Gradcast

Join us for the 7th episode of our collaboration with Inspiring Minds, which is a campus-wide partnership between Western Research, the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the Writing Support Centre, Western Libraries, Student Experience, and Western's 11 faculties. Inspiring Minds seeks to broaden awareness and impact of graduate student research while enhancing transferable skills. This week, hosts Riya Sidhu and Ryan Baxter chat with Shafquat Rana, a PhD student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. Her research at the Free Appropriate Sustainable Technology (FAST) lab focuses on decarbonization of Canada’s residential sector by integrating renewable resources with mechanical systems by using solar photovoltaics, heat pumps and thermal batteries. She shares practical application, its importance in Canada and how the system works to reduce carbon emissions. Check out Shafquat’s Appropedia, her Inspiring Minds submission and the Free Appropriate Sustainability Technology (FAST) Rese

Hosts Anthony Cruz and Scott Walters chat with Anemily Machina, a PHD candidate in Computer Sciences. Anemily puts our hosts on the spot with a word association game as part of summarizing their work on explainable AI, the limits of large language models (LLMs), and the risks of the ongoing AI bubble. For even more from Anemily on this topic, consider watching their two part series, available on Youtube: Part 1 | Part 2.   Recorded on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Produced by kirstyn seanor Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

In this week’s episode, hosts Krishna Pereira and Anthony Cruz interview Sydney Holland, a second-year PhD student in Anthropology at Western University. Sydney’s research focuses on bioarchaeology, using human remains such as teeth and bones to study life in the past. Sydney Holland explores the lives of past communities through the lens of bioarchaeology. Her research focuses on how infant feeding practices—particularly breastfeeding and weaning—shaped survival, health, and social dynamics in early modern populations. For her master’s work, Sydney studied skeletal remains from a 17th–18th century rural community near Montreal. By analyzing teeth and bones, she investigated how families navigated feeding decisions, such as the use of wet nurses, the timing of weaning, and responses to food scarcity. These practices left measurable traces in the skeletons, providing unique insights into daily life and challenges faced by families. Using stable isotope analysis, Sydney revealed that variations in infant feedin

In this week's episode, hosts Riya Sidhu and Ryan Baxter interview Sarah Park, a student in the combined  MScOT/PhD program in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.  Parkinson's disease can have a deleterious effect on walking, or gait. Left untreated, worsening gait (such as uneven pacing, or irregular steps) can lead to negative outcomes, such as falls. Sarah discusses her research in non-pharmacological interventions to help improve walking. Sarah, Riya, and Ryan discuss interdisciplinary research opportunities and ways in which graduate students can become involved in the local community. Sarah is co-supervised by: - Dr. Jessica Grahn, the Principal Investigator of the Music and Neuroscience Lab based out of the Centre for Brain and Mind - and Dr. Jeffrey Holmes, the Principal Investigator of the Health and Human Performance Lab based out of the School of Occupational Therapy For further information on Sarah's research, one may check out her Twitter / X account and her Linkedin.  For those in the London

In this week's episode, hosts Bruno Mesquita and Garth Casbourn interview Ben Pilling a Master’s student in Psychology.  Ben shares how he plans to build on the classic motor homunculus model using video games in the fMRI throughout his Master's. He also discusses the benefits and considerations of making research more ecologically valid. Recorded on Tuesday, August 12, 2025. Produced by Riya Sidhu  Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

Hosts Ryan Baxter and Chrishma Perera chat with Caitlin Fitzpatrick, a MSc student about to defend her master's in Neuroscience. Caitlin returns to GradCast to discuss her findings into the emotional connection between music and memory, specifically in older adults experiencing "normal" forgetting or mild cognitive impairment. If you'd like to register as a prospective research participant with OurBrainSCAN, you can do so online: https://ourbrainscan.uwo.ca/  If you're interested in attending a public defense at Western, consider reviewing details available on Western's Events Calendar and filtering by Public Events: https://www.events.westernu.ca/  Recorded on Tuesday, August 5, 2025 Produced by kirstyn seanor Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

