Voices of STEM: Recent Episodes
Voices of STEM
Artem is an international student in the McCormick lab in the department of Microbiology. In this episode we talk about his motivations for getting into the field of microbiology as well as discussing his experience escaping the war in Ukraine and moving to Canada.
Nick Murray is currently a Masters Student in the Department of Psychiatry in the faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University. In this episode we discuss his experience with transitioning from undergrad to grad school and how his daily routine has changed. We talk about out the types of skills that we've found useful in our degree's and how they've allowed us to be better students and researchers.
Masoud is currently doing his Postdoc in geophysics here at Dalhousie University. In the episode, we focus on the work he does more specifically with his start, which incorporates aspects of machine learning for sedimentary analysis with real-world applications, such as ocean and mining exploration.
Jee is currently in her interdisciplinary PhD at Dalhousie, which has her research focusing on antimicrobial resistance. We discuss the nature of her work, which includes techniques in machine learning applied to bioinformatics to understand the genome of the microbes of concern in microbial resistance to antibiotics. We also talk about some the current struggles grad students face today.
Mayank is a 3rd year double major in Neuroscience and Computer Science at Dalhousie University. In this episode, we talk in-depth about the research labs he’s been involved with at Dalhousie University, Google Developers Student Club and Neuromilia - an Aphasia focused startup. To learn more, listen to this episode to know how he integrates his passions in Neuroscience and Computer Science as an undergraduate student.
You can follow Mayank at @mayank.ramchandani1
Valentina is a 4th year marine biology major an Dalhousie University. In this episode we talk about her interests in bioacoustics and the lab work she has done that relates to it. We also talk about some of the struggles that come with taking on an honours thesis and her plans going forward looking at marine management.
Adam Comeau is a glider technician and oceanographer who works at the Ocean tracking network. In this episode we talk about what ocean gliders are and how they pertain to marine biology research. Adam also talks about some of the opportunities that someone can have to get involved with an operation with the gliders such as volunteering as a student to help with the programming needed to monitor the gliders.
In this episode we talk to Cora Woolsey, who is an archeologist and experienced entrepreneur. We talk about here experience in the startup space as well as her current projects, which looks to help archeologists with documentation of their findings.
Matt Mar is a student in the faculties of Oceanography and Marine Biology at Dalhousie University. In this episode, we talk about Matt's previous experiences in commercial diving and how his skills from that role translated to his current academic pursuits during his degree. We also discuss some of the tactics he used to get into his current lab positions, despite the setbacks he faced.
Morgan Johnson is a graduate from the faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University in 2015. After her degree she went through the NICE program, which is similar to the current SURGE program that is put on by Dr. Aaron Newman. Morgan talks about where she is today in marketing and talking about the things she has done while on the job. We end things out by talking about advice Morgan has regarding topics like networking and working remotely.
David is a graduate from the Psychology and Neuroscience department at Dalhousie majoring in neuroscience. Since then David has done many exciting things in the business sector and just recently started his MBA. In this episode, we talk about the value of having an interdisciplinary background in the workplace, the benefits of working in the startup environment, and the opportunities a STEM student can access beyond academia.
Hayam is a recent grad from a double major in Computer Science and Neuroscience at Dalhousie. In this episode, we talk about her experience in creating her start up company, Neuro Amel Technologies. We cover how she created her start up and she shares her advice on the process of its creation.
Francis Routledge is in their fifth year, double-majoring in Neuroscience and Cinema and Media Studies at Dalhousie University. In this episode we talk about how their undergraduate experiences have shaped their interests and future goals. We also talk about the process of switching majors, finding a specialty that fits you, and taking a fifth year to complete undergrad.
Ellen Parker has a PhD in Medical Neuroscience from Dalhousie University and is a current medical student. In this episode, Ellen discusses her route through grad school and her transition into medical school, including the challenges of online learning and the importance of forming connections with classmates. We also discuss imposter syndrome, #AcademicTwitter, and the value of community to STEM trainees. If you have any questions for Ellen, she can be reached over Twitter (@ellennparker) or by email (ep@dal.ca).
