GradCast

Special Episode: Mission Weather Balloon

Taniya and Nav interview an Interdisciplinary team of engineers and scientists (Alexis Pascual, 
Gavin Tolometti, Liam Innis, and Matthew Svensson) who have come together to study microorganisms in the atmosphere by launching a weather balloon in April!

Hosts: Navneeth Mohan & Taniya Nagpal

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

158 | Let's Get Physio!

We know that all dogs go to heaven, but can all dogs go to physiotherapy? This week Viki and Ariel spoke with Liz Fryer, a second year student in the Master of Physical Therapy program here at Western. Join us as we discuss placement experiences, current research in the field, and some unconventional canine therapies. 

 

You can follow up with Liz on program details and more at @elizabethfryer on Instagram or efryer3@uwo.ca

 

Hosts: Ariel Frame & Viki Tellios 

 

 

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

Special Episode: Keynote Western Research Forum Part 1 - Hearts

In this week's episode of GradCast, we present Part 1 of our 2 part series from the Western Research Forum, Western University's largest interdisciplinary showcase of research. Every year, the Society of Graduate Students presents a day-long conference filled with talks from faculties around campus, all associated with the theme of the year. WRF 2018 is all about Controversy.

Navaneeth and Yimin chat with WRF 2018 organizer Emily Carlisle, about Controversy and how it is to organize such a big event.

We also chat with keynote speaker Dr. Shelley McKellar from History of Medicine at Western. Dr. McKellar gave an engaging talk about the controversy-laden and boundary-breaking invention, the artificial heart, a topic of her new book "Artificial Hearts: The Allure and Ambivalence of a Controversial Medical technology". 

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Navaneeth Mohan

Produced by: Susan Anthony

157 | Moderation in Marijuana

On ingesting cannabinoids, why do some people have panic attacks, while others experience cerebral euphoria? The answer might lie with a specific part of the brain. Western PhD student Chris Norris has specifically targeted the "hedonic hotspot". Here on Gradcast, with Viki and Nav, he shares his research that could change the lives of people living with PTSD. 

Chris is on Twitter and you can follow him @QABalistic

To connect with Chris' supervisor, Dr. Steven Laviollette, you can follow him on Twitter @neuralnetwork19

Hosts: Navneeth Mohan & Viki Tellios

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

156 | Fiendishly Free Markets: Critiquing Colossal Capitalism

Alexandre Desbiens-Brassard joins Roger and Charlotte to speak about his PhD thesis in comparative literature. Alex's work is examining English and French language contemporary horror and science fiction works, including Jurassic Park, which features monsters created by human technology with the ultimate goal to explore and comment on capitalist modes of production in our society. 

Hosts: Roger Hudson & Charlotte Panneton

 

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

155 | From the World to Western

In 2015, the Trudeau government committed to resettling 39,000 Syrian refugees across Canada, with over 1,000 finding their way here to London. On this episode, Yimin and Ariel speak with Masters of Public Administration candidate Henry Awere, who is investigating the municipal programs in place to help refugees integrate into our community.

Hosts: Yimin Chen & Ariel Frame

Produced by: Chantal Lemire

154 | Bad Ass Beetles

Last week, the snow in our backyard thawed, and out of the ground came a host of pesky bugs. For Jacqueline Lebenzon, that is research fodder! She studies a species of beetle - the Colorado potato beetle - because their extraordinary winter survival tactic could hold the cellular key to battling aging. Tune in with Roger and Nav.

You can follow Jackie's science and art at jackielebenzon.com and on Twitter @JackieLebz

Hosts: Rogen Hudson and Navneeth Mohen  

 

Produced by Susan Anthony

 

153 | When Dendrites Go Dend-Wrong

You might think it's laughing gas or a race car fuel, but NO! Nitric Oxide is a crucial compound vital for healthy brain function. Viki Tellios is a neuroscience PhD student working to find out just how NO affects cerebellum development and maintenance. On this episode, Ariel and Yimin learn about an unexpected connection between Bill Nye and "drunk" mice.

If you would like to know more about Viki's research, you can email her at vtellios@uwo.ca

Hosts: Yimin Chen and Ariel Frame

 

Produced by Susan Anthony

Special Episode: WUGSOM Part 2 - Meaningful Music and Women in Song

Continuing our coverage of the Western University Graduate Symposium on Music, Yimin and Roger speak with Elizabeth Mitchell about her work on inclusive arts for children with disabilites and with Martha Schulenburg about what "Vamp" songs reveal about the role of women in the early 20th century.

Hosts: Yimin Chen and Roger Hudson

 

Produced by Susan Anthony

152 | The hot and cold of lava

We heard that Gavin Tolometti works with lava, and we thought you should hear about that too. He's smashed solid lava with a hammer. Has melted it in a furnace. Sliced it into hair-thin discs. Because somewhere in there is the key to understanding our moon and many extraterrestrial planets. Join Susan and Navaneeth as they discover how to research on the rocks.

Look for more info on Gavin's work on his blog at

http://gavintolometti.wixsite.com/gdtcpsx

And on Twitter @GavinOnTheMoon

Hosts: Susan Anthony and Navaneeth Mohan

 

 Produced by Susan Anthony