Gradcast

Have you wondered about the effects of climate change on salmon migration and spawning? In this episode, hosts Elizabeth Mohler and Ana Moyer sit down with Biology PhD candidate Carlie Muir to hear about her research into the thermal physiology of Atlantic salmon. In recent years, climate change has resulted in heat waves that surpass the temperatures salmon can survive at, causing mass die-offs during their spawning migrations. Learn about the potential for salmon to acclimate to higher temperatures, and at the heart of the matter, the cardiac physiology that might allow salmon to survive in the face of climate change.  To find out more from Carlie, follow her on Twitter @CarlieMuir Video version available on YouTube Recorded on July 27, 2021 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

How do dominant discourses surrounding childhood disability shape rehabilitative practice? That is the core question on the research project of the MSc student Emily Cox. In this episode, hosts Ana Moyer and Laura Munoz find themselves re thinking ideas such as independence, identity and the differences between impairment and disability. Emily's study intend to reveal whether the ways we think about and act on disabilities have an impact on the lives of disabled children.   To reach Emily you can email her at ecox29@uwo.ca Recorded on July 6, 2021. Produced by Laura Munoz Baena. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Ever heard the advice "eat less, move more"? In this episode, hosts Liam Clifford and Amalie Hutchinson sit down with Psychology MSc student Danika Quesnel to hear about her research into dysfunctional exercise, and learn that for some people with eating disorders, "moving more" becomes dangerous. Treatments for dysfunctional exercise are still in their infancy, despite its prevalence and importance, and Danika is at the forefront of the field. Listen in as Danika shares her extensive knowledge of dysfunctional exercise; how it presents, how it is treated, and where to find help if you or a friend is experiencing an eating disorder.    Recorded on July 13, 2021. Produced by Hira Nadeem. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

In a new series created by GradCast, There Is No Planet B - the first of many conversations about the definition of sustainability, and how it impacts not only the environment, but economics and sociology. Hosts Danica Facca and Rose Giles introduce Brendon Samuels, a PhD student in the department of Biology, and the Society of Graduate Student's Sustainability Coordinator.  If you would like to get in touch with Brendon, you can find him on Twitter. Full video on YouTube Recorded on June 23, 2021 Produced by Rhys Paterson  Theme song provided by https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/bathtime-funk License code: B7LBQYKLY9EDAFQ3

Laura Muñoz is a PhD student studying virus evolution. In this episode Laura tells Ariel Frame about her research surrounding virus Overlapping Reading Frames, the impacts of viruses on evolution of life on Earth, and how these are studying using bioinformatics. To learn more about Laura's research, find her on Twitter. Recorded on July 6, 2021. Produced by Laura Munoz Baena. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

In this Episode, we sit down with Ana Moyer, an MA student in Art History. Ana is studying the representation of traditional Inuit tattoos within art. For their MA work, they are specifically writing on two contemporary Inuit artists: Ningiukulu Teevee and Sarah Ayaki Whalen-Lunn, the latter also being a trained tattooist in the skin-stitching tradition. From Ana, we learn the different ways tattooing is taken up in Indigenous culture, and how Indigenous tattoos are different from traditional Western tattoos. To hear more from Ana, you can email them at genderconcerns@sogs.ca or amoyer9@uwo.ca. Full video on Youtube.  Recorded on June 14, 2021. Produced by Hira Nadeem. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Remember those fruit flies that annoy you by incessantly buzzing around? They are an essential part of PhD in Biology candidate Yanira Jimenez Padilla's work. In her time at Western, she has worked with her winged friends by introducing yeast during their growth cycle to observe  any anatomical changes that take place. Why, you ask? Well as hosts Liam Clifford and Elizabeth Mohler learn, it's because these changes can help us understand how microbes (or the lack thereof) can impact the development in a living thing. As a result, the conversation that ensues seeks to familiarize listeners with all sorts of super cool bugs that influence our daily lives.   Full video available on YouTube Recorded on June 29, 2021 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

