MURSA Podcasts: Recent Episodes
Alex Zakharia
Welcome to MURSA Podcasts, where we'll be exploring research in various science disciplines at McMaster University to try and bridge the gap between Canada's most research-intensive university and the new generation of science leaders it's fostering!
Hey Science Nerds! This week's episode is with Dr. Jonathan Bramson, a professor in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, as well as the Vice Dean of Research for the Faculty of Health Sciences. Dr. Bramson's lab focuses on the development of novel cancer immunotherapies. Specifically, the Bramson lab researches the use of adaptive T-cell therapies to better direct patients' immune systems against tumours. Tune into this week's podcast to learn about Dr. Bramson's academic journey, his current research projects, and the role of undergrads in his lab.
Hey Science Nerds! This week's episode is with Dr. Juliet Daniel from the Department of Biology. Dr. Daniel completed her postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University where she discovered the Kaiso transcription factor and has continued researching its role in breast and colon cancer ever since. Tune into this week's podcast to hear about Kaiso's role in triple-negative breast cancer and colorectal cancer, the racial disparities in triple-negative breast cancer, the profound clinical applications of her research, and the role of undergrads in her lab.
Hey Science Nerds! This week's episode is with Dr. Cecile Fradin, a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and the principal investigator at the Molecular Biophysics Group at McMaster. Dr. Fradin’s research is targeted towards the cellular dynamics of single molecules, specifically focusing on the diffusion of macromolecules in a crowded media, nuclear transport, conformational molecular changes, and the interactions of single molecules at the cell membrane. Tune into this episode to learn about Dr. Fradin's academic journey, how she combines the interests of physicists and biologists alike, and the role of undergrads in her Molecular Biophysics Group.
Hey Science Nerds! This week's episode is with Dr. Sarah Styler, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Dr. Styler earned her PhD in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Toronto before establishing the Styler Research Group at the University of Alberta, where she was an Assistant Professor of Environmental Chemistry. She moved the Styler Group to McMaster in 2020 and has been focusing on integrating atmospheric chemistry to historic conservation ever since. Tune in to learn more about leading Environmental Chemistry research, the photoreactive behavior of atmospheric particles and urban film and its effect on historic conservation, and the role of undergrads in the Styler Group.
Hey Science Nerds! This week's episode is with Dr. Robin Cameron, a professor in the Department of Biology. The Cameron Lab studies plant-microbe interactions, focusing on plant immune responses in the Arabidopsis-Pseudomonas pathosystem. More specifically, Dr. Cameron's work focuses on Age Related Resistance (ARR) and Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR). Tune into this episode to learn more about plant immune responses, why this area of research is so important, and the role of undergrads in her lab.
Hey Science Nerds! This week's episode is with Dr. Katherine Bujold, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology here at McMaster. Dr. Bujold's lab focuses on the development of DNA nanostructures, and how they can be used for tissue-specific drug and gene therapies for a wide range of diseases. Tune into this episode to learn about Dr. Bujold's academic journey, her current research projects, and the role of undergrads in her lab.
Hey Science Nerds! This week's episode is with Dr. Yingfu Li, a professor and renowned researcher in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Li studies Functional Nucleic Acids, focusing on single stranded DNA and RNA molecules outside of their traditional role for encoding genetic material. The Functional Nucleic Acids research group at McMaster is a leader in the exploration of DNA aptamers and DNAzymes. These DNA structures have exciting applications as biosensors, such as in the antigen-based COVID-19 test capable of detecting all variants of SARS-CoV-2 that Dr. Li's group has developed. Tune into this episode to learn more about Dr. Li’s academic journey, DNA aptamer and DNAzyme-based diagnostic testing, as well as the role of undergrads in his lab.
Hey Science Nerds! This week's episode is with Dr. Parker, a Professor and University Scholar in the Department of Physics & Astronomy. Dr. Parker identifies observable properties of galaxies and correlates them with properties of their environment, such as the mass of the dark matter halo in which they reside, their position within this halo, and the properties of the gases that surround these galaxies. Tune into this episode to learn about Dr. Parker’s academic journey, her current research on galaxy evolution, and the role of undergrads in her lab!
Hey Science Nerds! This week's episode is with Dr. Coombes, the Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Coombes has an extensive background in bacterial pathogenesis, antibiotic resistance, and the role of enteric bacteria in inflammatory bowel diseases. Dr. Coombes has also developed an active research program in infectious diseases at the Coombes Lab that focuses on the exploration of risk factors that contribute to the development of Crohn's Disease. Tune in to learn more about the virulent behaviour of pathogens, the leading microbiological research in Crohn's Disease, and the role of undergrads in his lab.
