Researchers Under the Scope
Medicine is so much more than lab coats and stethoscopes. The research community at the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine is a diverse group of humans, all working with their own unique motivations — and not all of them work in a hospital setting. Get to know what gets these researchers amped about their jobs, what they’re doing, where they’re doing it, and why. Presented by the Office of Vice-Dean of Research, College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan.
- Update frequency
- every 14 days
- Average duration
- 21 minutes
- Episodes
- 93
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
What I Did Last Summer: Christianne Blais on corticosteroid research
Taking a daily puffer with inhaled corticosteroids is a mainstay for millions of people who have eosinophilic asthma.
But doctors don't always know what dosage will be most effective for their patien…
What I Did Last Summer: Cuting C-section infections with Belma Kamencic
Our podcast host, Jen Quesnel, has undergone two Caesarian sections -- lifesaving interventions that deliver babies safely.
She's not alone. In Saskatchewan, roughly one quarter of mothers giving bir…
What I Did Last Summer: Shivani Tauh and End-of-Life care
One patient Shivani Tauh interviewed had to remove his ventilator tube to speak with her.
Another told her it felt 'disingenuous' when able-bodied health care providers looked at his spinal cord inju…
Physician, heal thyself: doctors’ mental health suffers during pandemic
For doctors in Saskatchewan, depression and anxiety have skyrocketed during the pandemic.
We check in with Dr. Camelia Adams, an associate professor of psychiatry, who's been tracking physicians' men…
A light touch: Katherine Knox on Multiple Sclerosis research
When Dr. Katherine Knox first arrived in Saskatchewan more than two decades ago, the province covered one prescription drug for patients with Multiple Sclerosis.
Beyond that, patients had to pay for …
'In a war zone': Alex Wong looks back at the Covid-19 pandemic
Dr. Alexander Wong remembers forcing himself to hide his fear last year, as he treated his first Covid-19 patients.
“It kind of felt like we were staring down the bottom of a big gun barrel," said Wo…
'Good Troublemaker': Manuela Valle-Castro roots out bias in medicine
Manuela Valle-Castro remembers growing up in a home where social justice was frequently part of the dinner-table conversation.
She spent the first six years of her life in exile, after her family joi…
The inventor: Ron Geyer harnesses the power of nature, to fight disease
Dr. Ron Geyer is the man behind the Saskatchewan Therapeutic Antibody Resource, the Advanced Diagnostics Research Laboratory, and the Centre for Biologic Imaging Research and Development.
But when t…
"It made all the difference": a patient perspective on research, with Lois Miller
"The medication that I'm taking today would not have happened if we weren't doing this research 30 years ago," said Lois Miller.
In this episode, she offers a patient's view of research, and how it…
Making the cut: Adam Baxter-Jones on teen athletes and growth
As a young man finishing his biology degree, Adam Baxter-Jones was decidedly more interested in being a punk than a professor.
"I was far more interested in things like music and fashion than I ever …
Wa sati wa nhenha: Women strengthening health
In Mozambique, the Xitswa phrase, "wa sati wa nhenha" means "strong women" or "women's strength".
Jessie Forsyth and Nazeem Muhajarine are two of the University of Saskatchewan researchers learning h…
A one-year pandemic checkup, with Preston Smith, Dean of Medicine
One year ago, Dr. Preston Smith remembers watching the coronavirus inch closer and closer to the University of Saskatchewan.
"It felt like being in the emergency room and hearing the police and ambul…
Inside the black box: Changting Xiao on the role of lipoproteins in chronic disease
To crack the causes of metabolic disease, Dr. Changting Xiao is peering into the "black box" of the human gut.
As a boy, Xiao frequently ran homemade experiments, trying to figure out how systems wor…
Medical anthropologist Caroline Tait, on transplant medicine
"Western medicine can give you the heart of another person, but no meaningful direction on how to lead a good life with that heart," said Dr. Caroline Tait.
That's the dilemma many Indigenous people …
The burden of lung disease and lightening it, with Erika Penz
Respiratory disease now accounts for one in four hospital admissions, with lung cancer killing more patients than any other cancer.
As both a respirologist and a health economist, Dr. Erika Penz know…
Do serious doctors tweet? Brent Thoma, on digital scholarship
Whether it's a blog, a podcast, a wiki, a tweet, or an infographic, a growing number of doctors now turn online when they need answers.
For the past five years, Dr. Brent Thoma has led research suppo…
Indigenous wellness through "slow" research, with Alexandra King
Like the "slow food" movement, Dr. Alexandra King promotes "slow research" when it comes to Indigenous people's health and wellness.
As a First Nations physician, and the Cameco Chair in Indigenous H…
Understanding the way nerves talk to tumours, with Anand Krishnan
Ever wonder how tumours spread?
For Dr. Anand Krishnan, finding effective anti-cancer therapies means finding a way to decode the language tumours use to communicate with nerves.
"What we are trying …
Remodelling project: Dave Cooper and the mysteries inside our bones
"My disease does not define me"
Emma Linsley managed to power through fatigue and weight loss, but when her joints started to swell, she and her family knew something was wrong.
"I thought I would have to quit all my sports, and th…