Best Grad Chat CFRC Podcasts (2025)

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Grad Chat Transitions 29:40

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30d ago29:40

29:40

This week’s show is hosted by Suyin the DJ Bear. Suyin the DJ Bear interviews CJ the DJ, Colette Steer, and KM on the FM, Katie-Marie McNeill, about Grad Chat’s history and future. As you may have heard, CJ the DJ is retiring from her role at Queen’s University, and she has passed hosting duties of Grad Chat to her colleague KM on the FM. For upcom…

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Peash Saha (Computing) – Improving Efficiency of Societal Services for the Vulnerable through Algorithmic Approach 36:04

1M ago36:04

36:04

A social choice represents the collective decision of the individuals based on their preferences over the alternatives. There are societal services operated by governmental or non-governmental organizations which implement a social choice model. For example, the allocation of shelters to homeless individuals considers both the preferences of homele…

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Bhavya Bogra (Geography) – Travel Needs of Older Adult Women in Mid-Sized Canadian cities 37:22

1M ago37:22

37:22

With Canada’s aging population and rising immigration rates, this research explores the unique transportation challenges faced by older adult women—both local-born and immigrants—in mid-sized Canadian cities. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs website.…

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Nithikaa Shashikanth (Rehabilitation Science) – Parent-Administered Sensorimotor Intervention (PASI) Program 32:22

2M ago32:22

32:22

Nithikaa looks at the effect of the Parent-Administered Sensorimotor Intervention (PASI) on the developmental outcomes in infants born preterm at 18 months of age and to determine the long-term impact of this program. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs webs…

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Nikta Sadati (English Literature) – Afrofuturism and Diaspora Studies 32:52

2M ago32:52

32:52

Nikta’s research for my dissertation, titled “Queer Remembering: Fractured Memory and Haunted Futures in Contemporary Novels of the Black Diaspora,” focuses on the contemporary re-imagining of archiving Black pasts and futures in Afrofuturist, diasporic, fantasy novels. The authors and texts that I examine refuse the fluidity of time and truth, opt…

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Danielle Harper (Pathology & Molecular Medicine) – Genetic disruption to decrease breast cancer metastasis 33:38

2M ago33:38

33:38

Danielle studies triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive breast cancer subtype associated with poor survival. Unlike other subtypes for which there are targeted therapies, treatment options for TNBC are limited. In order to better understand the biology underlying TNBC, she studies a family of proteins called calpains. For upcoming inte…

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Margot Smith (Geography) – An Astrobiologists’s study of lipids in spring waters up in the high Arctic 29:07

2M ago29:07

29:07

The Arctic is host to cold, hypersaline, perennial springs that flow through 600m of permafrost. I studied 44 samples from cores, sediments, filtrates and microbial mats from these springs. Surficial life at these springs has been studied for decades, but this is the first investigation that looks at the deep subsurface life. This is of interest as…

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Basmah Rahman (English Literature) – Canadian BIPOC Literature and Educational Pedagogies 35:43

3M ago35:43

35:43

Canadian provincial education systems play a vital role in developing the social and academic interests of youth who, typically, spend over thirty hours in classrooms per week. Yet, significant consistency in terms of provincial guidelines and teacher booklists restrict these classrooms’ approaches to diverse literary content. The lack of both dive…

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Alyssa Grocutt (Management) – Employee perceptions and behaviours towards tattooed colleagues 42:32

3M ago42:32

42:32

Alyssa’s research focuses on nuances in observer perceptions and treatment of tattooed colleagues based on tattoo content. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs website.By CFRC Podcast Network

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Lara Bulger (Cultural Studies) – Documentary Film, how we can use it as a pedagogical tool and a medium for social change 37:13

3M ago37:13

37:13

Lara is looking at Canadian documentary film through both a contemporary and historical lens, as well as the limits of radical pedagogy and activism. Some of the themes that interest her include environmental racism, Indigenous sovereignty and food security. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Gra…

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Zoe Brisson-Tsavoussis (Astro-particle Physics) – Neutrinos, Blazars and Black holes 35:39