Hey Science Nerds! This week's episode is with Dr. Gibala, a professor and renowned researcher in the Department of Kinesiology with an extensive background in exercise physiology. Dr. Gibala focuses on studying high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and its physiological impacts and benefits on different populations, especially for those who claim to have 'no time' for exercise. Tune in to explore how HIIT is investigated in the human performance lab here at McMaster, how Dr. Gibala balances his lab work with knowledge translation to the general public, and the role of undergrads in his lab.
Hey science nerds! We're excited to announce Dr. Rullo as the guest on our Christmas Special episode! As a chemical immunologist and an assistant professor in the McMaster Immunology Research Centre, Dr. Rullo started off his scientific career as an undergraduate here at McMaster University, where he studied biochemistry. Join us on this podcast where we explore Dr. Rullo’s academic journey, his current research on covalent immune recruiters, and the role of undergraduate students in his lab.
Hey Science Nerds! This week's episode is with Dr. Koenig, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Sciences in the child health specialization at McMaster in 2015, and has recently received his PhD in the immunology of food allergies, focusing on the origin and roles of high affinity immunoglobulin E antibodies (IgE) under the supervision of Dr. Manel Jordana. Tune in to explore the history of food allergies, how Dr. Koenig delves into the intricacies of our body’s own superheroes (the adaptive immune system!) in this mechanism, and the role of undergrads in Dr. Koenig's lab.
Hey Science Nerds! This week's episode is with Dr. Kim, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour. Dr. Kim's Education & Cognition (EdCog) lab elucidates the scholarship of teaching and learning by investigating optimal study strategies and test designs, how to address mind wandering, and understanding the effectiveness of different types of multimedia instruction in teaching and test performance. Join us on this podcast, where we explore how learning can be optimized, how these techniques have informed the instructional design of MacIntroPsych, and the role of undergrads in Dr. Kim's lab.
Hey Science Nerds! We're excited to announce Dr. Hynes as the guest on our newest episode of MURSA Podcasts. As an assistant professor and a member of the Canadian Society of Microbiologists, Dr. Hynes focuses his research on bacteriophages and their interactions with other microbes. His lab aims to identify, characterize, and manipulate phages until - in Dr. Hynes’ words - he can fully understand them. Join us on this podcast, where we explore the history of phages, delve into anti-CRISPR research, uncover the directions that phage research is heading toward today, and explore the role of undergraduate students in his lab.
Hey Science Nerds! We're excited to announce Dr. Xu as our next guest on our newest episode of MURSA Podcasts! Dr. Xu is a fully tenured professor with areas of expertise spanning microbiology, field ecology, evolution and (what you may know him best for) genetics. Join us in delving deep into the agricultural and public health implications of his research, how his research has developed alongside the advancement of genome sequencing technologies, and the profound role of undergraduate students in his lab.
Hey Science Nerds! We’re excited to announce Dr. Balodis as our guest on our newest episode of MURSA Podcasts! Dr. Balodis is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University and a faculty associate with the Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research. As a core member of the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, as well as the Director of the Integrated Neuroscience of Motivation and Change (IN-MaC) Laboratory, Dr. Balodis focuses her research on aspects of reward and motivation that provoke addictions in substance abuse and non-substance abuse disorders. Join us on this podcast, where we explore the implications of Dr. Balodis' dynamic work and gain insight on the role of undergraduate students in her lab.
Hey Science Nerds! We're excited to announce Dr. Soleymani as the guest on our newest episode of MURSA Podcasts! As an assistant professor in the school of Biomedical Engineering and a Canada Research Chair in Miniaturized Biomedical Devices, Dr. Soleymani focuses her research on designing repel wraps and electrochemical-based biosensing instruments for point-of-care diagnostics in disease detection. Join us on this podcast, where we explore the promise of her repel wrap design post-COVID-19, the dynamic applications of her biosensor instruments, and the role of undergraduate students in her lab.
Hey Science Nerds! We’re excited to announce Dr. McArthur as our first guest on MURSA Podcasts! Establishing himself as a renowned bioinformatician, Dr. McArthur has focused extensively on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research and founded the highly cited Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) to facilitate genomic surveillance of drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. His biocuration expertise placed him on the front lines of Canada’s COVID-19 response where he plays a vital role in whole genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2. Join us on this podcast, where we explore some of his work over the past decade and gain some insight for some of the qualities that a progressive researcher looks for when recruiting undergraduate students, as well as exploring the direction of Dr. McArthur’s research moving forward.
Hey Science Nerds! Whether you want to stay on the lookout for a thesis supervisor, be introduced to new scientific disciplines, learn about the path to becoming a research scientist yourself, or just want to learn more about research being conducted near you, we plan on bridging the gap to show undergraduates what makes McMaster the most research-intensive university in Canada. Therefore, we are pleased to officially announce the introduction of MURSA Podcasts! We want to use this episode as an opportunity to introduce your hosts, Alex and Nicole, and discuss some of the research that they've conducted in the past.