Raw Talk Podcast

#78: Maternal Health Part 1: Exploring Fertility

Maternal health refers to the journey from pregnancy to child birth to the postnatal period. Every mother's experience is different and includes a continuum of scientific and medical, through to psychosocial and spiritual aspects. This episode is the first of a two-part series focused on this important topic. We spoke to Dr. Kaajal Abrol, a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Specialist in Toronto, at Trio Fertility. In this wide-ranging discussion, she touches on causes of infertility and treatments, as well as when we should all start thinking about our own fertility, freezing eggs, embryo genetic screening, and much more. We also sat down with Amira Posner, a therapist with a private practice in Toronto, and someone with personal experience with infertility and in-vitro fertilization. She now helps many couples facing similar challenges by facilitating the Mind-Body Fertility Group and co-facilitating the Online Mindfulness Fertility Series. Finally, we also heard personal stories from four different mothers as they navigated deciding to get pregnant and the diverse paths that they took from there, including some difficult challenges they faced. Stay tuned for our second episode on maternal health, where we'll discuss being pregnant, childbirth, and the postnatal period! Until then, #keepitraw!

Written by: Grace Jacobs

Dr. Kaajal Abrol's website
Amira Posner's website: Healing Infertility
Dr. Jen Gunter's website
Ontario funded fertility treatments

#77: Trans Health: True to Self

Acceptance of transgender and non-binary folks in Canada has come a long way in the last decade and arguably much of this progress was made in just the last few years. While many of us take for granted the ability to express our true selves, it was only in June of 2017 that gender identity and expression was officially recognized and protected from discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act. This and many other policy changes, including those related to healthcare, stem from decades of effort and courage from the trans community. On this episode, you'll hear several perspectives on the past, present, and future of trans health. We spoke to Susan Gapka, a trans-rights advocate and Education and Training Program facilitator at The 519, who discussed her work at The 519, political activism, and lived experience as a trans individual. We also spoke with Sly Sarkisova, a psychotherapist and a registered clinical social worker specializing in trauma and LGBTQ+-related mental health, who walked us through the challenges faced by trans and non-binary folks and how they might interact with the healthcare system. Finally, Dr. Mitchell Brown, an Associate Professor in Department of Surgery at University of Toronto and plastic surgeon at Women's College Hospital, spoke to us about the Transition-Related Surgery Program, the first public hospital-based surgical program in Canada focused on providing safe and timely access to transition-related surgical care.

Written by: Tsukiko Miyata

Rainbow Health Ontario
Sherbourne Health
Women's College Hospital - Transition Related Surgeries Program
The 519
Toronto Trans Coalition Project
CAMH Gender Identity Clinic
Glad Day Bookshop
Flamingo Rampant - A micropress with a mission
Sly Sarkisova

#76: Sports Medicine & Performance: It Takes a Team

Sports play an important role in our culture, from the individual level where many participate in recreational activities for exercise and social benefits, to the national and international levels where professional sports are a huge industry worth billions. Sports can strongly unite people, but athletes of every level from the weekend warrior to the professional athlete can face challenges that remind us that there is a team behind the team - helping maintain their mental and physical health! In this episode we hear from inspiring speakers sharing their insights from the worlds of medicine, research and professional athlete development. Dr. Doug Richards kicks things off, he is the Medical Director and Staff Physician practicing sport and exercise medicine at the David L. MacIntosh Sport Medicine Clinic, Chief Medical Officer at the Canadian Sport Institute of Ontario, and Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto. Next up to the plate is Dr. Gretchen Kerr, the Vice Dean of Programs at the School of Graduate Students and Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto specializing in athlete maltreatment. Karl Subban earns the hat trick with his inspirational personal experiences as an educator and in raising five elite children, including the development of 3 NHL Players. In the spirit of teamwork, this episode was created in collaboration with Medicine in Motion. Until next time, #keepitraw

Written by: Stephanie Nishi

Medicine and Motion Podcast
Athlete Maltreatment Among National Athletes Prevalence Study
Athlete Maltreatment Among National Athletes Prevalence Summary
NCAA Athlete Mental Health

#75: The Healing Power of Music

Music, we listen to it when waking up, while in transit, at work, and with friends. It is a form of entertainment, but also has the potential to provide so much more. Music is a universal language with the ability to connect and reach people on social, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual levels. It can bring us joy and motivate us, accompany us through difficult times, evoke nostalgia, and alleviate our worries. These qualities allow music to be applied to improving physical, emotional, and mental well-being. In this episode, we invite you to join us as we explore the science of music therapy. We hear from five music therapists working in various aspects of the field: Dr. Michael Thaut, Canada Research Chair in Music and Health Sciences; Dr. SarahRose Black, Music Therapist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Kensington Health; Priya Shah, Music Therapist at Journey Home Hospice, Fudger House, and the Music Therapy Centre; Dr. Corene Hurt-Thaut, Assistant Professor of Music and Health Sciences at the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, and Program Director of the Academy of Neurological Music Therapy; and Bernice Chu, Neurologic Music Therapy Fellow in the United Kingdom at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability. In addition to our guests' insights, they also shared musical snippets of their work with their clients, which may tug at your heart strings and inspire. You'll want to stay tuned to the very end! We hope this episode opens your ears and heart to the role of music in health and wellbeing, and inspires you to listen and explore the power of music. Until next time, keep it raw!

