about SOGS council, visit their webpage https://sogs.ca/council/

To follow Kayla's academic journey, you can find her on LinkedIn, and to follow some cool economic tweets, follow Evan on Twitter/X @econ_ev

Recorded on November 29, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

443 | Website Wonders: User Experience at Western Libraries

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:01:00 -0500

This week, Meghan Voll and brand-new host Garth Casbourn interview one of our very own producers, Suzy Lee. Suzy shares her experiences in the master of library and information science (MLIS) degree program. The conversation delves into Suzy's co-op placement with the user experience and assessment librarians at Western Libraries.

Recorded on November 28, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

442 | The Fast and the Curious

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0500

On this week's episode, GradCast hosts Anthony Cruz and Carly Charron are joined by Celeste Laube, who talks about her experiences so far in the one-year Master of Media in Journalism and Communication (MMJC) program. Tune into this week's episode for discussions about the projects she's currently working on, her grad experience at Western, and her plans for the rest of the program.

Follow Celeste's journey on her LinkedIn page.

Recorded on November 21, 2023

Produced by Suzy Lee

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

441 | From Books to Bits: Decoding AI’s Future

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0500

This week GradCast hosts Meghan Voll and Mark Ambrogio are once again joined by Alex Mayhew, a Library and Information Science instructor and PhD candidate. As a man of many interests, Alex briefly describes his thesis - the creation of a new cataloguing system called Phylomemetics - before delving into the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it's going to interact with society.

Tune in this week for discussion of TV Tropes, scary phone calls, and why we should treat AI proactively like we do climate change.

Click here to listen to Alex's previous episode!

Recorded on November 14, 2023

Produced by Suzy Lee

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Chair Chats: Connectivity and Community at the CCUBC Conference

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 01:01:00 -0500

In this special mini field-trip episode, managing editor Amalie Hutchinson travels to the Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs (CCUBC) annual conference in Banff Alberta to receive their Science Promotion Award and give a talk about what GradCast does. She also interviews some of the chairs about what graduate students are doing in their own universities to create connectivity and community.

Recorded on November 3, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

440 | Sing me a Poem: Seventh Century Sparta

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 01:02:00 -0500

This is Sparta…and it’s not at all abs and Gerard Butler. In this episode, Meghan Voll and Mark Ambrogio interview Stephanie Dennie, PhD student and instructor at Western’s department of Classical Studies. Stephanie debunks common misunderstandings about Sparta, and discusses her research examining the lyrical poem Eunomia, and obstacles to finding resources depicting authentic accounts of the Greek city-state.

See Stephanie’s faculty page if you'd like to get into contact with her.

Recorded on November 7, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

The Scoop on SOGS 3 | VP Student Services

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 01:02:00 -0500

We are back with our final episode of The Scoop on SOGS miniseries! Amalie Hutchinson chats with VP student services Kesavi Kanagasabai about her role on SOGS, how she balances a very busy schedule, her proudest moments as a student leader, how to deal with large problems, and more.

Recorded on October 30, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

439 | Dewey or Don’t We? The Harms Library Catalogues Cause

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 00:02:00 -0500

This week, hosts Carly Charron and Anthony Cruz sit down with Alec Mullender, a Library and Information Science PhD student and a part-time library assistant at Weldon Library. Alec teaches us all about the harm that library cataloguing systems can cause, as well as the challenges that come with trying to organize knowledge in a comprehensive way.

Recorded on October 31, 2023

Produced by Suzy Lee

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

438 | The Holistic Heart of Social Work

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 00:01:00 -0400

In this episode, we delve deep into the world of social work and psychotherapy with our guest, Bansi Javiya, a dedicated student pursuing her Masters of Social Work (MSW) at King's College.

We embark on an exploration of Bansi's academic and experiential journey, shedding light on her coursework in the master's program and her current role as a student therapist in a real-world placement. Bansi's insights reveal the intersection of psychology and social work, compare the dynamic worlds of non-profit organizations and private practice, and discuss the profound impact that social workers and psychotherapists have on the lives of individuals and communities.

Tune in to this episode to learn more about social work and the passion that individuals like Bansi bring to the field.

Below are the social media and other contacts for Bansi: Instagram: bansi___ Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/bansijaviya Email: bjaviya@uwo.ca ---------------------------------------------------

Recorded on October 24, 2023

Produced by Scott Walters

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

437 | Full House, Family, and Feeling Nostalgia

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 00:02:00 -0400

This week, hosts Meghan Voll and Mark Ambrogio interview Ameena Abid, our first guest from King’s College’s Master of Social Work program. Ameena tells us about her research on Second-Generation Immigrants and the identity conflicts these individuals feel existing “between” cultures. Framing the longing and pain of wanting to belong in the context of nostalgia, we delve into deep discussions about the nature of identity, and the core ideas about Canadian culture.

Learn more about Ameena’s research through her LinkedIn and email at aabid22@uwo.ca

Recorded on October 17, 2023

Produced by Suzy Lee

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

436 | Past in the Present: Nazi Trials in Novels, Films, and Plays

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 00:01:00 -0400

This week, Amalie Hutchinson and Mark Ambrogio sit down with PhD candidate Pascal Michelberger. Studying comparative literature, Pascal tells us about his research into recently published fictional accounts of Nazi trials in West Germany during the 50s and 60s. We chat about transitional justice, how complex legal themes are translated into fiction, and what they teach us about the past and present.

Recorded on October 10, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#JarringQuestions3: Amalie, Anthony, and Anum

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 00:27:00 -0400

We're back for another episode of #JarringQuestions, where you get to know three of your GradCast hosts as we answer funny questions pulled out of a jar. This week, Amalie Hutchinson, Anthony Cruz, and Anum Anjum chat about the personalities of colours, fashion trends they're never letting go of, childhood fears and more.

Recorded on October 3, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

435 | Who’s That Mummy? Examining Animal Mummification in Ancient Egypt

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 03:28:00 -0400

This week, hosts Carly Charron and Meghan Voll interview Maris Schneider, a master's student in bio-archaeology. Maris examines the mummified remains of animals like birds to understand the role they played in ancient Egypt and the afterlife. Tune in to learn about the rich culture of the Ancient Egyptians, and how animal mummies actually made up a very profitable ancient industry!

Recorded on September 26, 2023.

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

434 | Keep Calm and Carry On? More Like ”Oh My Gosh, Freak Out!”

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 00:01:00 -0400

This week, hosts Anum Anjum and Mark Ambrogio are joined by master's student Kristen Jeanveau to discuss their work examining the stories of the London Underground Subway shelters during World War II through the eyes of shelter-specific newletters. Tune in for discussions of unreliable narrators, the power of communities, and the struggles of accessing primary sources.

Find Kristin on Twitter and Bluesky @KristinJeanveau or you can contact them at kbarry@uwo.ca

Recorded on September 19, 2023.

Produced by Suzy Lee.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

The Scoop on SOGS | 2

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 01:01:00 -0400

This is the second installment of our mini-series: the Scoop on SOGS! In this episode, hosts Brittany Melton and Ryan Baxter speak with Hannah Litchfield, the current SOGS Racial Equity & Inclusivity Commissioner. Hannah shares about her important work and some upcoming events to bring together the diverse cultures at Western.

Check out their Instagram page: @sogs.reic

Recorded on September 11, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson, edited by Jordan VanderBurgt

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

433 | Four Heads are Better than One: Exploring the Complexities of Maternal Nutrition in Uganda

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 01:02:00 -0400

In this unique episode, hosts Apurva Desai and Meghan Voll interview 4 MA Students from Western’s Master of Global Health Systems: Jiaxin (Cathy) Huang, Alyssa Ramsammy, Vishva Shah, and Rachel Baran. Having completed a research practicum in Mbarara, Uganda for 2.5 months investigating the relationship between maternal and nutritional health, our guests share some insights of their journey, and obstacles Uganda faces towards improving nutritional health for women.

Recorded on September 12, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

The Scoop on SOGS | 1

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 00:01:00 -0400

Welcome to our newest mini-series: the Scoop on SOGS! In this episode, hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Elizabeth Mohler chat with Heidi Kellett, Communications & Promotions Manager, and Nick DeSumma, Governance & Policy Manager. We chat about the resources SOGS has for graduate students, including the bus pass and health plan, how to get involved with your Western community and more.

Recorded on September 6, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

432 | Panic! from the Sand-Suckers

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 00:01:00 -0400

This week, hosts Meghan Voll and Amalie Hutchinson interview History MA Mary Baxter. Mary tells your hosts about an unheard-of moment in Canadian Dredging History: the "sand-sucker panic". We learn about what dredging is, the ecological impacts, and the historical connotations behind it!

Find Mary on Twitter here: @MaryBword

Recorded on September 5, 2023

Produced by Suzy Lee

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

430 | Weird Flex but OK!

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 00:01:00 -0400

This week, GradCast hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Apurva Desai are joined by Joel Seigel, a student in the master's of physical therapy program. Joel shares his experiences in the clinic and some advice for keeping your muscles healthy.

Recorded on August 29, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

431 | GradCast’s very own Dr. Laura swims off into the sunset

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 13:22:41 -0400

Join hosts Charan Mandur and Brittany Melton as they chat with recent PhD graduate Laura Munoz Baena. Laura's research focused on virus evolution using bioinformatics. In this episode, they discuss essential tips for graduate students, including maintaining a healthy work-life balance through physical activity and navigating the uncertainties that come with graduation.

To find out more about Laura, find her on twitter @Laura_bam7

Recorded on August 31, 2023

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

429 | Libraries and Racial Inequity

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 00:01:00 -0400

In this week's episode, Mark Ambrogio and Anum Anjum are joined by Amber Matthews too discuss her work and research working with Black youth in Canada to better understand their experiences with public libraries and how they perceive them. Amber identifies aspects of libraries that act as structural barriers and speaks on how representation and inclusion seen in community-based programs can inform the Canadian public library system.

Check out more of Amber's research at her website.

Recorded on August 22, 2023

Produced by Scott Walters

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

428 | Carrots and Dangerous Sticks: Ancient History of the Qin State

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 01:25:00 -0400

This week, hosts Charan Mandur and Anthony Cruz interview Jacob Vanderhoeven, a master's student in the history department. Jacob tells GradCast about the rise and fall of ancient Chinese dynasties. Tune in for Game-of-Thrones-esque takeovers, innovation, and leadership in war and peace.

Recorded on August 15, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

427 | Sports, Storytelling, and the Deaf Community

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 03:06:00 -0400

This week, hosts Mark Ambrogio and Brittany Melton interview kinesiology PhD candidate Thomas Irish. Thomas works from his own experiences to examine the sociocultural impacts of sports on the Deaf community. He also describes his path to Western, the impact sports have had on him, and how he uses storytelling to get his voice out into the world.

Follow this link to learn more about Thomas, keep up with his blog, or listen to his podcast.

To read a transcription of this episode, please find a pdf at this link (thanks to Mark Ambrogio for transcribing the episode)

Recorded on August 8, 2023.

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

426 | Library Lovers

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 00:01:00 -0400

GradCast is joined by Arathy Sivasubramaniam, a master's student in the library and information sciences program. Hosts Mark Ambrogio and Amalie Hutchinson learn about all things library: community, programming, online resources and more.

Recorded on July 31, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

425 | A Course, of Course

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 00:21:00 -0400

This week, GradCast's Anum Anjum comes on the show to tell hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Elizabeth Mohler about her graduate program: a course-based MSc in interdisciplinary medical sciences. We chat about academic integrity, science communication, and how AI can be used as a tool in science.

Recorded on August 1, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

424 | Leaking Live, Way Back When

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:24:00 -0400

This week, hosts Mark Ambrogio and Amalie Hutchinson are joined by Sierra LeBlanc, a master's student in the FIMS department. Sierra studies the Iraq war in the context of unsensored media sharing platforms, and tells us how live footage shapes the perception of war and how the Way Back Machine can help probe the internet through time.

Recorded on July 27, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#GradLifeXIX - Shelves, Catalogues, and Stacks: the role of libraries in our lives

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 00:01:00 -0400

Join the GradCast team in another episode of #GradLife were we discuss the realities, joys, and pitfalls of academic life here at Western. In this episode, hosts Scott Walters, Mark Ambrogio, and new team member, Ryan Baxter, chat about libraries. More than only a repository for books, they inspire and provide resources beyond what is often recognized and we discuss their role in academia and elsewhere. The fantastic library system here at Western is highlighted, and Ryan issues a challenge to the hosts and listeners on how to better take advantage of this asset.

Recorded on July 25, 2023

Produced by Scott Walters

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#JarringQuestions2: Carly, Charan, and Jordan

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 03:17:00 -0400

For the second installment of this mini-series, hosts Carly Charron and Charan Mandur answer some interesting questions with your producer Jordan VanderBurgt. We dive head first into topics such as the Barbenheimer premiers, unacceptable clothing choices, and mac and cheese. As an added bonus, listen in to find out what bird and Disney character these three GradCast members most relate to, and more.

Recorded on July 18, 2023

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#JarringQuestions1: Scott, Amalie, and Elizabeth

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 00:01:00 -0400

Today, join hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Elizabeth Mohler, along with your producer Scott Walters, as they begin a new mini-series that has them answering unexpected questions. Some may be slightly controversial, most only light-heated, but all will help you get to know your GradCast team better as they tackle questions pulled from the studio jar!

This week we talk food, life mottos, pet peeves, and a lot more during a jovial discussion that kept us laughing over the radio waves.

Recorded on July 11, 2023

Produced by Scott Walters

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

423 | To Vee or Not to Vee: Phonology and Phonetics

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 01:01:00 -0400

This week, GradCast hosts Mark Ambrogio and Anum Anjum are joined by an MA student in linguistics: Jillian Warman. Jill studies the letter "v" in Russian and uses sound to tell us all about sound: vibrations in the mouth, frictious letters, accents, learning a new language, and more.

To learn more about Jill's research, you can find her linkedin page, or send her an email at jwarman2@uwo.ca

Recorded on July 4, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

422 | Milkshakes and Touchscreens and Mice (oh my!)

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 03:33:00 -0400

This week, hosts Charan Mandur and Carly Charron interview neuroscience master's student Ashlyn Hersey. Ashlyn describes her work developing a touchscreen-based task for assessing cognitive judgement bias and how our emotional state influences the way we interpret the world around us. She also explains how mice can be trained to perform and validate these tasks, especially when rewarded with tasty milkshakes.

Recorded on June 27, 2023

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

421 | A Soft-Rock Hard-Core Encore

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 01:01:00 -0400

This week, former GradCast host Rhys Paterson returns with an update on her Master's research. Hosts Charan Mandur and Scott Walters learn about all things rocks: coring, libraries of stone, and rockin' drawings cumulating in a 3-gig thesis.

Recorded on June 20, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

420 | Super Suberin and Franken-Potatoes

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 00:09:00 -0400

This week, hosts Scott Walters and Ariel Frame are joined by PhD candidate in the department of Biology, Jessica Sinka. Jessica studies plant biochemistry with a focus on the role of a super molecule called "suberin" in potatoes during wound healing. We learn how potato scabs form, some interesting lab techniques, Jessica's favourite potato recipe, and some great advise for grads.

Recorded on June 13, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

419 | We’ve Got Your Back (Pain)

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 00:13:00 -0400

Sore back? This episode is for you! This week, hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Charan Mandur interview Taylor Shelton, an MSc student from the department of physiology and pharmacology. Taylor studies the protein TRPV4, an important cell receptor that when knocked-out, has different and interesting effects on the interverbal disc.

Recorded on June 6, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

418 | VP Advocacy: Consultation, Collaboration, and Empowerment

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 03:22:00 -0400

This week, hosts Scott Walters and Carly Charron interview PhD candidate and past SOGS VP Advocacy Yousuf Hasan. In addition to discussing the topic of his graduate studies, Yousuf describes his approach to advocacy work and the impact this position has had on himself as well as the larger student community.

Recorded on May 31, 2023

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Special Episode: 5 Second Interviews at Science Rendezvous

Fri, 26 May 2023 10:52:00 -0400

In this special episode, GradCast heads out into the field - literally! Hosts Amalie Hutchinson, Scott Walters, Jordan Vanderburgt, Carly Charron, Brittany Melton, and Mark Ambrogio do 5-second interviews with kids attending Science Rendezvous. They share what they want to be when they grow up, what the like most about science, and their favourite class at school.

Recorded on May 13, 2023

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

417 | Noncoding DNA: Unraveling Hidden Biological Functions

Tue, 23 May 2023 03:25:00 -0400

This week, hosts Facundo Lodol and Mark Ambrogio interview Biology PhD candidate Matheus Sanita Lima. Matheus talks about how noncoding DNA might have important biological functions. He studies noncoding DNA segments in the genomes of mitocondria and chloroplasts.

To find out more about Matheus' research, check out his lab's website here.

Recorded on May 16, 2023

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

416 | Multilingual Marvels: Unraveling London’s Information Practices

Tue, 16 May 2023 09:50:29 -0400

Sara Cornwell, PhD student in Library and Information Science (LIS), shares some of the many ways that Londoners who speak more than one language navigate daily information tasks. Listen in as hosts Brittany Melton and Laura Muñoz Baena try and get as many tips as possible!

Recorded on April 11, 2023

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

415 | Next Stop: Station Science Fiction

Tue, 09 May 2023 00:01:00 -0400

This week, hosts Meghan Voll and Amalie Hutchinson interview Library and Information Sciences Ph.D. Candidate Mark Ambrogio. Analyzing Station Eleven, Mark discusses his research in readership typologies, who defines genre, and how science fiction can be thought of as an event, rather than static writing tradition. Listen to the end for some bonus SF book recommendations from Mark.

To find out more about Mark’s research visit his student profile at this link

Recorded on May 2, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

414 | Ultrasound Unveiled: Tracing Blood Velocity in Imaging Techniques

Tue, 02 May 2023 03:20:00 -0400

This week, hosts Meghan Voll and Amalie Hutchinson interview bio-medical engineering PhD candidate Kian Esmailian. Kian talks about his research on spread-spectrum ultrasound techniques, the Doppler effect, and how researching blood velocity can be applied to new medical detection methods.

To find out more about Kian’s research visit his LinkedIn at kian-esmailian.

Recorded on April 25, 2023

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#GradLife XVIII | Campus Escapes: Discovering Hidden Gems for De-Stressing

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 00:01:00 -0400

In this edition of #GradLife, your hosts Amalie Hutchinson, Charan Mandur, and Scott Walters discuss how they de-stress from graduate studies both on and off campus. Get ready to hear about Western campus exhibits, markets, and natural spaces, as well as lively talks on their favorite games and shows.

Recorded on April 18, 2023

Produced by Scott Walters

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#GradLife XVII: End of Term, Endemic Stress, Spending Summer as a Grad

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 20:29:03 -0400

On this episode of GradCast, Brittany, Laura, and Charan talk about wrapping up the term, weddings, and how they plan to schedule their lives during the summer.

Recorded on April 11, 2023

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

413 | Tattoos, Trauma, Touché!: Examining Grief in French Autobiography

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 03:25:00 -0400

This week, hosts Meghan Voll and Facundo Lodol interview Melanie Pare, a Master’s student in Western’s French Program. We speak with Melanie about translating grief in French life-writing, our burning tattoo questions, dealing with rejection, and relatable thesis writing problems.

Recorded on April 4, 2023

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

412 | Light, Strong, and Impactful: Simulating Polymer Composites

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 09:17:27 -0400

This week, hosts Meghan Voll and Scott Walters interview returning guest, Navid Afrasiabian. Now a Ph.D candidate in Physics and Astronomy, Navid talks about his new project investigating fibre-reinforced polymer composites, how we can improve their properties, and his project’s applications in the automotive and aerospace industries.

To find out more about Navid’s research, visit his Twitter at: @nafrasia

Recorded on March 28, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Special | What Tickles Your Peach?

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 08:02:14 -0400

In this special episode Laura, Charan and Brittany are guests on What Tickles Your Peach, an undergraduate radio show. They talk about what it's like to be a TA and put their knowledge to the test in a fun game.

#PostDocsTalk 3 | Interested & Interesting with Dr. Yimin Chen

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 00:01:00 -0400

For our third #PostDocsTalk episode, hosts Brittany Melton and Meghan Voll interview Dr. Yimin Chen, a postdoctoral fellow at Royal Roads University in BC, formerly a PhD from Western’s FIMS department. In this episode, Yimin talks about how to build your postdoc community by being social, gives us some tips and tricks for how to build your academic community, and use that as leverage to find your eventual postdoctoral fellowship.

To find out more about Yimin’s postdoctoral research, visit: @Shinypants0 on Twitter.

Recorded on March 21, 2023 Produced by Amalie Hutchinson Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#GradLife XVI: Saying Yes and No, Getting Involved During Your Grad Degree

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 03:20:00 -0400

In this special #GradLife episode hosts Amalie Hutchinson, Brittany Melton, Facundo Lodol, and producer Jordan VanderBurgt talk about getting involved in extracurriculars and how that impacts our grad experience. We chat about colour-coded calendars, if Jordan ever gets any nights off, and why saying "no" to some activities is just as important as saying "yes".

Recorded on March 21, 2023.

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#PostDocsTalk 2 | Tips, Tricks, and Postdoc Expectations with Dr. Catie Ivy

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 03:20:00 -0400

Continuing our new series called #PostDocsTalk, hosts Scott Walters and Carly Charron speak with Dr. Catie Ivy, a post-doctoral fellow in the biology department. Catie shares advice on seeking out postdoc positions, what she looked for in potential supervisors, how funding works, and how different the postdoc experience is from her PhD.

To learn more about Catie be sure to check out her Twitter @Catie_Ivy

Recording on March 13, 2023.

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

411 | The Kidney Stone Conundrum

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 08:33:21 -0400

On this episode hosts Carly Charron and Charan Mandur are joined by microbiology PhD Candidate Gerrit Stuivenberg. Gerrit tells us about his research into what creates kidney stones, the deal with probiotics, and why one of our hosts should eat more green vegetables.

To learn more about Gerrit, find him on twitter as @garybiotics.

Recorded on March 9, 2023.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

410 | Welcome to Canada: Reviewing Experiences for Better Newcomer Integration

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 00:01:00 -0400

This week, hosts Meghan Voll and Amalie Hutchinson interview Farheen Meraj, an MA in Western’s Research for Policy and Evaluation program. Learn about Farheen’s newcomer integration research, where she pursues integration issues, attempts to close gaps, and provide a softer landing for new immigrants entering Canada.

To learn more about Farheen's work, visit this link:

Research Gate

Recorded on March 10, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#PostDocsTalk 1 | Navigating an Ideal Postdoc Situation with Dr. Roberto Budzinski

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 00:04:00 -0400

On this new special series called #PostDocsTalk, your hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Meghan Voll interview Dr. Roberto Budzinski, a post-doctoral fellow from the department of mathematics. Roberto shares what it was like finding a position, what he was looking for when choosing a supervisor, and shares tips and advice for creating a winning CV.

To find out more about Roberto's research, check out these links

ResearchGate Google Scholar Lab Website

Recording on March 7, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#GradLife XV: Go to the Movies with a Headlamp, Grads on Reading Week

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 03:20:00 -0500

In this special #GradLife episode hosts Amalie, Charan, Meghan, and producer Jordan talk about their Reading Weeks and what it's like for grads over the break. Get to know the hosts as we explore our favourite novels, Amalie and Meghan's over-productivity, Charan's Waterloo adventures, and how much we all enjoy (or not) teaching!

Recorded on February 28, 2023.

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

409 | Photo-Bombing Galaxies

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 00:55:00 -0500

Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder how old you are.... This week, hosts Carly Charron and Ariel Frame chat with almost-Dr. Hadi Papei, a PhD candidate from the department of astronomy. Hadi tells us about the code he wrote for determining the age of the stars in a galaxy, how he persevered through setbacks and was able to change track during his degree.

Recorded on February 21, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

408 | Diplomacy, Duolingo, and Deals: Canada’s Relationship with Chile and Argentina

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 01:06:00 -0500

This week, hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Charan Mandur interview History PhD Candidate Thomas Stroyan. We chat about Thomas's work looking at the relationship between Chile and Argentina during the time of Pierre Trudeau's administration. Listen in to hear about what archives actually look like, how we almost sold a second nuclear reactor to a country with a dictatorship government, and more.

Recorded on February 7, 2023

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

407 | I Work, Therefore I Am

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 01:54:00 -0500

This week, hosts Meghan Voll and Carly Charron interview PhD student in Theory and Criticism, Shubhayan Chakrabarti. In this episode, we talk to Shubhayan about his research on anti-work politics and the relationship between work and guilt, as well as how philosophical ideas of Descartes can be applied to examine this relationship on multiple societal levels. To find out more about Shubhayan's work, you can email him at schakr52@uwo.ca Recorded on January 24th, 2023 Produced by Amalie Hutchinson Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

405 | Which Witch is Which? The Power of Representation in the Salem Witch Trials

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 03:05:00 -0500

This week, hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Meghan Voll interview PhD candidate Caroline Diezyn about their dissertational research on three plays depicting the Salem Witch Trials. In this episode, Caroline talks about the myths and facts about the Salem Witch Trials, and the ways real historical character Giles Corey is represented. Caroline also talks about why these representations matter today, and what they say about how we remember the history and events of Salem.

For more information on Caroline and their work, go check out their Twitter (@phdwitch), Instagram (@moonofretribvtion), or website (https://carolinediezyn.com/).

Recorded on January 17, 2023.

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

406 | Going Retro(Viral): The Study of Nef, the Protein That Boosted HIV

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 12:00:31 -0500

In this episode, Mitch Mumby, PhD student in Microbiology and Immunology, talks to hosts Brittany and Laura about HIV, the virus that came to be one of the most successful pathogens known by humans. Tune in to learn about how Nef, a small and disorganized protein, conferred new abilities to HIV, and the impacts that studying such a delicate and controversial topic could have on someones relationship with knowledge.

To learn more about Mitch, find him on twitter as @mitchmumby

Recorded on January 17, 2023.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

404 | Addressing Safeguarding Gaps: Investigating Maltreatment in Para Sport

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 03:15:00 -0500

This week, hosts Meghan Voll and Carly Charron interview Master’s student Karmen Mohindru about her research examining harm and maltreatment in Canadian Para Sport. Karmen talks about potential harms these athletes face, and a concerning lack of policies and education about these in Canada to adequately protect them.

To find out more about Karmen and her work, email her at kmohindr@uwo.ca or visit the Health and Physical Cultures for Social Justice Lab website.

Recorded on December 14, 2022.

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

403 | Turning Up the Heat in the Boreal Forest

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 01:28:00 -0500

This week your hosts Ariel Frame and Scott Walters speak with master's student Julia Hammer about how climate change may impact basic life function of trees. Julia discusses her research on how rising temperature and carbon dioxide levels affect boreal trees' capacity to photosynthesize and what this might mean for these species with projected climate trends. We learn about rooftop greenhouses, forest laboratories with scaffolded trees, what photosynthesis really is, and a whole lot more.

To learn more about Julia's research, follow her on Twitter @julfacts

Recorded on November 29, 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

402 | Bioinformatics for Sars-COV2: Studying a Pandemic in a Middle of a Pandemic

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 10:00:25 -0500

Hosts Carly and Laura talk with master's student Erin Brintnell about her research on SARS-CoV2. Erin explains how bioinformaticians use biological data to create models that predict the number of infected individuals in a population, and use those numbers to inform public health responses.

If your want to learn more about Erin and her journey between computers and viruses, find her on instagram at smoresperson3.

Recorded on November 16, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

401 | Stars With Disks: Innate or a Fashion Choice?

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 09:46:02 -0500

Anusha Ravikumar speaks with Ariel Frame and Laura Muñoz Baena about her research on stars she is doing as part of her PhD in physics and astronomy. Anusha answers multiple questions about how we currently think stars are born and explains how her work will shed light on the development of star disks. To find out more from Anusha, follow her on Twitter @hustling_stars

Recorded on November 22, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

400 | Good Vibrations: Investigating Postures of Black-Widow Spiders

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 03:05:00 -0500

This week, hosts Carly Charon and Meghan Voll interview PhD student Hossein Asgari about his research using 3-D marker-less tracking to investigate locomotion on black widow spiders. Hossein talks about the effect particular vibrations have on spider’s behaviour and ability to detect prey, and whether they actually use differing postures to better make sense of these vibrations.

To find out more about Hossein and his work, go check out his Twitter (@hoss_asg).

Recorded on November 15, 2022.

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

399 | Turn It Down: Learning About Misophonia and Sensory Filtering

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 12:06:57 -0500

This week, hosts Carly Charron and Laura Muñoz Baena interview Facundo Lodol, one of the newest members of the Editorial Board, about his MSc research in the Neuroscience department. Facundo talks about his project on misophonia, a disorder characterized by heightened sensitivity to trigger sounds such as chewing. He is interested in the relationship between misophonia and the brain’s ability to filter out irrelevant stimuli.

