Raw Talk Podcast

#27: Assessing Medical Learners

Throughout their many years of training, medical students will learn everything they need to know to provide adequate medical care. This curriculum includes specialized medical knowledge and skills, but also encompasses all the specific behaviours we consider to be "professional". On this episode, you'll hear from Dr. Shiphra Ginsburg, a clinician-educator at the Wilson Centre for Research in Education. Dr. Ginsburg is a staff respirologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, and Director of both the Eliot Phillipson Clinician-Educator Training Program as well as Education Research and Scholarship in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. On this episode we explore what Dr. Ginsburg refers to as a series of "happy accidents" that led her to study the understanding and assessment of professionalism in medical learners. She subsequently completed her PhD in medical education and discusses how this process led her to focus on the language used by clinical supervisors to assess medical learners in the workplace. You'll also hear James and Eryn chat with one of Dr. Ginsburg's mentees, Dr. Lindsay Melvin, who discusses her work assessing the efficacy and role of podcasts and other technologies in medical education. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Melissa Galati

#26: Suicide - Who is Susceptible?

By the time you are finished reading this, one person somewhere in world will take their own life - suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people, aged 15-29. This week, join Richie as he sits down with Dr. Sakina Rizvi, a neuroscientist in the Arthur Sommer Rotenberg (ASR) Suicide and Depression Studies Program at St. Michael's Hospital. In this episode, Dr. Rizvi outlines the complex relationship between suicide and depression, and how her team uses imaging to study brain biomarkers that put some individuals at higher clinical risk. Anton and Kat chat with Robb Johannes, who details his lived experiences with suicide, commitment to social activism, and how the two have shaped his perspective. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Anton Rogachov

#25: Mathematical Magic and STIs

Have you ever wondered what mathematical modelling can teach us about how and why HIV and sexually transmitted infections spread in various geographical areas? Or why it's important to engage the public when discussing research priorities? What about the serious implications of stigma and the language associated with it? In this episode of Raw Talk, Alex sits down with infectious disease clinician and scientist, Dr. Sharmistha Mishra to discuss the magic of mathematics, vulnerability and stigma, and what it really means to do community-centered research. We also hear from Steven Tingley, who talks openly with Jabir about living with HIV, managing his health, and trying to break the stigma. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Jabir Mohamed

 

#24: Combating Treatment Resistant Depression

Many of us have experienced depression or have loved ones who have. Reaching out for help is never easy, and when frontline treatments don't work, the effect on quality of life can be devastating. On this week's episode, Kat sits down with MRI-Guided rTMS Clinic Co-Director Dr. Jonathan Downar from the Toronto Western Hospital. Dr. Downar shares his insights on rTMS as an intervention for treatment-resistant depression and other mental illnesses, and discusses recent transformative developments in rTMS procedures that could greatly increase accessibility to those who need it most. Kat and Grace poll the public about their knowledge of alternative treatments for depression and the challenges faced by those who suffer from it. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Grace Jacobs

 

#23: Nature, Nurture & Mood Disorders

Hey Raw Talk listeners! The start of October also marks the start of Mental Illness Awareness Week, so we sat down with Dr. Robert Levitan, a clinician-scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. In this episode, Dr. Levitan talks about how his patients inspired him to pursue research on seasonal mood disorders, the role of both genetics and the social environment in causing mood disregulation, and what physicians and researchers can do to battle stigma around mental illness. Tune in to hear from Craig & Kat as they take to the streets of Toronto to find out what people think about the influence of technology on mental health.

Written by: Kat An

#22: We’re Back!

Your favourite grad student science podcast is back for a second season! The crew welcomes its newest members, reflects on their journey in bringing the show to existence and the role social media has played in connecting with listeners. We also look ahead to what's in store for the upcoming season, including new topics, new segments and more stories from the biomedical research community at the University of Toronto. The episode concludes with previous guests sharing their feedback and words of wisdom. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Richie Jeremian

 

#21: The Gender & Diversity Gap in STEMM

For our 21st and final episode of Raw Talk Season 1, we decided to share something a little different with you guys. We've spent the last year talking to incredible scientists here at the University of Toronto; but we usually get them to discuss their research and personal journeys. Today's episode features discussion on an issue that has recently attracted a lot of media attention - namely, the gender and diversity gap in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). The discussion is an excerpt from a panel event called It was never a dress, hosted by several members of the Raw Talk team. You'll hear from several incredible clinicians and scientists at U of T including Dr. Renée Hložek, Dr. Gillian Einstein, Dr. Sharmistha Mishra, Dr. Molly Shoichet (who you may remember from Episode 2 of Raw Talk), and Dr. Kona Williams. We hope you enjoy their stories, candidness, and clear passion for their work. Until next Season, keep it raw!

Written by: Melissa Galati

Keynote by Dr. Renée Hložek

#20: Advances in Epilepsy Care

Moving forward with this month's theme of Our PIs, we sit down with behavioural pharmacologist and epilepsy research champion, Dr. McIntyre Burnham. Dr. Burnham is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto and currently co-directs a province-wide epilepsy research program called EpLink. In this episode, we explore longevity in science, advances in epilepsy care, and training students as thinkers. We also hear from former student Dr. Melanie Jeffrey in "Patient Perspective", where she opens up about her experience living with epilepsy and journey becoming a scientist. Please enjoy this special conversation with our oldest and kindest guest to date. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Jabir Mohamed

 

#19: Mapping Language with MEG

With July finally here, we embrace the warm weather and our new theme for the month, "Our PIs", featuring some of our own supervisors on the podcast. For this episode, we sit down with Dr. Elizabeth Pang, a Neurophysiologist and Senior Associate Scientist at SickKids. Dr. Pang is a specialist in MEG, a relatively new functional neuroimaging technique, which can record brain activity in real-time. Dr. Pang muses on her research in various developmental populations, and the unique abilities of MEG in enlightening our understanding of brain function. Peppered into the conversation, we have our exhilarating new segment "Meet the Inventor", where we have the honour of talking to Dr. David Cohen, the inventor of MEG. Dr. Cohen takes us back to the late 1960's and early 70's where he stood at the forefront of the field of biomagnetism, bridging the gap between physics and human biological research. Don't miss out on this stellar episode; until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Alexandra Mogadam

#18: Motor Control & Movement Disorders

Even the simplest movements, like picking up your coffee cup, are actually the result of very complex processes and signalling in your nervous system. While we might not put too much thought into the mechanisms that underlie how we move, this week's guest is interested in just that. Dr. Robert Chen, neurologist and scientist, is working to understand how our brain controls our movements, and how this process is impaired in patients with movement disorders, like Parkinson's Disease (PD). Tune in to the second episode under the theme of Neuroimaging to hear all about cutting-edge imaging techniques, learn about the plastic brain, and get a taste of the complexity of movement disorders. In "Ask a Student", we also hear from James Saravanamuttu, a student in Dr. Chen's lab, about his work using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to study PD and get his advice on what students should know before applying to grad school. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Ekaterina An