Written by: Stephanie Nishi

Music Therapy Association of Ontario (MTAO)
The Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy
UHN Music Therapy Inpatient Resource
Certification Board for Music Therapists
Canadian Association of Music Therapists
Music Heals

#74: Outbreak Transmission: When Diseases Go Viral

While humans have struggled for millennia with the spread of contagious diseases, rapid global movement of people and food now magnifies the risks of outbreaks, requiring better monitoring and faster response than ever before. Completely by coincidence, during the making of this episode, the 2019 novel coronavirus spread from Wuhan to the rest of Asia, Europe, and North America. The World Health Organization has officially upgraded this outbreak to the status of Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). While many infectious disease specialists were busy dealing with this outbreak, we were fortunate to speak with several key experts about outbreak science, monitoring, response, and prediction. First, we spoke with Dr. Kamran Khan, a physician, academic, and scientist at St. Micheal's Hospital and University of Toronto. Dr. Khan is an Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. He also founded BlueDot, a company specializing in machine learning models to predict the timing and trajectory of infectious disease outbreaks. We also spoke with Dr. Ross Upshur, a professor at the University of Toronto in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Upshur is a specialist in public health medicine, and Head of the Clinical Public Health Division at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Join us as we discuss the pressing issues of outbreaks, and track one in real time, on this week's episode of Raw Talk.

Written by: Amber-Anne Mullin

JHU COVID-19 Dashboard
BlueDot
Naming New Viruses: Something Catchy?
History of Outbreaks in Canada
Public Health Agency of Canada
CDC Outbreak Monitoring
WHO Disease Outbreaks Monitoring
WHO Handbook on Epidemics
Dr Margaret Chan speaks at the 70th World Health Assembly
MSF (Doctors Without Borders)
Against Malaria Foundation
Evidence Actions's Deworm the World

#73: Biohacking: From Sci-Fi to Reality

Our genetic information makes us who we are. "Hacking" into such an essential part of nature used to be something that happened only in science fiction. However, technology and scientific knowledge are evolving rapidly and "bio-hacking" has gone from sci-fi to reality. In fact, scientists and doctors around the world are conducting studies to see whether genetic engineering techniques could be used as interventions for various diseases like sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. On this week's episode, we explore what our future could look like if we start to modulate our own biology at the genetic level. Dr. Josiah Zayner, CEO of the ODIN and promoter of DIY biology, shared his passion for hands-on science, learning from self-experimentation and genetic engineering in his own home. The techniques and the potential of genetic engineering were further explained by Andrew Hessel, a "genomic futurist" and co-lead of the Genome Project-Write. We also spoke with Dr. Michael Szego, Clinical Ethicist and Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine and Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto, to weigh in on the role of ethics in genetic engineering. Finally, our team reflected on how we envision "biohacking" in the future. Are you ready to biohack yourself? Tune in to find out!

Written by: Tsukiko Miyata

Raw Talk Listener Survey!
Open Insulin
NEO.LIFE: Online Magazine
Josiah Zayner: STAT News Op-Ed
The Odin
Andrew Hessel's Website
New York Times Op-doc: "Gut Hack"
Genome Project-Write
Humane Genomics
Dr. Michael Szego
Article: Gene therapy clinical trials worldwide to 2017: An update
Article: CRISPR'd babies: human germline genome editing in the 'He Jiankui affair'
Article: Where will we draw the line? Public opinions of human gene editing

#72: Burning Up: The Health Impacts of Climate Change

Climate change has been called the defining issue of our time. Its scope, complexity, and impact pose an enormous challenge to humanity. Political, economic, ecological, agricultural, and health systems are already being affected in unprecedented ways. In this episode, we sat down with climate experts and activists to discuss these issues. First, we heard from George Kourounis, renowned global adventurer, storm chaser, and host of Angry Planet, who clarified the difference between climate and weather, and described the impacts of climate change we're already feeling. Next, we listened in on a talk by Gideon Forman, a Policy Analyst at the David Suzuki Foundation and former Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). He discussed the magnitude of climate change in the context of health. Dr. Chung-Wai Chow, a lung transplant physician and leading research scientist at the University Health Network, whom we heard from in episode 38, elaborated on the effects of wildfires and pollution on respiratory health, based on her research in Fort McMurray. You'll also hear from Dr. Edward Xie and learn more about how other vulnerable populations are being impacted by climate change, from Indigenous communities in Canada to climate refugees across the globe. Dr Xie helped us understand how increased flooding, droughts, and spread of infectious diseases are further stressing fragile health systems based on his work as an emergency and family physician at the University of Toronto and board member of CAPE. While the situation is serious, there's much we can do to help fight climate change, from personal lifestyle changes to community activism to international accountability. Along with our other guests, Carol Devine, Humanitarian Advisor for Doctors Without Borders and Community Scholar in the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research at York University, shared her insights and recommendations on how we can tackle the climate challenge together.