To find out more about Facundo, find him on Instagram @foku_

Recorded on November 8, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

398 | Till the Venture do us Part

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 03:30:00 -0500

This week, hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Brittany Melton sit down with PhD candidate Audra Quinn. Audra is studying entrepreneurship at Ivey Business School. We talk about one branch of her work: the interactions between co-founders. So, before you choose your business parter, give this episode a listen!

To find out more about Audra and her work, go check out her Twitter (@AudraQuinn) and website (https://audraquinn.com).

Recorded on November 1, 2022.

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

397 | Slurping Shorebirds and Diving Dippers

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 01:23:00 -0400

This week, our newest member of the Editorial Board, Scott Walters, joins host Ana Moyer and Charan Mandur to talk about his PhD research in the biology department. Scott talks about his work looking at how nutrition on mudflats and rivers affects the water-associated birds living there and their migrations. We learn about mist nets, biofilm, and more.

To get into contact with Scott for more questions, email him at swalte42@uwo.ca

Recorded on October 25, 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

396 | Slowly Finishing a PHD, Not for a Lac(Tate) Of Trying

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 16:04:11 -0400

Today, host and past editor, Ariel Frame (PhD candidate in Neuroscience) joins hosts Laura and Brittany to discuss the final stages of his PhD research. Join us to learn more about lactate metabolism in the brains of mice and flies! For more of Ariel, check out Episode 267, The Super Secret Sex Life of Fruit Flies. To keep up with Ariel, check out his Twitter @ArielFrame and on Google Scholar.

Recorded on October 18, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

395 | Behind the Scenes of Swiping Right

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 03:30:00 -0400

This week, hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Ariel Frame speak with FIMS PhD candidate Meghan Voll about her research on the economics of dating apps. Meghan is interested in how these companies use value conflation to influence their business platforms and is aiming to map out the data flows of how these companies use, exchange, and monetize user data.

To find out more about Meghan's research, go check out her Twitter at @meghan_voll9

Recorded on October 11, 2022.

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

394 | Bubbles: The Only Thing Between Me and a Dissertation

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 00:01:00 -0400

This week, hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Charan Mandur interview our very own SOGS VP Academic, Kevin Moore. In addition to his role on the Society of Graduate Students advocating for and making grad student's voices heard, Kevin is a PhD Candidate in the department of Medical Biophysics where he studies blood flow. We chat about what his lab days look like, learn a bit more about how blood flows through our veins, hear about the best part about Kevin's grad experience: friendships made along the way. How very heart (..and the blood flowing through it..) warming.

Recorded on October 4, 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

393 | Talking to Teachers

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 10:31:53 -0400

Charan Mandur and Ariel Frame speak with Zsofia Agoston about her ongoing institutional ethnography research with Ontario teachers. Zsofia explains how she plans to use an anthropological lens to investigate the methods being used to teach difficult knowledge at the K-8 level.

To find out more from Zsofia check out her Twitter @zsofimedovarski

Recorded on September 28, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

392 | Changing Ecosystems: Nitrogen in the Soils

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 09:32:52 -0400

In today’s episode, Benjamin Souriol speaks with Laura Muñoz and Claire Bottini about his Master studies on nitrogen cycling and soil ecology. Benjamin explains how nitrogen molecules go in and out of the environment and how nitrogen spreads in a system according to different treatments. He aims to better understand how agricultural intensification and global warming can affect this molecule in our environment on the short and long term.

Recorded on September 20, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

391 | Revitalizing Mapudungun: A Cooperative Effort

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 18:50:27 -0400

This episode welcomes Javier Alvarez, a PhD student in anthropology, studying Mapudungun — the language of the Mapuches. Mapuches are an indigenous community that inhabited South America way before colonization, and is currently established in central Chile and southwest Argentina. Javier shares with hosts Charan and Laura his intentions to cooperate with the Mapuches in order to develop and promote strategies to revitalize Mapudungun.

Recorded on September 17, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

390 | Something’s Fishy in Lake Ontario

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 00:30:00 -0400

Peter Baker speaks with Ariel Frame and Charan Mandur about his ongoing Biology MSc research on lake trout from Lake Ontario. Peter explains how he studies lake trout to determine how a thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, caused by the consumption of invasive prey fishes, impacts fish health and behavior. Moreover, Peter discusses aspects of fishing which influence ecosystem conservation.

Recorded on September 13, 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

389 | Not Always Safe Before and After Canada’s Borders

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 02:10:00 -0400

In today’s episode, hosts Claire Bottini and Carly Charron talk with Natalia Parra about her anthropological studies on Canadian refuges immigration process. Natalia particularly focuses on the experience of Columbian women refugees in Canada and the asylum adjudication system that determines who is “worthy” to be considered a refugee and who is not.

Recorded on September 6, 2022.

Produced by Jordan VanderBurgt.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

388 | Don’t Make Life Decisions at 2am

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 12:03:39 -0400

In this episode, Gradcast's new managing editor, Amalie Hutchinson, talks with hosts Laura and Brittany about her PhD studies in hummingbird physiology. Specifically, daily torpor and mitochondria. Tune in to learn about how birds cope with cold winter temperatures and get a glimpse of the day of a Biology grad student.

Recorded on August 30, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#GraduatedLife 4 | Career Equilibrium with Chemistry PhD Christina Booker

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 00:01:00 -0400

On this episode of #GraduatedLife, hosts Charan Mandur and Amalie Hutchinson chat with Dr Christina Booker. Christina graduated with her PhD in Chemistry in 2012, and now works as a faculty member at Western, developing new teaching strategies. She shares with us ways to balance work and family life, advice for making career connections, and more.

Recorded on August 22, 2022

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

387 | We’ve Got Legs: A Joint Effort

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 01:01:00 -0400

This week, hosts Ana Moyer and Amalie Hutchinson interview Reese Gartly. Reese is completing her M.Sc. in the biology department. We discuss her work making computer models for spider body-size, and learning more about how spiders perceive the world around them using eight of their body parts... not the eyes, the legs! Listen in for some cool facts about spiders, how your stiff knee probably won't help you predict the weather, and how to catch a spider, if that's what you're after.

To learn more about Reese's research, you can follow her on Twitter @rgartly

Recorded on August 23, 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#GraduatedLife 3 | The Student Becomes the Teacher with Biology MSc Patrick Langille

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 00:01:00 -0400

On this episode of our #GraduatedLife series, hosts Jordan VanderBurgt and Carly Charron chat with Patrick Langille. Patrick finished his MSc in biology in 2016. After deciding that research wasn't for him, he took off to New Zealand, completed teacher's college, and became a science teacher. Patrick shares how his career took shape, gave advice for current grads who might not be loving what they're doing now, and how he was able to persevere and find the job he was meant for.

Recorded on August 17, 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#GraduatedLife 2 | From the Ground(water) Up, with Geography MA Tara Saab

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 00:01:00 -0400

To continue our #GraduatedLife series, hosts Jordan VanderBurgt and Claire Bottini interview Tara Saab. Tara graduated with her MA in geography in 1999. We learn that even a grad degree in geography won't necessarily keep you on the map you started on! Tara now works as a project manager at a hospital in Ontario, and she shares how skills she learned at UWO helped her navigate a somewhat off-road career trajectory.

If you have more questions for Tara, you can send her an email at tsaab@gbhs.on.ca

Recorded on August 8, 2022

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

386 | Female Fly Fornication Fastidiousness

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 17:45:57 -0400

This week, Claire Bottini and Ariel Frame discussed with Olivia Siemons, a Master student in Biology, her work on genes and behaviour in female fruit flies during reproduction. In this episode, Olivia describes how a specific gene influences female receptivity to males courting and how difference in species may affect this behaviour. We continue with discussing about species evolution and techniques to study gene functions.

To hear more from Olivia, check out her Instagram @oliviasiemens or email her osiemons@uwo.ca

Recorded on August 9, 2022.

Produced by Ariel Frame.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#GraduatedLife 1 | ..And the Rest was History! with Geoffrey Hayes

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 00:01:00 -0400

For the first episode of #GraduatedLife, Charan Mandur and Ariel Frame interview Dr. Geoffrey Hayes. Dr. Hayes completed his PhD in history at UWO in 1992. He shares with GradCast how he found his way to Western, what brought him to his current faculty position at the University of Waterloo, and life and grad school advice from someone who's been there.

Recorded on August 4, 2022

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

385 | Ready to Reproduce? Song Sparrows vs. Methylmercury

Sat, 06 Aug 2022 11:25:00 -0400

This week, hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Carly Charron interview fellow Gradcast member Claire Bottini, who is a PhD candidate in Biology. In this episode, Claire shares some fun facts about birds, and discusses a recent project she completed assessing whether exposure to methylmercury, an environmental contaminant, impacts song sparrow reproduction.

Recorded on August 4, 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

384 | A Balancing Act

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 09:54:42 -0400

Today gradcast is joined by Hugh Samson, a first year PhD study in Library and Information Science, who shares with hosts Laura Muñoz Baena and Brittany Melton his research on balance and mindfulness. Hugh not only defines each term but situates them in his work more broadly at the crossroads of information and contemplation.

To contact Hugh and learn more about the importance of balance and contemplation, find him on the FIMS page.

Recorded on July 27, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

383 | I’m not a pessimist.. I’m philosophical!

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 00:01:00 -0400

This week, hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Yousuf Hasan interview Ignacio Moya about his PhD work in philosophical pessimism. Our conversation touches on the views of Schopenhauer, anti-natalism, ancient Greek stories, and more. Life may be meaningless and full of suffering.. but "you're here, I'm here, let's make the best of it".. and listen to a podcast.

To find out more about Ignacio's work or to contact him, check out his twitter @ignaciomoyaa

Recorded on July 19, 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

382 | First-generation Feminist Killjoy

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 00:01:00 -0400

This week, join Amalie and Elizabeth as they talk with Alessia Servin (she/they) a master's student in the department of gender, sexuality, and women's studies. Alessia discusses her current research which looks at the experiences of first-generation students at post-secondary institutions and how they are constantly being left culturally homeless within these walls. She also shares her own personal experiences navigating the institution first-generation student herself.

To know more about Alessia, find them on Instagram at @alessiaservinn. If you have any questions about her research, please feel free to email alessiaservin@hotmail.com

Recorded on July 12, 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

381 | Make No Glowy Bones About the Skull

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 12:33:00 -0400

This week, Claire Bottini and Ariel Frame talked with Alyssa Moore, a PhD student in anatomy and cell biology. Alyssa explains how cells transform into the different tissue in our body and how pre-birth conditions such as alcohol exposure may affect the bone's structure. Alyssa also shared her experience as graduate Master and PhD student at Western University.

To find out more from Alyssa, email her at amoor66@uwo.ca

Recorded on July 5, 2022.

Produced by Ariel Frame.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

380 | Pigs, Proteins, and Plants

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 16:07:34 -0400

This week, join Laura and Brittany as they interview Jordan VanderBurgt, a first year PhD student in biology. Jordan discusses Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), growing vaccines in plants, and the effects of both this disease and its research.

To find out more about Jordan, you can find him on twitter as jvand222.

Recorded on June 28, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

379 | These Plants Seem a Little Parched: The Genetics of Drought Stress

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 01:01:00 -0400

On this episode of the GradCast hosts Claire Bottini and Charan Mandur sit down with PhD candidate Sufyan Tahir to discuss the world of plant biology. Sufyan shares his research to improve drought tolerance in crops through plant genetics.

Recorded on June 21, 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

378 | Music for Reconciliation: An Indigenous Approach

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 10:21:06 -0400

In this episode, Elizabeth, Laura, and Rose talk with Eric Zwicker, a PhD candidate in Musicology. As part of his research project, Eric is working on creating an album of original music. Eric discusses how he uses Indigenous Research Methodologies throughout his process of music creation, and how that music can be used as a form of reconciliation.

To hear more about Eric's creations follow him on Spotify as Eric Zwicker

Recorded on June 14, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

377 | A Spoonful of Trehalose Helps the Crickets Chill Out

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 12:57:00 -0400

If you have ever wondered what happens with insects during the winter, this episode will provide some answers. Hosts Ariel Frame and Laura Muñoz Baena chat with Alyssa Stephens, a student of the Biology department who just defended her Masters thesis on freezing tolerance in spring field crickets. More specifically, Alyssa studied how crickets modify their metabolism to accumulate trehalose, a sugar that crickets use as source of energy in the summer and protection for cell freezing during the winter.

Follow Alyssa on Twitter @lyssastephens and for more interesting facts about crickets and other insects, follow the Entomological Society of Ontario on Twitter @EntSocOnt

Recorded on June 7 2022

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

376 | T-test: Sex Hormones and Sparrow Migration

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 00:01:00 -0400

Garth Casbourn speaks with Ariel Frame and Claire Bottini about his research on song sparrows he is doing for his PhD in Biology. Garth explains how his experiments will tell us how testosterone functions in male birds and what relevance this hormone might have for bird migration.

Recorded on May 31st 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#GradLife XIV: Live Chat about Semi-post-COVID

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 12:33:00 -0400

Recorded live at Radio Western 94.9 FM studio, hosts Ariel Frame, Elizabeth Mohler, and Brittany Melton discuss their grad life experience at different stages in their PhD programs.

Recorded May 18 2022

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

375 | A Single-sensory Podcast on Multi-sensory Integration

Sun, 29 May 2022 18:04:59 -0400

This week, Carolynn Hare joins hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Ana Moyer. Carolynn is a PhD student in the department of psychology studying ADHD and multisensory integration. A person with ADHD herself, Carolynn has a unique perspective, and plans to use her position to study how kids with ADHD use sensory input to process their world, how that may differ from neurotypical kids. If you find yourself wishing podcasts had subtitles, this one is for you!

To watch a cool video about ADHD and grad school made by Carolynn, follow this link

Recorded on May 24th 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

374 | Explosive Environmental History

Tue, 24 May 2022 11:16:18 -0400

On this episode of the GradCast hosts Laura Muñoz Baena and Brittany Melton chat with Charan Mandur, a first-year PhD student in the Department of History. They discuss the Halifax Explosion, environmental history, and Charan’s aspiration to blend the two.

Recorded on May 17th 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

373 | History Shocks: Shell Shock and Eugenics

Mon, 09 May 2022 18:40:52 -0400

Join hosts Elizabeth Mohler and Amalie Hutchinson in their chat with Brigette Farrell, PhD student in history. Brigette shares about her interesting research into the history of science, medicine, and culture. We discuss shell shock in World War I soldiers, the impacts of eugenics on Canadian and French history, and how politics snuggles closer to science than we sometimes like to admit.

Recorded on May 3 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

372 | Bodies and Climate in 18th Century in Nova Scotia

Wed, 04 May 2022 10:00:15 -0400

In this episode, Erin Isaac explains to hosts Brittany and Laura how race and climate were linked by 18th-century beliefs about the body. They also discuss how migrants who came to Nova Scotia in the 1780s (along with the colony’s existing populations!) contended with an unusually hostile climate following a volcanic eruption in 1783, and how this environmental history impacted different communities’ lived experiences.

To learn more about history, check out Erin's YouTube channel Historia Nostra

Recorded on April 26 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

371 | Sporting Supporting Life

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 12:03:00 -0400

This week we met with Justin Robar, a PhD student in Sport Management Graduate Program. In this episode, Justin tells Elizabeth Mohler and Claire Bottini about his research on how sport can positively impact player’s life and community. He describes his MA experience on how sport development programs impact rural African communities. Justin also elaborates about his PhD working on improving knowledge translation between published research and practitioners of Sport for Development as well as how sport clubs newcomer programs can help with immigration to Canada.

Recorded on Apr 19, 2022

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

370 | Stimulating Simulations: Where Math and Biology Meet

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 09:27:40 -0400

Join hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Michelle Krasovitski as they sit down with Tedi Ramaj, PhD student in applied mathematics. How can math help with understanding invasive species proliferation, cancer cell growth, or COVID trajectories? Tedi shares with GradCast all that and more, introducing us to the power of simulations, some helpful advice for grad school and life, and his love of the simple beauty of math.

To get in contact with Tedi, you can email him at tramaj@uwo.ca

Recorded on April 12th, 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

369 | Anthropological Angle on Artisanal Artifacts Near Arkona

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 12:33:00 -0400

Amanda Suko, a PhD student in Anthropological archaeology, joins hosts Ariel Frame and Ana Moyer this week to discuss Indigenous Ontarian pottery and the people who made it. Working with a collection located near what is now known as Arkona, Ontario, Amanda investigates the production of pottery and how they reflect community and shared knowledge.

To find out more about Amanda, check out her profile here: https://uwaterloo.ca/anthropology/people-profiles/amanda-suko-0

Recorded on Apr 5, 2022

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

368 | Scrutinizing the Story of Silence

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 08:58:24 -0400

In this episode, Jessica Novial shares a fantastic medieval story with hosts Ariel Frame and Laura Munoz. As a PhD Candidate in French Studies, Jessica's work entails a critical analysis of the 13th-century French romance called "Le Roman de Silence" - (The Romance of Silence), written in old French. Listen in to hear Jessica explain the twists and turns of this novel tale and how it touches on gender and queer theory in an interesting way.

To find out more from Jessica, follow her on Instagram @aatypik

Recorded on March 29, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

367 | Embracing the Race

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 12:33:00 -0400

Nyasha Nyereyemhuka is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education. In this episode, Nyasha tells Claire Bottini and Yousuf Hasan about her research on how Black females principals construct their professional identities and the difficulties they face in their work. Nyasha also talked about her path from business into education and her role as graduate student representative.

To hear more about Nyasha, check out her website https://www.nyashanyereyemhuka.com or email her at nnyereye@uwo.ca Recorded on Mar 22, 2022 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

366 | Gay Rights? Gay Writes

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 17:07:31 -0400

Alex Prong, a media studies MA student, joins hosts Laura Muñoz-Baena and Brittany Melton this week to discuss queer literature in its many forms. Join us as we prod the Prong about their inspiration, book recommendations and how they go about researching indigiqueer literature to find alternative paths to chrono and homonormativity.

Recommended books: Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead and A History of my Brief Body by Billy Ray Belcourt

Recorded on March 15, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

365 | Reddit and Weep: Gender and Dating in Online Communities

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 14:43:01 -0400

This week, we interview one of our own, Brittany Melton, PhD student in media studies! Brittany tells hosts Ana Moyer and Amalie Hutchinson about her research into some interesting communities on Reddit, and shares how dating and gender are represented, posted, and discussed online.

To hear more from Brittany, check her out on Twitter @realbritmelton or Instagram @britfitmeltfelt

Recorded on March 8th, 2022.

Produced by Amalie Hutchinson.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

364 | Space Law, Science Fiction, and Endless Imagination

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 08:56:28 -0500

This week, Rosemary Giles and Laura Munoz-Baena buckle up in with Joel Welch, a first year PhD candidate in Law. Joel dives deeply into what is space law, serious gaps in the law, and how literature, namely science fiction, can bring insights to legal and policy decision makers through speculation, predictions, and imagination. And no, he personally does not want to go to Mars. He enjoys the Grad Club too much.

To find more about Joel, follow him on Twitter @Joel_Welch or listen to his podcast SciFi Pubcast.

Recorded on March 1st, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

363 | A Journalist’s Journey Learning Linguistics

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 12:03:00 -0500

This week we are joined by our very own Michelle Krasovitski, an MA student in Education in the field of Applied Linguistics, who not only shares with us her research interests but also the story behind them. Michelle also shares with us her work outside of school, where she works as a freelance journalist covering culture and media. Tune in to hear her give us a crash course on linguistics, Wordle, and her picks for Sundance 2022!

To find out more from Michelle, follow her on Twitter @chellekras or check out her website https://michellekrasovitski.com/

Recorded on Feb 22, 2022

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

362 | Who’s Laughing Now?

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 09:30:59 -0500

Maggie Prenger is a student in the MD-PhD program. In this episode Maggie tells Claire Bottini and Ariel Frame about her research plans studying humour processing in Parkinson’s disease patients. Listen in to find out what parts of the brain are involved in this disease, why patients watching Seinfeld in a scanner might teach us more about them, and all about humour generally.

To hear more from Maggie, check her out on Twitter @maggie_prenger

Recorded on February 15, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

361 | Strike a Chord: Composing a PhD

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 11:33:38 -0500

Do you believe electric guitar has no place in classical music? Think again! Hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Michelle Krasovitski are joined by PhD candidate Andrew Noseworthy, who introduces them to the field of music composition. Andrew challenges the notion that Mozart and Jimmy Page exist in two separate worlds, explaining how classical instruments find harmony with their electric counterparts.

To hear more from Andrew, follow him on Twitter or Instagram @anmusiccomposer and listen to his music on Band Camp, SoundCloud and his website https://www.anmusiccomposer.com/

Recorded on Feb 10, 2022

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ produced by White Hot.

360 | Tracking Down the Sounds of History

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 12:26:39 -0500

Patrick Huang delights Ariel Frame and Laura Muñoz with a tale about the history of music. As a Master in Ethnomusicology, Patrick is beginning his PhD in the music program and shares with us his insights on ancient western and non-western music theory that form the foundation for his ongoing studies. To hear some of Patrick's music, check out his Soundcloud

Recorded on February 2nd, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

359 | For the (Musical) Record

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 13:09:04 -0500

Join hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Elizabeth Mohler as they sit down with musicology PhD candidate Lydia Wilton. Sharpen your ears and get ready to hear about Lydia's research in record production. We learn how horror movies manage to make you feel so unsettled, and what really goes into making a record—from the technical to the poetic. So, listen up, it's time to press "play" on this fascinating episode.

To hear more from Lydia, follow her on Instagram @LydiaTheClaire or Twitter @LydiaTheClaire and check out some of her work with bands Nameless Friends and Older Siblings

Recorded Jan 25, 2022
Produced by Ariel Frame
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ produced by White Hot.

358 | Naming a Disease and Its Unexpected Collateral Damage

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 09:35:30 -0500

This week, Rosemary Giles and Laura Munoz-Baena sit down with Hanna Barnett, a PhD candidate in Hispanic Studies. Hanna and our hosts discuss her current research on the Influenza of 1918, the way that media represented the 1918 Influenza in Canadian newspapers, and how the Canadian media perpetuated the “Spanish” association with the disease. They discuss what it’s like researching historic pandemics during a pandemic, and how this has affected Hanna’s research.

To keep up to date on what Hanna is doing, check her out on Linkedin: @Hanna Barnett.

Recorded on January 18, 2022.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

357 | A Bird Watcher’s Paradise

Sat, 25 Dec 2021 17:30:56 -0500

This week, Amalie Hutchinson and Brittany Melton are joined by guest Soren Coulson, a PhD candidate in Biology. Together, they discuss Soren's research on the mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) in migratory birds and its role in energy metabolism in muscle. Soren shares with the Gradcast a day in the lab and his best advice for those interested in a PhD in Biology.

Recorded on December 14th, 2021.

Produced by Hira Nadeem.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

356 | Game on the Brain

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 18:30:00 -0500

This week Claire Bottini and Ariel Frame met with Shannon Compton, a PhD student in Neuroscience. Shannon studies how video games and violent games in particular can impact cognition and empathy in players. Shannon describes how her protocol mixes fMRI neuro-imaging technology and volunteer participants playing on Grand Theft Auto V. Shannon explains how her study found no impact of violent video games acutely but a potential link with long-term play. Lastly, Shannon enlightens us about her future plans to study virtual reality gaming. Recorded Dec 7, 2021 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ produced by White Hot.

355 | Musical Signification: From Bieber to Biber

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 10:34:11 -0500

Join hosts Elizabeth Mohler and Rhys Paterson as they talk to Frangel Lopez Cesena, a violinist who analyzes music from a hermeneutical perspective. What’s that you ask? Musical meaning. Listen in as Frangel, Elizabeth and Rhys talk about becoming a violinist, practicing, songs that make them feel good, and how we interpret and imagine music.

Recorded on November 30, 2021.

Produced by Rhys Paterson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

354 | Intel on the Incel

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 09:16:14 -0500

In this episode Zara Diab speaks with Ariel Frame and Claire Bottini about her ongoing PhD in English and Writing Studies. Zara describes how her research will be focusing on contributors to rape culture and the involuntary celibate (Incel) community. Listen in as Zara discusses examples of violent acts relating to these phenomena and how contemporary media reflects and perpetuates narratives that can lead to this kind of behaviour.

To hear more from Zara, find @ZaraDiab on Instagram and Facebook or email zdiab@uwo.ca

Recorded on November 23, 2021.

Produced by Laura Muñoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

353 | Graduating from Schizophrenia-like Rats to Culturally Competent Clinics

Sun, 28 Nov 2021 02:04:29 -0500

Having recently completed her MSc in Neuroscience at Western University, Kyla Lee has embarked on the next step in her career, a Medical Science PhD at University of Toronto. Kyla speaks with Ariel Frame and Yimin Chen about both her MSc research and her plans for PhD studies. Kyla explains how her MSc work modelling schizophrenia in rats aimed to elucidate how brain development contributes to the disease and how her PhD work will focus on cultural competency of primary physicians with immigrant patients.

To hear more from Kyla, follow her on Twitter @kylaaalee

Recorded on November 16th, 2021.

Produced by Hira Nadeem.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

352 | Space Rocks! From Craters to Careers

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 12:19:30 -0500

Join hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Laura Munoz-Baena as they sit down with recent PhD grad Gavin Tolometti to learn about how space rocks, rock! Gavin shares how he uses remote sensing techniques and field research here on Earth to figure out how impact craters and lava flows affected the landscape of the moon. In addition to rocks beyond our planet, our conversation flowed into some impactful advice about life beyond the degree.

To hear more about Gavin, you can find him on twitter as @GavinOnTheMoon, visit his website, or listen to his podcast The Diaries of Space Explorers.

Recorded on November 9, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

351 | New Views of the Aging Brain

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 14:10:42 -0500

Kate Onuska is a PhD student in the Department of Neuroscience. She is working on new ways to trace changes in the brain cholinergic system associated with age. She described the different brain imaging techniques before diving into her research on a new marker for cholinergic neurons called FEOBV in association with positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Her work with mice increases our understanding of proteins and how neuronal tracts change with time that could lead to pathologies such as Alzheimer’s disease.

To hear more about Kate's research, follow her on Twitter @k8onuska and check out the INCA Lab here.

Recorded on November 2nd, 2021.

Produced by Hira Nadeem.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

350 | Hibernation: Time to Seek Shelter

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 17:51:55 -0400

If you ever wonder about the survival of some organisms during the winter, you won't want to miss this episode, where hosts Amalie and Laura talk to PhD student Brynne Duffy about one of the most interesting survival strategies in mammals: hibernation. Particularly, the conversation centers around thirteen lined squirrels, obligated hibernators that almost shut down their entire body during several days, significantly reducing their body temperature. Find out how climate change could affect the survival of squirrels and discover other potential uses of hibernation, way out of the burrow, in human organ transplant.

To learn more about the science of hibernation, find Brynne on twitter as @BrynneDuffy.

Recorded on October 26, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

349 | Intervertebral Disc Jockey

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 12:03:00 -0400

Jeff Hutchinson is a PhD student in Physiology and Pharmacology studying the intervertebral disc and back pain. Jeff explains to Elizabeth Mohler and Ariel Frame how his research is conducted using a variety of models and involves understanding the effects of sex hormones. To find out more about Jeff's work, check out Dr. Cheryle Séguin's website.

Recorded on Oct 19, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Acing the Basics: Special Episode for Asexual Awareness Week

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 09:44:41 -0400

In this special episode in honour of Asexual Awareness Week, hosts Laura Muñoz-Baena and Ana Moyer chat with PhD Philosophy student Katrina Zmavc, in partnership with SOGS Graduate Peer Support (GPS). Join us in discussing the spectrum of possibilities surrounding asexuality, which is often categorized as a lack of sexual attraction. If you would like to continue this discussion in a safe space, check out our collaboration with GPS’s Shared Experiences event on November 4th, 2021 at 7:00PM. You can find more information here and register for the event here.

Recorded on October 14, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

348 | There and Back Again

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 12:16:00 -0400

Join hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Yimin Chen as they chat with PhD grad and MLIS candidate, Brooke Brassard. Our conversation follows Brooke's slightly unorthodox (pun intended) journey from a PhD in religious studies to life after graduation, to her return to grad school. She shares about her experience and life advice about doing field work, navigating the post-grad experience, and what life is like beyond the degree.

To find out more from Brooke, follow her on Twitter @BrookeBrassard or listen to her on the So What? podcast

Recorded on Oct 12, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

347 | Lost in Translation

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 16:49:50 -0400

Ariel Frame and Elizabeth Mohler speak with Brendan Charles about his research on Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) investigating how these animals behave and how they can be used to study the biology of the brain. In particular, Brendan discusses work from his recently completed MSc and ongoing PhD work that touches on 9 neurons in the fly brain which govern female aggressive behaviour and characterization of tRNA mistranslation in flies.

