Gradcast Radio

Episode 558 | How do we think about cells? There isn’t one right way

Doing science is never about a single approach. Join hosts Bruno Mesquita and Rafaela Platkin as they chat with guest Camdyn Holmes, a MSc student in Biochemistry whose research compares two different approaches in examining what makes us human.

Most people know that our DNA is an important part of who we are, but not all genes are active everywhere in our body. How do scientists study and measure the different ways our genes express throughout our cells?

Listen to Camdyn’s episode at the link in our bio!

BookCast 10 | Special Topics in Calamity Physics

BookCast is an ongoing series where we delve into novels set in an academic context.  For the 10th edition of BookCast, Garth Casbourn, Milan Mamman, and Mark Ambrogio discuss the 2006 novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics, by Marisha Pessl.
Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a darkly hilarious coming-of-age tale and a richly plotted suspense story, told with dazzling intelligence and wit.  This novel won the inaugural John Sargent, Sr. First Novel Prize in 2006.

In their discussion, Garth, Milan and Mark share their analysis of the novel, combined with some first-hand experience of academic life.

Listen to the latest episode at the link in our bio!

Episode 552 | Understanding the Abstract & Each Other: How Mentalizing Shapes the Way We Think

In this week’s episode, PhD student Hannah Corenblum joins hosts Rafaela Platkin and Spencer Schmitz to talk about her research on abstract mental state concepts. Hannah is interested in understanding the individual differences in mentalizing abilities and how these relate to people’s capacities to process cognitive concepts. Mentalizing is the ability to understand one’s own and others’ mental states.

Hannah hopes her clinical research will help improve how mentalization is measured, with the goal of identifying impairments and developing ways to better target and treat them across a wide range of clinical populations.

Listen to Hannah’s episode at the link in our bio!

Episode 551 | Navigating Falls After Stroke: Research Shaped by Community Voices

PhD candidate Catherine George joins hosts Milan Mammen and Mark Ambrogio to discuss her research on falls and their risk factors among stroke survivors aged 30–65 living in the community. Guided by supervisors Joy MacDermid and Janelle Unger, Catherine uses a community-based participatory action research approach to center the voices of individuals with lived experience of stroke. Listen to this episode to find out more!

Listen to Catherine’s episode at the link in our bio!

Episode 550 | Where are you From? How Placed-Based Identity Affects Political Behaviour

Political science PhD candidate Katie McCoy returns to the podcast this week. She chats with hosts Scott Walters and Garth Casbourn about the new directions her research has taken over the past 18 months. She explains how the focus of her dissertation has broadened from the urban/rural divide to place-based identity. We get a sneak peek at some hot-off-the-presses analyses of how the places people grow up and live in shape their perceptions of economic reality, as well as shaping their political behaviours like voting.

Katie has also become a graduate fellow of Western’s Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance.

Listen to Katie’s episode at the link in our bio!

Thinking with the Earth 4: Where and Why People Move

This is the fourth and final episode of the Thinking with the Earth miniseries, 2026. In this episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Ryan Baxter speak with Haorui Zhou, a second-year Master’s student in Geography and Environment.
Haorui shared key insights from his research on mobility patterns in Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area, highlighting trends and challenges in urban transportation. He also reflected on his personal experience as an international student at Western, offering a unique perspective on adapting to a new academic and cultural environment. Connecting his research to broader themes of sustainability, Haorui emphasized the importance of individual responsibility in reducing environmental impact and contributing to a more sustainable future.

Listen to the episode at the link in our bio!

Episode 548 | Caring About Caring

PhD student Kailey Cutillo joins hosts Maris Schneider and Mark Ambrogio to talk about her work in Theory and Criticism. Kailey is interested in better understanding the politics of care, particularly within institutions such as universities. The “politics of care” is a framework that examines the social, ecological, and physical welfare of individuals’ opportunities within systems, but also considers how these systems seek to profit from the motives of care. She critiques current systemic practices and uses Indigenous Critical Theory and Feminist Theory to conceptualize how we, as a society, can care better.

Kailey also discusses her role as the Peer Advisor for Academic Matters for the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS).

Listen to Kailey’s episode at the link in our bio!

Episode 547 | Thinking with the Earth 3: Rooted in Community

This is the third episode of the Thinking with the Earth miniseries. In this episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Ryan Baxter interview Javier Ponce de Leon Eyl, a PhD student in Hispanic Studies. Javier also serves as the Sustainability coordinator for the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) sustainability committee and shared a lot of insights into how the Western student community can engage in sustainability activities on campus.

Listen to Javier's episode at https://linktr.ee/gradcastradio

Episode 548 | It's All About Carbon and Football

In this week's episode, hosts Bruno Mesquita and Zoe Kallenekos are joined by .hopkins_ , a PhD candidate from the department of biology who is investigating the exciting and complex world of carbon fluxes in dryland ecosystems. Outside of her studies, she is also a student athlete for the Team Canada Football team and is one of the top 24 scouted players in Canada. Listen to learn more about carbon flux towers, peak productivity days, and what it's like in the competitive world of national level football.

Listen to Samantha's episode here: https://linktr.ee/gradcastradio

Thinking with the Earth 2: The Water We Don’t See

This is the second episode of the Thinking with the Earth miniseries. In this episode, hosts Chrishma Perera and Spencer Schmitz speak with Dharma Raj Dhakal, a second-year PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Dharma shares insights from his research on how landfills can contaminate groundwater, the water we rely on but rarely see. Beyond his research, Dharma also reflects on his journey as an international student in Canada and invites listeners to take part in Earth Day activities on April 22.

Listen to Dharma's episode at https://linktr.ee/gradcastradio