Raw Talk Podcast

#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

 

#17: Neuroimaging Chronic Pain

Episode 17 of Raw Talk focuses on chronic pain, and we are fortunate to have highly acclaimed researcher, Dr. Karen Davis, join us to share her expertise. We discuss the contribution of neuroimaging in understanding pain perception and pain mechanisms, in addition to some common misconceptions and advances in the field. This segment-packed episode brings research, patient and clinical perspectives together to let you hear the various voices that participate in the field of chronic pain. In "Ask a Student", PhD candidate Kasey Hemington talks about her experience as Dr. Davis' student and her motivations to pursue pain research. Complementing those insights, we sit down with a fellow graduate student living with chronic pain to uncover how their pain is perceived and managed, and why interprofessional care is the best way to go. Finally, we introduce a "Clinician's Corner" segment that explores chronic pain management from the lens of a physician, Dr. Najam Mian. Don't miss out! until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Swapna Mylabathula

 

#16: Restoring Sight with Stem Cells

We couldn't have chosen a better scientist to wrap up this month's theme of "Foundational Science" than Dr. Derek van der Kooy, Head of the Neurobiology Research Group at the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research. His team conducts basic science research in developmental and stem cell biology, as well as in understanding the neurobiology of motivation and uncovering learning and memory genes. We sit down with Dr. van der Kooy to discuss his own graduate school experience, his lab's groundbreaking discovery of the presence of stem cells in the adult mammalian eye, and the perks and challenges of overseeing such a diverse range of research projects. In our popular Ask a Student segment, Kat and Eryn chat with one of Dr. van der Kooy's PhD students, Samantha Yammine, about her research on neural stem cells, why it is vital for basic scientists to make their work accessible to the general public, and her amazing strides in promoting science communication through social media (check her out on Instagram & Facebook: @science.sam). We also travel back in time to meet "the father of modern neuroscience," Santiago Ramon y Cajal, in our Flashback Friday segment. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we do. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Ekaterina An and Eryn Tong

#15: From Cells to Tissues

This month, we're kicking off our theme of foundational research! On this episode, we hear from the amazing Dr. Helen McNeill, an expert in biology and molecular genetics. Dr. McNeil's passion and love for science are contagious as she discusses her current work involving cell organization and growth pathway models using drosophila (better known as fruit flies) and mice. You'll hear about her discovery of the Ft gene, the art of naming novel genes, emerging technologies in basic science, and her journey across a multitude of academic settings in the US, UK and Canada. This episode also features our first Journal Club segment, which discusses some of the translational aspects of this key work in cancer research, and a Word on the Street segment from our own Hillary Chan. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Grace Jacobs