To learn more about this kind of fly research, check out Dr. Amanda Moehring's Twitter @FlyBehaviour and website.

Recorded on Oct 6, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

346 | Mars Rocks! A look into AI and Machine Learning

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 21:39:30 -0400

In this episode, Francesco Colosimo and Rhys Paterson sit down with Alexis Pascual, PhD student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department, as he updates us on his research with machine learning and AI in space applications. Alexis explains how he uses linear algebra and statistics on images to teach extraterrestrial vehicles to pick out interesting features on a martian surface. This episode is full of questions to be answered such as: the probability of the MARS rover becoming a self-sufficient machine, what the Mars yard is like and who is better: Canadian Space Agency or NASA?

To hear more from Alexis, head over to his website https://alexispascual.github.io

You can listen to his previous episode here.

Recorded on September 28th, 2021.

Produced by Hira Nadeem.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

345 | Clickbait for Mice and How to Change the Structure of your Brain

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 10:14:05 -0400

Ever see a link on your phone that you just HAVE to click? As it turns out, so do mice! Join hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Laura Muñoz Baena as they chat with aspiring neuroscientist Esmin Unaran and learn about how learning itself can change the structure of your brain. Esmin explains how she uses myelin concentration of mouse brains to study how much they learn using touch-screen operant chambers. Might want to grab yourself a strawberry milkshake before you click "play" on this episode!

To learn more about Erin's research, find her on her Twitter as @esminunaran

Recorded on September 21st, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

344 | The Power of Visual Arts: Photography, Heritage and Migration

Sat, 25 Sep 2021 20:41:12 -0400

In this episode, hosts Laura Muñoz-Baena and Ana Moyer chat with Anahí González, a PhD student in Art and Visual Culture. As a Mexican photographer based in Canada, Anahí is interested in how migrant labour is portrayed in Canadian media and explores alternative visual narratives that might contribute to a different view of migration in North America.

To learn more about Anahí, visit her photography website or follow her in Instagram

Recorded on September 14th, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

343 | Depression from a Neurophilosophical Point of View

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 21:40:26 -0400

In this episode, Katrina Zmavc (PhD Philosophy Student) discusses her research on depression and how it really is an umbrella term for many related disorders. She also chats with hosts (Yousuf Hasan and Ana Moyer) about her involvement with the Society of Graduate Students as a member of the Graduate Peer Support Committee. Her aim is to find strategies to de-stigmatize mental illness and spread awareness about mental health in our community. You can view more about Katrina's research at Rotman Institute of Philosophy and the TCN Lab websites

Recorded on Sept 9, 2021

Produced by Yousuf Hasan, Edited by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Special Episode | World Suicide Prevention Day

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 19:16:46 -0400

This episode contains discussions of mental health, grad school, the COVID-19 pandemic, and discusses suicide and suicide prevention. If you or someone you know needs help, there are resources available to help you. If you are a graduate student, SOGS.ca/support-resources provides a list of mental health services located on and off campus. Alternatively, the description box contains resources discussed in the episode. Listener discretion is advised.

In this special episode hosted by GradCast, Francesco Colosimo and Elizabeth Mohler talk with Katrina Zmavc, a PhD student in Philosophy about World Suicide Prevention Day. Imposter syndrome, the COVID-19 pandemic, “publish or perish” mentality, outdated terminology, suicidal ideations and general mental health struggles are discussed from the grad school perspective. If you would like to continue this discussion in a safe space, check out our collaboration with GPS’s Shared Experiences event on Friday, September 16 at 7pm. Resources discussed in the episode: Graduate Peer Support Student Health Services SOGS Health and Dental Plan Learning Development and Success Center for Academic Peer Support

Empower Me

If you are in crisis:
Student Psycological Services
Crisis Lines in London

If you are looking for a therapist, treatment centres or support groups:
Psychology Today

Recorded on August 16, 2021

Produced by Rhys Paterson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

342 | Navigating the Literal and Figurative Nature of American Racism

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 12:26:00 -0400

As fervent calls for racial equity have justifiably proliferated within the United States in recent years, it raises the issue of familiarizing oneself with the historical and systemic nature of American racism. One such way to do this is analyzing the literature of the era for greater context, which is the approach English PhD student David Mitterauer is taking. And as hosts Liam Clifford and Elizabeth Mohler learn, David's juxtaposition of 18th and 19th century. Black thought and white supremacist texts demonstrates the abhorrence of racial discrimination within the then-fledging nation. The ensuing conversation highlights the need to understand the deep roots of racism in the U.S. in the hopes that this understanding can promote a better future for all.

To find out more from David, follow him on Twitter @DMitterauer

Recorded on Aug 31, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Special Episode | There Is No Planet B - Ep.2

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 21:57:13 -0400

In the second episode of our newest series, There Is No Planet B - Rose Giles and Brendon Samuels talk with Courtney Neidig, a second year Masters student in Education and Curriculum studies. She tells us the story of starting out as an ECE in British Columbia, the dissatisfaction in teaching practices when it comes to the environment, and ultimately how she found herself at Western as the head of the Society of Graduate Students’s Sustainability Committee.

If you would like to get in touch with Courtney, you can email her at cneidig@uwo.ca and check out @sogs.sustainability on Instagram

If you have question about sustainability on campus or would like to reach out, email sustainability.coordinator@sogs.ca

Recorded on July 12, 2021

Produced by Rhys Paterson

Theme song provided by https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/bathtime-funk

License code: B7LBQYKLY9EDAFQ3

341 | Bean There, Done That

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 12:03:00 -0400

Dristy Zaman is a PhD student in Biology studying soybeans, a type of legume. In conversation with Yimin Chen and Ariel Frame, Dristy explains how she is investigating asparagine metabolism. Dristy is on the hunt to discover a particular enzyme in this pathway that is currently unknown. What is asparagine? How will she find this enzyme? What will she name it? Find out the answer to these questions, and more, in this episode.

Recorded Aug 24, 2021

Full video available on YouTube

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

340 | Good Ol' Hockey Game

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 09:58:29 -0400

How does a 1972 hockey tournament between the USSR and Canada lead to the conceptualization of masculinity and the expression of nationalism in Canada? In this episode, host Rose Giles interviews Kaitlyn Carter on her research about how the idealization of the perfect Canadian and the perfect man all ties into a game we all know and love - hockey.

Correction to claim at 4:59 that Canada won the series by only one goal: Russia actually outscored Canada in the series 32-to-31.

If you would like to contact Kaitlyn, you can find her on Twitter at @cartkait or email her at kcarte46@uwo.ca

Recorded on August 8, 2021

Produced by Rhys Paterson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

339 | Read Between the Lines

Sat, 14 Aug 2021 05:36:13 -0400

In the wake of the riots in the United States this past year, History MA Sara Duodu was inspired to dive deeper into historical race relations in the United States. In this episode Rosemary Giles and Liam Clifford talk with Sara about the Red Summer, interracial violence and the framing of race in American newspapers.

To reach Sara, you can email her at sduodu@uwo.ca

Recorded on August 3, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

338 | The Heart Will Go On to Spawn

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 21:40:23 -0400

Have you wondered about the effects of climate change on salmon migration and spawning? In this episode, hosts Elizabeth Mohler and Ana Moyer sit down with Biology PhD candidate Carlie Muir to hear about her research into the thermal physiology of Atlantic salmon. In recent years, climate change has resulted in heat waves that surpass the temperatures salmon can survive at, causing mass die-offs during their spawning migrations. Learn about the potential for salmon to acclimate to higher temperatures, and at the heart of the matter, the cardiac physiology that might allow salmon to survive in the face of climate change.
To find out more from Carlie, follow her on Twitter @CarlieMuir

Video version available on YouTube

Recorded on July 27, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

337 | Imposition of Independence: Social-Medical Hybridization in Disability Studies

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 17:15:38 -0400

How do dominant discourses surrounding childhood disability shape rehabilitative practice? That is the core question on the research project of the MSc student Emily Cox. In this episode, hosts Ana Moyer and Laura Munoz find themselves re thinking ideas such as independence, identity and the differences between impairment and disability. Emily's study intend to reveal whether the ways we think about and act on disabilities have an impact on the lives of disabled children.

To reach Emily you can email her at ecox29@uwo.ca

Recorded on July 6, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

336 | A Functional Discussion on Dysfunctional Exercise

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 23:09:05 -0400

Ever heard the advice "eat less, move more"? In this episode, hosts Liam Clifford and Amalie Hutchinson sit down with Psychology MSc student Danika Quesnel to hear about her research into dysfunctional exercise, and learn that for some people with eating disorders, "moving more" becomes dangerous. Treatments for dysfunctional exercise are still in their infancy, despite its prevalence and importance, and Danika is at the forefront of the field. Listen in as Danika shares her extensive knowledge of dysfunctional exercise; how it presents, how it is treated, and where to find help if you or a friend is experiencing an eating disorder.

Recorded on July 13, 2021.

Produced by Hira Nadeem.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Special Episode: There Is No Planet B

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 18:46:49 -0400

In a new series created by GradCast, There Is No Planet B - the first of many conversations about the definition of sustainability, and how it impacts not only the environment, but economics and sociology. Hosts Danica Facca and Rose Giles introduce Brendon Samuels, a PhD student in the department of Biology, and the Society of Graduate Student's Sustainability Coordinator.

If you would like to get in touch with Brendon, you can find him on Twitter.

Full video on YouTube

Recorded on June 23, 2021

Produced by Rhys Paterson

Theme song provided by https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/bathtime-funk

License code: B7LBQYKLY9EDAFQ3

335 | On the Vast Variability of Viruses

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 10:41:13 -0400

Laura Muñoz is a PhD student studying virus evolution. In this episode Laura tells Ariel Frame about her research surrounding virus Overlapping Reading Frames, the impacts of viruses on evolution of life on Earth, and how these are studying using bioinformatics. To learn more about Laura's research, find her on Twitter.

Recorded on July 6, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

334 | Indigenous Art: Understanding the History and Practice of Tattoos within Indigenous Culture

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 12:00:00 -0400

In this Episode, we sit down with Ana Moyer, an MA student in Art History. Ana is studying the representation of traditional Inuit tattoos within art. For their MA work, they are specifically writing on two contemporary Inuit artists: Ningiukulu Teevee and Sarah Ayaki Whalen-Lunn, the latter also being a trained tattooist in the skin-stitching tradition. From Ana, we learn the different ways tattooing is taken up in Indigenous culture, and how Indigenous tattoos are different from traditional Western tattoos.

To hear more from Ana, you can email them at genderconcerns@sogs.ca or amoyer9@uwo.ca.

Full video on Youtube.

Recorded on June 14, 2021.

Produced by Hira Nadeem.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

333 | Happy Lives of Yeast and Flies

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 12:00:00 -0400

Remember those fruit flies that annoy you by incessantly buzzing around? They are an essential part of PhD in Biology candidate Yanira Jimenez Padilla's work. In her time at Western, she has worked with her winged friends by introducing yeast during their growth cycle to observe any anatomical changes that take place. Why, you ask? Well as hosts Liam Clifford and Elizabeth Mohler learn, it's because these changes can help us understand how microbes (or the lack thereof) can impact the development in a living thing. As a result, the conversation that ensues seeks to familiarize listeners with all sorts of super cool bugs that influence our daily lives.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on June 29, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

332 | Remembering a Forgotten War: Memory, Nostalgia, and the Falklands War

Mon, 05 Jul 2021 22:54:58 -0400

Many people have never heard of the Falkland Islands, let alone the Falklands War. However, for History MA student, Ryan McLachlan, it is the source of much interest. In this episode, hosts Rosemary Giles and Ana Moyer get a crash course history lesson about the Falklands War from Ryan. The small islands in the South Atlantic were the setting for a defining moment, and on 2 April 1982, Argentina invaded the Falklands, which had been British territory for almost 150 years. What followed was a short, fast paced war, concluding with a British victory on 14 June 1982. Ryan’s research focuses on the empire-related nostalgia that was produced by the war and felt throughout the United Kingdom. After the Second World War, and over the following three decades, the sun slowly set on the British Empire. The Falklands were a source of pride when the British stood up against an aggressor, rejuvenating the spirit of the British people, and marked the rebirth of the nation. An integral part of Ryan’s research is the material culture produced during and after the war. These objects are part of a large collection that Ryan has amassed, which he soon hopes to build into an accessible, fully digitized website, which will allow a large audience to interact and appreciate these items.

Full video on YouTube

Recorded on June 22, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame and edited by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

331 | The Baby Researcher

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 12:16:00 -0400

In this episode, hosts, Elizabeth Mohler and Francesco Colosimo, sit down with fourth year Integrative Bioscience PhD student, Megha Rao. For her research, Megha is currently looking at understanding the process of inter-facility transport of acutely ill and preterm neonates in Ontario. In other words...the path of care an ill newborn takes to recovery. Megha has extensive experience in this area of research previously working at SickKids in Toronto.

For more on Megha’s research, you can find her on Instagram @TheBabyResearcher where she shares things that she’s learnt with a community of HCPs, parents, academics, researchers and graduate students.

Full video on YouTube

Recorded on May 15, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Special Episode: Executive Decisions Veep’s Part 2

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 19:48:39 -0400

In this special episode Danica Facca and Becky Horst, the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) VP Academic and VP Finance respectively, speak with Rhys Paterson and Francesco Colosimo about their positions as SOGS VPs and give us the details on what it’s like to have these roles, how their responsibilties have changed due to the pandemic and their experiences holding such responsibilities while being students.

To get in touch with Danica, you can contact her through her email academic@sogs.ca. Alternitively, you can follow her in Twitter and Instagram. To contact and Beck you can send her an email to finance@sogs.ca.

Recorded on June 15, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

330 |The Flight of the Drone

Sat, 19 Jun 2021 23:19:02 -0400

Did you ever wonder how, exactly, a drone operates, or how disease is detected in farmers’ fields? Well, in this episode of Gradcast, we sit down with Nicholas Mitchell and learn about his masters work witch was focused on multispectral cameras that are attached to drones for agri-tech applications. Some of the things you can use this for is: detecting diseases in farm fields, giving locations for farmers to increase or decrease fertilizer and assessing nitrogen and chlorophyll content of plants!

To learn more about Nicholas' work, check out the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Western's CubeSat team Ukpik-1, or you can email him at nmitch6@uwo.ca!

Recorded on June 8, 2021.

Produced by Hira Nadeem.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Special Episode: Executive Decisions Veep's Part 1

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 18:00:00 -0400

Have you heard of SOGS (Society of Graduate Students), but not really familiar with what SOGS is or what SOGS does? In this episode, hosts Elizabeth Mohler and Gavin Tolometti unpack all things SOGS and sit down with VP Student Services, Effie Sapuridis and VP Advocacy, Yousuf Hasan to learn more about their roles. Elizabeth and Gavin hear about Empower You, a free, confidential counselling program offered to all graduate students, and learn that the work of advocacy includes much more than speaking up for students. Want to know more, check out this episode at the link below., and stay tuned for our next episode where gradcast host members sit down with the rest of the SOGS executive.

If you would like to learn more about Effie's and Yousuf's roles as SOGS Executives, you can check out the SOGS website here.

Full Video on YouTube

Recorded on June 2, 2021

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

Special Episode: Executive Decisions President

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 12:50:40 -0400

In this episode kirstyn seanor, the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) President, speaks with Ariel Frame and Yimin Chen about their role as president and recent developments coming from the SOGS structural retreat. kirstyn delves into the history and structure of SOGS and elaborates on the big issues SOGS is addressing at the moment. To hear more from kirstyn, contact them through email president@sogs.ca or follow them on Twitter @kirstynasdf or the SOGS Discord To find out about SOGS activities or get involved in SOGS, check out the website sogs.ca or Twitter @WesternSOGS and Instagram @WesternSOGS

Recorded on May 20, 2021.

Produced by Hira Nadeem.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

329 | Filming Female Fighting Flies For Science

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 09:13:35 -0400

Sebastien Heine has nearly finished his 2 year MSc in Biology. He explains his research on Drosophila (fruit fly) female aggression to hosts Ariel Frame and Laura Munoz. Sebastien goes into details about his history with research and how he developed a general fascination with neuroscience and how these brain cells connect with each other. His passion began at a young age and was fuelled by his reading of Connectome by Sebastien Seung. To find out more from Sebastien, check out his LinkedIn profile, his Facebook or email him at sheine@uwo.ca

Recorded on June 1st, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

328 | The Resilience of Life

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 00:00:00 -0400

So often in media and in real life, meteorites (asteroids that do not burn up in the atmosphere) striking the surface of Earth often result in catastrophic consequences for all living things. However, Geology and Planetary Sciences PhD student Lauren Stone opts to reveal the whole picture. In this episode, hosts Liam Clifford and Gavin Tolometti learn how this destructive process, known as impact cratering, can paradoxically foster a habitable environment for microscopic organisms. By discovering the secrets of these endoliths (life that survives in rocks), Lauren's research demonstrates the resiliency of life to prosper in the unlikeliest of places.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on May 25, 2021

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

327 | Pac-Man Brain Scan

Tue, 25 May 2021 13:09:00 -0400

In this episode Emily Davidson tells Ariel Frame and Rosemary Giles about her exciting new research project in the Neuroscience MSc program. In this project Emily will be conducting fMRI brains scans of people playing the video game Pac-Man, a more engaging task than is typically used. As a student co-supervised by philosophy professor Dr. Michael Anderson and psychology professor Jody Culham, Emily discusses her interest in the marriage of philosophy and neuroscience.

To find out more from Emily or possibly sign up to participate in her study email her ejdavidson777@gmail.com

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on May 18, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

326 | Don't Let It Flood

Wed, 19 May 2021 21:29:07 -0400

Hosts Laura and Francesco talk to masters student James Braden of his work on predicting and managing high level floods through the preparation of flood models. Here, James explains how the models work and why it is so difficult to be accurate when using data from some of the more complex systems on Earth: the weather. Listen to this episode to find out the requirements for models with higher resolution, and how they are used to inform decisions on the infrastructure of entire cities.

Recorded on May 11, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

325 | The Magic of Mushrooms in Medicine

Tue, 11 May 2021 19:41:15 -0400

We often think of psychedelics to be purely recreational, but studies are showing that they may have medical value. Hosts, Rhys Paterson and Francesco Colosimo sat down with Master of Science student, Sid Rankaduwa, to discuss his research involving looking for the possibility of 'higher states of consciousness' in psilocybin users. More specifically, he is testing the effects of psilocybin on certain aspects of visual processing, and seeing how this might inform current theories of consciousness.

To hear more from Sid and about psychedelic research, check out the MAPS Canada podcast!

Recorded on May 4, 2021.

Produced by Hira Nadeem.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

324 | Sleepy Squirrels and the Metabolics of Hibernation

Wed, 05 May 2021 00:10:35 -0400

We often think of hibernation as simply going to sleep in the wintertime, but hibernating animals aren't actually sleeping at all! It's really a special type of dormancy or torpor. This week, hosts Yimin Chen and Laura Baena speak to Masters of Biology student Amalie Hutchinson about what the cute little thirteen-lined ground squirrel of Manitoba can teach us about the cellular processes that occur while these animals are snoozing under the snow.

Recorded on April 27, 2021

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

323 | Digital Learning for Students with Disabilities

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 15:00:00 -0400

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a number of obstacles that students with disabilities face when accessing material online and participating in virtual courses. The shift to an almost to fully virtual format has made it challenging for students who relied on accessibility services on campus, and their ability to converse with fellow students and professors in person to overcome certain issues regarding navigating courses. Occupational Science PhD student Elizabeth Mohler is working on a way to get the word out and bring these issues to light. She has been reached out by Accessible Media Inc. (a not for profit media company the empowers and entertains Canadians who are blind or partially sighted) to help create a documentary discussing what accessibility education during the COVID-19 pandemic has looked like since early 2020. Elizabeth talks about what institutions have implemented in its education system to help ensure students with disabilities are not put at a disadvantage during the pandemic, and to ensure we retain protocols and structures that have helped students in the education system and not revert back to a pre-pandemic system. In this episode, hosts Liam Clifford and Gavin Tolometti find out how an able-body student can provide support for students disabilities in virtual and in-person classes, and how we need to be more aware that education should be accessible for everyone.

The documentary will be live on May 28th at 8 pm EDT on channel 888 for Rogers and 48 for Bell. Alternatively, you can watch the documentary on the Accessible Media Inc website.

To learn more about Elizabeth's work you can find her on Twitter @mohlerc.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on April 20, 2021

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

#Gradlife XIII: COVID 19, One Year Later...

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 12:00:00 -0400

Over one year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything for graduate students. We were all introduced to a different world of research and communication, held back by lab and class restrictions, prevention of in-person evaluations and tests, and limiting our access to resources such as books, equipment, and computer programs. We all experienced changes that have both benefited and hindered our abilities to become the best of who we can be. Some students became fallen soldiers who lost the momentum and motivation to conduct research at a rate they could maintain while being in-person, while others thrived staying at home and kept in a safer and less crowded environment.

In this episode of #GradLife, hosts Gavin Tolometti, Danica Facca, and Laura Muñoz Baena talk about their experiences with the pandemic and how it has effected their research progress and lifestyle. Who is a fallen soldier? What did everyone miss out on because of COVID-19? Do we think the virtual education system will keep some aspects of learning for when we go back in person? All questions discussed in this episode.

If you would like to learn more about GradCast and #GradLife you can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @gradcastradio. You can also learn more about our hosts:

Gavin Tolometti: Twitter @GavinOnTheMoon - Instagram @gavinonthemoon

Danica Facca: Twitter @dfaccs - Instagram @phdfacca

Laura Munoz Baena: Twitter @Laura_bam7

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on April 12, 2021

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song Upbeat Party produced by Scott Holmes

322 | Simulating HIV's Latent Reservoir

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 18:42:06 -0400

In this episode hosts Rose and Laura talk to Emmanuel Wong about his research on HIV's latent reservoir. They discussed the role of bioinformatics in a world that is generating astronomical amounts of biological information and how simulation programs could potentially help us to gain insights about how the latent reservoir originates, evolves and persists within an individual.

Recorded on April 13, 2021

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

321 | Looking for Lactate

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 11:03:44 -0400

In this episode, Sandra Grahovac-Nemeth talks with hosts Ariel and Francesco about her novel research in Alzheimer's to isolate the metabolite, lactate, to fight against this complex condition. Sandra is an experienced second year Master of Science in Biology student who has returned to school after several years working in the Pharma industry. During our discussion, Sandra touches on a number of topics including her research, the state of Alzheimer's in Canada and her life outside academics.

Recorded on Apr 6, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

319 | A Recipe For Plant-Based Chicken (vaccine)

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 21:31:45 -0400

In this episode, Carly Charron talks with hosts Elizabeth and Rose (with some quick peeps from Rhys) about her research on a plant-based vaccine to prevent Salmonella infection in poultry which she is doing for her Masters in Biology at Agriculture Canada. Starting from a talk in her 3rd year course to undergrad thesis in the same discipline, Carly covers the what’s, who’s, and why’s of the vaccine, and its importance on future farming practices and overall health of chickens.

To learn more about Carly’s research, you can email her at ccharro5@uwo.ca or find her on Facebook and Instagram.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded March 23, 2021

Produced by Rhys Paterson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

320 | From the Past to the Present: Lessons from History

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 12:00:00 -0400

Are those who fail to study history doomed to repeat it? Public History Masters student Kestra Greer has some strong opinions on the matter. How do we make the lessons of history relevant for the wider public? How should we navigate the debate over what and how we commemorate historical figures? What can knowledge of how people handled past pandemics teach us about how to deal with COVID? Join hosts Yimin Chen and Elizabeth Mohler as we learn about the poopy origins of modern epidemiology and more!

To get in touch with Kestra, you can find her on Instagram @baragalog

Recorded on March 30, 2021.

Produced by Hira Nadeem.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

#Gradlife XII: Finding and Preparing for Careers in a Pandemic World

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 12:00:00 -0400

Searching for jobs and networking with potential employers has always been a scary and intimidating process, and the COVID-19 pandemic has not made it any easier. As graduate students mark down the days towards the end of their degree, they begin to ask themselves, "How do I know I can stand-out in an interview over Zoom?", "How can I network with people if I cannot attend conferences in person?", and "Are their services on campus that can help me improve my résumé and CV?". These are questions that #GradLife what answered as well, and host Gavin Tolometti has reached out to find those answers.

In this episode, Gavin speaks with Teresa Boere and Heather Wakely who work in the Careers & Experience department's Career Education unit at Western University. Teresa is a career educator and Heather is the acting team lead of the Career Education unit team. They share insight into how graduate students at Western can gain invaluable advice and practice to prepare for job interviews, writing resumes, and expanding your networking bubble. Time to start taking on the pandemic world and staying one step ahead of the job searching game.

If you would like to learn more about the Career Education services you can reach out to Teresa Boere (tboere@uwo.ca) and Heather Wakely (hwakely@uwo.ca), or you can go to the Career Education and Western Connect website to find openings for CV, résumé, and mock interview services.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on March 2, 2021

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song Upbeat Party produced by Scott Holmes

#GlobalGrads Episode V: Earth-Shattering Revelations from Chile

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 14:27:19 -0400

Cindy Mora-Stock has had quite the life journey. Departing her native Chile to embark on a seismology PhD in Germany, she now finds herself in Canada at UWO completing her second postdoctorate. As hosts Liam Clifford and Rhys Paterson learn, travelling the world and exposing oneself to new experiences has a brilliant way of enriching one's understanding and making the international student experience truly special. You can follow Cindy on Twitter and Instagram.

Recorded on March 25, 2021

Produced by Liam Clifford

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

Special Episode: SOGS Commissioners Part 1

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 23:16:45 -0400

In Part 1 of the SOGS Commissioners Episode, our guests are Denise Kamyuka (Racial Equity and Inclusivity Commissioner) and Francesca Alexander (Gender Concerns Commissioners). They chat about their roles as our community advocates at Western with our hosts Yousuf Hasan and Francesco Colosimo. They share with us what kinds of events they create to strengthen our community.

Full Video on YouTube

Recorded on March 6, 2021

Produced by Yousuf Hasan

Intro theme song produced by Mathew Becker

Outro theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

Special Episode: SOGS Commissioners Part 2

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 22:58:56 -0400

In Part 2 of our Community Advocates Episode, our guests are Elizabeth Mohler (Accessibility Commissioner), Geneveave Barbo (Indigenous Commissioner), and Shannon-Thomas Carnahan. They discuss about what they do as our community advocates at Western with our hosts Yousuf Hasan and Rhys Paterson. They also chat about what difficulties they face in improving the student experience.

Full Video on YouTube

Recorded on March 6, 2021

Produced by Yousuf Hasan

Intro theme song produced by Mathew Becker

Outro theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

318 | Engineering for Space

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 12:00:00 -0400

There are plenty of options for a burgeoning MESc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering like Hira Nadeem to apply her skills towards space technology. Hira tells Ariel Frame and Yimin Chen about her recent internship at Planet, the Brooke Owens Fellowship she was recently awarded and how these have led up to her studies at Western and aspirations to work on aerospace engineering. Hira also gave an overview of the mentorship program she co-founded, Zenith Canada Pathways Foundation.

To find out more from Hira, follow her on Twitter @HiraInSpace

Recorded on Mar 16, 2021

Full video available on YouTube

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

317 | How Flies Socialize

Sat, 20 Mar 2021 19:57:02 -0400

Abbie Bechard tells Ariel Frame and Laura Munoz Baena about her MSc in biology research that she is working on. Abbie explains how she tests social spacing in flies and how this can be used to test models with autism related genes, such as Neuroligin.

To get in touch with Abbie, find her on Facebook.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on March 9, 2021

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

316 | Not So Independent After All

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 10:58:25 -0400

After First World War new methods for the administration of colonial territories were required. In this episode, Benjamin Gladstone chats with hosts Elizabeth Moller and Laura Muñoz-Baena about the Americanization of the global colonial and economic systems and its impact on the growth of the United States as a world power and its continues involvement in several economies around the globe.

Recorded on March 2nd, 2021

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena

“Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot”

#GlobalGrads Episode IV: Going, Going, Ghana

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 11:42:38 -0500

In this #GlobalGrads episode, co-hosts Liam Clifford, Rhys Paterson, and Laura Baena are joined by Political Science PhD student Maxwell Bogpene. Max now finds himself at UWO to further his studies after originally leaving his native Ghana to pursue a degree at Ohio State University. But this was not without the hassle of being an international student during a global pandemic. As the conversation continues, it becomes clear that jollof rice and good banter are the keys to fostering community amongst grad students.

If you would like to connect with Max, you can find him on Twitter at @BogpeneMax

Recorded on March 4, 2021

Produced by Liam Clifford

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

Special Episode: Chairs Chat

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 12:31:00 -0500

On this episode the past chairs of GradCast gather together to discuss their history on the podcast, their experiences and where they are now. This light hearted conversation with Alexander Moszczynski, Tristan Johnson, Susan Anthony and Ariel Frame is facilitated by longstanding committee member, Yimin Chen. Listen in to find out how it all started, how we've grown and what makes this production a special experience for Western University graduate students.

