Shows
Brain Matter Chatter (BMC)Episode 10: The Model Minority Academic with Dr. Kay TyeTW: sexual harassment, power dynamics, traumaThere is an old joke amongst Eastern Asian immigrants: If we bring home a test score of 99, our dads will ask: where’s the other point? Due to various myths, stereotypes, and barriers, including the model minority myth and the bamboo ceiling, navigating the academic world, especially in STEM, with an Eastern Asian identity can sometimes feel complicated. In this episode, Dr. Kay Tye (@kaymtye), a neuroscientist and professor at UC San Diego, joins Kyla Lee (@kylaaalee) and Olivia Ghosh-Swaby (@ogoshhsw) in a conversation discussing the unique experience of be...2021-12-1438 minBrain Matter Chatter (BMC)Episode 9: A Global Survey on Mental Health in Academia with Andrea HaywardIn this episode, Ruby (@Ruby__Malik), and Julia (@juliasunstrum) chat with Andrea Hayward, Senior Associate at CACTUS Mental Health. We discuss the results of a recent global survey conducted on the state of mental health in academia. The survey included over 13 000 respondents in 169 countries. Andrea highlights common themes that impact the mental health of researchers and academics, including work-life balance, guilt to be productive, long work hours, and safety in the work environment.Connect with Andrea Hayward ↬ Twitter: @AndieAitchMention in this Episode: Global Mental Health Survey ReportsCactus Mental Health In...2021-11-3053 minBrain Matter Chatter (BMC)Episode 8: Academic women & family planningAcademic women & family planning ft. Dr. Kasey Van Hedger & Dr. Alex LevineIn this episode, Niveen (@nivful), Hayley (@hayleyrcshanks) and Kyla (@kylaaalee) chat with Drs. Alex Levine and Kasey Van Hedger, both who completed PhDs in STEM and currently work at the University of Western Ontario in London, ON, Canada. We discuss their experiences in Academia with family planning and get two unique perspectives. Kasey and Alex detail their personal stories of how they got to their positions today, how family planning did, or did not, affect their trajectory, and provide invaluable advice for Professional...2021-11-1553 minBrain Matter Chatter (BMC)Episode 7: Mental Health in South Asian Communities with Ishita AggarwalIn this episode, Ruby (Host) and Olivia (Co-Host) chat with Ishita Aggarwal about her experiences as a South Asian woman. Ishita completed a master's in public health and is currently a medical student at Queen's University in Canada. Ishita is a member of the BIPOC Women's Health Network (WHN), an initiative led by a group of medical students who aim to provide healthcare resources and improve health experiences for racialized womxn in local Canadian communities.2021-10-1841 minBrain Matter Chatter (BMC)Episode 6 Part 3: Anxiety & anger with Rob Hicks: becoming a parent in AcademiaAnxiety & anger series with Rob Hicks, PART III: becoming a parent in AcademiaIn this three-part series, Niveen (@nivful) and Julia (@juliasunstrum) chat with Rob Hicks, a PhD Candidate in Kinesiology & Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada), about his experience in Academia with gender stereotypes and mental health, expressing emotions other than anger, and panic attack/anxiety triggers and what to look out for. Rob details his personal story of becoming a new parent in graduate school while managing his mental health and provides invaluable advice for (really) everyone, including men...2021-10-0343 minBrain Matter Chatter (BMC)Episode 6 Part 2: Anxiety & Anger with Rob Hicks: practicing mindfulnessAnxiety & anger series with Rob Hicks, PART II: practicing mindfulness. In this three-part series, Niveen (@nivful) and Julia (@juliasunstrum) chat with Rob Hicks, a PhD Candidate in Kinesiology & Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada), about his experience in Academia with gender stereotypes and mental health, expressing emotions other than anger, and panic attack/anxiety triggers and what to look out for. Rob details his personal story of becoming a new parent in graduate school while managing his mental health and provides invaluable advice for (really) everyone, including men, parents, and Academics.2021-09-2727 minBrain Matter Chatter (BMC)Episode 6 Part 1: Anxiety & Anger with Rob Hicks: gender stereotypes & men’s mental healthAnxiety & anger series with Rob Hicks, PART I: gender stereotypes & men’s mental healthIn this three-part series, Niveen (@nivful) and Julia (@juliasunstrum) chat