Orders of Magnitude
By Science Communication Orders of Magnitude
For our French podcast, go to: anchor.fm/atouteechelle
Hosts: Matheus Schultz et Philippe Carle
E-mail : ordersofmagnitudepod@gmail.com
Instagram: @oom.pod
Orders of MagnitudeMay 23, 2023
Lisa Hanna - Studying Ants, True Social Organisms
Lisa Hanna is a Ph.D. student in biology at McGill University who received a prestigious award by the Fonds de Recherche du Québec to study ants and what genetic factors lead to the diverse appearance within the thousands of genetically identical ants of one colony.
If you're interested in further information, check out the following links:
Dr. Ehab Abouheif's lab website
https://www.abouheiflab.org/
Some of Lisa's Publications:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35654666/
The Science of Breaking Bad Habits and Being More Productive
In this episode, Matheus guides us over a small portion of the peer-reviewed literature on the psychology of habits. We discuss some scientifically proven methods to help you prevent bad habits from firing such as environmental design. We also discuss the impact that motivation has on the process of breaking bad habits, and how overachievers become as productive as they are.
Cited Literature:
"More Than Resisting Temptation: Beneficial Habits Mediate the Relationship Between Self-Control and Positive Life Outcomes" by Brian M. Galla and Angela L. Duckworth. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 109(3):508-525
"Does Changing Behavioral Intentions Engender Behavior Change? A Meta-Analysis of the Experimental Evidence" by Thomas L. Webb and Paschal Sheeran. Psychological Bulletin, 132(2): 249–268.
"Habit Formation and Change" by Lucas Carden and Wendy Wood. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, Vol 20:117-122.
"Nudge to nobesity 1: Minor changes in accessibility Decrease Food Intake" by Paul Rozin et al., Judgement and Decision making, Vol 6(4):323-332
"Psychology of Habit" by Wendy Wood and Dennis Rünger, Annual Review of Psycholog, Vol 67:289-314
22. What is Alzheimer's Disease?
This week, we delve into the most common neurodegenerative disease: Alzheimer's.
References:
Stats on AD and Dementia: Monica Moore, M. S. G., Mirella Díaz-Santos, and Keith Vossel. "Alzheimer’s Association 2021 Facts and Figures Report."
Diagnosis of AD using PET scan: Chételat, Gaël, et al. "Amyloid-PET and 18F-FDG-PET in the diagnostic investigation of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias." The Lancet Neurology 19.11 (2020): 951-962.
Amyloid Beta, the genetics of AD. Tanzi, Rudolph E. "The genetics of Alzheimer disease." Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine 2.10 (2012): a006296.
APOE risk factor. Raber, Jacob, Yadong Huang, and J. Wesson Ashford. "ApoE genotype accounts for the vast majority of AD risk and AD pathology." Neurobiology of aging 25.5 (2004): 641-650.
Tau in Alzheimer's. Maccioni, Ricardo B., et al. "The revitalized tau hypothesis on Alzheimer's disease." Archives of medical research 41.3 (2010): 226-231.
21. A story of science's self-correction
In today's episode, Philippe tells us about how scientists studying a cell-stress management protein got into a lengthy argument over mistakes found in their published work. This is a great example of how science has the ability to correct its own mistakes over time.
References:
20. The Science of Habit Formation
At the beginning of every year, people are always talking about their new year's resolution and about adopting healthy habits. But how exactly do you develop new habits? In this episode, Matheus guides us through some of the peer-reviewed literature about habit formation. What are habits? What do you need to form them? And how are scientists studying habits today?
Peer-reviewed references:
Pop-culture books mentioned in this episode:
19. Hallmarks of Aging, Part 2
Description
Why do we age? This episode explores the molecular processes of aging, and how they are related to the aging we can see. We ask what is aging and how we could slow or reverse it according to the most recent research.
Main References and Further Reading:
Lopez-Otin et al – The Hallmarks of Aging
Borghesan et al – A Senescence-Centric View of Aging: Implications for Longevity and Disease
Mammucari et al - Signaling pathways in mitochondrial dysfunction and aging
Lu et al - Reprogramming to recover youthful epigenetic information and restore vision
Kane et al - Epigenetic changes during aging and their reprogramming potential
18. Hallmarks of Aging, Part 1
Description
Why do we age? This episode explores the molecular processes of aging, and how they are related to the aging we can see. We ask what is aging and how we could slow or reverse it according to the most recent research.