Full Video on YouTube

Recorded on Feb 5, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Intro theme song produced by Mathew Becker

Outro theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

315 | Opportunities Unlimited at the Western Counties Lodge

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 12:33:00 -0500

In this episode, Rosemary Giles gives us an overview of all she knows about Western Counties Veterans Lodge, a rehab facility in London, ON that used to house soldiers recovering from World War 2. As an MA in History student, Rosemary enthusiastically explains to hosts Francesco Colosimo and Ariel Frame about the past functions and environment at this facility which she has determined to date and hopes to uncover in the future.

To find out more from Rosemary, follow her on Instagram @rosemary_giles

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Feb 23, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

314 | A Stressful Bird Life

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 21:05:45 -0500

Contaminants in food sources can cause serious problems for wildlife physiology, especially for birds who feed of marine life and aquatic insects that are exposed to high levels of methylmercury (MeHg). On top of contaminants, birds experience food stress from many environmental factors such as predators, food shortage, unpredictable weather, and interaction with humans. Now, what happens when birds consume MeHg contaminants while experiencing food stress? Does this contaminant worsen the physiology of birds when under food stress or does it somehow counteract the effect? Biology PhD student Claire Bottini talks about her research on this topic with hosts Gavin Tolometti and Laura Munoz. Claire tells the hosts how she studies the effects that food stress and MeHg exposure have on the song sparrow species Melospiza melodia, and how she plans to continue her experiments through the pandemic.

To learn more about Claire's research, check out her twitter account @ClaireBottini

Recorded on Feb 16, 2021

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena

“Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot”

Special Episode: Discussing Marsha P. Johnson to Commemorate Black History Month

Sat, 20 Feb 2021 22:56:43 -0500

For Black History Month, on our show we had Western University's Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) Racial and Inclusivity Commissioner (Denise Kamyuka) and the Pride Commissioner (Shannon Carnahan) to chat about an important documentary recently screened at a SOGS Advocacy event: The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson. Denise and Shannon discussed the remarkable life of Marsha as the leading gay rights advocate especially in the Stonewall uprising in 1969. Hosts Elizabeth Mohler and Yousuf Hasan asked questions about Marsha's impact, mysterious death, and why Johnson chose "Marsha P. Johnson" as her drag queen name.

Hear more about SOGS Advocacy on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SOGS.Advocacy and check out their upcoming online event on THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2021 AT 11 AM EST – 12:30 PM EST Anti-Racism and EDI in Higher Education with Dr. Kaniki https://www.facebook.com/events/535326700761000/

Denise Kamyuka is available by email at racial.equity@sogs.ca and Shannon-Thomas Carnahan is available by email at pride@sogs.ca or on the SOGS Discord https://discord.gg/A7hMX34

Full Video Available on YouTube

Recorded on Feb 15, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

313 | Jumping from Mars to Icy Moons

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 20:11:00 -0500

Sample return on Mars, an ancient lake, oceans beneath the surface of icy moons. These are among the topics talked about in this episode!

In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Rhy Paterson talk with PhD student Leah Sacks in the Department of Earth Sciences and the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration. Leah recently defended her M.Sc where she studied how material ejected from impact events on Mars are deposited on the surface. Now, she starts her PhD research studying the icy moons in our outer solar system! As a bonus! We talk about the Mars Perseverance rover mission, the newest NASA rover to land on the surface of Mars and collect samples that will be returned to Earth by another mission in the future.

If you would like to learn more about Leah's work on Mars and Icy Moons you can check out her website, Leah Sacks - Planetary Geologist (leahinspace.com) or follow her on Twitter @LithicLeah

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Feb 9, 2021

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

“Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot”

312 | Awareness of Storing Nuclear Waste

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0500

With the growth and increased use of nuclear energy in Canada, more research is being conducted to understand how nuclear waste should be stored safely and in permanent storage facilities. Hosts Elizabeth Mohler and Gavin Tolometti learn about nuclear waste storage from the Department of Chemistry PhD student Lindsay Grandy. Lindsay's research looks at the underlying processes of copper corrosion when it's exposed to ionizing radiation to be sure we understand how the copper layer will behave in this environment.

If you would like to learn more about Canada's permanent plan to store nuclear waste and Lindsay's lab research you can visit the NWMO and RAMPS website, or you can follow Lindsay on Twitter @drlinds

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Feb 9, 2021

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

311 | Talking Dirt-y About Antibiotic Resistance

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Liam Brown, Masters student in Biology, gives us a tour through the history of antibiotic resistance. Liam tells Elizabeth Mohler and Ariel Frame about his research conducted at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research facility in London studying this topic and how the make up of fertilizer can impact antibiotic resistance in agricultural soil. For more about Liam's research, check Liam's ResearchGate or email him at lbrow55@uwo.ca

Recorded on Feb 2, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

Special Episode: Indigenous Awareness Week 2021

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 11:42:08 -0500

For Western's 7th Annual Indigenous Awareness Week (IAW), GradCast hosted two Indigenous Graduate Students to chat about their research. IAW celebrates Indigenous presence and builds community between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. GradCast's IAW Special Episode has two parts:

Part 1: Reconciliation – in progress?

Riley Corbin (MA French Candidate) discusses how he wants to use the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s, TRC, 94 calls to action to explore whether or not these calls had any effect on Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Part 2: The Role of Housing in Enhancing Access to Post Secondary Education for Indigenous Learners

Victoria Bomberry (MA Geography Candidate) chats about her research on enhancing understandings of the unique housing needs of Indigenous learners at Canadian post-secondary institutions. Victoria’s research contributes to ongoing work to improve access to post-secondary education for Indigenous Peoples as well as efforts to address rising unaffordability of housing in Canadian urban centres.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Jan 23, 2021

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

“Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot”

310 | Brain Electrical Changes in an Autism Model

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 23:42:40 -0500

Raj Mann is a PhD student in the Neuroscience Program. She has worked diligently for years to perfect a difficult method of measuring the electrophysiology of individual neurons from the brains of rats. Raj tells Elizabeth Mohler and Ariel Frame how she has applied this method to a model of Autism and discovered how their neurons differ.

To find out about Raj's work, check out her supervisor's lab website theschmidlab.com

Recorded on Jan 26, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

309 | Another Look at Alzheimer's disease

Sat, 30 Jan 2021 20:35:27 -0500

Asad Lone has nearly completed his PhD in biology. He tells Ariel Frame and Laura Munoz about the cell biology research he has done on the impact of p66Shc on cell metabolism and susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease brain pathology. Asad also discusses his interest in the ketogenic diet and post-PhD plans.

To read about Asad's work, you can find him on ResearchGate

Recorded January 19, 2020

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

Special Episode: #GlobalGrads Episode III: Endearing India

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0500

In the series' third episode, hosts Liam Clifford and Rhys Paterson speak to Earth Sciences Master's student Richa Agarwal about her time as a Western student. Originally from Pune, India, Richa endears her home by comparing its sights and sounds to those she has experienced in Canada. From Nova Scotia to Niagara Falls, her journey touches upon the highlights of her experiences and how nicely it complements the Western student body.

If you would like to learn more about Richa's experience in Canada and her work, you can follow her on Instagram @doctorvworp19

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Jan 17, 2021

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

“Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot”

#Gradlife XI: How To Own Your Future

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0500

#GradLife is back with our first episode of 2021! Starting off the year strong, we bring an episode covering a topic that a lot of graduate students ask ourselves and each other probably every other day, "what job can I get with my degree?". We are all taught to focus on specific projects and problems and we never stop to think, "Can I apply my skills in other fields? or Will my specific skill set be a hinderance when applying for jobs?". I am pleased to tell you that no matter how specified your degree is, you have a stronger and broader skill set than you realize!

The University of Western Ontario offers a Doctoral Professional Development Program called "Own Your Future" with the aim to provide workshops and seminars for Masters and PhD students that will enhance their skills and abilities for academic studies and future careers. In this #GradLife episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Elizabeth Mohler talk with Dr Julie Jonkhans, who is the coordinator for Own Your Future. She talks about what Own Your Future can offer graduate students and how you can best apply the skills you have to finding jobs after grad school.

If you would like to learn more about Julie's involvement or have questions about the development program, you can email her at julie.jonkhans@uwo.ca or check out the Own Your Future website https://www.uwo.ca/ownyourfuture/

Full video is available on YouTube

Recorded on Jan 5, 2021

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song Upbeat Party produced by Scott Holmes

307 | Why Do We Make The Choices We Do?

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0500

On this episode, hosts Yousuf and Francesco discuss cognitive dissonance with Master’s of Psychology candidate, Mikayla Colthirst-Reid. With a background and industry experience in marketing, social media and communications, Mikayla is attempting to explore how our own self-perceptions affect our decision-making processes and behaviours. She discusses how this phenomenon could make our choices predictable to a certain extent and therefore exploitable by marketing campaigns. Mikayla is returning to school after 7 years of industry experience in both corporate and not-for-profit roles. She also continues to do freelance work as a social media strategist and consultant and hosts a podcast dedicated to mindful marketing for online entrepreneurs.

If you would like to learn more about Mikayla and her work, you can follow her on Instagram @themikaylavictoria or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Jan 5, 2021

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

308 | Exploring Our Red Planet

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 18:00:00 -0500

Did you know Mars has seasons too? Different from ours, but they are there. In this episode, Ariel Frame and Elizabeth Mohler sat down with Vidhya Ganesh Rangarajan who shared his research which focuses on studying active surface processes on Mars. These include phenomena that may be driven by wind, water, frost, dust and/or seasonal atmospheric changes seen on Mars.

To find out more from Vidhya, follow him on Twitter @vidhyaganeshr93

Full video on YouTube

Recorded on Jan 12, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

REBROADCAST 93 | Taking the Blue Pill with Dan Perdic

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0500

This week we speak with Dan Perdic, a media studies scholar looking at the misogynist Red Pill online community.

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Tristan Johnson

Recorded on Nov 29, 2016

Produced by Susan Anthony

REBROADCAST 231 | Unlock the Secrets to Becoming a Poker Pro

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 12:00:00 -0500

On this episode, hosts Gavin and Greg discuss game theory with a PhD Candidate in Economics, Adam Rooney. From childhood, Adam has been an avid poker fanatic often hosting poker tournaments with his friends. When he came to university, he started with $50 in his bank account, which he used as a buy in for online poker tournaments. After winning many tournaments, he cashed out with an undergraduate degree education. Now he is in his PhD studying what he loves most, poker. And most importantly, he has many poker tips and tricks. Tune in to unlock the secrets of how you can become a poker pro too!

Recorded on Aug 27, 2019

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme Song by Matthew Becker

REBROADCAST 122 | A Constellation of Voices

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 12:00:00 -0500

Andrew Hanna and Yimin Chen speak with Mary Blake Bonn about the role of voices in musical understanding, as well as her work as the president of SOGS.

Recorded on June 20, 2017

Produced by Susan Anthony

REBROADCAST 247 | Rock Hard for Hard Rocks

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 12:00:00 -0500

Russell Ashton has been a working man since he was 10; first running his own very successful neighborhood lawn services business, and now working as a Mechanical Engineer at a Junior Mineral Exploration Company. So why is Russel even in school doing his Masters? Tune in and listen to hosts Greg and Nik pick his brain about how to get your job to pay for your education.

Recorded Dec 3, 2019

Produced by Gregory Robinson

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

306 | A Hearty Dose of Cannabis

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 15:33:49 -0500

Gregory Robinson enlightens hosts Ariel Frame and Nikol Posnov about his research on the impact of cannabis during development. As a soon to be MSc graduate from the physiology and pharmacology department's collaborative specialization program in developmental biology, Greg has discovered some novel effects that cannabinoids, THC and CBD, have on the developing fetal heart when ingested by the mother. They are not good for the baby's heart and Greg explains why. To hear more about Greg and his research follow him on Twitter @GregIanRobinson or check out his supervisor's Twitter @QFeng3

Recorded December 15, 2020

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

305 | Scandalous American Presidencies

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 13:50:38 -0500

With lame duck Trump and president elect Biden incoming, the world is sharply tuned in to American political scandals involving their presidency. Danielle McLennan is an MA student in history investigating various American political scandals including the Pentagon Papers, Watergate, whistleblowers and American news media in general. Ariel Frame and Yousuf listen closely as Danielle describes scandals of the past and explains how similar issues are tackled in this day and age. Danielle can be found on Twitter @mynameisjonp1 and recommends you also follow Daniel Ellsberg on Twitter @DanielEllsberg

Recorded December 12, 2020

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

#GradLifeX Holiday Special: Winter Facts and Food Wars

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500

#GradLife is back with another winter holiday special episode! Graduate students get to use the holidays as a chance to put aside work and spend time with friends and family, eating mountains of homecooked food and catching up with stories. This year we face new challenges with COVID-19 restricting travel and making it harder to see extended family over the holidays. However, it is not all doom and gloom. Hosts Gavin Tolometti, Rhys Paterson and Nikol Posnov break open the winter holiday spirit with stories about holidays traditions, epic food wars, random and fun winter holiday facts, and learning how you, the audience, are spending your holidays this year and what questions you hate being asked as a graduate student.

To hear previous #GradLife episodes, follow us at @GradCastRadio on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website gradcast.ca

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Dec 6, 2020

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song Upbeat Party produced by Scott Holmes

304 | Post Fascism

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 18:00:00 -0500

The Trump presidency was infamous for a myriad of reasons, one of them being his perpetuation of a post-fascist rationale that sought to deeply divide people. How does an ideology, sharing a namesake with the likes of Hitler and Mussolini, reincarnate into this modern form? Hosts Liam Clifford and Yousuf Hasan speak with Political Science Master's student Hunter Blue on how the forty-fifth US President adapted a twentieth-century dogma to the present day and manipulated it to suit his own nefarious ends. The discussion that follows makes harrowing connections to the atrocities of the past and raises the existential question over the health of Western democracy.

Full Video on YouTube

Recorded Dec 8, 2020

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

Special Episode: #GlobalGrads Episode II: Missing Mexico

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 09:59:06 -0500

In the second episode of GradCast's international student segment, hosts Liam Clifford, Nikol Posnov, and Rhys Paterson speak to Earth Sciences Master's student Karina Martinez about her experiences at UWO. Hailing from Mexico, Karina speaks to how Canada has both benefited her growth as an academic and increased her yearning for home. A subsequent discussion on food, social outings, and tequila seeks to broaden our horizons and educate us on how the Western community is enriched by the international student community.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Dec 6, 2020

Produced by Liam Clifford and edited by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

303 | Nikky Stardust and the Microbes From Mars

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 17:00:00 -0500

Last year, Nikol Posnov told us about all the things that she was planning to study as an Earth Science MSc student. This time, she's returned to tell us about what she actually ended up researching. What can rocks taken from Brazilian impact craters tell us about where we might find evidence of life on Mars? How likely is it that future missions will find anything living on the Red Planet? On this episode, hosts Yimin and Yousuf ask these hard-hitting questions and more: like, "what's your favourite movie alien"? The answer may surprise you!

To find out more from Nikol, follow her on Twitter @SpaceDoctorNik or follow her supervisor @DrCrater

Full video on YouTube

Recorded on Dec 1, 2020

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

Special Episode: Power & Global Heath Day 2020 Part 2 - Dr. Samuel Wong

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 18:29:50 -0500

In this special episode, Dr. Samuel Wong joins hosts Liam Clifford and Francesco Colosimo to discuss his research in how COVID-19 is affecting mental health globally. As the keynote speaker at Power & Global Health Day 2020, he tells us about certain mental illnesses that the pandemic is exacerbating, particularly in populations whose mental health are being disproportionally affected by the pandemic, as well as potential interventions and strategies to improve mental health. Dr. Wong is a clinician with training in both Family Medicine and Public Health and has published over 160 original papers in international peer-reviewed journals. In addition, he serves as a member of the Expert Panel in Primary Healthcare and Non-Communicable Disease in Hong Kong and does significant government and public service work in his native country.

If you would like to learn more about Dr Samuel Wong's research, you can visit http://www.med.cuhk.edu.hk/ for more information.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Nov 23, 2020

Produced by Ariel Frame and edited by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

302 | Domestic Abuse Against Men, an Unknown Issue

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 19:46:30 -0500

Xavier Borsato joins hosts Liam Clifford and Francesco Colosimo to chat about his research in domestic violence against males. He attempts to shine a light on how men can also be victims of abuse but often face several stigmas that act as barriers for seeking and attaining help. Xavier hopes that, through his research, he can help fill a gap in the literature regarding this topic.

Recorded November 24, 2020

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

301 | The Golden Interview

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 19:49:28 -0500

Jason Wozniak (MSc. Geology) joins hosts Yousuf Hasan and Elizabeth Mohler to chat about economic geology and gold mineralization. Jason's research helps companies know where exactly to look for gold. In particular, he studies old rocks to learn more about gold-movements. We also chat about COVID-19 and how it has deeply impacted Jason's research.

To find out more from Jason, check out his personal Instagram @j_woz or the the Society of Economic Geologists London Student Chapter Instagram @seg.lsc

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Nov 19, 2020

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

Special Episode: Power & Global Health Day 2020 Part 1 - Julia Albert

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 18:24:18 -0500

In this special episode, Julia Albert sits down with Elizabeth Mohler and Ariel Frame to tell us about the capsules she produced as a part of Power & Global Health Day 2020. These capsules focus on the work faculty are doing around how inequity has been amplified for marginalized community’s during COVID-19. Julia is an undergraduate student in the School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities doing the module in scholars electives with research on how COVID-19 has affected young people.

To hear more from Julia, check out the ICONOCLAST podcast she hosts. http://iconoclastuwo.com/podcast-3/

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Nov 19, 2020

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

Special Episode: #GlobalGrads The Inaugural Episode

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:01:52 -0500

Being an international grad student is an incredibly rewarding adventure but one consisting of a unique set of challenges. In a brand-new series debuting on GradCast during UWO International Week, hosts Liam Clifford, Nikol Posnov, and Rhys Paterson speak with Brazilian Political Science MA Ricardo Moll about the international student experience and what we can all learn from it. As the subsequent conversation highlights the obstacles surrounding travel in a global pandemic, the sights and sound of Canada, and subpar Tim Hortons coffee, Ricardo provides insightful context on how international students provide Western's community and the country with greater vibrancy.

If you would like to get in contact with Ricardo and learn more about his experience at Western and in Canada you can find him on FaceBook and Instagram.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Nov 12th, 2020

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

300 | Health Information Exchange among Caregivers

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 13:33:42 -0500

Kendra Cotton (MSc. Nursing) joins hosts Yousuf Hasan and Elizabeth Mohler to chat about her research on technology and information flow among health care professions. Kendra tells us why health information exchange among professionals is important for effective patient care. She also chats about how social media is a great tool for caregivers to facilitate communication especially amid the pandemic..To learn more about Kendra and her clinical work as a registered nurse, visit here.

Recorded on November 10th, 2020 Produced by Laura Munoz Baena
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

299 | Best Friend Elements

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 21:09:47 -0500

Do you want to know what it takes to work in the field of gold exploration in the Canadian Yukon Territory? An Arts degree, a failed calculus course, four exploration field seasons and a Masters in Geology. JUST KIDDING! It takes believing in yourself and a properly guided passion. Tune in to this week's GradCast episode with James Alexander to learn more about "best-friend" elements and minerals, instrumentation used to define gold mineralization, and if that's not for you, skip to the second half of the episode for reasons to visit the Yukon and some cheesy inspirational advice. The episode is hosted by Nikol Posnov and Viki Tellios.

If you would like to learn more about James's work, you can follow him on Instagram @jamesalexander95

To learn more about gold exploration up in the Yukon, you can visit the White Gold Corp website.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on 3rd Nov, 2020

Produced by Ariel Frame. Edited by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

298 | Talking the Talk about Walking the Walk

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 13:06:03 -0500

As humans, we often underestimate how important bipedal movement is to our lives. And according to recent Pedorthics program graduate and Kinesiology alumnus Ashley Njeru, there is much we can do to prioritize its wellbeing. And as hosts Liam Clifford and Viki Tellios learn more about lower limb health, orthotics, and orthopaedics, it becomes clear that this is something we should be taking more seriously. The conversation that follows is one that emphasizes the challenges of treating patients in a pandemic, how a graduate degree prepares one for the workforce, and why it is important to move forward figuratively and literally.

Recorded on October 28th, 2020 Produced by Laura Munoz Baena
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

Special Episode: How COVID-19 Has Impacted Western Research Part 3

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 08:35:01 -0500

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, health activities, and much more.

If you would like to learn more about Hanna and Amara's research and the Occupational Therapy program at Western, follow @western_ot and @grassro_ots on Instagram.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Oct 30th, 2020

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

Special Episode: How COVID-19 Has Impacted Western Research Part 2

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 08:34:50 -0500

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-doctorate fellow in Behavioural Medicine Lab at the University of Victoria) also joins the hosts to talk about his post-grad journey after the pandemic. He chats about how COVID-19 impacted his post-doc scholarship and how he had to find roommates amid the pandemic. He also shares with us some positives including new research involving digital health.

If you would like to learn more about Anna and Yoah's research, you can email them at arudkovs@uwo.ca and yoahsui@gmail.com

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Oct 30, 2020

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

Special Episode: How COVID-19 Has Impacted Western Research Part 1

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 08:34:40 -0500

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 us about how the pandemic has affected their research, measures they undertaken to keep their projects moving forward and personal strategies they have to stay productive.

If you want to learn more about Kristin Prentice's work you can email her at kprenti4@uwo.ca

If you want to learn more about Adam Debosscher's work you can read his article #ForTheThrone in the journal This Years Work on Medievalism

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Oct 29, 2020

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

297 | How to Teach a Digital Brain to Pay Attention

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 18:04:38 -0400

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 how it works. Now try teaching a machine the same ability. Sounds hard right? Well, in this episode, hosts Liam Clifford and Gavin Tolometti talk with M.Sc student Haider Al-Tahan from the Department of Computer Science about his research using machine learning to train algorithms to distinguish audio from human speech.

To check out more from Haider go to his website haideraltahan.com

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded Oct 22, 2020

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

296 | Untying the Myths Surrounding Tubal Ligation

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 13:32:00 -0400

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 these experiences. We learn from Anna that this process is more difficult and complicated by myriad barriers than one might believe, especially in how medical professionals regard female patients.

To learn more about Anna's research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anna_Sui

Recorded on October 13, 2020
Full video available on YouTube
Produced by Yousuf Hasan
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

295 | A Philosopher Walks into a Science Lab

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 06:28:18 -0400

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 Richard Feynman’s quote on philosophy of science: “[it is] as useful to scientists as ornithology [the study of birds] is to birds.”

To learn more about Erlantz' research, visit his Rotman profile at Western.

Full video available on YouTube
Recorded on October 09, 2020.
Produced by Yousuf Hasan
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

294 | Managing Misinformation on COVID-19

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 10:08:11 -0400

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 global pandemic, this information is important to get right and Francesco's research seeks to find the best way of getting there.

To hear more from Francesco, find him on Instagram @francesco.colosimo or Facebook

Recorded on September 29nd, 2020 Full video available on YouTube Produced by Laura Munoz Baena
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

293 | Human Rights Tribunal Ontario (Special Episode)

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 19:12:00 -0400

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 forms of harassment, for instance, harassment by vexatious litigation.

Disclaimer: No one in this video is a lawyer and nothing described is a legal advice; the three HRTO cases narrated are from the publicly available documents below:

1. https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onhrt/doc/2017/2017hrto1536/2017hrto1536.html
Appeal: https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onhrt/doc/2018/2018hrto477/2018hrto477.html

2.https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onscdc/doc/2010/2010onsc6489/2010onsc6489.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAjIndlc3Rlcm4gb250YXJpbyIgZnJlZWRvbSBvZiBzcGVlY2gAAAAAAQ&resultIndex=1

3.https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onscdc/doc/2012/2012onsc1287/2012onsc1287.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAeInNvY2lldHkgb2YgZ3JhZHVhdGUgc3R1ZGVudHMiAAAAAAE&resultIndex=2

Full video available on YouTube
Recorded on Sep. 16, 2020
Produced by Yousuf Hasan
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

292 | Destructive or Life Harbouring? Hydrothermal Systems in Impact Craters

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 10:08:36 -0400

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 Tolometti and Rhys Paterson talk with Earth and Planetary Science M.Sc student Tabetha Shepphard about how she studies the composition of fluids trapped within minerals from the West Clearwater impact structure in Quebec, Canada to learn about hydrothermal systems that developed after the impact event almost 290 million years ago. Also learn how Tabetha start her path towards geology through outreach, politics and speaking primarily French. To find more about Tabetha, find her on Twitter and Instagram as @ImpactfulRocks Recorded on September 22nd, 2020 Full Episode available on YouTube
Produced by Laura Munoz Baena
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

#GradLife IX: Rejection Diaries

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 10:02:17 -0400

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 Frame, Rhys Patterson, Laura Beana, Elizabeth Mohler, Danica Martina, and Liam Clifford to share their academic rejection experiences and how graduate students can learn from them and cope with rejection in their lives.

To hear previous #GradLife episodes, follow us at @GradCastRadio on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website gradcast.ca

Full episode available on YouTube

Recorded on Sept. 16th, 2020

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song Upbeat Party produced by Scott Holmes

291 | Planting the Seed to Success

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 19:59:42 -0400

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 COVID-19. However, fear not as PhD student Shannon McKechnie from the Faculty of Education reassures hosts Yousuf Hasan and Liam Clifford that there is in fact hope. Her focus with the Critical Policy, Equity, and Leadership research arc seeks to ask how student employability post-graduation is represented in policy, and what change might be possible to better support students. The conversation that ensues covers what students can do to help themselves succeed, how universities can complement that, and how we as a society can rethink the value of recent graduates.

To learn more about Shannon's research, follow her on Twitter @s_mckechnie

and visit her website www.shannonmckechnie.ca

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on Sept 15th, 2020

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

290 | Use It or Lose It: Exercise for Osteoarthritis Relief

Fri, 11 Sep 2020 16:00:00 -0400

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 that Jenna encountered during graduate school, in particular related to the MPT/PhD program, time management and how to protect your knees, all of which have overall made her experience as rewarding as possible.

To get in touch with Jenna and her research, you can find her @the.rungry.researcher on Instagram.

You can also learn more about Jenna's research by reading this article: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/13/771

Full Video Available on YouTube

Recorded on Sep. 08, 2020

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

289 | Facing Fascism

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 02:54:58 -0400

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 British Empire within the imperial system and interwar global order. As hosts Yousuf Hasan and Liam Clifford learn from recent History MA graduate Jessi Gilchrist, Anglo-Italian relations in the 1920s and 1930s must be scrutinized for their mutually shared imperial ambitions. The insightful conversation that ensues opens up discourse on how twentieth-century notions of empire world blurred the line between fascism and “democracy,” leading Italy to become an Axis power.

Full video available on YouTube
Recorded on Sep. 02, 2020
Produced by Yousuf Hasan

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io (Produced by White Hot)

288 | Fighting the Monsters Inside Us: The Search for New Antibiotics

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 02:54:20 -0400

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 become resistant to the available antibiotics. For his research, Denny is finding ways to come up with new antibiotics that can fight against the more resilient strains of the bacteria.

Full video on YouTube

Recorded on September 1st, 2020
Produced by Laura Munoz Baena (video by Yousuf Hasan)
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

287 | Being a Qualitative Researcher: A Narrative

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 12:18:00 -0400

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 developed. Also, Monica describes the importance of using narrative methodologies, and how narratives and storytelling unite all of us.

If you would like to learn more about Monica's research, you can visit her website https://monicalmolinaro.wixsite.com/home and find her on Twitter @MonicaLMolinaro

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded Aug 25, 2020

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

286 | Chemotherapy and Anticipatory Nausea

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 15:05:13 -0400

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 avoid treatments since they are conditioned to feel nauseous by hospital environment due to their co-pairing of hospitals and side-effects of chemotherapy. Besides her research, Indra also talks about her role as the SOGS Sustainability Chair and what she thinks about London’s Climate Action Plan.

To learn more about Indra and her work, you can visit her website.

Full Video available on YouTube
Recorded on August 18, 2020
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io (Produced by White Hot)
Episode produced by Yousuf Hasan

285 | Heads, Shoulders, Knees and…Actually, Just Shoulders

Sat, 22 Aug 2020 13:26:00 -0400

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 to your surgeon, and how in a post-COVID world, an app like this will still be needed. Rochelle also explains how her previous expertise informed her decision to do a combined degree, and what she hopes to do with her two new degrees when she finishes.

To find out more from Rochelle and learn more about her research, follow her and her lab on social media.