Hosts Ryan Baxter and Maris Schneider chat with Geneva Herold, a MSc student in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. Geneva studies patients who are at high risk of developing osteoarthritis in their knees due to a previous injury, like an ACL tear. She is studying the cells in a special tissue in the joint called the synovium, which she hopes will help us better understand why some patients develop osteoarthritis and why some don’t.   Geneva discusses graduate student life, both in and out of the lab, with Ryan and Maris. Learn more about the lab Geneva works in! https://www.schulich.uwo.ca/appletonlab/   Rcorded on Tuesday, July 29, 2025 Produced by Mark Ambrogio Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

In this week's episode, hosts Anthony Cruz and Riya Sidhu interview Anthony Tannous, an incoming PhD student in Physical Therapy. Anthony is going to study whether robotic surgical assistants can improve patient satisfaction while saving healthcare dollars. Tune in for a look at how technology might reshape recovery—and the healthcare system. Recorded on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Produced by Riya Sidhu and kirstyn seanor. Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

In this episode, hosts Ryan Baxter and Mark Ambrogio interview Dima Kassem, a PhD student in Anthropology on her research in the field of Sociocultural Anthropology.  More specifically, Dima is studying the assistance provided for People Living with a Rare Disease (PLWRD).  Entering the second year of her PhD, Dima is furthering her research on this subject, continuing work she did in her Master's degree.  In this conversation, Ryan and Mark learn about the support networks available for PLWRD -- and where support may be lacking; especially, as youth transition into legal adulthood.   An important part of the conversation is the awareness that human "subjects" not only need to be treated with dignity, but also that their voices need to be heard.  Dima's supervisor is Dr. Pamela Block.  You can follow Dima on Twitter / X.   Recorded on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 Produced by Mark Ambrogio Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot)

In this week's episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and kirstyn seanor interview Ian O'Donnell, a PhD student in Economics. Ian discusses how he's analyzing tax records available through Statistics Canada to better understand income trajectories over time, especially of immigrant workers in Canada. Recorded on Tuesday, July 08, 2025. Produced by kirstyn seanor. Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

This week on GradCast, hosts Maris Schneider and Mark Ambrogio sit down with Linda Rosbach, a visiting research student from the University of Regensburg. Linda studies how the brain controls everyday actions, such as reaching and grasping. Her research explores whether our brains function the same way in the real world as they do in virtual reality. Tune in to learn more about her fascinating work and what it’s like to conduct research abroad in a brand-new environment.  Recorded on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Produced by Anthony Cruz and Chrishma Perera. Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot).

In this week's episode, hosts Anthony Cruz and Ryan Baxter interview Ince Husain, a PhD student in Neuroscience. Ince discusses  her research on mapping the actions and impacts of the cerebellum, as well as her contributions to the London community as a local journalist. Recorded on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Produced by kirstyn seanor. Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)  

In this week's episode, hosts Bruno Mesquita and Anthony Cruz interview Rebekka Lagacé-Cusiac, a PhD candidate in Psychology. Rebekka discusses her PhD research on ratio processing, her passion projects, and how music and math may have more in common than you think. Recorded on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 Produced by Riya Sidhu Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot)

In this week's episode, hosts Garth Casbourn and Mark Ambrogio interview Zoltan Richter-Bisson, a PhD candidate in Chemistry.  Zoltan is studying the interaction between proteins, abundant in the human body, and the breakdown of implanted medical devices.  While there are a large number of such devices, Zoltan is specifically interested in hip and knee implants.  Tune in to learn about efforts to minimize the deleterious effects of device breakdown inside the human body. Zoltan, Garth, and Mark also discuss science communication and the benefits of being involved in the graduate student community. To learn more about Zoltan's supervisor: Dr. Yolanda Hedberg and her lab. Recorded on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 Produced by Garth Casbourn & Mark Ambrogio Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot)

Hosts Garth Casbourn and Kirstyn Seanor are joined by Rawan El Moghrabi, a student in the master's program in computer science. How can human attitudes, behaviors, and expectations influence the internal representation and behaviors of AI? In this quite topical episode, Rawan offers some insight into the behind-the-scenes of large language models, as well as discussing her research project on AI safety and alignment.    Recorded on May 27, 2025. Produced by Bruno Mesquita. Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ (Produced by White Hot).  