Main References and Further Reading:
Lopez-Otin et al – The Hallmarks of Aging
Goodrick et al – Effects of intermittent feeding upon growth and life span in rats
Bitto et al – Transient rapamycin treatment can increase lifespan and healthspan in middle-aged mice
Sam Palmer et al – Thymic involution and rising disease incidence with age
17. Solo - Sleep Paralysis
Matheus has had several sleep paralysis episodes throughout his life. In this episode, Matheus and Phil discuss the science behind sleep paralysis. What is happening in the brain during a sleep paralysis episode? What are some scientifically proven ways to prevent sleep paralysis? Are there any tricks to snap out of it and to stay calm if it ever happens to you?
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Hosts: Matheus Schultz et Philippe Carle
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Contact
E-mail:ordersofmagnitudepod@gmail.com
Instagram: @oom.pod
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16. Cara Hawey - Using Stem Cells to Develop Personalized Medicine
Cara Hawei is a M.Sc candidate at McGill University researching the application of induced pluripotent stem cells in personalized medicine. Her research focuses on characteristics of dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart.
In this episode we discuss how cells from the blood can be turned back into stem cells so that these new stem cells can be turned into heart muscle cells for Cara's Studies. We also go into further detail on how Cara is developping assays to measure features of dilated cardiomyopathy, and how her research will allow for personalized treatments in different patients.
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Hosts: Matheus Schultz et Philippe Carle
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Contact
E-mail:ordersofmagnitudepod@gmail.com
Instagram: @oom.pod
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15. Younes Rhazi - UBI and Using Empirical Data in Policy Making
Younes Rhazi has a bachelors degree in politics and economics. He's now completing a master's degree in international and public affairs at Université de Montréal.
In this episode we discuss the pros and cons of universal basic income (UBI). Instead of giving a selling pitch, Younes discusses what we should think about before developing new policies and how science, empirical data, and pilot projects can be used to build confidence in the process of policy making.
Ezra Klein's article on the question of supply.
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Hosts: Matheus Schultz et Philippe Carle
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Contact
E-mail:ordersofmagnitudepod@gmail.com
Instagram: @oom.pod
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Original Music: Vincent Nélisse (IG: @vincentnelissemusique, https://soundcloud.com/incentlisse)
14. Dr. Lawrence Kazak - Brown Fat and the Creatine Cycle
Dr. Lawrence Kazak is an assistant professor in the department of biochemistry at McGill University. He did his PhD at the University of Cambridge and his post-doc at Harvard University, after taking some time to learn the Brazilian martial art capoeira.
Today him and his team focus their research on energy metabolism and the control of mitochondrial energetics in fat cells and cancer cells.
In this episode we discuss the different types of fat cells in the body, how they produce energy, and how brown fat cells generate heat by spending that energy through what is known as the futile creatine cycling. We also briefly touch on how fat cells may be involved in the development of cancer, and how creatine relates to sports medicine.
You can learn more about Dr. Kazak's research on his website:
https://kazaklabmcgill.ca
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Hosts: Matheus Schultz et Philippe Carle
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Contact
E-mail:ordersofmagnitudepod@gmail.com
Instagram: @oom.pod
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Original Music: Vincent Nélisse (IG: @vincentnelissemusique, https://soundcloud.com/incentlisse)
13. Dr. Julio F. Fiore Jr. – Post-Operative Care.
Dr. Julio Flavio Fiore is an Assistant professor and the co-director of the department of surgery at McGill University. He did his Ph.D. at the University of Melbourne before establishing himself in Montréal, where he did his post-doctoral studies at McGill.
Dr. Fiore is specialized in post-operative recovery after invasive operations such as pulmonary and abdominal surgeries. We discuss the challenges of transforming the subjective experience of patients into measurable values. Then, we talk about how to use these measurable values to make patient recovery better with tweaks to care around and during the surgery. Finally, we delineate the relationships that exist between the opioid crisis and surgery and discuss the alternatives
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Hosts: Matheus Schultz et Philippe Carle
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Contact
E-mail:ordersofmagnitudepod@gmail.com
Instagram: @oom.pod
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Original Music: Vincent Nélisse (IG: @vincentnelissemusique, https://soundcloud.com/incentlisse)
12. Mental Health in Graduate School
Our friend and former guest Quinn Abram is back to discuss mental health among science graduate students. Our starting point is the UC Berkley study screening students for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder before and after the COVID19 pandemic. Although the global crisis exacerbated the proportion of students with poor mental health, these measures were already high before and suggest systematic issues.
We talk about our personal struggles with mental health, and acknowledge the intersectional aspect of this issue. Then, we talk about measures we take at the individual level to alleviate the inherent stress of being a student. Finally, we discuss specific actions to bring about systemic changes.