Written by: Stephanie Nishi

Raw Talk Listener Survey!
TEA: Toronto Environmental Alliance
CAPE: Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
CAPE Toolkit for Health Professionals
David Suzuki Foundation
Angry Planet, with George Kourounis
A crisis in the making: MSF and the global health impact of climate change (Article)
Lancet Climate Change Countdown 2019 Report
Meatless Mondays
Climate-induced migration and displacement: closing the policy gap
The UN Refugee Agency: The 1951 Convention

#71: What Does It All Mean?

What does it mean to lead a meaningful life? How do we find meaning in a modern context? Are we in the midst of a "meaning crisis"? Answering such profound questions is no easy task, but in this episode, we speak to several guests who are diving into the deep end and trying to do just that. First, we speak with Dr. Fabienne Picard, a neurologist at the University Hospital of Geneva, about using ecstatic seizures to scientifically study the feeling of meaning and what occurs physiologically during these moments. Then, we hear Dr. Tayyab Rashid, a clinical psychologist at the Health and Wellness Centre at the University of Toronto Scarborough, discuss how he uses positive psychology in his clinical practice to help people achieve a sense of well-being. Finally, we sat down with Dr. John Vervaeke, an associate professor of psychology and cognitive science at the University of Toronto, to hear all about zombies, the "meaning crisis", and to get a more philosophical perspective on meaning and how to live a more meaningful life. So join us as we tackle these profound questions, and explore the science, psychology, and the philosophy of meaning and wellbeing. And hopefully you find something meaningful in our exploration!

Written by: Amber-Anne Mullin

Consciousness and Wisdom Lab
Dr Tayyab Rashid's Website
Awakening from the Meaning Crisis YouTube Series

#70: Not Just Tiny Adults

Children have historically been excluded from medical research studies and clinical trials in order to protect them. While this exclusion is well intentioned, we need pediatric research to answer important clinical questions and improve clinical care for this patient population. On this episode of Raw Talk, we explored the nuances of pediatric health research and clinical practice. Our conversation started with Dr. Elizabeth Stephenson, Staff Cardiologist, researcher, and Chair of the Research Ethics Board at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), who shares why it's so important to include vulnerable populations, like children, in research and the ethical considerations that make this possible. Dr. Stephenson also discussed concepts including capacity, consent vs assent, and risk vs benefit in the pediatric setting. We also spoke with Nurse Practitioner Tara McKeown and Clinical Research Nurse Andrea Cote about their exciting and challenging roles in the New Agent and Innovative Therapy (NAIT) program, conducting early phase clinical trials at SickKids. Finally, Dr. Paul Nathan, Director of the AfterCare childhood cancer survivorship program at SickKids, shares how clinical care differs in childhood vs adult cancer survivors, the concept of "shared care" in this field, and both he and Dr. Stephenson discuss the importance of including children and adolescents in conversations about their health.

Written by: Melissa Galati

Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario
All Ontario AfterCare Programs - POGO
SickKids AfterCare Program
New Agent and Innovative Therapy (NAIT) Program
Children's Oncology Group (COG)
Ronald McDonald House Toronto

#69: Forgotten Voices: Exploring Homelessness and Health

Homelessness remains a persistent, societal and human rights issue that affects over 250,000 Canadians. The challenges go beyond just finding a place to live – those who are homeless or vulnerably housed have higher incidences of chronic mental and physical health problems and often face stigma while navigating the healthcare system. On this episode, we heard from different voices at the intersection of homelessness and health. We started our conversation with Linda Bingham from Working for Change, who shared her lived experience with homelessness and addiction and how she has now found her voice to tell her story for the very first time. We also spoke to Daniela Mergarten, who told us about her struggles to find stable housing, her experiences with the healthcare system, and her advocacy work with the Lived Experience Caucus of the Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness. Dr. Alissa Tedesco, a physician in the Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless (PEACH) program and co-chair of Health Providers Against Poverty (HPAP) Ontario, told us about the work being done on the frontline to address the healthcare needs of people who are homeless as well as some of the shortcomings of our healthcare and social service systems. Finally, Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos, a clinician-scientist and physician in chief at CAMH, told us about her work looking at the effectiveness of a Housing First approach to improve housing stability and health outcomes amongst people experiencing homelessness.

Written by: Thamiya Vasanthakumar

Linda Bingham's full interview
Daniela Mergarten's full interview
Voices on the Street, Working for Change
Dr. Naheed Dosani TedX Talk
Daniela's CBC article on losing home on Dovercourt
PEACH Website
Journey Home Hospice
Paper by Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos: Key Ingredients of a Cross-Section Partnership
Extension of At Home/Chez Soi Study by Vicky Stergiopoulos
Upstream Lab
Health Providers Against Poverty (HPAP)
A Housing First Success Story
Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness
Street Health Report Card
Too Little Too Late: How we fail vulnerable Canadians as they die and what to do about it