Twitter: @ellefurtado13

Instagram: @hulc.crl | @hrsgss_uwo

Website: https://www.lawsonresearch.ca/hulc/clinical-research-HULC

Full episode available on YouTube

Recorded on August 17th, 2020

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

284 | Light Bright Mice

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 10:44:55 -0400

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.org

Full Video Available on YouTube

Recorded on Aug 11, 2020

Produced by Laura Baena and edited by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

283 | Lava-ing What I Do

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 12:59:00 -0400

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 of surface processes on the Moon and Mars by studying lava flows in Idaho and Iceland. In addition, as Gavin concludes his PhD, he speaks to his future aspirations and why this research is important for the wider public.

To find out more from Gavin, follow him on Twitter @GavinOnTheMoon, on Instagram @gavin4science_94 , on his website https://gavintolometti.wixsite.com/gavinonthemoon, or his lab's website https://www.spacerocks.ca/teams/

Full video on YouTube

Recorded on Aug 4, 2020

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme Song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

282 | The Rwandan Genocide

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 08:31:26 -0400

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 candidate John Trafford from UWO’s Political Science department, it is revealed how artificial constructions of identity left to ferment can have dire consequences. Hosts Ariel Frame and Liam Clifford engage with John's discussion of the historical differences between the Hutu and Tutsi, the contextual pre-Genocide Civil War, and how colonialism’s legacy lasts long after its demise.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on July 28th, 2020

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

“Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot”

281 | Automation and Capitalism

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 12:03:00 -0400

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 James' insights check out his co-authored book published last year, Inhuman Power, his Academia.edu page and his recent DigiLabour talk about his upcoming book Automation and Autonomy

Recorded on July 23, 2020

Produced by Ariel Frame

Them song provided by freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

280 | Caring With a Little Help From Our Friends

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 12:03:00 -0400

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 caregivers may not necessarily want social support. They also discuss why caregivers are an integral backbone to the health care system in Canada, and how caregivers can be better supported. To find out more from Jovana follow her on Twitter @JoSibalija, LinkedIn, or email her at jsibalij@uwo.ca

Full video on YouTube

Recorded on July 21, 2020

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io Produced by White Hot

279 | Eating, Exercising and Extending Brain Plasticity

Mon, 20 Jul 2020 17:25:00 -0400

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 Olivia, follow her on Twitter @ogoshhsw

Full video on YouTube

This episode was recorded on Tuesday, July 14th and was edited by Laura Muñoz Baena

277 | Seeing Green: Economics and the Environment

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 18:30:00 -0400

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 Facebook and Twitter @EmmanuelMurrayL Full video available on YouTube Recorded on July 7th, 2020. This episode was produced by Gavin Tolometti

278 | Problems After Knee Surgery? There's an App for That

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 13:30:00 -0400

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 in order to reduce unnecessary appointments for patients. Morgan also talks about her work at the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic, how that work inspired her Master’s and current Ph.D. research, and what she hopes for her future in evidence-based practice.

Full video can be found on YouTube

This episode was recorded on Tuesday June 30th and produced by Gregory Ian Robinson.

Special | Racial Equity and Inclusivity at Western

Mon, 06 Jul 2020 13:02:39 -0400

Mohammad Sharifi (SOGS Racial Equity and Inclusivity Commissioner) spoke about issues concerning marginalized graduate students at Western with hosts Sarah Klapman and Yousuf Hasan. Mo explained his involvement in Western’s Anti-racism Working Group. The main purpose was to gather feedback regarding racism and to develop an action plan for a more equitable environment for our community. Mo also chatted with us about the experiences that led him to become SOGS Racial Equity and Inclusivity Commissioner and why it was especially important to fight for racialized students.

For more information, check out SOGS on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Discord

Watch the full episode on YouTube

This video was recorded on June 22nd and produced by Gregory Ian Robinson

276 | Disability Advocacy amid Covid-19

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 13:10:33 -0400

Elizabeth Mohler is an incoming PhD student in Occupational Science and a disability advocate. She is joined by co-hosts Rhys Paterson and Yousuf Hasan. Elizabeth chatted about the unique difficulties that people with disabilities have been experiencing amid the pandemic. As someone who has vision loss, she shared with us how challenging it can be to follow basic safety protocols. We also chatted about her co-authored book on Creating a Culture of Accessibility in the Sciences (2016) and her research on making STEM more accessible. To find out more from Elizabeth check out her Twitter @mohlerc

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on June 24, 2020

Produced by Ariel Frame

275 | Microaggressions, Slurs, and Hate Speech

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 10:18:52 -0400

Heather Stewart is currently doing her PhD in Philosophy. She chats about her research on harmful speech phenomena with cohosts Yousuf Hasan and Gregory Robinson. Heather argues that the more microaggressions are inhibited and discouraged, the more equitable and free our speech becomes.

To find out more about Heather, visit her website.

Full video on YouTube.
Produced by Yousuf Hasan. Recorded on June 23, 2020.

Special | Western Research Forum 2020 part 3

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 12:00:00 -0400

In this episode Sarah Klapman and Gregory Robinson interview four students who had been selected to present at the Society of Graduate Students annual Western Research Forum for 2020 had it not been cancelled due to COVID-19:

Dwaipayan "DP" Sarkar (PhD Mechanical and Materials Engineering) explains the intricacies and utility of heat pipes. They're not just a metal pipe. Connect with DP on LinkedIn to learn more. Alternatively, connect with DP's research group on LinkedIn as well.

John Palmer (MSc Pathology) shares with us how HIV is extremely effective in evading the human immune system by constantly mutating it's own DNA.Connect with John on LinkedIn to learn more

Rebecca Meaney (PhD Biochemistry) spends her time in the lab designing nitrogen-fixing organelles and inducing endosymbiosis of nitrogen-fixing microbes within a host cell. Learn more @karaslab and @FantasticLives on Twitter

Aimee Josephine (PhD Health Promotion) is a LWHI NGO representative/Rwanda and her multisiciplinary research includes teen pregnancies, trauma, intersectionality among genders, disability, and violence in relation to Rwanda. Contact Aimee at utuza76@gmail.com, on Skype: utuzaaimee

Full video on YouTube.

Recorded on June 9th, 2020.

This episode was produced by Gregory Robinson.

Special | Western Research Forum 2020 part 1

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 12:00:00 -0400

In this episode Yimin Chen and Yousuf Hasan interview four students who had been selected to present at the Society of Graduate Students annual Western Research Forum for 2020 had it not been cancelled due to COVID-19:

Navjot Gill (MSc Physical Therapy) tells us about her investigation into how wellness of older-adults relates with health-seeking behaviours. Her findings may help better guide them to age-in-place. To find out more about Navjot find her on LinkedIn

Jaclyn Siegel (PhD Social Psychology) explains the detrimental effects of body shaming and the need for having a reliable self-report instrument to measure shame. Her findings support a model, which is good news for researchers. For more about Jaclyn, follow her on Twitter @JaclynASiegel or check out her website https://jaclynasiegel.com

Kimberly Adamek (PhD Civil and Environmental Engineering) explains how high-rise buildings contribute to global warming and why her design mitigates the issues. She does this by studying wind-interaction with buildings by treating buildings collectively. To find out more from Kimberly go to her LinkedIn

Marziyeh Sajjadi (MA Education), focuses on women seeking a job in Canada after graduating in Education. By having interviews with women graduates, she hopes to have a better sense of their experiences including unique difficulties they may face due to their gender. For more on Marziyeh you can find her on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on June 4, 2020 Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Special | Western Research Forum 2020 part 2

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 12:00:00 -0400

In this episode Rhys Paterson and Ariel Frame interview four students who had been selected to present at the Society of Graduate Students annual Western Research Forum for 2020 had it not been cancelled due to COVID-19:

Brendon Samuels, a PhD student in biology, discusses his research and advocacy for methods of preventing birds being killed by glass buildings. For more info about saving birds check out https://birdsafe.ca/ or follow Brendon on Twitter @eyeonthefly

Abby Al-Takriti, a Masters student in professional education and continuous improvement coordinator with Western Engineering, speaks about her plans to conduct research on how to increase faculty engagement with learning management systems in higher education institutions. To find out more from Abby follow her on Instagram @abrar_alta or Twitter @abraralta

Alex Mayhew, a PhD student in library science, tells us about his work developing a brand new cataloging system for libraries and potentially all of human knowledge. To find out more from Alex you can email him at amayhew@uwo.ca, listen to the Library Science Podcast he is part of http://sowhat.fims.uwo.ca/, or check out his poster describing the work discussed in this episode.

Chloe Stewart, a PhD student in neuroscience, explains how her research on guilt and disorders/diseases whereby people exhibit too much or too little guilt.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on June 4, 2020. Produced by Ariel Frame.

274 | Environmental Conservation, Kant, and Legal Philosophy

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 14:03:41 -0400

Attila Ataner, who is doing his PhD in Philosophy, chats about his research on the philosophical movement known as German Idealism. He discusses his ideas with hosts Ariel Frame and Yousuf Hasan and explains in what ways the 18th and 19thcentury philosophical works are relevant and helpful in legal matters today. Attila suggests that Kant’s works on duties, for example, can help provide a basis for having legally enforceable protectionist duties when it comes to the environment. It is fascinating to see how he extrapolates environmental conservation from German Idealism.

More information about Attila's work can be found at Western Academia

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on June 16th, 2020.

Produced by Laura Muñoz

273 | Birdie and the Brain

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 15:24:22 -0400

In this episode, hosts Monica and Nikol talk with PhD/PT candidate Nicole Guitar about her experience in a combined program. They discuss the reason Nicole pursued PT based on her research, how her work can inform her practice, and what a future as a PhD/PT can look like. We also discuss her previous work with Chickadees, how exercise affects executive function, and how we should all be parking at the end of the parking lot to get groceries.

What you can do to prevent Alzheimer's

Let's make our day harder YouTube video

To contact Nicole, you can reach her at nguitar@uwo.ca or @nicoleandann on twitter

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on June 11th, 2020.

This episode was produced by Gregory Robinson

272 | Simulating Moon Material

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 18:36:00 -0400

Xiaochen Zhang is a Masters student in geology and planetary science. Xiaochen tells Nick Handfield-Jones and Ariel Frame about her research on artificial lunar regolith and why it is important to ensure it is as similar to true material from the Moon if we want to conduct experiments on Earth, which will facilitate humans inhabiting the Moon in the future. For more about Xiaochen, check out her personal YouTube channel Xiaochen to the Moon or follow her on Twitter @xchanggg and Instagram @xiaochentothemoon.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on June 9, 2020.

This episode was produced by Ariel Frame and edited by Gavin Tolometti

271 | Do rovers make good Geologists?

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 14:04:27 -0400

What's new in space this month? What's the deal with SpaceX's Dragon Endeavour spacecraft I've been hearing so much about? Is there a way for rover spacecraft on Mars to detect rocks of interest without the help of a human? Should I be worried about artificial intelligence taking over the Earth? If any of these questions have crossed your mind lately (or not), join hosts Gavin Tolometti and Nikol Posnov as they interview Alexis Pascual about his novel Space-Engineering PhD research and his opinions on popular space news.

If you want to learn more about Alexis's research and the projects he has been and currently involved in, check out these sites:

- https://cpsx.uwo.ca/canmoon/index.html

- https://space.uwo.ca/research/projects/index.html

Recorded on June 2, 2020.

This episode was produced by Gavin Tolometti

270 | The Electrical Trees

Tue, 02 Jun 2020 17:23:55 -0400

Join hosts Nikol & Laura to hear about a topic which has rarely been explored in the context of urban environmental history, something which has gone unremarked and is often invisible in our everyday lives: telephone poles and wires. The interviewee, Michael Feagan, explains the use and status of telephone poles within cities, and how they reflected social, economic, and political value of technology in the late nineteenth-century. Michael also highlights the importance of how the poles and wires were physically constructed, and how they interacted with natural elements such as plants and the weather. Give this a listen and we guarantee you will have a completely different view on telephone poles because after all, electrical poles are simultaneously so like trees but yet so different.

To find more about Michael, you can follow on Twitter as @mrfeagan and check his work at Photographing Environmental History

Produced by Laura Muñoz

269 | Mars Exploration, with Ice!

Wed, 27 May 2020 20:50:58 -0400

Colonizing Mars has been a dream for planetary scientists for decades, expanding the presence of human kind in our solar system. However, for us to colonize Mars, we need to use resources available on the red planet. In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Yousuf Hasan chat with PhD candidate Shannon Hibbard from the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration about how we can search for buried ice on Mars and use it for drinking water, breathable air, and rocket fuel!

To learn more about Shannon and her research, check out her website https://www.shannonmars.com/ or follow her on Twitter @Shann0nMars

Produced by Gregory Robinson

268 | Internal colonialism: The world turned outside-in

Tue, 19 May 2020 15:00:00 -0400

Have you ever wondered what it takes to destabilize a culture from the inside? Liam Clifford, current M.A. student in History, discusses his research on cultural genocide and internal colonialism with co-hosts Sarah Klapman and Yousuf Hasan, including the importance of language, the role of the institution, and why Russia and Ireland have a lot in common. Liam shares his knowledge of geopolitics, and draws fascinating connections between cultural marginalization and the destructive colonial structures whose echoes reverberate in the present.

To find out more about Liam, follow him on Twitter @LNJClifford

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on May 12, 2020. Produced by Ariel Frame.

267 | What can't we map?

Tue, 12 May 2020 08:58:19 -0400

Maps have helped us find our way home and discover new places around the world. When we think of maps, we picture large sheets of paper with an image of all of the continents. Nowadays, with technology advancing and the digital era approaching, maps and mapping have started to become available online, without the need for large tables to set your maps on. Ask yourself, is there a way for you to access maps digitally? Well this is the episode for you! In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Sarah Klapman talk with part-time MSc student Liz Sutherland, who works in the Map and Data Centre in Western Libraries as their Geographical Information Systems (GIS) specialist. She explains how she fell in love with maps and cartography, discovered the world GIS and how it has made it easier for the public to access data, and how she challenges everyone to find her something she cannot map.

To find out more from Liz follow her on Twitter @cartoliz, or find her in the Map Data Center: https://www.lib.uwo.ca/madgic/index.htm

Produced by: Laura Muñoz Baena

#GradLife VIII: I've Got Another Meeting To Go To

Thu, 07 May 2020 12:00:00 -0400

After another month in isolation, Monica, Viki, and Gavin are back with Co-Hosts Greg and Nikol to talk about their experiences with COVID-19. The hosts discuss their new habits and routines (there's a lot of running involved), their feelings on Instagram challenges, and how their grad studies (and graduations) have been affected by COVID-19 isolation measures. Plus, we discuss "Zoom Gloom", how we feel about being constantly connected, and whether Dalgona coffee is worth the hype.

Watch the episode on YouTube by clicking here

Produced by Gregory Robinson

266 | Under Pressure: Sneaking a Peak Inside Rocks

Tue, 05 May 2020 14:47:21 -0400

The quest for understanding the Earth’s geologic past has puzzled scientists for decades, slowly advancing based on the shreds of evidence left behind. There are clues everywhere – from fossils and remnant minerals to pollen spores of extinct plants, our planet's history can be preserved the most unlikely of places. In this episode hosts Rhys Paterson and Yousuf Hasan talk to Stephen Pilar, a grad student in the Earth Science department discussing a fairly new area of research. By studying microscopic bubbles within rocks and minerals using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), he is working on developing new ways to uncover valuable information about Earth’s ancient geology and add another piece to puzzle we call home.To find out more from Stephen, follow him on Twitter @stephenpilar or email him at spilar@uwo.ca

Full video available on YouTube

Produced by Ariel Frame

265 | 50 Shades of Tourism

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 16:22:17 -0400

Historical sites such as Chernobyl and Auschwitz hold a dark past, and require respect and remembrance from visiting tourists. In this decade, social media has brought upon a new type of tourism known as dark tourism, where reeducation is needed to explain to tourists why these sites must be respected and not used as social media photo spots. In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Rhys Paterson talk with MA Public History student Kaitlyn MacDonald about how she is working with the public to provide education about dark tourism in Canada and around the world. To find out more from Kat follow her on Instagram @HistoricDame, email her kmacd253@uwo.ca, or check out her website https://historicdame.wordpress.com/about/

Produced by Ariel Frame

264 | Industry, Morals, and Paganism

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 18:47:29 -0400

England - late Victorian era (1870-1910): The industrial revolution is booming (and a little dystopian). Many writers are focused on prescribing moral guidance and christian ideals, but some authors lash back against this, inspired by nature, paganism and art for the sake of art! It is a wild time in the world of literature. In this episode Hosts Nick and Connor interview English lit PhD candidate Jeff Swim, discussing writers like Robert Louis Stevenson, Samuel Butler, Richard Jefferies, and Kenneth Grahame. Together, they delve into some of the literary ideas that defined the time and how those still stay relevant today.

Produced by Laura Muñoz

263 | A Journey Through Spacetime: Interstellar and Star Formation

Mon, 13 Apr 2020 17:46:00 -0400

Mohammad Chamma is a PhD candidate at Western’s Physics and Astronomy Department. He was interviewed by cohosts Yousuf Hasan and Gavin Tolometti about his research on early star formation. Mohammed explains how studying these early processes help us gain insight about how the stars will develop. His research can also help us know more about the galaxies that are constituted by certain types of stars. And finally, Mohammed tells us what he thinks about Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar movie and how accurate it is. To find out more about Mohammed, follow him on Twitter @hmsmohammed

Produced by Ariel Frame

262 | Web 2.0 for Tykes: Health Apps for Digital Youth

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 17:11:46 -0400

Danica Facca always thought that she would go to law school after finishing her undergraduate and master's degrees in English, so how did she end up doing her PhD studies in Health and Information Sciences? It just goes to show that you never know where grad school will take you! Your hosts Yimin Chen and Ariel Frame get a lesson in digital literacy and learn about how kids and preteens are searching for and interacting with health information online. For more information about Danica's work, go to: https://www.fims.uwo.ca/people/profiles/danica_facca.html To participate in the iParenting study, go to: https://www.facebook.com/IParentingStudy

Produced by Connor Chato

#GradLife at Home VII: Social Distancing and Productivity During COVID-19

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 10:21:24 -0400

In this episode, Monica, Viki, and Gavin digitally discuss what it’s like being a grad student during the COVID19 pandemic. They discuss how their research has been affected, how they’re feeling personally, and how other graduate students are feeling during this time. Remember, if you have a conference or other presentation cancelled because of COVID19, write it on your CV. And PLEASE, stay home (if you can) and wash your hands!

To learn how to cite a cancelled conference on your CV, click here

Fully YouTube video available here

Produced by Gregory Robinson

261 | Creating Geo-Maps: Reducing Damages from Earthquakes

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 12:55:32 -0400

Christopher Boucher, who is doing an MSc. in Geophysics at Western, elaborated on his research on building maps meant to help reduce damages from earthquakes. He was co-interviewed by Nicholas Hadfield-Jones and Yousuf Hasan. Chris is especially focusing on mapping specific areas of Vancouver that are need of geological clarity in terms of us understanding what areas are more hazardous in case of an earthquake. His focus uses non-invasive tools to study and model these grounds. His research has other broader benefits as well.

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

260 | Quest for Truth: God, Time, and the Problem of Evil

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 15:33:00 -0400

Tyler Journeaux, an MA candidate at Western's Philosophy Department, shares his journey for truth and how his search for God led him to pursue research in the philosophy of time, science, and mathematics. Cohosts Connor Chato and Yousuf Hasan asked him questions about philosophy and theology. Tyler expressed his preferred argument for theism: an argument from contingency especially as discussed by Copleston and Bertrand Russell in their BBC Broadcast in 1948. He also explained why he was interested in the philosophy of time in particular. And finally, Tyler provided a response to a challenging problem for theism: the problem of evil, according to which the presence of apparently gratuitous evil makes the existence of an all-good,all-knowing, and all-powerful God unlikely. For more on what Tyler thinks on topics of philosophy and theology, please visit his blog: https://tylerjourneauxgraham.wordpress.com
(Correction by Tyler on a comment he made in the podcast: the definition of omniscience should have been: “for any true proposition P, God knows P, and for any false proposition Q, God does not believe Q.”)

For more about Tyler, check out his blog.

Produced by Ariel Frame

259 | Yeah Mr. White! Yeah Science!

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 16:53:59 -0400

In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Gregory Robinson interview MSc student, Trent Gordon, in biomedical engineer about his research using slow dissolving polymer gels to treat osteoarthritis in the knee. Tune in to hear from Mr. Walter White himself. To learn more about Trent Gordon check out his Twitter @Flash_Gordon96 his Linkedin or the Gillies Research Group

Produced by Greg Robinson, Edited by Ariel Frame

258 | Spaghetti-Noodles and Nanopores: Motion of Long-Chained Molecules

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 06:09:08 -0400

Navid Afrasibian, an MSc. candidate at the Department of Applied Mathematics, shares his research on the motion of long-chained molecules with hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Yousuf Hasan. Navid compares the movement of the long-chained molecules that need to go through super-tiny pores called nanopores with a spaghetti-noodle on plate that needs to somehow move through a small hole at the center of the pate. In his studies and mathematical exploration, he has made observations that would benefit DNA sequencing scientists as well.

Hosts: Yousuf Hasan, Nicholas Handfield-Jones

Producer: Connor Chato

Special Episode: Neuroscience Research Day 2020

Sun, 08 Mar 2020 08:47:08 -0400

This special episode covers 4 researchers picked fresh from the Neuroscience research day here at Western University. Join hosts Ariel Frame and Greg Robinson as they dive into the topics of what makes humans humans so good at using their hands? How does music trigger moments of lucidity in alzheimers patients? How do we fight brain cancer? and what are some of the rot causes which lead to Autism spectrum disorders? If you're interested in brains and all the wonderful things they do - tune in.

Sarah Klapman

Rajkamal Mann

Spencer Aarbuckle

Andy Olin

Produced by Connor Chato

257 | Peering Through the Clouds of Titan

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 15:31:12 -0500

Titan is not only the largest of Saturn's moons, but conditions on its surface are also remarkably similar to those on early Earth. Unfortunately, Titan is covered in thick clouds, which limits our ability to observe this peculiar satellite. So what's an astronomer to do? Jahnavi Shah, a master's student in geophysics and planetary science, is taking advantage of the similarities between our planet and Saturn's moon by using radar data from impact caters on Earth as an analogue for those on Titan. This week, hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Yimin Chen probe some of the mysteries of Titan and learn that you should never ask a space scientist about astrology. Produced by: Laura Muñoz-Baena

256 | Environmental sustainability: The Elephant in the Room

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 12:33:30 -0500

Alex Leonard has worked in the music industry in Montreal, flown drones around London, and followed elephants through Sri Lanka. What's next for someone who's done almost everything? Why, a Masters in Environment and Sustainability, of course! Today, hosts Connor Chato and Yimin Chen learn how to keep pesky elephants out of your crops and about the push for corporations to be more environmentally friendly.

You can contact Alex through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexleonardmedia/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexleonardmedia/
WAGS Conference: https://anthropology.uwo.ca/graduate/WAGS/events_and_conferences.html Alex's RadioWestern Broadcast: https://www.mixcloud.com/alexander-leonard/ Produced by: Laura Muñoz-Baena

255 | Mapping Rocks Underground, But Not Magma

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 13:29:37 -0500

When we hear the word "map" or "mapping", we instantly think of a map of the surface. However, not all maps in geography and geology mean looking for surface features or geologic formations on the surface. Sometimes they map features or formations underground. In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Ariel Frame talk with Earth Science MSc student Rhys Paterson about her work on using boreholes to locate a type of rock formation (known as the Clinton-Medina Group). Rhys explains how she uses borehole computer analysis and core logging to study the past environment of the rock formation, and how she came to this field of study.

If you want to learn more about Rhys's work and her borehole computer analysis you can find the OGSR data library on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter at @ogsrlibrary.

More information on the 3D Paleozoic Model of Ontario:

A 3-D Tour of the Paleozoic Bedrock Geology of Southern Ontario - Terry R. Carter

A First Look at Ontario's Geology in VR (short) 3D 360

Produced by Ariel Frame

#GradLife VI: Finding a Job After Grad School

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 08:58:17 -0500

So you're about to graduate with a Master's or a Ph.D. - but what happens after? Some might continue on their journey in academia, while others consider industry or private sector jobs. Regardless, many may feel lost or unprepared when navigating the next chapter of their lives. In this episode, hosts Monica and Viki welcome back Monica Munaretto, the manager of Graduate Student Life, along with Jennifer Baytor, career counsellor and psychotherapist with Careers & Experience, to discuss the challenges and misconceptions associated with job-hunting after graduate school. Highlights include how to market your graduate experience for the job market, and why you need to get started on your LinkedIn profile NOW!

To look more into the content of this episode, click on the following links:

http://hirephd.uwo.ca/ https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/about/10000-phds-project-overview/ https://www.uwo.ca/ownyourfuture/ https://www.linkedin.com/home http://career.uwo.ca/prepare/linkedin_profile.html https://www.linkedin.com/school/westernuniversity/people/

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

254 | Transition from Undergrad to Grad Student, Earth Science Edition

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 20:43:53 -0500

We are bringing you another GradCast Undergrad to Grad Transition episode! In this episode, host Gavin Tolometti talks with masters student Meredith Fyfe and fifth year undergraduate student Hanna Rzyszczak about life for an earth science student after graduation. Meredith brings Hanna into the world of a graduate student, and discusses the thoughts and preparations you need to consider before you apply to grad school.

Produced by Connor Wilson

253 | Fishie Mercury and a Crazy Little Thing Called Peat

Sun, 09 Feb 2020 11:50:53 -0500

You may have heard that eating too much fish may put you at risk of mercury poisoning, but how does mercury get into fish in the first place? Hosts Gregory Robinson and Yimin Chen speak with biologist Jennifer Blythe about the ecology of organic mercury - from the peat-loving, Sulphate-reducing bacteria that produce it, down to the trout on your dinner table. Along the way, we'll also hear about bog bodies, black flies, and other exciting stories of field work in the marshlands of Ontario. Produced by Laura Munoz

252 | Transition from Undergrad to an Arts and Humanities Masters

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 13:04:24 -0500

Today's episode listens in on a conversation between 2nd year Undergrad student Alexandra Posnov and Daryl Peiber about the transition from an undergrad to a graduate in the field of Information and Media studies. Join Hosts Nikol Posnov and Greg Robinson as we talk about things we wished we could tell our undergraduate selves. To all you undergrads out there, this episode contains a well of wisdom.

Produced by Greg Robinson

Edited by Connor Chato

251 | Chemical Engineering Grad to Be

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 19:33:24 -0500

Gavin Tolometti and Ariel Frame hear from a burgeoning chemical engineer, Connor Wilson, about his experience during his undergraduate degree at Western. Furthermore, Connor enlightens us on the differences between internship, grad school and undergrad experiences. To find out more from Connor, you can contact him through his chemical engineering club or brew crew club (https://www.facebook.com/westernchemengclub/).

Produced by Ariel Frame

#GradLife V: GradLife on Grad Life

Fri, 24 Jan 2020 14:25:25 -0500

We’ve touched upon individual topics like imposter syndrome and finances, but how is #GradLife incorporated within the broader university community? To delve into this, we brought in an expert. Monica Munaretto, the new Manager of Graduate Student Life in Student Experience, is focused on the goal of creating a thriving graduate student experience across Western.

If you’d like to learn more about Student Experience at Western, visit studentexperience.uwo.ca.

Produced by Nikol Posnov and Gregory Robinson

250 | Not just for the bones, Calcium in the heart

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 09:15:42 -0500

In this episode, hosts Greg and Viki interview Matt Novello, a Master’s student in Physiology and Pharmacology. Matt is a molecular biologist that studies how protein structure can effect function. More specifically, he studies stromal interaction molecule 2 (STIM2), a protein important in calcium regulation in the heart. Tune in to find out more.

If you want to get in contact with Matt Novello and learn more about his research and lab group, follow him using the Twitter handle and sites below:

@mattnovello

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=RybzX6MAAAAJ&hl=en

Dr Feng lab website: http://www.qingpingfeng.org/

Dr Stathopulos lab website: http://publish.uwo.ca/~pstatho/StathopulosLab/content/en-ca/index.html

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

REBROADCAST 212 | - . .-.. . –. .-. .- .–. …. Telegraphs

Tue, 07 Jan 2020 07:36:00 -0500

You may know them from Westerns, spy flicks, or film noir. But did you know that there is a rich history of telegraphs? Ever wonder about telegraphy, the art of using telegraph? And what about the people who used it? This week, hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Roger Hudson interview Michael Feagan, who tells us about telegraph culture in Canada during the 1800s. He tells us about the unique characteristics of Canadian telegraphy and about the difficulties faced by telegraphers at the time. Plus, don’t miss a live demonstration of morse code!

--. .-. .- -.. -.-. .- … - !