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Hosts: Matheus Schultz et Philippe Carle
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Contact
E-mail:ordersofmagnitudepod@gmail.com
Instagram: @oom.pod
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Original Music: Vincent Nélisse (IG: @vincentnelissemusique, https://soundcloud.com/incentlisse)
11. Jonathan Diamond – Beaver Ecology
Jonathan Diamond is a Biology Master’s student at McGill University. He is passionate about ecology and strives to understand nature’s interactions as a complex system. His research is focused on studying how the beavers’ skull shape changes across North America as a function of the environment in which this fascinating animal is found.
We start by defining ecology as a science and how technology has changed the study of ecosystems. Then, we discussed the use of traditional knowledge in ecology. We delve into beavers, and how these iconic animals beloved by Canadians are important ecological engineers. Then, we discuss Jonathan’s research on beaver skull morphology. Finally, we talk about the concept of biodiversity and the role of humans as a part of ecological systems.
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Hosts: Matheus Schultz et Philippe Carle
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Contact
E-mail:ordersofmagnitudepod@gmail.com
Instagram: @oom.pod
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Guest Contact :
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Original Music: Vincent Nélisse (IG: @vincentnelissemusique, https://soundcloud.com/incentlisse)
10. Marie-Luce Fortier & Juliana Lanza – Le Droit et la Recherche #2 – FR
Cette semaine au podcast, nos invitées sont Juliana Lanza et Marie-Luce Fortier. Marie-Luce est avocate et travaille en tant que conseillère jurdique pour l’Instut de Recherche du Centre Universitaire de Santé Mcgill (IR-CUSM). Juliana est juriste, et œuvre également en tant que conseillère juridique pour le centre recherche du centre hospitalier de l’université de Montréal (CRCHUM).
Dans cette deuxième partie du podcast, nous plongeons dans l’aspect industriel de la recherche clinique, parlant d’initiatives qui misent sur le succès des industries biotechnologique et pharmaceutique québécoises à l’international. Ensuite, nos invitées discutent de l’évolution de la rigueur légale dans la recherche clinique depuis le début des années 2000, ce qui leur donne beaucoup de travail! Juliana et Marie-Luce nous parlent également de l’aspect financier et de la propriété intellectuelle en recherche.
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Hôtes: Matheus Schultz et Philippe Carle
E-mail : atouteechellepod@gmail.com
Instagram: @ate.pod
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Contact des invitées :
Juliana Lanza : juliana.lanza.chum@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Marie-Luce Fortier : marie-luce.fortier@muhc.mcgill.ca
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Musique Originale: Vincent Nélisse (IG: @vincentnelissemusique, https://soundcloud.com/incentlisse)
9. Julia Fulber – Vaccine Bioreactors – ENG
This week, our guets is Julia Fulber. Julia is a biomedical engineering masters’ student at McGill University. She participates in creating a manufacturing platform to make the production of viral vector vaccines cost-efficient. This involves the optimisation of growing vaccine-producing cells in large scale tanks called bioreactors.
Julia walks us through six types of vaccines, highlighting their advantages and challenges. We discuss the process of making her favorite type of vaccine: viral vectors. In the end, she explains her research, which will make it possible to add this type of vaccine to our arsenal against future pandemics!
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Hosts: Matheus Schultz et Philippe Carle
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Contact
E-mail:ordersofmagnitudepod@gmail.com
Instagram: @oom.pod
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Guest Contact :
http://amine-kamen.lab.mcgill.ca/authors/julia-fulber/
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Original Music: Vincent Nélisse (IG: @vincentnelissemusique, https://soundcloud.com/incentlisse)
8. Marie-Luce Fortier & Juliana Lanza – Le Droit et la Recherche #1 – FR
Cette semaine au podcast, nos invitées sont Juliana Lanza et Marie-Luce Fortier. Marie-Luce est avocate et travaille en tant que conseillère jurdique pour l’Instut de Recherche du Centre Universitaire de Santé Mcgill (IR-CUSM). Juliana est juriste, et œuvre également en tant que conseillère juridique pour le centre recherche du centre hospitalier de l’université de Montréal (CRCHUM).
Marie-Luce et Juliana travaillent d’arrache-pied pour protéger légalement les chercheurs du CRCHUM et de l’IR-CUSM en préparant des contrats clairs dans plusieurs contexte de recherche.
Aujourd’hui, nous commençons avec un tour d’horizon de l’aspect légal de la recherche scientifique. Ensuite, nous avons discuté de quelques cas spécifiques de défis légaux, comme celui de mettre en place une bio-banque de sang pour les patients atteints de la covid-19. Nous avons eu une conversation très importante sur les données de patients et comment les protéger. Notre discussion de cette semaine se termine en parlant du regroupement que Marie-Luce et Juliana ont mis sur pied pour partager leur expertise et épauler les professionnels de leurs domaines à pratiquer leur travail si important et si difficile.
