GradCast

351 | New Views of the Aging Brain

Kate Onuska is a PhD student in the Department of Neuroscience. She is working on new ways to trace changes in the brain cholinergic system associated with age. She described the different brain imaging techniques before diving into her research on a new marker for cholinergic neurons called FEOBV in association with positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Her work with mice increases our understanding of proteins and how neuronal tracts change with time that could lead to pathologies such as Alzheimer’s disease. 

To hear more about Kate's research, follow her on Twitter @k8onuska and check out the INCA Lab here.

Recorded on November 2nd, 2021.

Produced by Hira Nadeem.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

350 | Hibernation: Time to Seek Shelter

If you ever wonder about the survival of some organisms during the winter, you won't want to miss this episode, where hosts Amalie and Laura talk to PhD student Brynne Duffy about one of the most interesting survival strategies in mammals: hibernation. Particularly, the conversation centers around thirteen lined squirrels, obligated hibernators that almost shut down their entire body during several days, significantly reducing their body temperature. Find out how climate change could affect the survival of squirrels and discover other potential uses of hibernation, way out of the burrow, in human organ transplant.

To learn more about the science of hibernation, find Brynne on twitter as @BrynneDuffy. 

Recorded on October 26, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

349 | Intervertebral Disc Jockey

Jeff Hutchinson is a PhD student in Physiology and Pharmacology studying the intervertebral disc and back pain. Jeff explains to Elizabeth Mohler and Ariel Frame how his research is conducted using a variety of models and involves understanding the effects of sex hormones. 

To find out more about Jeff's work, check out Dr. Cheryle Séguin's website.

Recorded on Oct 19, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Acing the Basics: Special Episode for Asexual Awareness Week

In this special episode in honour of Asexual Awareness Week, hosts Laura Muñoz-Baena and Ana Moyer chat with PhD Philosophy student Katrina Zmavc, in partnership with SOGS Graduate Peer Support (GPS). Join us in discussing the spectrum of possibilities surrounding asexuality, which is often categorized as a lack of sexual attraction. 

 

If you would like to continue this discussion in a safe space, check out our collaboration with GPS’s Shared Experiences event on November 4th, 2021 at 7:00PM. You can find more information here and register for the event here.

 

Recorded on October 14, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

348 | There and Back Again

Join hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Yimin Chen as they chat with PhD grad and MLIS candidate, Brooke Brassard. Our conversation follows Brooke's slightly unorthodox (pun intended) journey from a PhD in religious studies to life after graduation, to her return to grad school. She shares about her experience and life advice about doing field work, navigating the post-grad experience, and what life is like beyond the degree.

To find out more from Brooke, follow her on Twitter @BrookeBrassard or listen to her on the So What? podcast

Recorded on Oct 12, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

347 | Lost in Translation

Ariel Frame and Elizabeth Mohler speak with Brendan Charles about his research on Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) investigating how these animals behave and how they can be used to study the biology of the brain. In particular, Brendan discusses work from his recently completed MSc and ongoing PhD work that touches on 9 neurons in the fly brain which govern female aggressive behaviour and characterization of tRNA mistranslation in flies. 

To learn more about this kind of fly research, check out Dr. Amanda Moehring's Twitter @FlyBehaviour and website.

 

Recorded on Oct 6, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

346 | Mars Rocks! A look into AI and Machine Learning

In this episode, Francesco Colosimo and Rhys Paterson sit down with Alexis Pascual, PhD student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department, as he updates us on his research with machine learning and AI in space applications. Alexis explains how he uses linear algebra and statistics on images to teach extraterrestrial vehicles to pick out interesting features on a martian surface. This episode is full of questions to be answered such as: the probability of the MARS rover becoming a self-sufficient machine, what the Mars yard is like and who is better: Canadian Space Agency or NASA?

To hear more from Alexis, head over to his website https://alexispascual.github.io 

You can listen to his previous episode here.  

Recorded on September 28th, 2021.

Produced by Hira Nadeem.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

345 | Clickbait for Mice and How to Change the Structure of your Brain

Ever see a link on your phone that you just HAVE to click? As it turns out, so do mice! Join hosts Amalie Hutchinson and Laura Muñoz Baena as they chat with aspiring neuroscientist Esmin Unaran and learn about how learning itself can change the structure of your brain. Esmin explains how she uses myelin concentration of mouse brains to study how much they learn using touch-screen operant chambers. Might want to grab yourself a strawberry milkshake before you click "play" on this episode!

To learn more about Erin's research, find her on her Twitter as @esminunaran

Recorded on September 21st, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

344 | The Power of Visual Arts: Photography, Heritage and Migration

In this episode, hosts Laura Muñoz-Baena and Ana Moyer chat with Anahí González, a PhD student in Art and Visual Culture. As a Mexican photographer based in Canada, Anahí is interested in how migrant labour is portrayed in Canadian media and explores alternative visual narratives that might contribute to a different view of migration in North America. 

To learn more about Anahí, visit her photography website or follow her in Instagram

 

Recorded on September 14th, 2021.

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena.

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

343 | Depression from a Neurophilosophical Point of View

In this episode, Katrina Zmavc (PhD Philosophy Student) discusses her research on depression and how it really is an umbrella term for many related disorders. She also chats with hosts (Yousuf Hasan and Ana Moyer) about her involvement with the Society of Graduate Students as a member of the Graduate Peer Support Committee. Her aim is to find strategies to de-stigmatize mental illness and spread awareness about mental health in our community. You can view more about Katrina's research at Rotman Institute of Philosophy and the TCN Lab websites

Recorded on Sept 9, 2021

Produced by Yousuf Hasan, Edited by Ariel Frame

Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.