Gradcast

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

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

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

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    

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

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/2012/2012onsc

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

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  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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://freeb

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

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

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”

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

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