3M ago35:39

35:39

My research focuses on looking at black holes. Some black holes are so energetic, that they tear up the bright hot matter spinning around them and funnel it into jets shooting out their top and bottom. And once in a while, we luck out and a few black holes are oriented so that the jets are pointed straight towards the earth! We call these kinds of …

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Francisco Zepeda Trujillo (Cultural Studies) – Failed Aspirations: Modernity, Religion, and the Interplay of Social and Political Imaginaries in Twentieth Century Mexico 42:55

4M ago42:55

42:55

This research explores the interplay of social and political imaginaries in Mexico, both secular and religious, during the twentieth century. It uses archival research and discourse analysis to examine how liberal and revolutionary political leaders and various Catholic groups have interacted, how they have handled their contradictions, how their r…

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Ahmad Nagib (computing) – Building Trust in Reinforcement Learning for Next-Generation Wireless Networks 35:37

4M ago35:37

35:37

Machine learning is very popular nowadays for solving problems in many fields, including wireless networks such as 5G networks that we use to make calls and connect to the internet using our phones. Next-generation wireless networks (NGWNs), such as 6G networks, will include more diverse devices and applications that make them more complex to contr…

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Gabby Torretto (Pathology & Molecular Medicine) – Assessing BRCA1 Genetic Variants involved in Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer 31:06

4M ago31:06

31:06

Between 5-10% of breast and 20-25% of ovarian cancers are inherited. The majority of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer cases are caused by deleterious mutations (variants) in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which normally prevent cancer through protecting and repairing our DNA. Genetic testing is used to identify pathogenic BRCA carriers who would su…

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Christina Ferazzutti (Biomedical & Molecular Sciences) – Why One Complicated Pregnancy Can Lead to Another: The Role of Immune Memory 35:39

4M ago35:39

35:39

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a significant complication linked to uncontrolled inflammation, which not only causes immediate distress but also heightens risks in future pregnancies. It is hypothesized that inflammation during pregnancy induces long-term changes in maternal immune cells, altering their responses in subsequent pregnancies and in…

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PHD-CI project with KFL&A Public Health 35:03

5M ago35:03

35:03

This session talks about the PhD-Community Initiative program at Queen’s University and one of the projects with a community partner (KFL&A Public Health) to provide a Program Evaluation of the Efforts to Prevent Invasive Meningococcal Disease in Kingston. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Gradu…

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Trent Atkinson (MA, Religious Studies) – Muscular Christianity 34:39

5M ago34:39

34:39

Rooted in Victorian England as a response to a number of social and religious factors, Muscular Christianity is a set of beliefs that revolves around contact sports, the physicality of the male body, and a return to a “traditional” masculinity (a term always fraught), much writing has been done on Muscular Christianity in it’s heyday during the lat…

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Allen Tian (Biology) – Assessing the impact of invasive mollusk species on native mollusk communities and algal blooms with eDNA 31:51

5M ago31:51

31:51

Zebra mussels are some of the most high profile and impactful invasive species in Canada, and have transformed the Great Lakes watershed in the past three decades. Voracious feeders that consume all algae, they have clarified our lakes, caked our beaches with their sharp shells, and denied other species precious food. Interactions between zebra mus…

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CJ the DJ with DJ Bear – What’s happening in 2025 29:56

5M ago29:56

29:56

A look at what graduate events are coming up in 2025 from GRADflix to the Three Minute Thesis. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs website – https://www.queensu.ca/grad-postdoc/research/share/grad-chatBy CFRC Podcast Network

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CJ the DJ with DJ Bear – 2024, It’s a Wrap! 27:47

6M ago27:47

27:47

Reflecting on this years interviews.For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs website – https://www.queensu.ca/grad-postdoc/research/share/grad-chatBy CFRC Podcast Network

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Logan Germain (Biomedical & Molecular Sciences) – The impact of the environmental pollutant triphenyl phosphate on epigenetics in aquatic embryonic cells 39:42

6M ago39:42

39:42

Triphenyl phosphate is used as a flame retardant and plasticizer in a wide variety of consumer and industrial products in Canada. TPhP is also an environmental pollutant found in air, water and soil. TPhP has been shown to act as an Endocrine Disrupting Chemical, meaning it interferes with normal hormonal signalling. I’m investigating how epigeneti…

