I Don't Know Much

As the world starts to open back up, there are a few remaining questions on all of our minds. Will we need to get a booster shot? Will there be a fourth wave? Will I be able to travel again if I have two different mRNA vaccines? Are there going to be long-term side effects of the vaccines? In this episode, I sit down with Calvin Hillis, a producer on I don’t know much Podcast, to answer these questions and so much more. 

Disclaimer: COVID-19 numbers may be different than what we are experiencing today as the podcast was recorded a few weeks before airing.

Music by Stan Forebee

Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health. Antibiotics are drugs used to treat bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria develop mechanisms to survive in the presence of these drugs. In this episode, I sit down with Jim Howes, a Master of Science Candidate at McMaster University studying antibiotic drug discovery. We discuss what antibiotics are, how antibiotic resistance develops, and resistance as a global health crisis. Our conversation ends on an optimistic note as we discuss how researchers are attempting to solve this problem and what a day in the life of a Master’s student in this field is like.

Music by Stan Forebee

Despite the oath to ‘do no harm’, healthcare continues to be one of the most polluting industries on the planet. As the world’s economies struggle to meet the climate goals set out in the Paris Climate Agreement, Canadian policy makers and health leaders must place a new emphasis on promoting environmental sustainability within our healthcare system. I sit down with Kathryn McQuillan and John Collins, two students at McMaster University, to discuss the findings of a report we wrote that examined our Canadian healthcare impact on the environment. We examine two sources of healthcare pollution: greenhouse gas emissions and healthcare waste, and emphasize the actions we can take towards more sustainable practices and why healthcare needs to act now.

Music by Stan Forebee

Science communication is the practice of informing, educating, and raising awareness of science-related topics. In this episode, Veronica Tran of the Instagram account @veroni.sci takes us through the journey of creating her own science communication social media account. She addresses what she thinks makes up an effective science communicator and why the public should engage with science. In the fall, as she navigates graduate school, we can expect to see lab-related content as she takes us on her journey through science. We also talk about her Instagram reading account, @veroni.reads, and dish about our favourite genres, reading mediums, and more!

Music by Stan Forebee

Brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Matthew Galati, a practicing physician that suffered a severe traumatic brain injury during medical school. Matt and I discuss his recovery process, his journey back into medical school after his injury, and the things we can do to live a brain healthy lifestyle. We also discuss Brain Changes Initiative, the non-profit organization he founded. Brain Changes is leading the change in spreading awareness about TBI’s and TBI recovery, and putting the 5 pillars of brain health into practice.

Music by Stan Forebee

Navigating the surgical backlogs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic will require changes to the healthcare system and its systemic sexism. As pointed out in the CTVNews article “Gender bias against female surgeons fuelling surgical backlogs”, gender biases influencing referrals to female surgeons may be contributing to the long wait-times that patients are having to face when confronted with a surgical procedure. Referral biases are not just occurring with females, but are also occurring with practitioners of colour, LGBTQ2S+, and new graduates. Kristyn Guglielmin, a Master of Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization student at McMaster University joins me for a conversation highlighting gender biases in the medical practice of surgery and possible solutions to the surgical backlogs that may be a result of this issue.

Music by Stan Forebee

As the world continues to get vaccinated every day for COVID-19, there are a few remaining questions about COVID-19 immunity. In this final episode of season 1, I end off my discussion with Dr. Caitlin Mullarkey. She answers a few questions involving the four-month wait period between vaccine doses, and why the second dose of the vaccine might result in worse symptoms than the first dose. We also get to hear Dr. Mullarkey’s thoughts on vaccine communication efforts in the media! 

Rigorous COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials preceded the approval of each vaccine. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Caitlin Mullarkey, an Assistant Professor at McMaster University with a research background in virology and vaccine development. We talk about her experience as a participant in the Medicago COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial in Canada. She answers questions about the specific vaccine technology, what the process was like, the next steps, and some of her reasons for participating. Listen to uncover behind-the-scenes action of the COVID-19 vaccine trial process and some other cool information on vaccine development!

COVID-19 vaccine distribution has looked different across the globe. In this episode, we address COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Canada and dive into the tough ethical questions that distribution task forces have to answer. Questions like: What population groups should be prioritized after front-line healthcare workers and the elderly? How important is speed? Where will children be placed once vaccines are approved for lower age groups? These questions and many more are posed to help us think about the dilemmas of vaccine distribution plans. And finally, we discuss exactly what COVAX is.

The authorization of the vaccines for COVID-19 has amplified the misinformation being spread about the vaccines and the pandemic. Part 3 of addressing misinformation will answer questions related to the false claims on the vaccine’s ability to track us, alter our DNA, and make us sterile. It will also discuss digital content funnels to understand why we all see different information related to COVID-19 and vaccines on the internet. And finally, it will address the question we all had at some point throughout this pandemic: is COVID-19 like the flu?