Gut Instincts: Unlocking the Microbiome’s Secrets to Health and Happiness with Dr. Heather Armstrong

In this episode, UM president, Michael Benarroch, asks Dr. Heather Armstrong to unpack the big idea that we can treat diseases such as cancer, arthritis and MS by improving gut health. 

As Canada Research Chair in Integrative Bioscience, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine with the University of Manitoba’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and a research scientist with the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), Dr. Armstrong investigates the intersection of gut health and chronic diseases. Through her research, she aims to unravel the complex interactions between gut microbes, diet, and inflammation to better understand the pathology of these diseases and how they are linked to cancer.  At the forefront of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research, she is seeking a more personalized treatment for people living with the chronic disease and last year received both the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada Women in IBD Emerging Researcher Award and the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada Rising Star Award, honouring her for her research developing and investigating personalized approaches. 

What's the Big Idea? is an award-winning podcast featuring President Michael Benarroch in conversation with some of today's big thinkers. Together, they unpack “the big idea” their work explores. The series features an exciting and diverse array of voices from the UM community contributing to the cultural, social and economic well-being of the people of Manitoba, Canada and the world. What’s the Big Idea? is a University of Manitoba production, created in partnership with Everything Podcasts.  

The University of Manitoba, Western Canada’s first university, is a hub of research, innovation, and learning. Located in Winnipeg, the university offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, fostering a diverse and inclusive community of over 30,000 students. UM is one of Canada’s top research universities and the largest source of skilled professionals in Manitoba. From breakthroughs in health and climate action to meaningful partnerships that advance Reconciliation, UM is a world-class university shaping the future of our province and beyond. 

 
Links:
Enrol today – Learn more about all UM has to offer: Explore UM. 

University of Manitoba Alumni Relations – Find more ways to stay connected: UM Alumni. 

UM News – Read more about UM events and research: UM Today. 

Sources: 

Music 
Adrenaline Rush, by Will Bonness, Associate Professor, Desautels Faculty of Music 

For the love of tariffs: Amanda Lang on how Trump’s re-election will impact Canada: 

UM president, Michael Benarroch and renowned business and political journalist Amanda Lang [BES/91] discuss what Canadians should expect following the results of the US election. How will Trump’s America first approach impact our trade relationship? Will he takes steps to erode academic freedom or freedom of the press? Which industries stand to benefit, and which may face challenges?
  

Amanda Lang [BES/91] is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. With over 25 years covering North America’s top business stories, alum Amanda Lang has appeared on Bloomberg TV, CBC, and now hosts “Taking Stock” on CTV. She’s not only a journalist but a keen observer of politics, leadership, and business in the global political landscape. 

What's the big idea? is an award-winning podcast featuring President Michael Benarroch in conversation with some of today's big thinkers. Together, they unpack “the big idea” their work explores. The series features an exciting and diverse array of voices from the UM community contributing to the cultural, social and economic well-being of the people of Manitoba, Canada and the world.

The University of Manitoba, Western Canada’s first university, is a hub of research, innovation, and learning. Located in Winnipeg, the university offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, fostering a diverse and inclusive community of over 30,000 students. UM is one of Canada’s top research universities and the largest source of skilled professionals in Manitoba. From breakthroughs in health and climate action to meaningful partnerships that advance Reconciliation, UM is a world-class university shaping the future of our province and beyond.

Links:
 
 Enrol today – Learn more about all UM has to offer: Explore UM.

University of Manitoba Alumni Relations – Find more ways to stay connected: UM Alumni.

UM News – Read more about UM events and research: UM Today.

Sources:
 
 CBC News: The National | Donald Trump’s return to power, November 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIGsJKnQNsg

Forbes Breaking News, Trump Lays Out Economic Promises, October 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhZYn5dymBs 

CTV News, ‘Canada will be absolutely fine’, November 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_NFUkq07Z0 

Music
Adrenaline Rush, by Will Bonness, Associate Professor, Desautels Faculty of Music

From Sea Ice to Shipping Lanes: Manitoba’s Maritime Future, with Feiyue Wang: S3, Episode 2 

As Canada Research Chair in Arctic Environmental Chemistry, University of Manitoba’s Dr. Feiyue Wang is the Lead researcher of the new Churchill Marine Observatory and Sea-Ice Environmental Research Facility where he studies current and emerging contaminants in the Arctic and their interactions with climate change. His research provides critical knowledge and tools for improving polices and practices for sustainable development in the Arctic. Through an initiative called REACH or Reimagining Artic and Central Canada Accessibility through Hudson Bay, Dr. Wang and his interdisciplinary team of collaborators hope to help Manitoba reach its full potential as a maritime province, with the development of a new global shipping route. 