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Eileen O’Brien (Biomedical & Molecular Sciences) – Gut healing: uncovering immune pathways contributing to IBD 34:17

6M ago34:17

34:17

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an immune disorder leading to chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. It affects 0.8% of the Canadian population with a recent increased prevalence in the pediatric population. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affai…

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Fateme Babaha (Pathology & Molecular Medicine- Investigation of Hemophilia A gene therapy 31:29

7M ago31:29

31:29

Hemophilia A (HA) is an X-linked bleeding disorder caused by a mutation in the factor 8 (F8) gene that codes for FVIII coagulation protein. FVIII is naturally synthesized in the liver and the mutation results in the loss of function of FVIII protein which is critical in the blood clotting cascades. HA occurs is 1 to 5000 male births and it is estim…

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Blue Miaoran Dong (Carleton-PhD) – Studying the similarities and differences between tech platforms and privatized infrastructure. 33:32

7M ago33:32

33:32

Although tech platform companies often claim in their advertisements and public relations efforts that they represent the public interest, as private companies, their primary goal is to maximize their own profits. Equating private interests with public interests not only overlooks the issues arising from the increasingly blurred lines between the t…

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Max van Zyl (Chemistry) and the Bader Symposium. 32:57

7M ago32:57

32:57

The Queen’s chapter and why be part of the American Chemical Society will be hosting the “Celebrating the Late Dr. Alfred R. Bader: A 100th Birthday Symposium” on Monday, November 18th, 2024. This interviews highlights the work of Dr Bader and how Queen’s will showcase his love for chemistry and the arts. To round it off we delve a little bit into …

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Laura Szczyrba (Geological Sciences) – Modern Coastal Processes 39:06

7M ago39:06

39:06

The coastal zone is shaped by sea level change, wave action, geological characteristics, and human decisions. These processes are spatially continuous, therefore techniques that monitor larger regions, such as remote sensing and numerical modeling, allow for a more detailed understanding of the drivers of coastal change. In Laura’s research, she ap…

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Rashelle Aldbai (Biomedical & Molecular Sciences) – Impact of cannabis on cancer metastasis mediated through epigenetic rewiring 34:24

8M ago34:24

34:24

The plant Cannabis sativa L. has historically served as a herbal remedy, garnering a considerable surge in both recreational and medicinal domains in contemporary times. However, this increased application has not aligned with our clinical awareness regarding the disturbances associated with cannabis. This assumes heightened significance in the con…

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Kennedy Quigg (Chemistry/Chemistry Biology) – Discovery and Characterization of Putative Thermostable Enzymes for the Degradation of Polyether-Polyurethane Foam 33:23

8M ago33:23

33:23

Over 2,000 garbage trucks worth of plastic waste enter our oceans, lakes, rivers, and estuaries every day. Of the 300 million tons of plastic produced annually, only 10% is recycled. Due to the inertness and durability of plastic materials, current industrial recycling processes employ energetically demanding processes such as combustion and meltin…

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Jessica Burnside (Epidemiology) – The Burden of Steatotic Liver Disease in Canada: Sex Differences in Prevalence and Cardiometabolic Profiles 36:02

8M ago36:02

36:02

Jessica discusses the characteristics of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic (fat build up) liver disease (MASLD) in the Canadian context. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs website.By CFRC Podcast Network

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Taylor Rae Morrell (Geological Sciences) – how the pre-existing faults in the tectonic plate that is thrust beneath the other plate can be reactivated or move during collision 38:48

8M ago38:48

38:48

Taylor is a structural geologist, which means I study the architecture and processes behind the development of mountain systems. As a structural geologist, I need to factor in all the different aspects of a mountain system to effectively study it and create a comprehensive tectonic model to explain the evolution of the mountain system. For upcoming…

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Lyn Wattam (Religious Studies) – The Trump Prophecy Movement 33:21

9M ago33:21

33:21

Mapping out and understanding the rise, power and resiliency of modern Christian prophecy among American evangelical voters that relate to Donald Trump’s presidency. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs website.…