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Hôtes: Matheus Schultz et Philippe Carle
E-mail : ordersofmagnitudepod@gmail.com
Instagram: @ate.pod
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Contact des invitées :
Juliana Lanza : juliana.lanza.chum@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Marie-Luce Fortier : marie-luce.fortier@muhc.mcgill.ca
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Musique Originale: Vincent Nélisse (IG: @vincentnelissemusique, https://soundcloud.com/incentlisse)
7. Pranjal Seth – Microfluidics – ENG
We discussed how the proprieties of fluids change when they only occupy small volumes, and how these features enable new technology to diagnose diseases and empower patients to take their health in their own hands!
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Hosts: Matheus Schultz et Philippe Carle
E-mail : ordersofmagnitudepod@gmail.com
Instagram: @oom.pod
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Guest Contact : ca.linkedin.com/in/sethpranjal
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Original Music: Vincent Nélisse (IG: @vincentnelissemusique, https://soundcloud.com/incentlisse)
6. Serge Hamoudou – La Physique des Particules – FR
Cette semaine, notre invité est Serge Hamoudou. Serge est étudiant à la maîtrise en physique théorique à l’Université de Montréal. Nous avons discuté des particules qui constituent notre monde. Il nous a résumé la théorie quantique des champs, la meilleure théorie à ce jour pour expliquer le fonctionnement de notre univers.
Serge nous a ensuite fait part de quelques phénomènes observables qui ne s’accordent pas parfaitement à cette théorie pourtant robuste. La fréquence de la désintégration d’une particule nommée le méson B est un exemple d’un tel phénomène. À l’aide de modèles mathématiques, Serge et ses collègues tentent de théoriser de nouvelles interactions qui permettraient d’expliquer cette discordance.
Contact de l’invité : hamoudouserge1@gmail.com
5. Quinn Abram – The Zika Virus – ENG
This week, our guest is Quinn Abram. Quinn is a PhD candidate in the department of biochemistry at McGill University. His research seeks to better understand the mechanism whereby the Zika virus can replicate in our cells. Quinn is also involved as co-president of the Biochemistry Graduate Student Society (BGSS).
The first half of the podcast is dedicated to building a strong understanding of what viruses are, how they evolve and whether they are evil! We use the example of the Zika virus to illustrate the ingenuity and sneakiness of these tiny ‘’obligate intracellular parasites’’. At the end of the podcast, we delve into how the structure formed at the ends of the Zika genetic information are vital for its ability to replicate, and how we could disrupt that structure’s function with a drug.
4. Younes Rhazi – Le Revenu de Base Universel - FR
Cette semaine au podcast, nous recevons Younes Rhazi. Détentaire d’un baccalauréat en économie et politique, Younes complète présentement sa maîtrise en affaires publiques et internationales à l’Université de Montréal. Il a un intérêt marqué pour les inégalités sociales et les solutions pour remédier à ces dernières. Nous avons discuté des dernières études sur la semaine de quatre jours et sur le revenu minimum garanti. L’économie et la politique sont des sujets complexes, et Younes a su nous les vulgariser avec brio, en se basant sur des données empiriques!
3. Maya Nikolova – Proteins and Cancer - ENG
This week on the Podcast, our guest is Maya Nikolova. Maya is currently a molecular biology Master’s student at Université de Montréal. Her research focuses on the proteomics of RAS and RAS-SF, two families of proteins involved in cancer development and progression.
Since proteins are a complex topic, we focused the first half of the discussion on explaining what proteins are, and the vast array of things they can do! Then, we explored different facets of Maya’s project, going over a few cutting-edge techniques that are currently used by scientists to study proteins.
2. Simon Goulet - Les Éco-Émotions - FR
Cette semaine au podcast, notre invité est Simon Goulet. Étudiant au doctorat en rechercherche et intervention en psychologie à l'UQÀM, Simon est également un activiste écologiste. Il nous a fait découvrir l'étude des émotions que nous vivons tous lorsque nous sommes mis face à la crise climatique actuelle. Cette discussion est enrichissante car elle nous sort de notre carcan de sciences quantitatives et nous force à contempler la complexité d'étudier qualitativement des émotions, l'une des choses des plus subjectives qui soient!
1. Slater Covenden - Space Exploration and Metal Fuels - ENG
This week on the Podcast, our guest is Slater Covenden. Slater is starting his Master's degree in mechanical engineering at McGill University. Throughout his undergraduate degree at Concordia University, where he studied aerospace engineering, Slater was part of the rocket division of Space Concordia, acting as the head of research and development in his latter year.
Among many other topics, we discussed Slater's experience at Space Concordia, the challenges of going to space, exciting space exploration projects and his new research project on metal fuels, or like Slater would describe them: ''Metal Powders, Baby!''