Raw Talk Podcast

#44: Public Engagement in Science

August is flashback month, as we move back in time to present you recordings from the event we hosted back in May, Raw Talk Live. This week's instalment presents the first of two panel discussions, and explores public engagement in science. We hear from an array of speakers, diving into the personal and the political dimensions of this theme. Joining us is Dr. Mehrdad Hariri, CEO and Founder of the Canadian Science Policy Centre; Doina Oncel, the CEO and Founder of hEr VOLUTION; Dan Weaver, PhD Candidate at the Department of Physics, University of Toronto; Connie Putterman, a long-time parent advocate in the autism research world, and now a Masters candidate in the Translational Research Program, University of Toronto; and our moderator Tetyana Pekar, Founder and Academic Editor at Pekar Editing. Of course, you will also be hearing from your trusty hosts Jabir and Alex, as they reflect on the discussion, and the experience of organizing a live-podcasting event. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Alexandra Mogadam

 

#43: Advancing Kidney Transplants & Medical Culture

Did you know that nearly 500 million people globally suffer from some form of irreversible kidney-related disease? These individuals may wait years before receiving a transplant! In this installment of Raw Talk, Dr. Lisa Robinson, Paediatric Nephrologist and Senior Scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children chats with Melissa about the forefront of kidney disease research. James and Anton also pay a visit to Dr. Markus Selzner, transplant surgeon and collaborator of Dr. Robinson's, to learn about new breakthroughs in kidney transplantation. Moreover, as Chief Diversity Officer at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Robinson discusses initiatives currently being implemented to tackle inequality at the University. James and Anton are then fortunate enough to sit down with Anita Balakrishna, Diversity Strategist at the Faculty of Medicine, and delve deeper into the proactive work being done to curb discrimination at different stages of the student experience. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: James Saravanamuttu and Anton Rogachov

#42: Mindfulness - A Personal & Professional Project

Mindfulness is becoming increasingly integrated in mainstream society, but is this new wave of wisdom effective or just the latest trend? How does mindfulness impact our view of ourselves and our view of the world? In this episode, Marija and Grace sit down with Dr. Agnes Wong, a Professor of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto, Ophthalmologist at the Hospital for Sick Children, and recent mindfulness advocate. They delve into the core foundation of mindfulness practice, and its potential for positive and lasting change. Grace then chats with Elli Weisbaum, a long-time mindfulness expert and instructor. Elli discusses the diversity of mindfulness techniques and shares a short practice that you can try yourself! On this special episode we are also running an exciting challenge called "5 for 5". Take 5 minutes of your day to do any form of mindfulness practice for 5 days in a row and share your experience with us on social media by tagging @rawtalkpodcast or using the hashtag #RawTalk5for5. In doing so, you'll be entered to win exciting prizes! Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Marija Zivcevska

Elli's Blog
Mindfulness Research Synposium

#41: Unpacking the Award-Winning Documentary - Unrest

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating and misunderstood disease that affects 20 million people globally. Raw Talk had the chance to attend a screening of the award-winning documentary, Unrest. Unrest explores the personal journey of Jennifer Brea from ME/CFS patient to advocate to storyteller. Join Grace and Melissa as they reflect on the compelling documentary and share the unique perspectives of the event moderator, Scott Simpson, co-founder of Millions Missing Canada; as well as panelists Dr. Wilfred de Vega, ME/CFS scientist; Larissa Fan and Kirsten Dahlin Nolan, ME/CFS patients and advocates; and Dr. Sarah Selke, physician specializing in ME/CFS. We explored everything from proposed causes of ME/CFS, to diagnostic criteria, to treatments and coping mechanisms. Press play to learn more about the millions that medicine left behind. A big thank-you to Laura Best and SciComm Toronto for bringing this topic to our attention.

Written by: Melissa Galati

Unrest (film)
Canadian Consensus Criteria
Science for ME
MEpedia
CFIDS & Fibromyalgia Self-Help
ME & CFS Canada
Millions Missing Canada
Naviaux et al. PNAS, 2016

#40: What Does it Mean to Survive Cancer?