Many people have never heard of the Falkland Islands, let alone the Falklands War. However, for History MA student, Ryan McLachlan, it is the source of much interest. In this episode, hosts Rosemary Giles and Ana Moyer get a crash course history lesson about the Falklands War from Ryan. The small islands in the South Atlantic were the setting for a defining moment, and on 2 April 1982, Argentina invaded the Falklands, which had been British territory for almost 150 years. What followed was a short, fast paced war, concluding with a British victory on 14 June 1982. Ryan’s research focuses on the empire-related nostalgia that was produced by the war and felt throughout the United Kingdom. After the Second World War, and over the following three decades, the sun slowly set on the British Empire. The Falklands were a source of pride when the British stood up against an aggressor, rejuvenating the spirit of the British people, and marked the rebirth of the nation. An integral part of Ryan’s research is the materia

In this episode, hosts, Elizabeth Mohler and Francesco Colosimo, sit down with fourth year Integrative Bioscience PhD student, Megha Rao. For her research, Megha is currently looking at understanding the process of inter-facility transport of acutely ill and preterm neonates in Ontario. In other words...the path of care an ill newborn takes to recovery. Megha has extensive experience in this area of research previously working at SickKids in Toronto. For more on Megha’s research, you can find her on Instagram @TheBabyResearcher where she shares things that she’s learnt with a community of HCPs, parents, academics, researchers and graduate students. Full video on YouTube Recorded on May 15, 2021 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

In this special episode Danica Facca and Becky Horst, the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) VP Academic and VP Finance respectively, speak with Rhys Paterson and Francesco Colosimo about their positions as SOGS VPs and give us the details on what it’s like to have these roles, how their responsibilties have changed due to the pandemic and their experiences holding such responsibilities while being students.  To get in touch with Danica, you can contact her through her email academic@sogs.ca. Alternitively, you can follow her in Twitter and Instagram. To contact and Beck you can send her an email to finance@sogs.ca. Recorded on June 15, 2021. Produced by Laura Munoz Baena. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Did you ever wonder how, exactly, a drone operates, or how disease is detected in farmers’ fields?  Well, in this episode of Gradcast, we sit down with Nicholas Mitchell and learn about his masters work witch was focused on multispectral cameras that are attached to drones for agri-tech applications. Some of the things you can use this for is: detecting diseases in farm fields, giving locations for farmers to increase or decrease fertilizer and assessing nitrogen and chlorophyll content of plants!  To learn more about Nicholas' work, check out the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Western's CubeSat team Ukpik-1, or you can email him at nmitch6@uwo.ca! Recorded on June 8, 2021. Produced by Hira Nadeem. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Have you heard of SOGS (Society of Graduate Students), but not really familiar with what SOGS is or what SOGS does?  In this episode, hosts Elizabeth Mohler and Gavin Tolometti unpack all things SOGS and sit down with VP Student Services, Effie Sapuridis and VP Advocacy, Yousuf Hasan to learn more about their roles. Elizabeth and Gavin hear about Empower You, a free, confidential counselling program offered to all graduate students, and learn that the work of advocacy includes much more than speaking up for students. Want to know more, check out this episode at the link below., and stay tuned for our next episode where gradcast host members sit down with the rest of the SOGS executive. If you would like to learn more about Effie's and Yousuf's roles as SOGS Executives, you can check out the SOGS website here. Full Video on YouTube  Recorded on June 2, 2021 Produced by Gavin Tolometti Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

In this episode kirstyn seanor, the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) President, speaks with Ariel Frame and Yimin Chen about their role as president and recent developments coming from the SOGS structural retreat. kirstyn delves into the history and structure of SOGS and elaborates on the big issues SOGS is addressing at the moment.    To hear more from kirstyn, contact them through email president@sogs.ca or follow them on Twitter @kirstynasdf or the SOGS Discord   To find out about SOGS activities or get involved in SOGS, check out the website sogs.ca or Twitter @WesternSOGS and Instagram @WesternSOGS Recorded on May 20, 2021. Produced by Hira Nadeem. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