Hosts: Roger Hudson & Nick Handfield-Jones

Produced by Gregory Robinson

REBROADCAST #GradLife Episode I: Impostor Syndrome and Feeling Like Garbage

Thu, 02 Jan 2020 07:31:00 -0500

This week we’re bringing you our very first #Gradlife episode! Based on popular demand, our first episode is on Impostor Syndrome! Impostor Syndrome, or feeling like you are a fraud, affects many graduate students, regardless of their success or accomplishments. In this episode, hosts Viki Telios, Monica Molinaro, and Gavin Tolometti discuss their experiences of feeling like frauds in their time in graduate school, and talk about what helps them when they experience peaks of impostor syndrome. They also discuss triggers and tricks for impostor syndrome submitted by other graduate students.

YouTube video version available here.

SOGs resources page: http://sogs.ca/resources/

Mental Health Resource Guide: http://studentexperience.uwo.ca/student_experience/wellness_initiatives/mental_health_resource_guide.html

Western's Mental Wellbeing Resource: https://www.uwo.ca/health/mental_wellbeing/resources.html

CMHA Middlesex: https://cmhamiddlesex.ca/

Produced by Gregory Robinson

#GradLife On Holiday Episode IV: “When are you done?" And Other Annoying Questions

Fri, 27 Dec 2019 08:20:49 -0500

Twas the night before Christmas, And all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, Except the worried grad student who has a grant application due Dec.27th In this episode, Monica, Viki, Gavin and Greg discuss their experiences over the winter holiday, the questions they (repeatedly) get asked, and how guilty they feel taking a break.

Produced by Baby Greg on a boat

249 | Many Stories of the Trans Identity

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 15:58:41 -0500

On tonight’s exciting episode, hosts Connor Chato and Joyla Furlano are joined by Anthropology master’s student Evelyn Newland. Evelyn's ethnographic work examines the lives of transgender people from a medical, political and cultural perspective, and explores topics such as self-conceptions and pre-conceptions within the transgender community.

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

248 | Caring for Caregivers

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 11:38:28 -0500

Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's can make everyday tasks like getting dressed and going to the bathroom immensely challenging, which is why most people with the disease rely on informal caregivers, often family members, to help maintain their quality of living. But what's it like to be a caregiver for someone with a long-term illness? Lisa Moszczynski, master's student in Health and Rehabilitation Science, has been researching the difficulties caregivers face - feelings of invisibility, lack of agency, and inability to access support - in order to work towards providing more effective resources to these invaluable informal workers. This week, hosts Connor Chato and Yimin Chen learn about the frequently-invisible family labour involved in living with Parkinson's disease.

Produced By Gavin Tolometti

247 | Rock Hard for Hard Rocks

Tue, 10 Dec 2019 18:19:22 -0500

Produced by Gregory Robinson

246 | The Graveyard of Scientific Theories

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 20:42:39 -0500

Yousuf Hasan, PhD student at Rotman Institute of Philosophy, tells hosts Ariel Frame and Gavin Tolometti about his research on 20th century history of science and mathematics. Yousuf discusses how scientists need think about current best theories given how many past theories have gone from being considered the best to completely falsified. In addition, Yousuf explains how empiricists explain mathematical knowledge. To find out more about Yousuf, go to the Rotman UWO website.

Produced by Nick Handfield-Jones

245 | Trouble making our cellular toolkit

Tue, 26 Nov 2019 22:52:18 -0500

Proteins are some of the most fundamental tools in our cells. In many cases they are not just the metaphorical "bread and butter" of our biochemistry, but also the butter-knife and the hand that holds it. On this episode of gradcast, hosts Nikol Posnov and Connor Chato speak with Josh Isaacson, a researcher of one of the fundamental tools that assembles these proteins: tRNA. Tune in for a talk about this biochemical starting point, and what can go wrong when it doesn't work quite as expected. To find out more about Josh you can follow him on Twitter @JoshIsaacson

Produced by Laura Munoz

Special Episode: BGRF 2019 - Mutant Flies & Model Bees

Sun, 24 Nov 2019 12:00:35 -0500

This episode, hosts Joyla Furlano and Gregory Robinson interview two guests from the Biology Graduate Research Forum (BGRF) on October 18th, 2019. Josh Isaacson, the first guest, talks about his research on mutating tRNAs in Drosophila, which are important building blocks of proteins. Our second guest, Vonica Flear, shares with us her research on modelling altruistic behaviour as seen in bee colonies. Tune in to learn more!

Produced by Gavin Tolometti and Gregory Robinson

244 | The musical animal: Why are we such a musical species?

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 23:51:55 -0500

Nathan Oesch is a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Jessica Grahn's laboratory at Western University. Nathan informs Connor Chato and Ariel Frame about his research determining how music contributes to group cohesion. Using techniques informed by evolutionary psychology, Nathan's work spreads across various disciplines and provides us with some important answers about how music impacts humans on a social level.

Produced by Laura Munoz

243 | Transitioning From graduate work to Research in STEM

Sat, 16 Nov 2019 16:53:00 -0500

Today’s unique episode features Professor David Smith, who provides some context on life as a full-time researcher in STEM. Here to represent the graduate student perspective is Viral genome researcher Laura Munoz. If your curious about the next steps after grad school, be sure to tune in!

Hosts: Connor Chato & Nikol Posnov

Produced By Connor Chato

242 | On the Origin of Viral Genes

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 10:14:08 -0500

Given that viruses have a profound impact on every living organism, understanding how viruses evolve is crucial to understanding life itself. In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Nick Handfield Jones interview PhD student Laura Muñoz from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Laura introduces us to the world of virus genomes, bioinformatics and how her passion for evolution and virus diversity brought her to Canada.

Produced by Ariel Frame

Special Episode: BGRF 2019 Keynote - Bones, Joints and Super Healing Mice

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 18:15:02 -0500

DID YOU KNOW: Cartilage injuries to joints, ears, and the nose heal much worse than cartilage injuries to bone or muscle? In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Joyla Furlano interview Dr. Roman Krawetz about what processes occur on a cellular level when these types of cartilage injuries attempt to heal. The keynote speaker at this year’s Western Biology Graduate Research Forum and a Western Alumni himself, Dr. Krawetz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy at the University of Calgary as well as a member of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health.

Produced by Gregory Robinson and Gavin Tolometti

241 | Sonic the Hedgehog

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 10:23:15 -0500

On this week's GradCast, hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Nikol Posnov interview Danielle Spice about her research into sonic hedgehog. And no, we're not talking about the video game. Sonic hedgehog is a protein involved in growth, and Danielle tells us about how she uses a cutting edge technology CRISPR to investigate how it works. We also delve deep into the best flavour of Crisper chips. To get in contact with Danielle, find her on twitter @spicedanielle

Produced by Gregory Robinson

240 | How to relax in one of the world's biggest magnets

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 09:55:44 -0400

This episode, hosts Ariel Frame and Connor Chato speak with Megha Verma, a Master's student in the Neuroscience program, about her work on determining standards for use of anesthetics when imaging non-human primates. Megha explains how standardizing this procedure will enable researchers to conduct neuroimaging better. To discover more about Megha, you can find her on Instagram @MeghaVerma95 or check out her @MeghaVerma95.Art

Produced by Gregory Robinson

239 | Its a Bird, it's a Plane, No it's Flying Microbe Particles!

Fri, 25 Oct 2019 09:47:15 -0400

This episode, hosts Nikol Posnov and Gregory Robinson interview guests Matthew Svensson and Mohammed Chamma who are part of the High Altitude Balloon initiative from the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration at Western University. Matt and Mo and the rest of the team built an apparatus to collect and study microbe particles found in the stratosphere well above the tallest buildings but within our atmosphere. Tune in to hear more about these high flying microbes.

If you want to get in contact with Matt, Mo and the team to learn more about the High Altitude Balloon initiative you can go to the Western Space website: https://space.uwo.ca/research/projects/high_altitude_balloon_initiative/index.html

To follow the team on social media @westernuSpace #westernuHAB

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

238 | From the Arctic to Mars

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 09:02:40 -0400

On this episode, Gradcast hosts Connor Chato and Nikol Posnov interview Chimira Andres, an intrepid researcher of space ice! We learn what it's like to do field work in the Canadian Arctic, what ice on Earth can tell us about its equivalent on other planets and how it's important to stay creative as a researcher, because in the words of Albert Einstein: "Creativity is Intelligence Having Fun"

If you want to learn more about Chimira Andres research you can follow her on Twitter - @RocksNRockets

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

237 | Making Neurons to Study Autism

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 12:00:39 -0400

On this episode, hosts Gregory Robinson and Ariel Frame interview neuroscience student, Kartik Pradeepan, about his research on Autism. Autism is a complex disease that is associated with mutations among gene clusters. Kartik's research uses stem cells differentiated into neurons to create neuronal networks in order to study the role of SHANK2, a gene associated with autism, by measuring electrical activity. To learn more, tune in to this fascinating episode.

Produced by Ariel Frame

Special Episode: Master of Public Health Poster Day 2019

Sat, 12 Oct 2019 23:42:45 -0400

In this special episode, hosts Jenna Schlorff and Nikol Posnov chat with students about their practicum experiences during the Master of Public Health Practicum Showcase day. Harvir Sandhu talks about the three months she spent at Bruyère Research Institute. Rachelle Roussel shares about her time with the Canadian Red Cross Society. Nour Kachouh discusses her experiences with the Public Health Association of Canada. Jessica Hill and Jenna Schlorff exchange thoughts regarding their time spent with the Health Equity Action Research Team with Western University.

Feel free to reach out to any of these public health professionals via email:

Harvir Sandhu: hsandh47@uwo.ca

Rachelle Roussel: rrousse3@uwo.ca

Nour Kachouh: nkachouh@uwo.ca

Jessica Hill: jhill83@uwo.ca

Jenna Schlorff: jschlorf@uwo.ca; Twitter: @j_schlorff

Produced by Connor Chato

#GradLife Episode III: What Can PSAC610 Do For You?

Sat, 12 Oct 2019 12:51:48 -0400

In this episode, hosts Monica Molinaro and Gavin Tolometti are joined by PSAC President, Katelyn Mitri! PSAC, or the Public Service Alliance 610, is the Graduate TA and Postdoctoral Union at Western University. They discuss how PSAC works, what is done behind the scenes to advocate for graduate students, and how PSAC can help when having a difficult TA experience. If you’d like to learn more about PSAC and their services, visit www.psac610.ca.

Produced by Gregory Robinson

236 | Get With the Program Stem Cells!

Sat, 05 Oct 2019 13:42:14 -0400

Alex Kozlov is a PhD Student in the developmental biology collaborative program. She tells hosts Greg Robinson and Ariel Frame about her work using metabolism to reprogram skin cells into stem cells. One day her work could allow for this process to become more efficient and useful for personalized medicine. To find out more about Alex's work check out her lab's website thecumminglab.com

Produced by Gregory Robinson

235 | The Power of Working Together (Part 2)

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 14:04:23 -0400

Have you ever wondered what undetected forces help influence whether you'll be hired or not? This week, hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Chantal Lemire interview Natasha Ouslis about her research on organizational psychology. This is the second of a two-part episode. In the first episode, we focused on the nature of teams. This time, Natasha discussed the secrets of the hiring process and what you can do to increase your chances of landing that job!

Check out part 1 here: 180 | The Power of Working Together (Part 1)

If you'd like to contact Natasha, you can contact her on Twitter (@natashaouslis), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/natashaouslis/), or on her website (www.natashaouslis.com)

Produced by Nick Handfield-Jones

234 | Cataloging Without Plato

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 17:34:42 -0400

Hosts Gavin Tolometti and Monica Molinaro talk with PhD student Alex Mayhew in the Library Catalogue Science studies department in the Faculty for Information and Media Studies. Alex wants to design a new library catalogue system for the public that does not have a Platonic view of literature, media and information. He wants to be able to semantically link information and allow readers to understand the connection between texts.

If you would like to get ahold of Alex, email him at amayhew@uwo.ca

Produced by Nick Handfield-Jones

Special Episode: CanMoon - Lunar Sample Return Analogue Mission

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 19:10:33 -0400

CanMoon is a Canadian Lunar Analogue Mission funded by the Canadian Space Agency, run by the CPSX program at Western in collaboration with The University of Winnipeg. Hosts Nikol and Greg chat with Cassandra Marion, the mission's "MOM", about what's it's like to simulate controlling a rover on the Moon, and more interestingly, how do you even train graduate students to do this. Tune in and hear about the team's experience working 10 hour night shifts controlling a rover from Western's control room, who knows maybe it's the perfect career for you!

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

233 | How Bacteria Can Create Alternative Fuel

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 13:33:00 -0400

Biodiesel provides an alternative fuel option for gasoline combustion engines, reducing the output of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Usually the production of biodiesel requires the fermentation of bio-products such as soy or sugarcane, however the process is slow and cannot compete with fossil fuel production. Now with the help of bacteria, everything is about to change. In this weeks episode, hosts Gavin and Greg talk with MSc student Colin Couper from the chemical and biochemical engineering department about his research using a bacteria called Clostridium pasteurianum to intensify the fermentation process of converting glycerol to the biodiesel fuel alternative butanol.

Produced by Ariel Frame

232 | Romanian Immigrants, or Enemy Aliens? WWI Edition

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 17:01:00 -0400

Canadian perception of immigrant minority groups is the topic of this week’s episode, as we welcome back to the show Ilinca Olariu, MA student in the History department. This time, Ilinca discusses what it meant to be a Romanian immigrant in Canada during WWI, and why a proportion of Romanian citizens were considered “enemy aliens”. Hosted by Yimin Chen and Viki Tellios.

Produced by Roger Hudson.

Special Episode: GradCast on Tour Gordon Research Conference - Cannabinoids in the Brain with Andrew Roebuck

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 15:23:54 -0400

This week, hosts Roger Hudson and Nicholas Handfield Jones interview PhD Candidate Andrew Roebuck from the University of Saskatchewan via Skype for another #GradCastOnTour episode!

Roger and Andrew recently attended the Gordon Research Conference in Spain for Cannabinoids in the Central Nervous System where they had a chance to discuss all things cannabis-related. Andrew is using cutting edge neuroscience tools to explore aspects of the endocannabinoid system using compounds known as 'Positive Allosteric Modulators' (PAMs) that bind to the Cannabinoid Type 1 Receptor (CB1R) in the brain under the supervision of Dr. John Howland. Unlike THC, which binds to 'orthosteric' sites of the CB1R to elicit intoxication, the PAMs that Andrew uses in his laboratory do not produce a feeling of being 'high'. Through his research, he hopes that these compounds may someday be a therapy for various forms of pediatric epilepsy.

you can also check out the video recording of this episode by clicking here

231 | Unlock the Secrets to Becoming a Poker Pro

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 08:38:05 -0400

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

230 | There's No Plankton Like Zooplankton

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 18:24:02 -0400

Second year biology master's student Rosie Savage is passionate about plankton! From the Pacific coast of Western Canada to the genetics lab at the University of Western Ontario, hosts Yimin Chen and Ariel Frame hear all about Rosie's adventures collecting, sequencing, and studying tiny marine zooplankton and their even tinier parasites.

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

229 | The Art of Sound

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 14:41:31 -0400

Hosts Ariel Frame and Roger Hudson welcome our first Visual Arts Department student to the show, Ellen Moffat. After 20 years of working as a professional artist, Ellen tells us how she is now doing both theoretical and practical work towards getting a PhD in Studio. In this episode, find out how Ellen makes art from her creative research on acoustic properties of various materials. To hear a sample of the sound produced in a few of Ellen’s art pieces you can listen on SoundCloud.

To find out more about Ellen, check out her website www.ellenmoffat.ca

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

#GradLife Episode II: Finances and $1 Scones

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 07:19:49 -0400

We’re bringing you another #Gradlife episode with a special guest - Demetri Pananos! Demetri is co-host of the podcast Two Broke Grads and is currently completing his PhD here at Western in Biostatistics. In this episode, Monica, Demetri and Viki talk about finances - conferences, grocery shopping, and stresses related to money. They also share some of their tips for saving money!

Like this episode? Let us know! We barely covered the tip of the iceberg for finances and are always willing to discuss what our listeners are interested in.

You can follow Demetri @PhDemetri and his podcast Two Broke Grads @2BrokeGradsPod on Twitter - find Two Broke Grads on Apple Podcasts or anywhere else you listen to podcasts!

228 | Advocating for Advocacy

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 17:43:00 -0400

In this episode, hosts Connor Chato and Monica Molinaro speak to Amy Lewis, a qualitative researcher completing her MScN! They discuss the development of competencies for health care providers to engage in teaching policy advocacy and engage in policy activities. The benefits of listening to stories and personal experience, as well as the importance of qualitative methods in health research are also discussed.

Produced by Gregory Robinson

227 | A Different Kind of Pessimism

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 17:44:29 -0400

The world is a crappy place. That is, according to Arthur Schopenhauer. On this week’s Gradcast, hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Connor Chato interview Ignacio Moya, who tells us about this famous German philosopher’s arguments for philosophical pessimism. We talk about why Schopenhauer thought the world is this way and what he proposed to do about that. Plus, we ask Ignacio what his own thoughts are about philosophical pessimism. To get in contact with Ignacio, message him on Twitter @ignaciomoyaa

Hosts: Nick Handfield-Jones & Connor Chato

Produced by Connor Chato

Special Episode: GradCast on Tour - Canadian Association for Neuroscience 2019

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 15:04:36 -0400

On tour in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, GradCast hosts Roger Hudson and Ariel Frame attended Canada's largest neuroscience conference and had an insightful chat with Bryan Jenkins, a PhD candidate in the Neurobiology of Dual Disorders Lab at the Ontario Veterinary College and the University of Guelph in Canada. Bryan tells us about his work in Dr. Jibran Khokhar's lab on the effects of cannabis in animal models that are paving the way for the rest of the world looking to Canada for answers about cannabis in light of recent legalization for both medicinal and recreational use. To find out more about Bryan you can follow him on Twitter @bjenkin27, follow Dr. Khokhar on Twitter @DrJKhokhar or check out Bryan's website bryanjenkins.ca.

Hosts: Ariel Frame & Roger Hudson

Produced by: Roger Hudson

226 | Inuvialuit Living History

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 21:34:51 -0400

Take a trip to the Beaufort Sea in the Northwest Territories with Anthropology PhD student Rebecca Goodwin as she works to document and share the cultural history of Inuit peoples of the Western Canadian arctic. Join hosts Yimin Chen and Nikol Posnov as we hear some of the stories told by Inuvialuit elders and knowledge holders about current and past life in the far north. Plus, tips on how to eat muktuk, a traditional meal of whale blubber!

For more information on the rich cultural and archaeological history of this region,

visit: InuvialuitLivingHistory.ca

or on facebook at: Facebook.com/InuvialuitLivingHistory

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Nikol Posnov

Produced by: Gregory Robinson

225 | The Svelte Fool Who Works on Melt Pools

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 09:28:25 -0400

Hosts Nikol Posnov and Ariel Frame speak with Will Yingling, an MSc student in geology and planetary science, about his work on impact melt pools on Mars. Using various sources of data from Mars orbiters, Will explains what he is learning about mapping the topography of Mars (the landscape) and how meteorite impacts have shaped its surface. To find out more about Will you can contact him on twitter @mars_mapper or take a look at his website willyingling.com

Hosts: Ariel Frame & Nikol Posnov

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

224 | Monkey See Monkey Do

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 20:03:00 -0400

Have you ever watched somebody look off in the distance at something behind you and then immediately turn to look at whatever it is their seeing? That exact response is what PhD Student Borna Mahmoudian studies. It's a fascinating little feature that helps gives social skills to us humans and some other animals (Including the Old-World Monkeys Borna Studies). Hosts Nikol Posnov and Connor Chato chat about the neurological mechanics of this response and what it's like studying this in a lab with our incredibly smart evolutionary cousins.

To find out more about Borna you can find him on twitter @borna__m or on Dr. Julio Martinez's lab website http://martinezlab.robarts.ca/.

Hosts: Connor Chato & Nikol Posnov

Produced by Ariel Frame

223 | Cannabis and Blowing Smoke - It's Not All THC and CBD

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 15:30:31 -0400

In this episode, neuroscience Ph.D. student and fellow GradCast colleague Roger Hudson joins hosts Gregory Robinson and Nikol Posnov to speak about his research on the interactions between THC and CBD in the brain within the context of recent events related to cannabis legalization in Canada. Roger shares with us the knowledge he has acquired over his years of conducting cannabis research. Topics such as THC-induced psychosis, the infamous 'indica-sativa' dichotomy, and edible products for medical cannabis patients are discussed.

Hosts: Nikol Posnov & Gregory Robinson

Produced by Connor Chato

Special Episode: Western Research Forum 2019 Part 2

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 08:30:57 -0400

In part 2 of GradCast's coverage of the 2019 Western Research forum, Yimin Chen brings you conversations with nursing PhD student Yasin Yasin, psychology PhD student Laura Johnson, and physical chemistry master's student Sarai Guerrero.

Host: Yimin Chen

Produced by Gregory Robinson

Special Episode: Western Research Forum 2019 Part 1

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 08:29:50 -0400

In part 1 of GradCast's coverage of the 2019 Western Research forum, Roger Hudson and Yimin Chen bring you conversations with mechanical and material engineering master's student Sara Holland, master's of education student Bella Wang, and health and rehabilitation PhD student Humberto Omana.

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Roger Hudson

Produced by Gregory Robinson

222 | Sick of Suffering with Staph? Perk up with PurR

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 15:02:24 -0400

In this episode, hosts Roger Hudson and Monica Molinaro talk to Dr. Mariya Goncheva, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Our hosts and Mariya talk about the infamous Staphylococcus aureus. They discuss the mutant purr gene that Mariya studies, how antibiotics work, and her experience finishing her PhD and starting her post-doc as an international student in Canada!

To learn more about Dr Mariya Goncheva research and her lab go to https://www.heinrichslab.com

Hosts: Roger Hudson & Monica Molinaro

Produced and edited by Gavin Tolometti

221 | DynoMite

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 21:49:03 -0400

The humble spider-mite is a cousin of the spider with an incredibly diverse diet, letting them live and feast on plants all over the world. In their talk with master's student David Letwin - hosts Connor Chato and Nikol Posnov get down to the genetic code that makes these tiny critters and what it's like to share a lab with thousands of them. We learn about the evolutionary factors that allow animals to eat what they eat and how certain expansions in the genome may make Spider Mites frustratingly good at eating all the veggies we try and grow. To find out more about David's work you can email him at dletwin3@uwo.ca

Hosts: Connor Chato & Nikol Posnov

Produced by Ariel Frame

Special Episode: GradCast on Tour: Society for Neuroscience 2018 Part 2

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 11:13:31 -0400

The Society for Neuroscience annual conference remains the largest international conference for neuroscience research, hosting upwards of 25,000 neuroscientists each year. GradCast had the opportunity to interview two conference attendees about their cutting-edge research for Neuroscience 2018. In part 2 of this 2-part series, hosts Viki Tellios and Joyla Furlano discuss effective MRI image analysis from work done by Guy Hwang in the Medical Physics department from the University of Wisconsin. As well, Roger Hudson along with Viki Tellios interview Michelle Stone from California State University of San Bernardino about her research associated with the neural sensitization response of cannabinoids.

To learn more about Guy Hwang's research: https://neurofmri.bme.wisc.edu/

To learn more about work from Michelle Stone's lab: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sanders_Mcdougall

Hosts: Joyla Furlano, Roger Hudson, & Viki Tellios

Produced by Roger Hudson & Chantal Lemire

220 | the Super-Powered Stomach of a Spider Mite

Tue, 04 Jun 2019 18:32:02 -0400

In this entertaining episode, GradCast hosts Chantal and Nikol talk with masters student in biology Zoran Culo and his partner-in-crime, Peanut, about the spider-mite research labs at western. Zoran explains why the tiny spider-mite is a big pest for plant lovers, and what western researchers are doing to develop alternative pest control strategies for sustainable agriculture. http://www.spidermite.org Hosts: Nikol Posnov & Chantal Lemire

Produced by Gregory Robinson

Special Episode: GradCast on Tour: Society for Neuroscience 2018 Part 1

Sun, 02 Jun 2019 21:21:41 -0400

The Society for Neuroscience annual conference remains the largest international conference for neuroscience research, hosting upwards of 25,000 neuroscientists each year. GradCast had the opportunity to interview two conference attendees about their cutting-edge research for Neuroscience 2018. In part 1 of this 2-part series, hosts Roger Hudson and Viki Tellios learn about novel methods associated with the classical fear conditioning paradigm, from work done by Peter Zambetti from the University of Washington. As well, Roger Hudson along with Joyla Furlano interview Jamal Williams from Princeton University about his research testing the interaction between classical and jazz music on event segmentation within the brain.

To learn more about Peter Zambetti's work: http://faculty.washington.edu/jeansokk/index.html

Contact info for Jamal Williams: jamalw@princeton.edu

Hosts: Joyla Furlano, Roger Hudson, & Viki Tellios

Produced by Roger Hudson and Chantal Lemire

219 | The Mighty Mite

Fri, 31 May 2019 16:27:53 -0400

Did you know there are an estimated 1 million species of mites? They are found on every continent. They can live on both plants and animals, and you have microscopic mites living on your face right now (that are harmless, hopefully!) And yet, mites are often overlooked and poorly studied. To date, only 50,000 species of mites have been described. Luckily, you can learn more about the mighty mite with mite maven Matt Meehan as he joins GradCast hosts, Gregory Robinson and Nikol Posnov, to talk about his research on the interactions of mite colonies.

Hosts: Nikol Posnov & Gregory Robinson

Produced by Gregory Robinson and Roger Hudson.

218 | Hear Here

Mon, 27 May 2019 09:43:02 -0400

How do different regions of the brain work together to recognize and make sense of the sounds that you hear? Our guest today is Sonia Varma, who is completing her Master's in neuroscience investigating auditory processing. Hosts Monica Molinaro and Yimin Chen get a crash course in how hearing works, plus some surprising insights into the film preferences of hearing research participants. You can contact Sonia to hear more about her research through email at svarma6@uwo.ca. Hosts: Yimin Chen & Monica Molinaro Produced by Connor Chato

#GradLife Episode I: Impostor Syndrome and Feeling Like Garbage

Fri, 24 May 2019 10:35:08 -0400

Youtube video coming soon.

SOGs resources page: http://sogs.ca/resources/

Mental Health Resource Guide: http://studentexperience.uwo.ca/student_experience/wellness_initiatives/mental_health_resource_guide.html

Western's Mental Wellbeing Resource: https://www.uwo.ca/health/mental_wellbeing/resources.html

CMHA Middlesex: https://cmhamiddlesex.ca/

Produced by Gregory Robinson

217 | The Vine that Ate the South

Wed, 15 May 2019 10:00:32 -0400

Ever heard of the kudzu? Depending on where you're from, you might have a different idea of this dubious plant. Introduced as a way to nourish Southern US soil, it quickly spread throughout much of the eastern coast. Now, it is everywhere from Georgia to New York State. On today's episode, hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Roger Hudson interview Master's student Kenny Reilly about the kudzu vine. He tells them about how views toward immigrants and how old Civil War tensions has bred fierce controversy over how the kudzu is viewed in modern times.

Get in contact with Kenny:

Twitter: @KReilly16

email: kreill@uwo.ca

Hosts: Roger Hudson & Nick Handfield-Jones

Produced by Greg Robinson

216 | Meditating on Musical Minimalism

Tue, 07 May 2019 17:15:10 -0400

You may have heard the work of Academy Award nominated composer Phillip Glass referred to as "Minimalism," but what does that mean? Martin Ross, PhD candidate in music theory, joins GradCast hosts Joyla and Yimin to discuss what might be the most influential musical movement of the 20th century. On this episode, we learn what blinking turn signals, mathematics, and four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence have to do with music.

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Joyla Furlano

Produced by Chantal Lemire

215 | An Astrobiology Tale on the Great Moon Titan

Sat, 04 May 2019 23:00:32 -0400

In order for microbial life to develop and grow it needs an environment and world that can habit them. Presence of an energy source, liquid water or another solvent, appropriate temperature conditions, and protection from outside harm. In this episode, hosts Gavin Tolometti and Connor Chato talk with Earth Science PhD student Josh Hedgepeth about Titan, Saturn's largest moon, and the mystery and complicated thoughts on astrobiology.

Hosts: Connor Chato & Gavin Tolometti

Produced by Roger Hudson

214 | Transitioning from Undergrad to a STEM's Master's

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 09:03:53 -0400

Today’s unique episode features science graduate student John Palmer, who provides undergraduate student Aida Noorbakhsh with advice on transitioning to grad school. For those of you interested in learning more about what first year of grad school is all about, including helpful graduate resources available on campus, this episode is for you!