What's the big idea? is an award-winning podcast featuring President Michael Benarroch in conversation with some of today's big thinkers. Together, they unpack “the big idea” their work explores. The series features an exciting and diverse array of voices from the UM community contributing to the cultural, social and economic well-being of the people of Manitoba, Canada and the world. 

The University of Manitoba, Western Canada’s first university, is a hub of research, innovation, and learning. Located in Winnipeg, the university offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, fostering a diverse and inclusive community of over 30,000 students. UM is one of Canada’s top research universities and the largest source of skilled professionals in Manitoba. From breakthroughs in health and climate action to meaningful partnerships that advance Reconciliation, UM is a world-class university shaping the future of our province and beyond. 

Sources:

The Weather Network, January 2024
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/weather/topstories/wide-open-unfrozen-sections-of-hudson-bay-could-this-be-the-new-winter-normal/vi-AA1mkmuo#details 

Winnipeg City News (August 2024)
https://winnipeg.citynews.ca/video/2024/08/27/new-arctic-research-facility-opens-in-churchill/ 

Music 
Adrenaline Rush, by Will Bonness 

AI and the Future of Humanity: Work, Worship, and Relationships with Neil McArthur

Named by Maclean’s Magazine as one of Canada’s leading experts on AI, Dr.Neil McArthur specializes in ethics and technology and his current research focuses especially on how artificial intelligence is used for companionship and intimacy. In 2023, he created a new course exploring issues ranging from humanity’s potential annihilation by artificial intelligence (AI) to what happens to copyright law when an algorithm can create songs with Neil Young’s voice. Dr.McArthur believes AI has huge benefits and can make society better but only if humans truly understand and harness its power. Neil McArthur is a Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba

 S3, Episode 1

Michael Benarroch is joined by Professor Julienne Stroeve, a renowned climate change researcher. She is a professor in the University of Manitoba's Center for Earth Observation Science and a senior Canada 150 research chair in climate forcing of sea ice. Professor Stroeve has briefed US Vice President Al Gore, US congressional staff, and the World Economic Forum on her research.

In this episode, Professor Stroeve stresses that changes are happening at a much faster rate than we have expected and urges governments to act now. 

For more information, visit the podcast's website. 

The episode features clips from: CNN, CBC and BBC.  

About the host:

Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Throughout his career, Dr. Benarroch has demonstrated his lifelong dedication to transformative higher education and has made significant contributions to the fields of economics, research, and post-secondary administration. A passionate teacher and researcher, he has taught economics at Canadian universities since 1989. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017) and 21-years with the University of Winnipeg, where he was chair of the department of Economics (1999 - 2007). 

About the University of Manitoba:

For more than 140 years, the University of Manitoba has delivered life-changing learning experiences for students, conducted world-class research and shared knowledge and discovery to shape our province, country and world. UM is western Canada’s flagship university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.

An Everything Podcasts production. 

Michael Benarroch is joined by Dr. Meghan Azad, Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Manitoba with cross appointments in immunology and food and human nutritional sciences. Dr. Azad studies the science of breast milk and is one of the world's foremost experts on the wonderful substance. 

In this episode, they explore why breast milk matters to all of us, and explain how The Manitoba Interdisciplinary Lactation Centre (MILC) is at the forefront of human milk and infant feeding research.

For more information, visit the podcast's website. 

The episode features clips from: Global News, and Melinda French Gates.  

About the host:

Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Throughout his career, Dr. Benarroch has demonstrated his lifelong dedication to transformative higher education and has made significant contributions to the fields of economics, research, and post-secondary administration. A passionate teacher and researcher, he has taught economics at Canadian universities since 1989. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017) and 21-years with the University of Winnipeg, where he was chair of the department of Economics (1999 - 2007). 

About the University of Manitoba:

For more than 140 years, the University of Manitoba has delivered life-changing learning experiences for students, conducted world-class research and shared knowledge and discovery to shape our province, country and world. UM is western Canada’s flagship university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.