While cancer is still a scary word, roughly 75% of people diagnosed with cancer will survive long-term. But how are these patients supported in the long term, as they deal with late side effects from their treatments? Join Kat and Melissa as they sit down with Dr. Jennifer Jones, Director of the Cancer Rehabilitation & Survivorship Program and Senior Scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, to discuss the importance of caring for patients throughout the entire disease process, how she developed an integrated clinical and research survivorship program, and the 3 focus areas of her research (i.e., descriptive, intervention development, knowledge translation). Eryn chats with Lloyd Davidson, a Hodgkin's lymphoma survivor, who chronicles his cancer journey and his experience with the survivorship program. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Eryn Tong

#39: Economics & Childhood Cancer Treatment

The focus in childhood cancer is often solely on treating the disease, but what about the costs - both health and financial - that patients and their families must bear? Join Melissa as she sits down with Dr. Sumit Gupta, Paediatric Oncologist in the Division of Haematology/Oncology at SickKids, Chair of the Unit for Policy and Economics Research in Childhood Cancer (PERCC), Associate Chair of the Lancet Oncology Commission on sustainable pediatric cancer care and a member of the Children's Oncology Group acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) committee, to talk about the long-term effects of childhood cancer and its treatment, and his work on building an investment case for childhood cancer treatment in low and middle-income countries. Dr. Vicky Forster, a cancer researcher and survivor of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chats with Kat about her experience as a cancer survivor and the need to involve patients and families in cancer research. Kat also breaks down the cost, and cost effectiveness of running a childhood cancer treatment centre in our Journal Club segment. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Kat An

#38: Pollution & Our Lungs

Living in a dense urban jungle is not without its risks, and cities in Canada are no exception. Toronto is regarded as the most polluted city in Canada, but what could this be attributed to? How do global events shape the quality of the air we breathe? In this episode, Kat sits down with Dr. Chung-Wai Chow, a lung transplant physician and leading researcher at UHN, to discuss the effects of environmental air pollution on respiratory health, techniques to assess pollution levels and Dr. Chow's journey as a clinician scientist.  We also hear from Marija and students across campus who delve deeper into perceptions on exposure, ways to increase awareness and how to minimize our ecological footprint. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: By Marija Zivcevska

#37: Neurodegeneration, Concussions, & Misconceptions

You've spent your entire life wiring your brain to make you ... you! So, if your brain changes, you change - right? On this episode, Melissa and Swapna chat with Dr. Carmela Tartaglia, a Clinician-Investigator at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre at Toronto Western Hospital, to shed light on a form of early onset dementia - frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Dr. Tartaglia is also the Marion and Gerald Soloway Chair in Brain Injury and Concussion Research and she brings to light some common misconceptions about the diagnosis, prevalence, and treatment of concussion. In hopes of understanding how exercise can benefit those with neurodegenerative disease, James sits down with Dennis Hunkin, and learns how he has taken up boxing to fight back in his battle against Parkinson's. Finally, Anton explores a taboo, yet prevalent societal issue of intimate partner violence induced concussions, with leading expert Dr. Eve Valera from Harvard Medical School. Definitely one you won't want to miss! Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Anton Rogachov and James Saravanamuttu

#36: The Future is Neuroscience!

Repairing the damaged brain is the one of the holy grails of neuroscience. On this episode, Grace and Melissa sit down with Dr. Freda Miller, a Senior Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children, who firmly believes that studying the developing brain can give us insights into how to rebuild it in circumstances of damage or degeneration. Dr. Miller is a Canada Research Chair in Developmental Neurobiology, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Research Scholar. She discusses her transition from biochemistry to neuroscience, gives advice to budding scientists, and explains why she engages in science communication. She also talks about how her research has finally led her to several clinical trials in children with brain injury. Our hosts also catch up with Dr. Donald Mabbott, Clinical Psychologist and Neuroscientist, to discuss how some of Dr. Miller's findings with a drug called metformin resulted in a pilot clinical trial for children with acquired brain injury after cancer treatment.

Written by: Melissa Galati

 

#35: Comics and Medicine

What do comics and medicine have in common? A lot more than you may think! In this episode, Dr. Shelley Wall, Assistant Professor in the Biomedical Communications program, chats with Jabir about the power of the visual narrative, how graphic medicine contributes to the generation of knowledge, and traces her own journey from a PhD in romantic literature to becoming a biomedical communicator. Swapna and Kat visit the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library to sit down with Alexandra Carter, the librarian of the history of science and medicine, to trace the evolution of medical illustration. The gals also chat with Teva Harrison, award-winning writer and visual artist, about her graphic memoir chronicling her experience with being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.

Written by: Kat An and Swapna Mylabathula