with Rob Hicks, a PhD Candidate in Kinesiology & Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada), about his experience in Academia with gender stereotypes and mental health, expressing emotions other than anger, and panic attack/anxiety triggers and what to look out for. Rob details his personal story of becoming a new parent in graduate school while managing his mental health and provides invaluable advice for (really) everyone, including me...2021-09-1243 minBrain Matter Chatter (BMC)Episode 5: Anxiety, Social Isolation & Returning to "Normal" with Dr. David DozoisJulia and Niveen chat with Dr. David Dozois, a Psychologist, Professor, and the Director of the Clinical Psychology Graduate Program at Western University, about the impact of social isolation on mental health. We also learn why some of us feel anxious about going back to our normal social lives and routines and what we can do to ease this transition. Dr. Dozois also shares some of his personal experiences in graduate school and gives some great advice for graduate students. Connect with Dr. Dozois:Website: http://dozoislab.com/ Twitter: @david_dozois & @Dozois_Mood_LabResources Men...2021-08-0942 minBrain Matter Chatter (BMC)Episode 4 Part 2: Exercise and Cognition with Dr. Lindsay Nagamatsu and Joyla FurlanoIn part two of the exercise series, Hayley (Host) and Olivia (Co-Host) discuss the cognitive benefits of exercise with Joyla Furlano and Dr. Lindsay Nagamatsu. They touch on sex differences in response to exercise, exercise in aging and disease and exercise as medicine. Joyla is a fourth-year PhD candidate in Neuroscience at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. She currently works in the Exercise, Mobility and Brain Health Laboratory at Western under the supervision of Dr. Lindsay Nagamatsu. Her doctoral research uses fMRI to examine the effects of resistance exercise on cognitive and brain health in prediabetic...2021-08-0248 minBrain Matter Chatter (BMC)Episode 4 Part 1: Exercise and Mental HealthIn part one of a two part series, Hayley (Host) and Olivia (Co-Host) discuss the health benefits of exercise, including the ability of exercise to boost mood. They delve into some of the neuroscience behind exercise’s beneficial impact on mood, and touch on tips for staying active as graduate students. 2021-07-2628 minBrain Matter Chatter (BMC)Episode 3: Eating Disorder with Dr. Jaclyn SiegelTRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains sensitive content relating to eating disorders. In this episode, Ruby (Host) and Hayley (Co-Host) chat with Dr. Jaclyn Siegel about her experiences and research relating to eating disorders. Dr. Siegel completed her PhD at Western University in social psychology. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at San Diego State University in the Body Image, Sexuality, and Health Lab. Visit https://www.jaclynasiegel.com/ to discover more about her research. 2021-07-121h 04Brain Matter Chatter (BMC)Episode 2: Zoom Fatigue with Michaela KentIn this episode, Michaela Kent, a PhD student in neuroscience, at Western University, joins Ruby and Julia for a discussion on Zoom fatigue. Michaela draws on her expertise in, and research on, virtual socialization to explain why Zoom fatigue leaves many of us feeling unmotivated and unfilled at the end of the day. As an international student, Michaela shares her experiences of being a "Zoom student" in the midst of the pandemic. 2021-06-2837 minBrain Matter Chatter (BMC)Episode 1: Supervisor-Supervisee Relationships with Dr. Melanie-Anne AtkinsMentor-mentee relationships are dynamic & often complex, especially when discussing mental health. In this episode, Dr. Melanie Anne Atkins, a mental health advocate and researcher & Acting Associate Director at Graduate Programs at the Center for Teaching & Learning at Western University, takes us through ways to establish expectations and a positive relationship on both ends. Additionally we chat about how to talk about mental health with a mentor/supervisor. Episode 1 highlights the rate of graduate student success and how supervisor-supervisee relationships are a crucial source of support for graduate students.2021-06-131h 01Brain Matter Chatter (BMC)Episode 0: Why Now? Why Us? Why This?Welcome to the very first episode of Brain Matter Chatter (BMC). In this episode, the BMC team - Ruby, Niveen, Julia, Olivia, and Hayley - comes together to answer three big questions about the show. 2021-06-1330 min