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 ensure we retain protocols and structures that have helped students in the education system and not revert back to a pre-pandemic system. In this episode, hosts Liam Clifford and Gavin Tolometti find out how an able-body student can provide support for students disabilities in virtual and in-person classes, and how we need to be more aware that education should be accessible for everyone.

The documentary will be live on May 28th at 8 pm EDT on channel 888 for Rogers and 48 for Bell. Alternatively, you can watch the documentary on the Accessible Media Inc website.

To learn more about Elizabeth's work you can find her on Twitter @mohlerc.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on April 20, 2021

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

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

Over one year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything for graduate students. We were all introduced to a different world of research and communication, held back by lab and class restrictions, prevention of in-person evaluations and tests, and limiting our access to resources such as books, equipment, and computer programs. We all experienced changes that have both benefited and hindered our abilities to become the best of who we can be. Some students became fallen soldiers who lost the momentum and motivation to conduct research at a rate they could maintain while being in-person, while others thrived staying at home and kept in a safer and less crowded environment.

In this episode of #GradLife, hosts Gavin Tolometti, Danica Facca, and Laura Muñoz Baena talk about their experiences with the pandemic and how it has effected their research progress and lifestyle. Who is a fallen soldier? What did everyone miss out on because of COVID-19? Do we think the virtual education system will keep some aspects of learning for when we go back in person? All questions discussed in this episode.

If you would like to learn more about GradCast and #GradLife you can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @gradcastradio. You can also learn more about our hosts:

Gavin Tolometti: Twitter @GavinOnTheMoon - Instagram @gavinonthemoon

Danica Facca: Twitter @dfaccs  - Instagram @phdfacca

Laura Munoz Baena: Twitter @Laura_bam7

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on April 12, 2021

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song Upbeat Party produced by Scott Holmes

In this episode hosts Rose and Laura talk to Emmanuel Wong about his research on HIV's latent reservoir. They discussed the role of bioinformatics in a world that is generating astronomical amounts of biological information and how simulation programs could potentially help us to gain insights about how the latent reservoir originates, evolves and persists within an individual. 

Recorded on April 13, 2021

Produced by Laura Munoz Baena

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

In this episode, Sandra Grahovac-Nemeth talks with hosts Ariel and Francesco about her novel research in Alzheimer's to isolate the metabolite, lactate, to fight against this complex condition. Sandra is an experienced second year Master of Science in Biology student who has returned to school after several years working in the Pharma industry. During our discussion, Sandra touches on a number of topics including her research, the state of Alzheimer's in Canada and her life outside academics.

Recorded on Apr 6, 2021

Produced by Ariel Frame

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

In this episode, Carly Charron talks with hosts Elizabeth and Rose (with some quick peeps from Rhys) about her research on a plant-based vaccine to prevent Salmonella infection in poultry which she is doing for her Masters in Biology at Agriculture Canada. Starting from a talk in her 3rd year course to undergrad thesis in the same discipline, Carly covers the what’s, who’s, and why’s of the vaccine, and its importance on future farming practices and overall health of chickens. 

To learn more about Carly’s research, you can email her at [email protected] or find her on Facebook and Instagram. 

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded March 23, 2021 

Produced by Rhys Paterson 

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

Are those who fail to study history doomed to repeat it? Public History Masters student Kestra Greer has some strong opinions on the matter. How do we make the lessons of history relevant for the wider public? How should we navigate the debate over what and how we commemorate historical figures? What can knowledge of how people handled past pandemics teach us about how to deal with COVID? Join hosts Yimin Chen and Elizabeth Mohler as we learn about the poopy origins of modern epidemiology and more!

To get in touch with Kestra, you can find her on Instagram @baragalog

Recorded on March 30, 2021.

Produced by Hira Nadeem.

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

Searching for jobs and networking with potential employers has always been a scary and intimidating process, and the COVID-19 pandemic has not made it any easier. As graduate students mark down the days towards the end of their degree, they begin to ask themselves, "How do I know I can stand-out in an interview over Zoom?", "How can I network with people if I cannot attend conferences in person?", and "Are their services on campus that can help me improve my résumé and CV?". These are questions that #GradLife what answered as well, and host Gavin Tolometti has reached out to find those answers.

In this episode, Gavin speaks with Teresa Boere and Heather Wakely who work in the Careers & Experience department's Career Education unit at Western University. Teresa is a career educator and Heather is the acting team lead of the Career Education unit team. They share insight into how graduate students at Western can gain invaluable advice and practice to prepare for job interviews, writing resumes, and expanding your networking bubble. Time to start taking on the pandemic world and staying one step ahead of the job searching game.

If you would like to learn more about the Career Education services you can reach out to Teresa Boere ([email protected]) and Heather Wakely ([email protected]), or you can go to the Career Education and Western Connect website to find openings for CV, résumé, and mock interview services.

Full video available on YouTube

Recorded on March 2, 2021

Produced by Gavin Tolometti

Theme song Upbeat Party produced by Scott Holmes

Cindy Mora-Stock has had quite the life journey. Departing her native Chile to embark on a seismology PhD in Germany, she now finds herself in Canada at UWO completing her second postdoctorate. As hosts Liam Clifford and Rhys Paterson learn, travelling the world and exposing oneself to new experiences has a brilliant way of enriching one's understanding and making the international student experience truly special. You can follow Cindy on Twitter and Instagram.

Recorded on March 25, 2021

Produced by Liam Clifford

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

In Part 1 of the SOGS Commissioners Episode, our guests are Denise Kamyuka (Racial Equity and Inclusivity Commissioner) and Francesca Alexander (Gender Concerns Commissioners). They chat about their roles as our community advocates at Western with our hosts Yousuf Hasan and Francesco Colosimo. They share with us what kinds of events they create to strengthen our community.

Full Video on YouTube 

Recorded on March 6, 2021

Produced by Yousuf Hasan

Intro theme song produced by Mathew Becker

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