UW Research Question: Recent Episodes
UW Research Question
From the University of Winnipeg Research Office and the Oral History Centre, introducing Research Question: The Podcast where we talk to researchers at the University of Winnipeg about the questions they have, and what they’re doing to find answers.
Dr. Jean-Pierre Desforges is an Assistant Professor in the department of Environmental Studies and Sciences at the University of Winnipeg. His research focuses on understanding the impacts of human activities on the environment and wildlife populations. With the continuing loss of sea ice due to climate change, Arctic species like the polar bear and ringed seal are under threat. Desforges and his team have developed an innovative approach to study the health of polar bear populations; a method that can provide valuable insights into their biology, ecology, and behaviour affected by long-term environmental change in the arctic. On this episode the research question is: what can polar bear teeth tell us about the impacts of climate change?
Dr. Sara Good is part of a research team who are investigating the genetic pathways involved in sex determination and differentiation of one of the world’s most fascinating creatures. Sometimes referred to as the ‘vampire fish,’ lamprey have captivated researchers because of their unusual biology and ancient lineage. Good’s research into these unique vertebrates is not only providing new insights into the evolutionary development of sex determination mechanisms across different species but has the potential to play a pivotal role in the future of the Great Lakes fisheries by assisting in the control of lamprey populations. On this episode the research question is: what can lampreys tell us about the complexity of sexual determination in nature?
Dr. Jason Hannan, Associate Professor in the University of Winnipeg’s Department of Rhetoric, Writing, and Communications, researches the truth in politics and discourse; examining how disinformation, conspiracy theory, and populism is undermining democracy. His new work explains how the toxic online culture of trolling is moving beyond the internet into the public sphere and what that means for society. On this episode the research question is: “How are we trolling ourselves to death?”
Why do some children excel in math, while others struggle? It’s a question Dr. Stephanie Bugden has been trying to answer throughout her career. By using interactive games, and functional brain imaging methods, her and her research team from the University of Winnipeg Psychology Department are hoping to learn more about the cognitive and neural mechanisms that guide math learning to help improve math skills in children. On this episode the research question is: “How do children learn math?”
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a complex and powerful diagnostic tool in modern medicine. By expanding the capabilities of the technology and developing new magnetic resonance imaging techniques, Dr. Melanie Martin and her research team are hoping to improve the diagnosis and treatment of nervous system disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and Schizophrenia. On this episode the research question is: “How does magnetic resonance imaging help detect nervous system disorders?”
Dr. Nora Casson studies how environmental pressures affect water quality. Dr. Darshani Kumaragamage research focuses on the environmental impacts of agricultural practices. Together, they are working on understanding how climate change and human activities are affecting the Lake Winnipeg watershed.On this episode the research question is, “how do we improve the water quality of Lake Winnipeg?”
Dr. Ed Cloutis, Professor of Geography and Director of the Centre for Terrestrial and Planetary Exploration at the University of Winnipeg, has spent a long career focusing on developing new applications of remote sensing to exploring the surface of the Earth and planets in the solar system. As part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, Cloutis and his research team are attempting to answer a question that has fascinated humanity since the first days of space exploration.
On this episode the research question is, “Is there life on Mars?”
Dr. Aman Hussain from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Applied Health knows a thing or two about learning in stressful environments. In the past he’s coached athletes, consulted for Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and worked with medical professionals. Now he’s working in partnership with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, conducting a mixed-methods study aimed at understanding how firefighters and paramedics are responding to, and have been affected by, the current pandemic.
On this episode the research question is “how do we learn more effectively while working in a high-stress work environment?”
Dr. Olya Bryksina research focuses on goals. Everything from personal goals to large societal goals. She wants to know what motivates us towards attaining those goals and what can deter us. Currently, Bryksina has been examining different types of public health messaging during the covid-19 pandemic. She wants to learn which health messages are more persuasive in achieving the overall goal of limiting the spread of the virus.
On this episode the research question is, “What is the importance of understanding collective behaviour and collective group level goals?”
Dr. Laura Sokal and Dr. Lesley Eblie Trudel are part of a team of UWinnipeg researchers that have been studying stress and resilience in teachers since the early days of the covid-19 pandemic. By conducting a survey of over 2000 teachers from across Canada, the researchers are now able to gain a better understanding of the demands, resources, and stressors experienced by teachers. What they are finding is when it comes to resources and demands, not all teachers are in the same boat. And when it comes to experiencing burnout, some teachers fit a certain pattern, while others fit an entirely different puzzle altogether.
On this episode the research question is, “What do a Boat and a Puzzle have to do with Teacher Burnout during COVID-19?”
Dr. Mary Jane McCallum is assistant professor in the History Department at the University of Winnipeg, the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous People, History, and Archives and a member of the Munsee-Delaware Nation. Throughout her academic career, McCallum has focused heavily on research related to twentieth century histories of health documenting the impacts of Canada’s colonial healthcare system on Indigenous persons. McCallum argues we need to look to history in order to better understand present day forms of structural racism.
On this episode, we ask the research question: “How does history help us to think about structural racism?”
Dr. Jino Distasio, Professor of Geography and Vice President of Research and Innovation at the University of Winnipeg has been part of a group of academics from across Canada working to understand how increased income inequality has affected neighbourhoods. This multi-city study has revealed that over the past forty years income distribution has shifted altering the social-spatial structure of cities and dividing neighbourhoods along economic lines. The fallout from the current health crisis with Covid-19 has further revealed how economic and social barriers are affecting neighbourhoods and the need for more investment towards community development and social infrastructure.
On this episode we take a walk with Dr. Distasio around his home neighbourhood in Winnipeg asking the research question “How do we build more resilient cities post-coronavirus?”
Over the past decade, millions of hibernating bats across eastern North America have died from a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome causing the fastest population decline of wild mammals ever recorded. Through their research, Dr. Craig Willis and the bat lab research team at the University of Winnipeg have been trying to slow the spread of this disease and help affected bats survive.
On this episode the research questions is, “how do we stop the spread of white-nose syndrome in bats?” We will hear from Dr. Craig Willis, bat lab research coordinator Kaleigh Norquay and other researchers about what they are doing to curb the spread of white-nose syndrome and what their research can tell us about managing wildlife diseases in the wake of global bat-borne pandemics like COVID-19.
From the University of Winnipeg Research Office, and the Oral History Centre, introducing Research Question: The Podcast where we talk to researchers at the University of Winnipeg about the questions they have, and what they’re doing to find answers.