Beaker Bros

University is a stressful time for many students. Mental health concerns exacerbated during this time can not only negatively impact one’s well-being, but can also significantly hinder one’s education. In this podcast, Sohnia, Jaanuni, and special guest Fiona He contextualize statistics regarding the mental health of Canadian university students. They also have a candid conversation about academics, cultural expectations, managing stress, and share positive affirmations.

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Beaker Bros is back after taking a break to prepare for the MCAT. In this week's episode, Sohnia and Jaanuni share their experiences with studying for and writing the MCAT and critique the reliability and validity of standardized tests. In addition, feel free to contact us to ask for tips or advice in regards to the MCAT.

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Regardless of who you are or where you come from, you likely know someone who has experienced sleep deprivation. In fact, it is often an overlooked health condition that affects 1 in 3 people. In this episode of Beaker Bros, Sohnia and Jaanuni explore the short and long-term effects of sleep deprivation.

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Whether you're a university student or a 70-year-old enjoying retirement, you probably had some sort of encounter with alcohol. In this week's episode, Jaanuni and Sohnia discuss the physiological effects of alcohol on your body. As well, we delve into alcohol consumption education in schools and whether or not addiction is a choice or an illness.

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In 1976, Dr. Harald Hausen discovered that patients infected with Human papillomavirus (HPV) are at an increased risk of developing cervical cancer. Subsequent discoveries paved the way for developing screening tests and vaccines that identify and prevent cervical tumors. Despite significant advancements, local and global health inequity perpetuate incidences of HPV infection and cervical cancer. In acknowledgment of this, Sohnia and Jaanuni will discuss the etiology of HPV infection and cervical cancer, challenges in implementing identification and prevention strategies, as well as monitoring morbidity and mortality.

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In this week's episode, Beaker Bros gathered science questions that kids had and answered them! Questions such as why sunsets have different colours to why do we need to sleep, this episode shares some fun facts about different phenomena and everyday occurrences.

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In Canada, stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and third leading cause of death. Currently, more than 700,000 Canadians aged 20 and older have experienced a stroke.

In recognition of Stroke Awareness Month, Sohnia and Jaanuni invited undergraduate research student,  Lee-Ran Goodman, to share her experiences learning about stroke. Lee-Ran highlights emerging research, important risk factors, prevention and identification strategies, as well as potential challenges in communicating stroke and general scientific research to the public.

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Veganism is the practice and philosophy of rejecting the commodity status of animals. In this week's episode, Jaanuni and Sohnia dispel some common misconceptions of veganism and share the different perspectives as a non-vegan and vegan individual.

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The fashion industry is notorious for generating greenhouse emissions, polluting Earth's freshwater, and fostering deplorable working conditions. However, in recent years, “sustainable fashion” has emerged as the pinnacle of environmental conservatism within the industry. In this week’s episode of Beaker Bros, Sohnia and Jaanuni discuss if the fashion industry can truly be sustainable.

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Addiction is categorized and diagnosed as a medical disease. In this week’s episode, Jaanuni and Sohnia talk about how the various disciplines of science and their advancements play a role in determining what addiction really is, how addiction affects the brain and the novel pharmacological interventions in combatting addiction.

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