Sebastien Heine has nearly finished his 2 year MSc in Biology. He explains his research on Drosophila (fruit fly) female aggression to hosts Ariel Frame and Laura Munoz. Sebastien goes into details about his history with research and how he developed a general fascination with  neuroscience and how these brain cells connect with each other. His passion began at a young age and was fuelled by his reading of Connectome by Sebastien Seung. To find out more from Sebastien, check out his LinkedIn profile, his Facebook or email him at sheine@uwo.ca   Recorded on June 1st, 2021. Produced by Laura Munoz Baena. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

So often in media and in real life, meteorites (asteroids that do not burn up in the atmosphere) striking the surface of Earth often result in catastrophic consequences for all living things. However, Geology and Planetary Sciences PhD student Lauren Stone opts to reveal the whole picture. In this episode, hosts Liam Clifford and Gavin Tolometti learn how this destructive process, known as impact cratering, can paradoxically foster a habitable environment for microscopic organisms. By discovering the secrets of these endoliths (life that survives in rocks), Lauren's research demonstrates the resiliency of life to prosper in the unlikeliest of places. Full video available on YouTube Recorded on May 25, 2021 Produced by Gavin Tolometti Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

In this episode Emily Davidson tells Ariel Frame and Rosemary Giles about her exciting new research project in the Neuroscience MSc program. In this project Emily will be conducting fMRI brains scans of people playing the video game Pac-Man, a more engaging task than is typically used. As a student co-supervised by philosophy professor Dr. Michael Anderson and psychology professor Jody Culham, Emily discusses her interest in the marriage of philosophy and neuroscience.  To find out more from Emily or possibly sign up to participate in her study email her ejdavidson777@gmail.com Full video available on YouTube Recorded on May 18, 2021 Produced by Ariel Frame Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

Hosts Laura and Francesco talk to masters student James Braden of his work on predicting and managing high level floods through the preparation of flood models. Here, James explains how the models work and why it is so difficult to be accurate when using data from some of the more complex systems on Earth: the weather. Listen to this episode to find out the requirements for models with higher resolution, and how they are used to inform decisions on the infrastructure of entire cities.  Recorded on May 11, 2021. Produced by Laura Munoz Baena. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.

We often think of psychedelics to be purely recreational, but studies are showing that they may have medical value. Hosts, Rhys Paterson and Francesco Colosimo sat down with Master of Science student, Sid Rankaduwa, to discuss his research involving looking for the possibility of 'higher states of consciousness' in psilocybin users. More specifically, he is testing the effects of psilocybin on certain aspects of visual processing, and seeing how this might inform current theories of consciousness. To hear more from Sid and about psychedelic research, check out the MAPS Canada podcast! Recorded on May 4, 2021. Produced by Hira Nadeem. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot.  

We often think of hibernation as simply going to sleep in the wintertime, but hibernating animals aren't actually sleeping at all! It's really a special type of dormancy or torpor. This week, hosts Yimin Chen and Laura Baena speak to Masters of Biology student Amalie Hutchinson about what the cute little thirteen-lined ground squirrel of Manitoba can teach us about the cellular processes that occur while these animals are snoozing under the snow. Recorded on April 27, 2021 Produced by Laura Munoz Baena Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a number of obstacles that students with disabilities face when accessing material online and participating in virtual courses. The shift to an almost to fully virtual format has made it challenging for students who relied on accessibility services on campus, and their ability to converse with fellow students and professors in person to overcome certain issues regarding navigating courses. Occupational Science PhD student Elizabeth Mohler is working on a way to get the word out and bring these issues to light. She has been reached out by Accessible Media Inc. (a not for profit media company the empowers and entertains Canadians who are blind or partially sighted) to help create a documentary discussing what accessibility education during the COVID-19 pandemic has looked like since early 2020. Elizabeth talks about what institutions have implemented in its education system to help ensure students with disabilities are not put at a disadvantage during the pandemic, and to ensu