An Everything Podcasts production. 

Michael Benarroch sits down with Dr. Joss Reimer, Chief Medical Officer for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and someone who not only led Manitoba's COVID-19 vaccine implementation task force but has worked tirelessly to end the stigma around mental illness. Together, they explore how Dr. Reimer’s personal experiences have affected her work around mental health, and why we all need to create more supportive environments in the workplace. 

For more information, visit the podcast's website. 

Read Dr Joss Reimer’s article ‘Running because of — not away from — depression’ in the Winnipeg Free Press here. 

About the host:

Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Throughout his career, Dr. Benarroch has demonstrated his lifelong dedication to transformative higher education and has made significant contributions to the fields of economics, research, and post-secondary administration. A passionate teacher and researcher, he has taught economics at Canadian universities since 1989. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017) and 21-years with the University of Winnipeg, where he was chair of the department of Economics (1999 - 2007). 

About the University of Manitoba:

For more than 140 years, the University of Manitoba has delivered life-changing learning experiences for students, conducted world-class research and shared knowledge and discovery to shape our province, country and world. UM is western Canada’s flagship university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.

An Everything Podcasts production. 

Show notes:

How can you become a better leader? In this episode, Michael Benarroch explores this question with Dr. Suzanne Gagnon, the Associate Dean of Professional graduate programs at I.H. Asper School of Business, the inaugural director of the Burns Leadership Institute and the Canada Life Chair in Leadership Education.

At the start of this episode, you hear clips from the following:
Roselinde Torres' Ted Talk: What it takes to be a great leader
Brené Brown on leadership.

For more information, visit the podcast's website. 

About the host:

Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Throughout his career, Dr. Benarroch has demonstrated his lifelong dedication to transformative higher education and has made significant contributions to the fields of economics, research, and post-secondary administration. A passionate teacher and researcher, he has taught economics at Canadian universities since 1989. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017) and 21-years with the University of Winnipeg, where he was chair of the department of Economics (1999 - 2007). 

About the University of Manitoba:

For more than 140 years, the University of Manitoba has delivered life-changing learning experiences for students, conducted world-class research and shared knowledge and discovery to shape our province, country and world. UM is western Canada’s flagship university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.

An Everything Podcasts production. 

In this episode, Michael Benarroch speaks to Dr. Nazim Cicek whose big ideas are proving that it doesn't have to cost the earth to feed the world. He's a professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering and Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science. Michael and Nazim explore how research is advancing sustainable agriculture to address food shortages and the climate crisis.

About the host:

Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Throughout his career, Dr. Benarroch has demonstrated his lifelong dedication to transformative higher education and has made significant contributions to the fields of economics, research, and post-secondary administration. A passionate teacher and researcher, he has taught economics at Canadian universities since 1989. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017) and 21-years with the University of Winnipeg, where he was chair of the department of Economics (1999 - 2007). 

About the University of Manitoba:

For more than 140 years, the University of Manitoba has delivered life-changing learning experiences for students, conducted world-class research and shared knowledge and discovery to shape our province, country and world. UM is western Canada’s flagship university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Red River Métis.

Michael Benarroch sits down with Professor Niigaan Sinclair, one of the most sought after national voices on education, politics and Reconciliation. Sinclair is the former head of the Department of Indigenous Studies at the University of Manitoba, an indigenous content consultant and columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press.

Their conversation explores whether the university is doing enough to attract and support indigenous students; the stories that help and those that hinder Reconciliation; the significance of indigenous-led economic development in Winnipeg and much more. 

Part way through the episode you will hear a recording of Justice Murray Sinclair speaking about making reconciliation a reality.

About the host:

Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Throughout his career, Dr. Benarroch has demonstrated his lifelong dedication to transformative higher education and has made significant contributions to the fields of economics, research, and post-secondary administration. A passionate teacher and researcher, he has taught economics at Canadian universities since 1989. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017) and 21-years with the University of Winnipeg, where he was chair of the department of Economics (1999 - 2007). 

About the University of Manitoba:

For more than 140 years, the University of Manitoba has delivered life-changing learning experiences for students, conducted world-class research and shared knowledge and discovery to shape our province, country and world. UM is western Canada’s flagship university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.

An Everything Podcasts production.