Hosts: Connor Chato & Joyla Furlano

Producer: Gavin Tolometti

213 | Behind the Scenes Experience of Health Care Providers in Pediatric Oncology

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 15:07:03 -0400

We’re welcoming our newest host and GradCast Committee member, Monica Molinaro! Monica is a PhD Candidate in the Health Promotion stream of the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences graduate program, and a qualitative health researcher. In this episode, hosts Roger Hudson and Gavin Tolometti talk with Monica about the use of narrative methodology to understand the experiences of health care providers caring for children with cancer. Monica discusses how storying experience often highlights more than just the story itself, how long it takes to transcribe an interview, and her experiences throughout her time in graduate school! If you'd like to contact Monica, email her mmolina3@uwo, or find her on twitter @monicalmolinaro.

Hosts: Roger Hudson & Gavin Tolometti

Produced by Nick Handfield-Jones

212 | - . .-.. . --. .-. .- .--. …. Telegraphs

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 12:17:18 -0400

--. .-. .- -.. -.-. .- … - !

Hosts: Roger Hudson & Nick Handfield-Jones

Produced by Gregory Robinson

211 | Craters, Carbonates, and Bears in the Field!

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 17:17:43 -0400

In this episode, hosts Monica Molinaro and Gavin Tolometti talk with Earth and Planetary Science PhD student Nicolas Garroni about meteorite impacts and their effect on carbonate rocks, and what it’s like to work out in the field.

Hosts: Monica Molinaro & Gavin Tolometti

Produced by Gregory Robinson

210 | Locating The Homes of Extinct Martian Microbes

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 16:17:38 -0400

Hosts Gavin Tolometti and Joyla Furlano talk with Earth Science MSc student Nikol Posnov about the search for extinct microbial life on Mars. Nikol studies the minerals in bioalterated volcanic rocks in Brazilian impact structures, and the Martian environment to infer where in craters on Mars microbial life may have sparked and thrived.

Hosts: Gavin Tolometti & Joyla Furlano

Produced by Gregory Robinson

209 | The Research and Realities of Pregnancy

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 17:37:16 -0400

On this special episode of gradcast, listen as our host Chantal Lemire sits down to chat with Taniya Nagpal and Susan Anthony about pregnancy. As a phd student studying exercise during pregnancy, Taniya comes equipped with knowledge about how to lead a healthy lifestyle when expecting. Complimenting this, Susan brings her own personal experience as a pregnant student. It makes for cool opportunity to hear the research and the people who use it come together! You can read more about Taniya's work at: https://www.uwo.ca/fhs/EPL/

Host: Chantal Lemire

Produced by Connor Chato and Greg Robinson

208 | Who Eats Healthy in High School?

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 19:59:08 -0400

Hosts Roger Hudson and Gregory Robinson talk to Drew Bowman, masters student in Health Geography, about what high school students eat and how the advertisements that surround them can influence their decision making when it comes to food. A researcher in the Human Environment Analysis Laboratory at Western University, Drew discusses some of the unique insights she gains from conducting her research with teens rather than on teens, and shares about her lab's innovative SmartAppetite project that helps teens make informed and healthy food choices.

Hosts: Roger Hudson & Gregory Robinson

Produced by Chantal Lemire

207 | Chillin' with Arachnids

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 21:31:06 -0400

How do arachnids handle freezing temperatures? Susan Anthony, a PhD candidate in the biology department and past chair of GradCast, tells Gavin Tolometti and Ariel Frame the answer to this elusive question. Susan discusses the difficulty researchers have studying in the field during winter and about some of her favourite animals, including red velvet spider mites, pseudoscorpions, tarantulas and sharks. If you'd like to read more about Susan and her research you can contact her on twitter @suzanthony, by email at santho2@uwo.ca. Hosts: Ariel Frame & Gavin Tolometti Produced by Ariel Frame & Chantal Lemire

206 | To Bee or Not to Bee

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 17:13:07 -0400

This week, GradCast continues its interview with students studying eusocial insects, this time exploring the incredible social structures of honeybees. Hosts Roger Hudson and Nick Handfield-Jones interview Anthony Gallo, from the Department of Biology, about his research into honeybee genetics. Specifically, he wonders how genes make certain types of bees have ovaries, and some not. Don't miss this episode: you won't Bee-lieve what you hear!

To know more about Anthony's research, you can follow him on Instagram @anthonygallo1424 or email him at agallo9@uwo.ca

Hosts: Nick Handfield-Jones & Roger Hudson

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

205 | The Eusocialist Revolution

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 12:05:12 -0400

Eusociality is the highest level of social organization found in nature and is one of the reasons behind the evolutionary success of insects like bees and ants, but also termites. This week, biology master's student Anna Chernyshova takes us through the intricacies of termite society and the novel evolutionary adaptations that have allowed these normally-tropical critters to successful invade Canadian cities like Toronto. Join hosts Yimin and Ariel as we wonder: can eusociality work for us too?

Shoutout from Anna: "Much of my knowledge and fascination with eusociality stems from many insightful discussions with my labmates and supervisor Dr. Graham Thompson, who is an expert in the field of sociobiology with global reputation. I am grateful for his mentorship and emphasis on the big ideas with outside-the-box thinking."

You can dig into more research by Anna at.....

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anna_Chernyshova3

https://scholar.google.ca/citations?hl=en&user=c_UBRYgAAAAJ

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Ariel Frame

Produced by Connor Chato

204 | Modeling Eusocial Genes Mathematically

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 22:45:22 -0500

Consider ants. Only the queen ant reproduces and passes on her genetic sequences. The worker ants do not. This creates a great paradox of evolution: if the worker ants don't pass on their genes, then how do they keep popping up? This week, hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Connor Chato interview Vonica Flear, from the Department of Biology, who is working on a mathematical model to solve this puzzling problem. She tells us about why she's interested in eusocial animals like ants and wasps and how she uses math to model them. Plus, hear about some of the pioneers in this field and how they advanced our understanding of evolution. To find out more from Vonica you can email her at vflear@uwo.ca

Hosts: Connor Chato & Nick Handfield-Jones

Produced by Ariel Frame

203 | The Ethics of Pragmatic Clinical Trials

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 10:49:04 -0500

In this episode Cory Goldstein, PhD student at Rotman Institute of Philosophy, discusses how clinical trials of different styles need or need not obtain informed consent. Cory tells Ariel Frame and Gavin Tolometti about his work with an interdisciplinary group of professionals and patients. To contact Cory for more information you can find him on Twitter @coryegoldstein or read his most recent work:

When and how should we cluster and cross over: methodological and ethical issues Accommodating quality and service improvement research within existing ethical principles Hosts: Ariel Frame & Gavin Tolometti

Produced by Chantal Lemire

202 | The Rock Superstar

Tue, 19 Feb 2019 19:00:00 -0500

Hosts Gregory Robinson and Gavin Tolometti talk with PhD candidate in the Department of Geography, Rebecca Doyle about lake sediments and how their isotopic chemistry provides us a glance on how the lake climate has changed for the last 1000 years. For more info, check out Rebecca's blog https://lakenerd.com/ or twitter account @lake_nerd.

Hosts: Gregory Robinson & Gavin Tolometti

Produced by Nick Handfield-Jones

201 | Why is Jason in the Hospital?

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 18:43:47 -0500

Lily Yosieph is passionate about mental health issues. As an MSc student in Health Promotion, her research seeks to understand the unique challenges that African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) youth face and how service providers, educators, and families can work to dismantle systemic barriers affecting marginalized communities. Join Yimin and Connor as we learn about the ways in which social and economic issues can impact the health of individuals.

Hosts: Connor Chato & Yimin Chen

Produced by Gregory Robinson

200 | The Catcher in the Mind

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 21:10:52 -0500

Hosts Gavin Tolometti and Chantal Lemire dive into the world of post-1945 American literature with english literature PhD candidate Jeremy Johnston. In this episode we look at how adolescent mental health is portrayed in American literature and how it has changed to the modern day.

Hosts: Chantal Lemire & Gavin Tolometti

Produced by Gregory Robinson

199 | The Land Before the Land Before Time

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 18:15:50 -0500

What did the landscape of Ontario look like over two billion years ago? The answer is hidden in the rocks. On this episode, geologist Carolyn Hill (PhD Candidate in the Department of Earth Sciences) tells hosts Yimin and Greg why the Pre-Cambrian may not be the nicest place for time travellers to visit. Plus, we learn about how oxygen once almost killed off life on Earth!

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Gregory Robinson

Produced by Chantal Lemire

198 | The Space Magnets Don't Lie

Tue, 22 Jan 2019 18:07:59 -0500

In the depths of space, there are regions where stars don't form, despite all evidence that they should. This week, our guest Gianfranco Bino, from the Department of Applied Math, tells about how scientists are measuring magnetism in the surrounding area to figure out why the stars aren't being born. Join hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Connor Chato as they also ask Gianfranco about the intersection between math and outer space, his experiences in grad school, and what he wants to do once he graduates. To get in contact with Gianfranco, check out his instagram @gvb24

Hosts: Connor Chato & Nick Handfield-Jones

Produced by Greg Robino

197 | The Master of Modelling

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 19:21:10 -0500

Bridge the gap between math and biology with Nickolas Goncharenko. This week hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Connor Chato interview Nickolas, from the Department of Applied Math, about his intriguing research on modelling the interaction between the mosquito's immune system, malaria (Plasmodium sp.), and genetically modified bacterium (Serratio sp. AS1) that could decrease the spread of disease. We also learn about differential equations, and the behaviour of spaghetti sticking out of a tomato. Plus, Nickolas shares his personal tips to become a better scientific communicator. To learn more, email Nickolas here: ngonchar@uwo.ca.

Hosts: Connor Chato & Nick Handfield-Jones

Produced by Gregory Robinson.

196 | Time to Track AIDS

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 06:45:09 -0500

On this episode, hosts Taniya Nagpal and Gavin Tolometti talk with Connor Chato about his MSc research locating AIDS using a computer code algorithm, which can help provide treatment and understand the origin of the AIDS virus in patients.

Hosts: Taniya Nagpal & Gavin Tolometti

Produced by Produced by Viki Tellios

195 | Greg Goes to Grad School!

Wed, 26 Dec 2018 20:14:59 -0500

Taniya Nagpal and Joyla Furlano interview Greg Robinson, one of the GradCast Editorial Boards' newest members, and masters' student in Phys-Pharm about his current research, his and future research, and his experience so far in graduate studies at Western.

Hosts: Joyla Furlano & Taniya Nagpal

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

194 | Caffeine or no caffeine…

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 20:03:00 -0500

On this week’s show, Joyla Furlano and Gregory Robinson interview Anisa Morava, a 2nd year Master’s student in the psychological stream of Kinesiology. Anisa is exploring how acute aerobic exercise and caffeine intake may improve memory in caffeine and non-caffeine consumers. Look out all… this may be the place to find your graduate survival kit! To learn more about Anisa’s research, e-mail her at amorava@uwo.ca.

Hosts: Joyla Furlano and Gregory Robinson

Produced by Nicholas Handfield-Jones

*Abstract call-out*: If you are a graduate student at Western and are interested in submitting an abstract for this coming year’s Annual Western Research Forum, please visit https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/wrf/2019/

193 | Heads Up!

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 13:36:29 -0500

Is the damage you inflict to your head by playing a sport like football as severe as the media makes it out to be? Tune in this week to hear Justin Smith, and your hosts Ariel Frame and Gregory Robinson, dive head first into his research his work looking at executive function changes in kids before and after a season of playing football. Justin enlightens us with some new results from his Masters in Kinesiology research showing some evidence that kids can play Canadian football without risking cognitive impairment. If you'd like to know more about work like Justin's, check out the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

Hosts: Ariel Frame and Gregory Robinson

Produced by Ariel Frame

192 | Knockin' on Truth's Door

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 18:50:47 -0500

Roger Hudson and Gregory Robinson speak with Marie Gueguen about how to discern between conflicting ideas in science and arrive at informed conclusions in terms of describing the observable universe.

Hosts: Roger Hudson and Gregory Robinson

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

191 | Ontario Works with Elena Hillman

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 05:34:41 -0500

Chantal Lemire and Yimin Chen interview Elena Hillman from the Masters' in Public Administration program about her research on Ontario’s Social Assistance Program, Ontario Works, and discuss how different funding models for social services might impact not only the kinds of programs available to those in need, but also the employment success rate of those who utilize said services.

Produced by: Gavin Tolometti

190 | Kant get no satisfaction

Tue, 20 Nov 2018 20:03:00 -0500

How should one approach moral questions? Is Hume the best method? How do philosophers differ? These questions and more are the work of Chris Shirreff, a PhD student in the philosophy department. Chris enlightens Roger Hudson and Ariel Frame about his research on various methodologies in the study of ethics.

Hosts: Ariel Frame and Roger Hudson

Produced by Gregory Robinson

189 | The Mental Health Maverick

Tue, 13 Nov 2018 20:03:00 -0500

Let's go behind the scenes of the Society or Graduate Students (SOGS) as Madison Bettle tells us about her time as former VPSS. On this week's episode, hosts Chantal Lemire and Nick Handfield-Jones explore Madison's tenure as Vice President - Student Services of SOGS. Madison tells us about the strides she made in representing Western graduate students. Specifically, she explains that including grad students in mental health programs was a great accomplishment, but that more work needs to be done. Finally, hear her tips on how grad students can take care of their mental health and what kind of discussions can be had to improve the grad school experience as a whole. If you would to get ahold of her, contact her by email. For more about SOGS, check out sogs.ca

Hosts: Nick Handfield-Jones and Chantal Lemire

Producers: Yimin Chen and Gavin Tolometti

188 | Enter the Matrix

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 11:54:58 -0500

Let's enter the Matrix with Ethan Jackson as he explains his work on machine learning algorithms. This week hosts Yimin Chen and Nick Handfield-Jones dive into Ethan's fascinating research on artificial intelligence and how machine learning algorithms can solve complex problems in the information age. Self-driving cars, big data, and the iPhone face recognition app; all this will be discussed, and more. Plus, listen as Ethan tells us about his new project, where he trains a computer to play Ms. Pac-Man against itself! To learn more, find Ethan here.

Hosted by: Yimin Chen and Nick Handfield-Jones

Produced by: Gregory Robinson.

187 | Follow the Data to Sustainability

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 20:03:00 -0400

Julian Barg is a Doctoral student at Ivey. He speaks with Gregory Robinson and Ariel Frame about this research based program and how his work highlights the data on companies’ ability to act sustainably.

Hosted by: Ariel Frame & Gregory Robinson

Produced by: Joyla Furlano

186 | Who Let The Moths Out?

Tue, 23 Oct 2018 20:03:00 -0400

Joyla Furlano and Ariel Frame speak with Aida Parvizi, Masters student in Biology, about her work on the armyworm moth and how she may be able to use spermatophores of the males to determine the natal origin of these pests.

Hosted by: Ariel Frame & Joyla Furlano

Produced by: Gregory Robinson

185 | Walking the Plank

Thu, 18 Oct 2018 21:48:34 -0400

Let's all walk the plank with Abdullah Al-Jaja as he shares his research with us. This week hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Gavin Tolometti learn about Abdullah's journey immigrating to Canada from Lebanon and is now investigating dopaminergic signaling and anxiety in Parkinson's disease, which involves patients walking on a small plank to induce stress. All the while, Abdullah walks his own plank every day balancing the rigor of graduate studies at Western and the devotion of being a father. To learn more about his research, go to www.jessicagrahn.com or www.pennymacdonald.net.

Hosted by: Nick Handfield-Jones & Gavin Tolometti

Produced by: Gregory Robinson.

184 | Being Chinese in Madagascar

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 22:03:00 -0400

In her research, sociocultural anthropologist Mingyuan Zhang asks a deceptively simple question, "What does it mean to be Chinese?" in a remarkably complicated context: Madagascar. This week, Viki Telios and Yimin Chen learn that there's more to Africa's largest island than just lemurs. Plus, how to introduce yourself in the Malagasy language. To read more about Mingyuan's work check out Academia.edu

Hosted by: Yimin Chen & Viki Telios

Produced by: Ariel Frame

183 | Cat Got Your Tongue?

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 13:46:17 -0400

Cat Boucher is an MSc Neuroscience student working in Dr. Stephen Lomber's lab. Cat tells Ariel Frame and Nick Handfield-Jones about her work studying deafness and hearing in the brain. Her research is looking to show how some brain regions may be involved in processing visual and auditory input. Various treatments for deafness were also discussed. To find out more you can tweet her @catcortex or find her on Instagram @skepticat To learn more about the illusions discussed here, follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-lN8vWm3m0 Hosted by: Ariel Frame & Nick Handfield-Jones

Produced by: Viki Telios

182 | Everybody Wants to Be a Macho, Macho Man

Tue, 25 Sep 2018 20:03:00 -0400

What does it mean to be a man? Do the movies that we watch influence the ways in which we understand masculinity? Ryan Schroeder, MA student in Media Studies, think so. This week, hosts Yimin Chen and Greg Robinson learn about how the presentation of male protagonists in films has changed, and perhaps softened, over the years––from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Ryan Gosling.

Hosted by: Yimin Chen & Greg Robinson

Produced by: Nick Handfield-Jones

Special Episode: Western University Symposium on Music 2018

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 10:12:34 -0400

In this special episode, hosts Taniya Nagpal and Roger Hudson interview three talented students - Natalia Skomorokhova, Sonja Dass, and Rachel Gain - participating in the Western University Graduate Symposium on Music. A variety of topics are discussed, including the ways in which music can imitate art, feminist advocates ahead of their time, and what in the world a harpsichord is!

Hosted by: Roger Hudson & Taniya Nagpal

181 | Billie Jean is Not My Lava

Tue, 18 Sep 2018 21:03:00 -0400

How do you study rocks up in space? Look at comparable formations here on Earth! Hosts Yimin Chen and Viki Telios learn about the work that Earth and Planetary Science PhD student Gavin Tolometti has been doing with Western's Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration (CPSX). On this episode: lava, impact craters, karaoke, and Scrabble!

Hosted by: Yimin Chen & Viki Telios

Produced by: Ariel Frame

180 | The Power of Working Together (Part 1)

Tue, 11 Sep 2018 20:31:39 -0400

Hosts Nick and Chantal speak with Natasha Ouslis about recent research progress from her Masters Thesis in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, with special emphasis on the nature of teamwork and very prominent ways these concepts play out in our daily lives.

Hosted by: Nick Handfield-Jones & Chantal Lemire

Produced by: Roger Hudson

179 | Beetlemania

Thu, 06 Sep 2018 17:00:00 -0400

Taniya Nagpal and Nick Handfield-Jones talk to Kurtis Turnbull about his recent research trip to New Zealand and the beetles he studied there.

Hosted by: Nick Handfield-Jones & Taniya Nagpal

Produce by: Chantal Lemire

178 | Calculated Disorder

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 20:00:00 -0400

Nick Handfield-Jones and Nav Mohan interview Cecilia Chavez Garcia about her computational work with intrinsically disordered proteins and how these proteins may impact disease. Cecilia is doing her PhD with Dr. Mikko Karttunen. To read more about her work you can check out their website http://www.softsimu.net/people.shtml.

Hosted by: Nick Handfield-Jones & Navaneeth Mohan

Produced by: Ariel Frame

177 | Don't Fly So Close to Me

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Ariel and Taniya discuss fruit fly research on Autism and social spacing with Wes Robinson. Wes is a MSc student in Dr. Anne Simon’s lab in the Biology department. This episode produced by Roger Hudson.

Hosted by: Ariel Chen & Taniya Nagpal

Produced by: Roger Hudson

176 | Small but Mighty Microglia

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 09:12:22 -0400

Host Yimin and Roger talk to Neuroscience Ph.D. Candidate Matthew Maksoud about an often overlooked cell in the brain - microglia. These small but mighty immune cells may hold the key to a host of neurological disorders. To learn more about Matthew's research, you can contact him at mmaksoud@uwo.ca.

Hosted by: Yimin Chen & Roger Hudson

Produced by: Viki Tellios

175 | A Private View of Public Administration

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 06:44:18 -0400

Elmond Bandauko speaks with Viki Tellios and Nicholas Handfield-Jones about the current state of public administration efforts in Canada, with unique insights regarding municipal policies, particularly in London, Ontario.

Hosted by: Nicholas Handfield-Jones & Viki Tellios

Produced by: Roger Hudson

174 | A Serious Stink

Tue, 07 Aug 2018 23:40:38 -0400

Roger Hudson and Viki Tellios learn about the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) from John Ciancio. John studies the seasonal variations in stress tolerance of this invasive species and agricultural pest.

Hosted by: Roger Hudson & Viki Tellios

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

173 | Hockey Night in Canada

Thu, 02 Aug 2018 16:27:18 -0400

Hosts Nick Handfield-Jones and Roger Hudson interview Bipin Dhillon from the Masters in Public Administration program about his research on the benefits of arenas and sports teams for the revitalization of city spaces and the creation of civic identity.

Hosted by: Nick Handfield-Jones & Roger Hudson

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

Special Episode: Medicine, Then vs Now with Dr. Bocking

Mon, 30 Jul 2018 14:58:35 -0400

In this Special Episode of GradCast, guests Dr. Douglas Bocking and Matthew Lund speak with hosts Roger Hudson and Viki Tellios about medical school education in Canada. Comparisons between today's medical school curriculum relative to the accelerated curriculum implemented during World War II are discussed. Dr. Douglas Bocking is a former Dean of Medicine and former Vice President of the Health Sciences Department at Western University, and a member of the Order of Canada. Matthew Lund is a current medical student attending Western and current President of the Osler Society for Medical Students at the university.

Hosted by: Roger Hudson & Viki Tellios

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

172 | Getting pregnant mothers to train in Spain

Sat, 28 Jul 2018 15:38:45 -0400

GradCast team member Taniya Nagpal recently returned from a trip to the Technical University of Madrid in Spain, were she had the opportunity to work with Dr. Ruben Barakat on two projects involving exercise and pregnancy. On the show today, Ariel and Yimin find out about how exercise might be key in preventing and treating diabetes and depression in expecting mothers. Exercise and pregnancy lab website

Hosted by: Yimin Chen & Ariel Frame

Produced by: Viki Tellios

171 | Keeping fit and having fun into old age

Mon, 16 Jul 2018 08:01:43 -0400

You may have heard that "exercise is the best medicine" - neuroscientist Joyla Furlano is working to see if that might be true. On this episode of GradCast, Nick and Yimin learn about the neurological link between diabetes and Alzheimer's in older adults and how regular exercise might be a promising preventative treatment for dementia.

Hosted by: Yimin Chen & Nick Handfield-Jones

Produced by: Arial Frame

170 | The Blackhole of the Brain

Fri, 06 Jul 2018 00:22:03 -0400

Hosts Chantal Lemire and Susan Anthony interview the newest member of GradCast, Nicholas Handfield-Jones about his research on Parkinsons.

Hosted by: Susan Anthony & Chantal Lemire

Produced by: Viki Tellios

Special Episode: Exercise and Pregnancy - Canadian Obesity Student Meeting 2018

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 14:06:05 -0400

Hosts Taniya Nagpal and Roger Hudson discuss the importance of exercise before, during and after pregnancy with Western alumnus Dr. Margie Davenport, professor of kinesiology at the University of Alberta.

Hosted by: Roger Hudson & Taniya Nagpal

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

Special Episode: WUGSOM Part 3 - Live! at the Western University Graduate Symposium on Music

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 18:02:50 -0400

In this final instalment of the WUGSOM series from 2017, hosts Yimin and Roger speak with Rachel Avery from McGill University in Montreal, and Ryan Blakely from the University of Ottawa on their research projects they've developed over the past few years. Rachel and Ryan each communicated their research in lecture format during WUGSOM 2017.

Hosted by: Yimin and Roger

169 | The Small-Scale SIMS

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 00:00:00 -0400

David Reyes Figuero, a visiting graduate student from Mexico, is here at Western to work with Dr. Mikko Karttunen. Using a computational microscope, they probed the small world of atoms and molecules to investigate how fat molecules float on water. But, they stumbled upon something even more curious that can impact the medical world. Hosted by: Susan Anthony & Navaneeth Mohan

Produced by: Arial Frame

168 | #UREnough

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Taniya and Roger speak to Kinesiology Master's student Kelsey Sick. Kelsey studies the health impact of reducing sedentary behaviour in Type 2 Diabetes patients and she is also the co-founder of a community wellness initiative, UREnough. https://urenough.org Instagram: @UREnoughh Twitter: @UR_Enoughh Facebook: UrEnoughh

Hosted by: Roger Hudson & Taniya Nagpal

Produced by: Ariel Frame

167 | Who Cares When We Get Old?

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 18:53:13 -0400

Care giving for the elderly is a hard job. How hard? Nicole Dalmer is looking into it. Nicole Dalmer from FIMS tells Ariel and Roger about her work on elder care, policy and aging in place.

Hosted by: Ariel Frame & Roger Hudson

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

Producer: Chantal Lemire

166 | Time Flies with Matt Bernardinis

Tue, 29 May 2018 23:31:20 -0400

Time flies when you're having fun, but the visual perception of time can vary between individuals. Matt Bernardinis, a second year MSc student in Biomedical Engineering, has designed a way to assess visual perception in terms of distance, time and velocity in Parkinson's patients. Discover the intricacies of this interdisciplinary field and more with hosts Ariel and Viki.

Hosted by: Ariel Frame & Viki Tellios

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

165 | Canada Needs You Today! Romanian-Canadian Enlistment in WWI

Tue, 22 May 2018 18:06:25 -0400

By the time the First World War began, over 8000 Romanian immigrants had established new lives in the young Dominion of Canada. Over the course of the war, hundreds would enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces to fight for a country they barely knew. History MA student Ilinca Olariu delves in archives and museums in search of their stories. Yimin and Navaneeth host. Want to find out more about Ilinica? Follow her on Instagram @ilincaolariu or Twitter @ilincaolariu

Hosted by: Yimin Chen & Navaneeth Mohan

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

164 | The Super Secret Sex Life of Fruit Flies

Tue, 15 May 2018 23:33:00 -0400

Yimin and Roger have an enlightening chat with Ariel Frame about his work testing memory in fruit flies in order to determine the role lactate might play. As the new chair of GradCast, Ariel also discusses the importance of science communication. To hear more from Ariel, check out his 3 minute thesis on youtube, his supervisor's lab website or @arielframe on Twitter.

Hosted by: Yimin Chen & Roger Hudson

Produced by: Ariel Frame

163 | Brain Scanning With Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Wed, 09 May 2018 14:43:14 -0400

Dickson Wong is pursuing both a medical degree and a research doctorate as a student in Western's MD/PhD program. Today on GradCast, Dickson speaks to Navaneeth and Yimin about his work using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to study changes in brain chemistry related to Alzheimer's disease. Dickson is @dickson11 on twitter and can also found on LinkedIn.

Hosted by: Yimin Chen & Navaneeth Mohan

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

162 | Solidarity Forever: What's the deal?

Tue, 01 May 2018 19:00:00 -0400

Shortly following last week's interview with the GTA labour union, the university and the union agreed to a tentative deal. Though the deal leaves much to be desired, the settling dust calls for a moment of introspection before looking to the future. Laura Cabral - strike committee member, among other roles - recalls the many sleepless nights and cheapshots endured on the path to this deal. Hosted by Tanya and Nav.

Hosts: Taniya Nagpal & Navneeth Mohan

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

161 | Solidarity forever

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 16:03:54 -0400

Over the past 8 months, the labour union of Western Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) has led them in a fight against the university for better living standards. With the onset of final examinations, GTA labour is more crucial than ever. Yet, both sides are unwilling to bend, risking a lockout or a strike. How did things get here? Join Ariel and Nav on today's episode while they untangle this story with Shannon Potter, President of the GTA labour union and Dmitri Marin, a member of the Bargaining Team.

To contact the bargaining team, you can email them at gta.bt@psac610.ca

Or check out their website at gta.psac610.com

Hosts: Ariel Frame & Navneeth Mohan

160 | Taking a Closer Look at the Womb

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 07:36:30 -0400

Roger and Ariel spoke with Lauren Smith about her work in the medical biophysics program coming up with a new way to image inside the womb completely non-invasively. Learn from Lauren how this development could drastically help diagnose problems in prenatal babies, and what effects a "Western" diet may have on them.

You can follow the research at Medical Biophysics

Hosts: Ariel Frame & Roger Hudson

159 | FIMULAW on Friday

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 13:36:55 -0400

Coming up April 13th, 2018, a conference that integrates 3 diverse faculties - Information & Media Studies, Music, and Law - into the FIMULAW Graduate Interdisciplinary Research Day. A conference that facilitates a conversation between diverse experts and participants through panel discussions and musical performances. Join Navaneeth and Roger while they chat with Kelly Bylica, the Music Faculty's representative, who gave us a sneak-peak on what this conference has in store this time.

Hosts: Roger Hudson & Navneeth Mohan

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

Special Episode: Mission Weather Balloon

Sat, 07 Apr 2018 06:43:53 -0400

Taniya and Nav interview an Interdisciplinary team of engineers and scientists (Alexis Pascual,
Gavin Tolometti, Liam Innis, and Matthew Svensson) who have come together to study microorganisms in the atmosphere by launching a weather balloon in April!

