Dr. Daniel Cameron joins from the LIVELab to discuss the value in volunteering in research and attending seminar sessions. He shares insight on his research, from infants responding to different rhythms to live motion capture and music.

Learn more about McMaster's new 1-unit courses coming this Spring 2025! Our guests this week are Dr. Pat Chow-Fraser, the director of the OUR, and Dr. Rosa da Silva, associate Dean of the faculty of Science. They explain the benefit of taking the new courses, which include allowing students to gain course credit for volunteering in a lab or attending research seminars.

Maya Mahmood, an undergraduate student in the Integrated Science program, and Kevina Chavda, a graduate student in the Chemistry and Chemical Biology program, are working together in Dr. James Inkster’s lab at McMaster University. Their research focuses on the development of novel imaging agents for positron emission tomography (PET) and exploring innovative radiopharmaceutical applications.

In this week’s episode of OUR Path to Research, Maya and Kevina share their unique mentorship journey, highlighting the dynamic collaboration between undergraduate and graduate researchers. They discuss their individual paths to Dr. Inkster’s lab, the skills that set them apart in research, and the importance of teamwork in achieving research goals. Maya and Kevina also offer actionable advice for students on finding research opportunities, maintaining motivation, and balancing responsibilities. Whether you are a first-year student or further along in your academic journey, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration for aspiring researchers!

Maya Mammon is an undergraduate student in the Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour - Mental Health Specialization program at McMaster University. She has been a research assistant in the McMaster Baby Lab under the supervision of Dr. Gabriel (Naiqi) Xiao since 2023 and now serves as the lab manager. Maya’s research question is two-pronged: whether children prefer to help emotionally consistent others; and whether they are more likely to seek help from emotionally consistent others.

In this week’s episode of OUR Path to Research, Maya shares her journey from gaining her first research experience to receiving an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award. She offers actionable advice for students on finding research opportunities, dealing with rejection, and building the skills that make an excellent research candidate. Maya also discusses the most fulfilling aspects of her work, how to sustain long-term motivation, and tips for connecting with professors to kickstart a successful research journey.

Matt Renwick is a PhD student at the Human Performance Lab under the supervision of Dr. Martin Gibala. His work examines cardiorespiratory responses following Sprint-interval training. Matt also aims to improve the quality and rigour of his work by implementing strategies to reduce bias and enhance reporting quality.

In this week’s episode of OUR Path to Research, Matt will talk about his journey from undergraduate to PhD and provide strategies and advice students can use to find the research position successfully. He will also discuss the factors that make an excellent undergraduate research candidate. 

In this week's episode of OUR Path to Research, Mahsa Gholiof shares her research journey. Mahsa completed her Bachelors of Science in the Life Sciences program at McMaster and is currently completing her graduate studies in medical science, where she continues to conduct clinical research related to womens health. Mahsa shares the challenges she has faced as a researcher and the tips she has for undegraduate students interested in health research.

In this week’s episode of "OUR Path To Research," Dr. Alexander Hall, a science communication expert in the School of Interdisciplinary Science at McMaster University, delves into his journey towards researching the history of science in popular media, alongside his contributions at the Science and Society Lab. Dr. Hall highlights the significance of effective science communication and offers insights on how students can enhance this skill to succeed in their research careers.

In this week's episode of OUR Path to Research, Aileen Shanzeela, an undergraduate student in Medical & Biological Physics shares how getting involved in the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories experience at Chalk River helped direct her towards the field of research she currently specializes in. She also speaks about her experience as a thesis student and some of the tips she has for students looking to get involved in research.

What is it like to be an undergraduate researcher? In this week's episode, Parth Arora shares how he got his first research position, his experience as a researcher and the opportunities it has opened up for him. He also shares some of his biggest tips for students who are looking to get involved in research but do not know where to begin.

Dr. Jim Lyons is a professor of Kinesiology and the Director of the Faculty of Science’s Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) here at McMaster University. In this episode Dr. Lyons shares his  path to research, the history of the OUR and how they are cultivating equity, awareness, and accessibility within research opportunities for undergraduate students.