Hosts Maris Schneider and Mark Ambrogio interview Taylor Northwood, a Master's student in Public History.  Taylor is interested in exploring the experience of teens in the past, particularly teens living in Windsor, Ontario, during the 1950s.  Taylor shares her insights into how teens navigated a postwar world shaped by shifting cultural values, emerging youth identities, and the growing influence of American media just across the border.  She uses oral histories, a method of research that focuses on the perspective of her interviewees, which offers a uniquely personal insight into the lived experiences of people from the 50s. To learn more about Taylor’s work, be sure to check out her project: https://tnorthwo.wixsite.com/thearchivedive Recorded on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 Produced by Mark Ambrogio Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot)

In this week's episode, hosts Riya Sidhu and Ryan Baxter interview Catherine Birt, a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) candidate in Performance and Literature.  Catherine is studying collaborative piano -- this, though, is just the tip of the iceberg!  In addition to her interest in piano, Catherine explores the emerging interplay between climate activism and classical music.  Intriguingly, Catherine points out that there has been a growing presence of environmental themes in classical music -- one example being the interplay of whale vocalizations ("whale songs") with some classical music in the late 1970s and early 80s, coinciding with the anti-whaling campaign. Catherine plans on doing case studies and interviews with prominent musicians to better explore this interplay.  Tune in for more! Recorded on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 Produced by Mark Ambrogio Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot)

In this week's episode, Maddie Hertz, a PhD candidate in Anthropology, is interviewed by hosts Garth Casbourn and Mark Ambrogio.  Maddie's research touches upon the intersection of aging and physical activity.  More specifically, her research looks at bone loss in menopausal women, to see how physical activity may mitigate bone loss, comparing the effects of swimming and running.  Garth, Mark, and Maddie compare notes on research methods and discuss how even graduate students need to enjoy some outdoor activity! Those interested in learning more may read about the PAVE Lab (Phenotypic Adaptability, Variation, and Evolution Laboratory) here:  https://pavelab.ca/ Maddie's doctoral supervisor is Professor Jay Stock. Recorded on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 Produced by Mark Ambrogio Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot).

In this week’s episode, hosts Maris Schneider and Meghan Voll interview Carly Charron, a PhD candidate in Biology, and previous GradCast host!  Carly breaks the news about the dangers of eating raw chicken and eggs (say goodbye to that cookie dough batter!) as she researches how to make food safer for consumption, starting at the source – chickens.  She is designing a plant-based vaccine to administer to chickens to induce immunity against Salmonella.  Carly has just finished her first round of chicken trials, administering her vaccine to a group of chickens who will be studied in various ways to test their immunity.  Join us as we talk about her research, her experience patenting her vaccine, and all the educational outreach she does along the way. Recorded on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 Produced by Mark Ambrogio Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot).

This follows up on a previous “Chairs Chat” from March 2021 Special Episode: Chairs Chat | GradCast, which commemorated 500 episodes. This “Chairs Chat” commemorates another milestone; namely, over 600 episodes, with specials, and hitting 500 regular episodes, wherein we interview individual graduate students about their research. In this episode, Amalie Hutchinson, Anthony Cruz, and Mark Ambrogio chat in the Radio Western studio, while Ariel Frame joins from Sheffield, England via Zoom. Together, they share fond memories of GradCast and discuss some of the history of the radio show and podcast. Recorded on Friday, April 25, 2025 Produced by Amalie Hutchinson and Mark Ambrogio Theme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by White Hot).