Hosts: Navneeth Mohan & Taniya Nagpal

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

158 | Let's Get Physio!

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 17:59:54 -0400

We know that all dogs go to heaven, but can all dogs go to physiotherapy? This week Viki and Ariel spoke with Liz Fryer, a second year student in the Master of Physical Therapy program here at Western. Join us as we discuss placement experiences, current research in the field, and some unconventional canine therapies. You can follow up with Liz on program details and more at @elizabethfryer on Instagram or efryer3@uwo.ca Hosts: Ariel Frame & Viki Tellios Produced by: Chantal Lemire

Special Episode: Keynote Western Research Forum Part 1 - Hearts

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 12:43:14 -0400

In this week's episode of GradCast, we present Part 1 of our 2 part series from the Western Research Forum, Western University's largest interdisciplinary showcase of research. Every year, the Society of Graduate Students presents a day-long conference filled with talks from faculties around campus, all associated with the theme of the year. WRF 2018 is all about Controversy.

Navaneeth and Yimin chat with WRF 2018 organizer Emily Carlisle, about Controversy and how it is to organize such a big event.

We also chat with keynote speaker Dr. Shelley McKellar from History of Medicine at Western. Dr. McKellar gave an engaging talk about the controversy-laden and boundary-breaking invention, the artificial heart, a topic of her new book "Artificial Hearts: The Allure and Ambivalence of a Controversial Medical technology".

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Navaneeth Mohan

Produced by: Susan Anthony

157 | Moderation in Marijuana

Mon, 26 Mar 2018 10:41:52 -0400

On ingesting cannabinoids, why do some people have panic attacks, while others experience cerebral euphoria? The answer might lie with a specific part of the brain. Western PhD student Chris Norris has specifically targeted the "hedonic hotspot". Here on Gradcast, with Viki and Nav, he shares his research that could change the lives of people living with PTSD.

Chris is on Twitter and you can follow him @QABalistic

To connect with Chris' supervisor, Dr. Steven Laviollette, you can follow him on Twitter @neuralnetwork19

Hosts: Navneeth Mohan & Viki Tellios

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

156 | Fiendishly Free Markets: Critiquing Colossal Capitalism

Mon, 19 Mar 2018 19:29:18 -0400

Alexandre Desbiens-Brassard joins Roger and Charlotte to speak about his PhD thesis in comparative literature. Alex's work is examining English and French language contemporary horror and science fiction works, including Jurassic Park, which features monsters created by human technology with the ultimate goal to explore and comment on capitalist modes of production in our society.

Hosts: Roger Hudson & Charlotte Panneton

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

155 | From the World to Western

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 08:27:00 -0500

In 2015, the Trudeau government committed to resettling 39,000 Syrian refugees across Canada, with over 1,000 finding their way here to London. On this episode, Yimin and Ariel speak with Masters of Public Administration candidate Henry Awere, who is investigating the municipal programs in place to help refugees integrate into our community.

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Ariel Frame

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

154 | Bad Ass Beetles

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 19:13:26 -0500

Last week, the snow in our backyard thawed, and out of the ground came a host of pesky bugs. For Jacqueline Lebenzon, that is research fodder! She studies a species of beetle - the Colorado potato beetle - because their extraordinary winter survival tactic could hold the cellular key to battling aging. Tune in with Roger and Nav.

You can follow Jackie's science and art at jackielebenzon.com and on Twitter @JackieLebz

Hosts: Rogen Hudson and Navneeth Mohen

Produced by Susan Anthony

153 | When Dendrites Go Dend-Wrong

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 11:59:51 -0500

You might think it's laughing gas or a race car fuel, but NO! Nitric Oxide is a crucial compound vital for healthy brain function. Viki Tellios is a neuroscience PhD student working to find out just how NO affects cerebellum development and maintenance. On this episode, Ariel and Yimin learn about an unexpected connection between Bill Nye and "drunk" mice.

If you would like to know more about Viki's research, you can email her at vtellios@uwo.ca

Hosts: Yimin Chen and Ariel Frame

Produced by Susan Anthony

Special Episode: WUGSOM Part 2 - Meaningful Music and Women in Song

Fri, 16 Feb 2018 17:07:56 -0500

Continuing our coverage of the Western University Graduate Symposium on Music, Yimin and Roger speak with Elizabeth Mitchell about her work on inclusive arts for children with disabilites and with Martha Schulenburg about what "Vamp" songs reveal about the role of women in the early 20th century.

Hosts: Yimin Chen and Roger Hudson

Produced by Susan Anthony

152 | The hot and cold of lava

Fri, 09 Feb 2018 10:47:40 -0500

We heard that Gavin Tolometti works with lava, and we thought you should hear about that too. He's smashed solid lava with a hammer. Has melted it in a furnace. Sliced it into hair-thin discs. Because somewhere in there is the key to understanding our moon and many extraterrestrial planets. Join Susan and Navaneeth as they discover how to research on the rocks.

Look for more info on Gavin's work on his blog at

http://gavintolometti.wixsite.com/gdtcpsx

And on Twitter @GavinOnTheMoon

Hosts: Susan Anthony and Navaneeth Mohan

Produced by Susan Anthony

151 | Raving Autobiographically

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:58:59 -0500

From disco to techo, Musicology PhD student M. Gillian Carrabré takes us through a musical (and personal) history of rave culture. Join hosts Navaneeth and Yimin as we learn about the principles of PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect) and about conducting field research as a participant-observer.

You can find Gillian on Radio Western (CHRW 94.9) Tuesday nights from 8:30 - 10pm, or streaming online at radiowestern.ca/stream.

You can also follow Gillian's music choices on Soundcloud at mixcloud.com/elektribe

And here we have a link for Gillian's Autobiographical Mixtape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6e3R-aA2LA&list=PLLXLRf3CzrHShdY6H1I2NCA7-7qQNeXm9

Hosts: Yimin Chen and Navaneeth Mohan

Produced by Susan Anthony

150 | Advocating for Accessibility

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:55:36 -0500

Roger and Chantal talk to SOGS Accessibility Commissioner, Martin Ross, and accessibility advocate Ashton Forrest about resources for graduate students with disabilities.

Hosts: Roger Hudson and Chantal Lemire

Produced by Susan Anthony

Special Episode: WUGSOM Part 1 - Live! at the Western University Graduate Symposium on Music

Mon, 22 Jan 2018 09:44:54 -0500

In this episode, hosts Roger and Yimin are introduced to the WUGSOM organizers and researchers studying how music reflects and enriches our lives.

Hosts: Yimin Chen and Roger Hudson

Produced by Susan Anthony

Special Episode: "Why Am I Here?" A Questionable Conversation With The Lego Grad Student

Wed, 10 Jan 2018 13:45:41 -0500

The Lego Grad Student visited Western as the special guest for the 2017 SOGS Graduate Wellness Forum and GradCast was fortunate enough to get him into the recording booth! Join Yimin and Chantal in conversation with Dr. Lego Grad Student as he reflects on his life in plastic.

Follow his exploits on social media at:

https://twitter.com/legogradstudent

https://www.facebook.com/legogradstudent

https://www.instagram.com/legogradstudent

https://legogradstudent.tumblr.com

Hosts: Yimin Chen and Chantal Lemire

Produced by Susan Anthony

149 | Baby: "It's Cold Outside. My Mother Will Start To Worry"

Mon, 08 Jan 2018 14:12:35 -0500

What happens when pregnant mothers get sick? Ariel and Yimin discuss maternal infections during pregnancy and its effect on neurodevelopmental disorders - with Faraj Haddad.

Follow along with his work at the Schmid Lab at: http://www.theschmidlab.com

Hosts:Yimin Chen and Ariel Frame

Produced by Charlotte Panneton

148 | Be gone Bacteria, you Baerly have a chance

Wed, 27 Dec 2017 21:15:14 -0500

Last year, at the SOGS Western Research Forum, we spoke with Brandon Baer. His work on antibiotic-resistant bacteria caught the interest of many of you so we invited him again! Passionate as before about his work, he has been on the path to develop a new therapy for treating a whole range of bacterial lung infections. Curious? So join Navaneeth and Roger on today's episode. Hosts: Navaneeth Mohan and Roger Hudson

Produced by Susan Anthony

147 | Pretty Fly for a Social Guy

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 12:30:08 -0500

Yimin and Ariel spoke with Ryley Yost about his work looking into the social behaviour of the fruit fly Drosophila, and what techniques are needed to experiment on this interesting little model organism.

Hosts: Yimin Chen and Ariel Frame

Produced by Susan Anthony

146 | Learning from Adversity

Thu, 07 Dec 2017 09:22:40 -0500

Navaneeth and Ariel talk with Niki Kamkar about her work studying how stressful events in children affect response to reinforcement.

Hosts: Ariel Frame and Navaneeth Mohan

Produced by Susan Anthony

145 | To Hibernate, Perchance to Dream

Wed, 29 Nov 2017 09:27:26 -0500

What happens when animals hibernate? Kate Mathers is working to find out! Catch her conversation with Susan and Yimin about Doritos, arousal, and adorable 13-lined ground squirrels.

Hosts: Susan Anthony and Yimin Chen

Produced by Susan Anthony

144 | Hey Doctor, What's Smoking?

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 12:28:00 -0500

Have you reached for a cigarette and been advised to take a walk instead? Well, Matthew Fagan is speaking to you. While rolling up for his PhD at Western's Kinesiology dept he investigates the effect of nicotine on cognitive functioning. In today's episode, he chats with Tanya and Navaneeth about how nicotine fares against a brisk walk on cognitive tests. What he found was unexpected.

Hosts: Navaneeth Mohan and Tanya Nagpal

Produced by Susan Anthony

143 | What Does Stress Smell Like For a Bird?

Fri, 17 Nov 2017 09:39:05 -0500

A little bird told us that Chlöe Carter was studying stress and memory in birds. Chlöe tells Ariel and Charlotte about her work testing whether stressful smells, sights and sounds can illicit fear and alter memory.

Hosts: Ariel Frame and Charlotte Panneton

Produced by Susan Anthony

142 | A Love Affair With Streaming Media

Thu, 09 Nov 2017 08:01:03 -0500

Yimin and Taniya chat with "baby Master student" Charlotte Panneton about navigating graduate studies, her interest in the online video streaming platform 'Twitch' and her love for community radio.

Hosts: Yimin Chen and Taniya Nagpal

Produced by Susan Anthony

141 | Square Off With Memory

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 08:13:07 -0400

Roger and Taniya chat with PhD Candidate Erin Shellington about the potential of 'Square Stepping Exercise' on improving cognition, mobility and mood in older adults. We also get insight on what the end of a PhD degree is like!

Hosts: Roger Hudson and Taniya Nagpal

Produced by Susan Anthony

140 | The Birds and the Beats

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 08:09:44 -0400

Ariel and Chantal chirp with Brendon Samuels about beat perception in birds and humans.

Hosts: Ariel Frame and Chantal Lemire

Produced by Susan Anthony

Special Episode: LUNAR SPECIAL - Observing the moon

Thu, 26 Oct 2017 08:49:09 -0400

Navaneeth and Roger speak with Danny Bednar, Patrick Hill, and Zack Morse about the upcoming international observe the moon night occurring on October 28th 2017. Hosts: Roger Hudson and Navaneeth Mohan Produced by Susan Anthony

139 | Time's are changin', the climate is too

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 13:13:51 -0400

Danny Bednar joins Roger and Navaneeth to speak about his research on geography and Canada's role in adapting to climate change.

Hosts: Roger Hudson and Navaneeth Mohan

Producer: Susan Anthony

138 | The Latest Scoop on Parkinson's Disease

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 20:32:36 -0400

Sabrina and Ariel pick Simon Benoit's brain about Parkinson's and his unique approach to studying this neurodegenerative disease. Hosts: Ariel Frame and Sabrina Hope Produced by Susan Anthony

137 | The Overwhelmed Brain

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 20:18:01 -0400

Roger and Ariel speak with Niveen Fulcher about sensory motor gating, and it's relation to autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia.

Hosts: Ariel Frame and Roger Hudson

Produced by Susan Anthony

136 | Making Precise Errors

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 19:54:48 -0400

Jeremy Lant is at an interesting point in his graduate career. He might have just cracked open a novel cure to a wide range of genetic disorders. With Yimin and Navaneeth, join us to know how he uses tRNA dependent mistranslation to recode the genetic blueprint. Hosts: Yimin Chen and Navaneeth Mohan Producer: Susan Anthony

135 | Hit Replay

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 19:40:47 -0400

Ariel and Taniya chat with Krys Wieczerzak about her work measuring brain waves in the auditory cortex and the importance of reproducing results in research.

Hosts: Ariel Frame and Taniya Nagpal

Producer: Susan Anthony

134 | Farming E.Coli

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 22:35:00 -0400

Ariel and Navaneeth talk with David Wright about his work on protein modifications generated in Escherichia coli.

Hosts: Ariel Frame and Navaneeth Mohan

133 | Western's Very Own Batman

Sat, 23 Sep 2017 21:35:31 -0400

On this episode of Gradcast, hosts Ariel and Yimin speak to Dylan Baloun about his research on bat migration.

Hosts: Yimin Chen and Ariel Frame

132 | Treating Each Other Well

Sat, 23 Sep 2017 21:25:18 -0400

Jennifer Opoku from Health Information Science talks to Yimin and Roger about her plans to use qualitative research methods to study people's health information needs and behaviours. We also discuss how the recent protests and rallies in the United States has affected her, as a Canadian/American dual citizen.

Hosts: Yimin Chen and Roger Hudson

131 | TUT1 - Protector of the Cell

Sat, 26 Aug 2017 12:53:37 -0400

Yimin Chen and Susan Anthony speak with Mitch Mann about his work on TUT1, a protein that prevents DNA and RNA damage - and cancer! Hosts: Yimin Chen and Susan Anthony

130 | Impactful Research on the Origin of the Moon

Fri, 18 Aug 2017 19:54:27 -0400

Ariel Frame and Sabrina Hope interview Patrick Hill about his research determining how the moon may have been formed from a large impact between the earth and another planet. Patrick is a PhD student in the Earth Sciences Department in a collaborative program with the Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration (CPSX), as well as the Pride Commissioner for the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS). Hosts: Ariel Frame and Sabrina Hope

129 | Your brain on delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol

Fri, 18 Aug 2017 19:50:48 -0400

Alex and Tristan chat with Roger Hudson, a neuroscience Master's student, about the potential pitfalls and medical benefits of marijuana. Hosts: Tristan Johnston and Alex Moszczynski

128 | Of Mice and Math

Fri, 11 Aug 2017 13:49:21 -0400

Roger and Taniya chat with Applied Mathematics Master's student, Navneeth Mohan, about his work exploring the behaviour of predators and prey using math.

Hosts: Roger Hudson and Taniya Nagpal

127 | Please Mr. Postdoc Man

Wed, 02 Aug 2017 09:00:00 -0400

Joel Slade, PhD candidate in the Biology Department at Western, tells hosts Sabrina and Yimin about how he secured a postdoc position at Michigan State University. He shares his experiences on how and when he started looking for positions, what he prepared, and where to look.

Hosts: Yimin Chen and Sabrina Hope

126 | Staph-ing Problems

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 14:20:15 -0400

Hosts Yimin and Roger are joined by Heba Alnaseri, who is working to find out how to prevent opportunistic infections by the Staphylococcus Aureus bacterium.

Follow her research on Twitter: @hebastweets or @McGavLab

Hosts: Yimin Chen and Roger Hudson

125 | Extreme Bacteria - How to Survive Extreme Radiation

Wed, 19 Jul 2017 17:51:36 -0400

Robert Szabla, PhD Candidate in Biochemistry, discusses his research on Deinococcus radiodurans Bacteria and how it's pprA Protein allows it to survive 14,000 times more radiation than a human cell.

Hosts: Andrew Hanna and Alex Moszczynski

124 | Mood and Anxiety Disorders in the Immigrant Population

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 05:51:19 -0400

On this episode of Gradcast, hosts Emma and Andrew speak with Jordan Edwards, a first-year PhD student in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics.

Edwards studies the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in the Canadian immigrant and refugee population.

Hosts: Emma Bridgwater and Andrew Hanna

123 | Anatomy of Sound

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 05:46:20 -0400

Hosts Taniya and Susan talk to fellow Gradcast committee member Emma Bridgwater about how the human brain interpret sounds, and how you can measure it in sleeping subjects.

Hosts: Taniya Nagpal and Susan Anthony

122 | A Constellation of Voices

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0400

Andrew and Yimin speak with Mary Blake Bonn about the role of voices in musical understanding, as well as her work as the president of SOGS.

Hosts: Andrew Hanna and Yimin Chen

121 | The R-Ladies Piece

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 12:55:53 -0400

In this episode, Tristan and Yimin talk to Sally Norris and Thea Knowles about their work launching the first Canadian chapter of R-Ladies - a group dedicated to promoting the R programming language and statistical package to women in the research community.

Hosts: Tristan Johnston and Yimin Chen

120 | Embryos are like Cars

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 08:38:56 -0400

Hosts Ariel Frame and Yimin Chen chat with Mohamed Gatie about stem cells and their role in embryo development.

Hosts: Ariel Frame and Yimin Chen

119 | Soundwave Diagnosis

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 07:31:14 -0400

Andrew Harris talks with Yimin and Alex about how ultrasound imaging can be used to create 3D pictures to improve medical diagnoses.

Hosts: Yimin Chen and Alex Moszczynski

118 | Vaccinating cows through lettuce with Coby Martin

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 07:20:49 -0400

In this episode of Gradcast, hosts Richard Raycraft and Sabrina Hope speak with Coby Martin, a masters student in biology. Martin is working on producing a vaccine for Bovine respiratory disease (BRD), which affects cattle around the world.

Hosts: Sabrina Hope & Richard Raycraft

Producer: Sabrina Hope

117 | Getting schooled in indigenous studies by Andrew Judge

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 07:16:19 -0400

Susan and Tristan talk to Indigenous Studies PhD student Andrew Judge about how tier 1 universities in Canada fare when it comes to indigenous faculty, and we talk about how and why universities need to be more accessible to indigenous students and staff.

Hosts: Susan Anthony & Tristan Johnston

Producer: Susan Anthony

116 | Your friendly ge-gnome with Matheus Sanita Lima

Tue, 23 May 2017 06:39:48 -0400

Our cells aren't the only things ith DNA in a living things body. Small organs for our cells have their own codes and evolve as well. This is the subject of our show today with Matheus Sanita Lima.

Hosts: Ariel Frame & Chantal Lemire

Producer: Susan Anthony

115 | Alzheimer's Disease and Metabolism: An Overview

Fri, 12 May 2017 13:04:14 -0400

Ariel and Yimin discuss with Asad Lone how cell metabolism can affect your chances of getting Alzheimer's Disease.

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Ariel Frame

Producer: Sabrina Hope

114 | Class and Teeth with Mark Gera

Wed, 03 May 2017 11:13:51 -0400

This week we meet with Mark Gera. From the public health program, he discusses with us the relationship between distance from a dentist office, and oral health.

Hosts: Tristan Johnson & Alex Moszczynski

Producer: Susan Anthony

113 | Marching with Kristine Musgrove

Sat, 29 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0400

This week, we talk to Music Education student Kristine Musgrove. Her work studies the culture of competitive marching band groups in the US.

Hosts: Susan Anthony & Andrew Hanna

Producer: Tristian Johnson

112 | Saying Goodbye to Julia Palozzi

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0400

This week we say goodbye to longtime Gradcast committee member Julia Palozzi. We talk about her work on peat bogs in northern Ontario. Julia, you will be missed.

Hosts: Susan Anthony & Taniya Nagpaland

Producer: Sabrina Hope

111 | Digging in Peru with Arwen Johns

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0400

This week, Arwen returns to talk about what her summer in Peru doing archaeology was like.

Hosts: Susan Anthony & Julia

Producer: Tristian Johnson

110 | WRF Keynote: Memes and Pepes with Yimin Chen

Sat, 15 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0400

This week, we show you our last episode from the Western Research Forum. Tristan Johnston and Sabrina Hope speak with GradCast's own Yimin Chen, a keynote speaker who came to talk to us about sweet, sweet internet memes.

Hosts: Tristan Johnston & Sabrina Hope

109 | Eating Grapefruit with Amy Burke

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 00:00:00 -0400

This episode, we meet with Biochemist Amy Burke, who looks into a compound found in grapefruit juice, that could have medical applications.

Hosts: Adrienne Borrie & Ariel Frame

Producer: Susan Anthony

108 | WRF Keynote: Learning to Lead with Dr. Pam Bishop

Mon, 10 Apr 2017 10:01:19 -0400

This episode we talk to Dr. Pam Bishop, a keynote speaker from the recent Western Research Forum. She talks about research and leadership for grad students in these uncertain times.

Host: Tristan Johnson

107 | Emily Pitts and the Friendship Centre

Sun, 09 Apr 2017 09:44:59 -0400

This episode, we talk to Anthropologist Emily Pitts looking at indigenous friendship centres giving identity and community for indigenous canadians living in cities.

Hosts: Emma Bridgwater & Tristan Johnson

Producer: Susan Anthony

106 | The Genetic Engineers of Tomorrow

Mon, 03 Apr 2017 16:34:11 -0400

This week we meet with an undergraduate club for genetic engineering.

Host: Tristan Johnson

105 | A Night at the Opera with Colin McMahon

Wed, 29 Mar 2017 15:01:09 -0400

This week we talk to Music student Colin McMahon. He wrote a one act mini opera on Marie Antoinette as his MA project, and came to us to talk about the work that went into it.

Hosts: Sabrina Hope & Tristan Johnson

Producer: Susan Anthony

104 | All About the Lungs at Western Research Forum 2017

Sat, 25 Mar 2017 00:00:00 -0400

This episode we talk to Brandon Baer and Reza Khazaee at the Western Research Forum about their work on the lungs.

Hosts: Andrew Hanna & Sabrina Hope

103 | Joel Slade is for the Birds

Wed, 22 Mar 2017 00:00:00 -0400

This week we talk about bird songs, genetic compatibility, and life of our feathered friends with Biologist Joel Slade

Hosts: Susan Anthony & Ariel Frame

Producer: Sabrina Hope

102 | Impact Craters and the Search for Life with Sarah Simpson

Sat, 18 Mar 2017 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode of Gradcast, hosts Yimin and Julia are joined by Sarah Simpson of Geology, Earth Sciences, and Planetary Science.

Sarah is a PhD student and her research focuses on impact craters. She studies impact craters on Earth to learn more about

Hosts: Jaime Brenes Reyes & Yimin Chen

Producer: Tristian Johnson

101 | Motherhood and Graduate School with Sabrina Hope

Sun, 12 Mar 2017 16:46:28 -0400

In this episode, Gradcast producer Sabrina Hope takes a break from operating the production board to talk about what it's like to be a mother while pursuing a PhD.

Hosts: Tristan Johnson and Jaime Brenes Reyes

Producer: Sabrina Hope

100 | Discovering Life on Utah with Christy Caudill

Wed, 08 Mar 2017 06:14:53 -0500

Today we meet with Planetary Scientist Christ Caudill who works on impact craters, and what they can tell us about far off places like Mars.

Hosts: Emma Bridgwater & Tristan Johnson

Producer: Susan Anthony

99 | The Strange Travel Companions of Cancer with Ashley Makela

Sun, 26 Feb 2017 07:50:37 -0500

This week we talk to Ashley Makela, looking at Tumor-Associated Macrophages, a white blood cell that shows up fairly often when Cancer is about.

Hosts: Andrew Hanna & Alex Moszczynski

Producer: Susan Anthony

98 | Saving Languages with Hannah McGregor

Wed, 22 Feb 2017 10:14:38 -0500

This week we celebrate 100 gradcasts with Hannah McGregor. Hannah is an anthropologist working on how universities can help groups like the Oneida in their efforts to preserve their language.

Host: Tristian Johnson and Yimin

Producer: Sabrina Hope

97 | Science Fiction and the Environment with Zack Bronson

Sat, 18 Feb 2017 08:13:38 -0500

This week we have a sitdown with Zack Bronson, a Media Studies scholar looking at science fiction that engages with themes of the environment.

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Ariel Frame

Producer: Tristian Jonhson

96 | Meeting the Cell's Magician with Emily Clayton

Mon, 13 Feb 2017 19:02:53 -0500

This week, our heroes meet with Emily Clayton, a microbiologist looking at proteins, the small magicians that turn DNA into action.

Host: Susan Anthony and Taniya

Producer: Tristan Johnson

95 | Getting Promoted with Emily Cornelius

Wed, 08 Feb 2017 10:56:15 -0500

This week we are deep into the tiny machines that make life run with Emily Cornelius from Biology.

Hosts: Susan Anthony & Alex Moszczynski

Producer: Tristan Johnson

94 | Reporting in with Leila Lemghalef

Wed, 01 Feb 2017 00:00:00 -0500

This week we talk to Leila Lemghalef about the status of journalism today.

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Tristan Johnson

93 | Taking the Blue Pill with Dan Perdic

Wed, 25 Jan 2017 10:29:12 -0500

This week we speak with Dan Perdic, a media studies scholar looking at the misogynist Red Pill online community.

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Tristan Johnson

92 | Protecting our Data with Alan Del Pino

Wed, 18 Jan 2017 10:33:10 -0500

This week we talk to Alan Del Pino, a returning FIMS scholar talking about the troubling conversation about our rights to privacy over our data in Canada.

Host: Tristan Johnson

91 | Listening to Emma Bridgwater

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 09:46:23 -0500

This week we talk with out own teammate Emma Bridgwater, working at the Safer lab on how we hear.

Host: Alex Moszczynski

90 | Stopping Gestational Diabetes with Karishma Hosein

Wed, 04 Jan 2017 14:00:29 -0500

This week we meet with Karishma Hosein, a kinesiologist working with expecting mothers to prevent gestational diabetes.

Hosts: Emma Bridgewater & Andrew Hanna

89 | Bogged Down with Mikhail Mack

Wed, 21 Dec 2016 00:00:00 -0500

This week, we return to the Peat Bog with Mikhail Mack who looks at the delicate chemical balance of this ecosystem.

Hosts: Adrienne & Julia

88 | A Healthy Community with Kirstyn Seanor and Melanie Stone

Wed, 07 Dec 2016 00:00:00 -0500

This week we talk to Kirstyn Seanor and Melanie Stone about peer mental wellness support, and it coming to Western.

Hosts: Susan Anthony & Taniya Nagpaland

87 | Epic Wins with Luke Arnott

Wed, 30 Nov 2016 00:00:00 -0500

This week we talk to FIMS graduate Luke Arnott. We talk about the epic, and how it impacts things like super hero stories.

Hosts: Emma Bridgwater & Yimin Chen

86 | Human Sacrifice with Diana Moreiras

Wed, 23 Nov 2016 00:00:00 -0500

This week we meet with Anthropologist Diana Moreiras using sophisticated new techniques to find out about the lives of those religiously sacrificed in the Aztec Empire.

Hosts: Tristan Johnson & Alex Moszczynski

85 | The One Where Yimin Sings

Mon, 21 Nov 2016 16:19:15 -0500

This week we talk to Yimin about some of the fun work he is doing on memes and internet communities.

Host: Tristan Johnson

84 | Working on Parkinsons with Tara Condos

Wed, 09 Nov 2016 00:00:00 -0500

This week, our heroes meet with Tara Condos, working on the debilitating Parkinson's Disease.

Hosts: Tristan and Emma Bridgwater

83 | Reading the News with Charlotte Britten

Wed, 19 Oct 2016 00:00:00 -0400

This week we talk to Charlotte Britten, studying how people read the news online in its hyperlinked, nonlinear form.

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Tristan Johnson

82 | Working out with Andrew Hanna

Wed, 12 Oct 2016 02:50:56 -0400

This week, our brave heroes talk to Health Science MSc student Andrew Hanna, who talks to us about how exercise IS medicine. Later he joined up with the committee himself. Welcome aboard. Host: Alex Moszczynski

81 | Taking Control with Annalise Trudell

Wed, 05 Oct 2016 14:41:52 -0400

This week our brave heroes meet with Annalise Trudell who finished her PhD on working with young women to give themselves agency. Warning, a handful of swear words worked themselves in.

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Taniya Nagpaland

80 | Making Music with Matthew Becker

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0400

This week we meet with Music student Matthew Becker, and talk about the art of making music.

Host: Alex Moszczynski

79 | Improving Libraries with Kirstyn Seanor

Wed, 14 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0400

This week, we meet with Library and Information Science MA (and by the time of airing now a PhD student) Kirstyn Seanor working to make libraries a more equitable place to go.

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Taniya Nagpaland

78 | Juggling with Benedict Chang

Sat, 10 Sep 2016 13:32:15 -0400

This week we meet with Benedict Chang, juggler and researcher on the brain's processing of motion.

Host: Alex Moszczynski