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David McFarlane (TMU) – How we might come to understand the Great Lakes as animated actors in their own rights, with their own unique subjectivities? 32:38

9M ago32:38

32:38

David’s research-creation project draws on his experiences as a musician and visual artist, to employ sonic data gathering techniques such as biodata sonification and field recordings, alongside embodied and Indigenous-informed research methodologies in order to undertake a co-created artistic acoustic ecology with the Great Lakes. For upcoming int…

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Jenelle Regnier-Davies (Toronto Metropolitan University)- Food security and food insecurity responses on the municipal level 36:20

9M ago36:20

36:20

Jenelle’s Ph.D. dissertation research examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on community-based food security responses in Toronto and entails broader examinations of food system governance in practice. Her work interrogates the equitable distribution of resources among the non-profit sector and examines EDI practices within philanthropic an…

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Jiale Xie (MSc in Translational Medicine) – Personalizing Blood Pressure Targets in the ICU to Improve Survivor Cognitive Outcomes 31:01

9M ago31:01

31:01

Each year, approximately 230,000 Canadians, or 1 in 100, receive ICU care. While over 90% survive, up to 55% of survivors develop long-lasting cognitive impairment within two years of ICU discharge. Recent research suggests that inadequate blood flow to the brain may play a role. The purpose of Jiale’s research is to identify patients’ optimal bloo…

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Debbie Hernandez (English & Film Studies) – Demythologizing Our Stories: (Re)connecting with Cultural Teachings in the Filipino Diaspora 36:00

9M ago36:00

36:00

Debbie Hernandez, a PhD student from Wilfrid Laurier University, explores the importance of cultural teachings in Filipino communities, focusing on how these teachings are remembered, experienced, used, and passed on, despite being marginalized within dominant cultures. Guided by feminist theory and postcolonial studies, particularly M. Jacqui Alex…

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October 30, 2018 - Rehabilitation Science 28:45

6+ y ago28:45

28:45

This week on Grad Chat:Christiana Okyere, PhD in Rehabilitation Science, supervised by Drs Heather Aldersey and Rosemary Lysaght.Topic: Inclusive Education for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Ghana.Overview: The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and Human Rights Conventions such as the United Nations Convention on the …

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October 22, 2018 - Sociology 27:11

6+ y ago27:11

27:11

This week on Grad Chat:Leo Erlikhman, MA in Sociology, supervised by Drs Victoria Sytsma, Heather Murray and David Walker.Topic: Youth Alcohol in Kingston.Overview: Our objective is to describe youth presentation at the Emergency department from alcohol related issues. Information gathered will allow for temporal maps to be developed along with dem…

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October 16, 2018 - Education 29:35

6+ y ago29:35

29:35

This week on Grad Chat:Sawyer Hogenkamp, Master of Education, supervised by Dr Ben Bolden.Topic: Bus Drivers Perceptions’ of Bullying on the Bus.Overview: Through surveys and interviews with Ontario bus drivers, I uncovered how they perceived bullying, the strategies they used to address bullying, and gained an overall sense of what is working/not …

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Grad Chat October 9th 2018: History 29:36

6+ y ago29:36

29:36

An interview with Eric Bateman on the Inter-religious encounters during the Crusades (Medieval History)By Queen's School of Graduate Studies

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Grad Chat October 2nd, 2018: Civil Engineering 29:43

6+ y ago29:43

29:43

This week on Grad Chat: Vanessa di Battista, PhD in Civil Engineering, supervised by Dr Kerry Rowe.Research Topic: Geosynthetics in Site Remediation.Overview: Contaminated sites are a worldwide problem from fuel spill affected areas in Antarctica to brownfield site reuse in urban areas. This research has focused on investigating the use of geosynth…

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September 25, 2018 - Nursing 28:56

6+ y ago28:56

28:56

This week on Grad Chat:Evan Keys MNSc in Nursing, supervised by Dr Marian Luctkar-Flude.Topic: The integration of virtual simulation into undergraduate nursing training in resuscitation science.Overview: Virtual simulation, or ‘serious games’, are educational games which enable students to learn course content through an engaging and innovative mod…