Dr. Julia Harrison is a recent PhD graduate from the faculty of medical neuroscience at Dalhousie University. We talk about the various challenges she encountered through her research and how she worked through them. Julia also speaks on on her motivations, which have propelled her through her career in science. This episode is apart of the Brain Awareness Week series.
Gracious Kasheke is a first-year Masters student in the Department of Pharmacology at Dalhousie under Dr. George Robertson. In this podcast we discuss how to find research opportunities within your university and abroad. We also discuss what he enjoys about being in the lab, and how to maintain a work-life balance. This episode is apart of the Brain Awareness Week series.
Tyler Wells is a Medical Neuroscience PhD student under Dr. Turgay Akay. In this episode, we talk about how Tyler's original goal of going into medicine changed after becoming more involved in ALS research. We also discuss the daily tasks of a grad student in a Neuroscience lab. This episode is apart of the Brain Awareness week series.
Sungwoo is a recent graduate from a bachelor of science in the psychology and neuroscience department at Dalhousie. In this episode we talk about his journey through his undergrad and how he navigated to where he is today doing invertebrate behavioural research with caterpillars. We also cover topics such as how lecture content translates to the lab and his previous extracurriculars such as working at the supernova STEM summer camp at Dalhousie.
Laith is a fourth year medical sciences student at Dalhousie University. In this episode we talk about his experience with online learning and his advice that he would give to a first year student who is entering into university currently. We also discuss his experience as a TA and his love for teaching, as well as future aspirations.
Dr. Shannon Hall is a recent PhD. graduate from the department of Medical Neuroscience. In the episode Dr. Hall talks about her experiences through graduate school as well as the things she figured out along the way, such as her passion for science communication and the podcast she has started herself. We discuss where she is now in terms of occupation and advice she would give to students who have questions about possible career paths outside of academia.
If you have any questions for Dr. Hall yourself she can be reached on both Twitter and Instagram @shanniesci or email at shannonehall@icloud.com
Resources mentioned in the episode:
Roostervane | Dr. Chris Cornthwaite
Website: https://roostervane.com/about/
A blog offering a variety of information and resources dedicated to finding your purpose, growing your influence, and building your career post-PhD
What are YOU Going to do with THAT? Podcast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/What2doWithTHAT
A podcast featuring interviews with young researchers all over the world speaking about their experiences within and beyond grad school.
SophTalksScience | Dr. Sophie Arthur |
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soph.talks.science/
A stem cell biologist, science communicator, and digital media creator who gives great advice related to scicomm, career searching, content creation, and much more.
Sierra is a recent graduate from the faculty of engineering, specializing in electrical engineering and Dalhousie's 92nd Rhodes Scholar. In the episode we talk about her co-op experiences, as well her capstone project, which involves ultrasound technology and is based at a local medical imaging startup. We end things off by talking about her long term career goals in the field of biomedical engineering.
Michon is a lab technician and recent Dalhousie graduate studying plant development and protein regulation in response to stress. He continues his honor’s research into the role of ubiquitination in iron uptake and plant responses to iron deficiency. We talk about the ups and downs of working in research as well as some of his unique experiences in the lab and out in the field.
Christian Fitzner is a 3rd year physics student in the Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science at Dalhousie. Christian shares his experiences about looking for research and mentorship opportunities in a tight-knit faculty, while juggling the responsibilities of fatherhood. He gives valuable insights on the importance of getting involved and establishing relationships within the faculty.
Patrick Slaine is a 4th year PhD student in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Dalhousie under Craig McCormick. We discuss Patrick's unique journey through research from cleaning test tubes to now conducting antiviral research. His lab specializes in host targeted antivirals and their therapeutic potential in respiratory infections such as COVID-19.
You can find the Spotify an Apple Podcasts link to this episode here:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/05vfA68QdmJB5oPO4oNpJG
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/lab-life/id1537339890
After listening to the podcast if you have further questions for Patrick, feel free to reach out to us and we can put you in touch!