Raw Talk Podcast

#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

#34: Simulation in Healthcare

If there's one aspect of your learning you could simulate, what would that be? In this episode, Jabir sits down with Dr. Ryan Brydges, Director of Research at the Allan Waters Family Simulation Centre, and health professions education scientist at the Wilson Centre, to explore how simulation can impact health policy and patient care. Dr. Brydges also talks about his journey into simulation research, the meaning behind health professions education, and what it takes to build a successful research program. Plus, Eryn meets the simulation team at the Alan Waters Family Simulation Centre to debunk common misconceptions, highlight recent case scenarios, and predict the future state of the field. They also surprise Eryn and Jabir with a simulation experience during their visit. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Jabir Mohamed and Eryn Tong

#33: Sleep & Anesthesia Explained

On this episode of Raw Talk, we focus on a topic that affects us so intimately: sleep. Join Jabir as he sits down with sleep physiologist and author, Dr. Richard Horner, to discuss why we and other living things sleep, how the brain changes during sleep, and what makes sleep different from anesthesia. The two also speak in great detail about Dr. Horner's book, The Universal Pastime: Sleep & Rest Explained, and his thoughts on a second project. Finally, Swapna and Anton draw our attention to the consequences of sleep deprivation and the impact of general anesthesia on patients and medical care, with the help U of T students and faculty. Special thanks to Dr. Beverly Orser, a clinician-scientist and long-time collaborator of Dr. Horner, for her valuable insights. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Jabir Mohamed

#32: Delivering Quality End of Life Care

Although the relief of pain and suffering is inherent in all fields of medicine, there's one specialty in particular where this aspect of care is truly the focus. While you may be unfamiliar with the field of palliative care, which aims to improve quality of life and provide comfort to patients and loved ones, it has made great strides in the last few decades. In this episode, Eryn and Kat sit down with Dr. Camilla Zimmermann, Head of the Division of Palliative Care at the University Health Network. Dr. Zimmermann debunks some of the myths surrounding palliative care and discusses its past and current clinical and research landscape. She also shares her personal training journey and details the recent development of the new Royal College subspecialty training program in palliative medicine. Eryn also met with Dr. Mitali Vatsraj, one of the program's first residents, who shares the story of how she became inspired to work in this field. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Eryn Tong

#31: Sex, Gender, & the Brain

What do sex and gender have to do with neuroscience? Join Jabir as he sits down with Dr. Gillian Einstein, neuroscientist in the Department of Psychology and the Wilfred and Joyce Posluns Chair of Women's Brain Health and Aging, to find out! Hear about her transition from studying art history to systems neuroscience, how the fields of sex/gender research and neuroscience intersect, the importance of a "situated" approach to neuroscience, and get a taste of the diverse research going on in Dr. Einstein's lab, from exploring sex differences in dementia to untangling the interactions between estrogen, cognition, and aging in women. Tune in to hear about the groundbreaking study that found the link between hormones, brain development, and behaviour, in our "Journal Club" segment. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Kat An

#30: Hearing Loss, Language & Learning

What structure holds the three smallest bones in the body? If you guessed the ears, you're right! Kicking off 2018, the first episode of this year is all about our auditory system, and its influence on brain development. In this episode, Jabir sits down with Dr. Karen Gordon, a scientist, audiologist, and Director of Research in Archie's Cochlear Implant Laboratory at Sick Kids Hospital. They discuss the different types and causes of hearing loss, the consequences of hearing loss on language and learning and how the brain adapts when hearing is restored. We also hear from Marija, who speaks with Noah, one of Dr. Gordon's patients. Noah shares his incredible story of what every day is like living with two cochlear implants and how devices have changed over the years. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Marija Zivcevska

 

#29: Personalizing Cancer Medicine

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, but what makes it so difficult to treat? What is tumor hypoxia and how can it influence biology to drive a poor prognosis? In this episode, Richie sits down with Dr. Brad Wouters, the Executive Vice President of Science and Research at UHN to discuss the vast advancement in the field and the need for collaborative integration between basic and clinical research in order to drive treatment and improve outcomes. In this episode we get to see an interesting perspective from both a researcher and a policy maker. Then we hear from Marija who delves deeper into what personalized medicine is, and how it fits into our current healthcare system. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Marija Zivcevska

#28: History & Ethics of Stem Cells

Over the past decade, academics and media outlets alike have been telling us that stem cells are going to revolutionize regenerative medicine. But what does this really mean? What are stem cells, how do they work and why have they been generating so much public interest? On this episode, Richie sits down with Dr. Andras Nagy, world-renowned Senior Scientist at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital, to discuss his breakthroughs in stem cell research and the ethical challenges facing the field. We also hear from Anton and James, as they break down the history of stem cell research and where we stand today. They also speak on how stem cell hype can be harmful to patients.

Written by: James Saravanamuttu and Anton Rogachov