Raw Talk Podcast

For many people, childhood memories hold a special place in our hearts. Childhood experiences also impact our journey through life, shaping our personality, relationships, and conceptions of right and wrong. But not all childhood memories are bright, and many children suffer significant trauma through maltreatment by family members or other trusted adults. In this episode, we explore the difficult topic of child maltreatment with the help of our esteemed guests. First, Dr. Tracie Afifi, a Professor in Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, describes the scope of child maltreatment in Canada, and describes intervention and prevention strategies. Next, Dr. Robert T. Muller, a Clinical Psychologist, Professor of Psychology at York University, and bestselling author on trauma therapy, tells us about the goals, pitfalls, and successful strategies in psychotherapy for patients with childhood trauma. Finally, Dr. Katreena Scott, an Associate Professor and Clinical Psychologist at the University of Toronto, explores the complex familial contexts in which child maltreatment can arise, and describes the unique intervention program she and her team have pioneered to help break the cycle. Written by: Tsukiko Miyata Local Children's Aid Societies (Ontario) Profile - Dr. Tracie Afifi Profile - Dr. Robert T. Muller Profile - Dr. Katreena Scott Book - Trauma and the Struggle to Open Up: From Avoidance to Recovery and Growth Book - Trauma and the Avoidant Client: Attachment-Based Strategies for Healing Caring Dads Adverse Childhood Experiences Global look at Child Maltreatment (WHO) Child Maltreatment in Canada Indigenous people and Child Maltreatment

Since their discovery in the 1920's, antibiotics have allowed the field of medicine to make leaps and bounds in innovation. The ability to treat bacterial infections reliably and effectively have made transplant surgeries, cancer chemotherapy, and treating what were once considered deadly infections, like pneumonia, a routine part of our health care. However, antibiotic resistance can occur when the bacteria being targeted change in response and render the antibiotic ineffective. Antibiotic resistance is a global threat and there are concerns that by the year 2050, antibiotic resistant infections could cause more than 10 million deaths annually. In this episode, we explore the drivers of antibiotic resistance around the world and speak to researchers tackling this issue through their research on innovative therapies and solutions. First, Dr. Thomas Van Boeckel explains the major driving forces and global trends in development of antibiotic resistance and system wide policy level changes required to tackle the threat. Dr. Erin Duffy takes us through the innovative work being done at CARB-X, a non-profit initiative to accelerate research in the field globally. Finally, Chidozie Ojobor from the University of Toronto, talks to us about his research on tailocins, a promising new technology he is researching for combating antibiotic resistant bacteria. Written by: Anam Islam CDC antibiotic resistance threat report, 2.8 million AR cases each year in the USA Global trends in antimicrobial resistance in animals in low- and middle-income countries Dr. Van Boeckel's university profile page Antimicrobial Resistance: Tackling a crisis for the health and wealth of nations CARB-X portfolio Davidson Lab at UofT

This podcast explores the process of drug development in Canada, the prevalence of rare diseases, Canada's position in medical innovation, and the challenges of producing and pricing drugs for rare diseases. It also discusses potential changes in drug production and pricing, comparing Canada's approach to that of New Zealand, and addresses the challenge of balancing innovation and accessibility.

Many factors including income, food security, or housing can have a huge contribution to our health. These are known as the social determinants of health (SDoH). In this episode, we discuss some common SDoH, how they impact our health, and what some leading physicians are doing to tackle the issue. Our guests, Dr. Andrew Boozary, Dr. Andrew Pinto, and Dr. Kate Mulligan discuss topics such as, the teaching of SDoH in the medical curriculum, how the SDoH have been exacerbated with the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as current and future efforts to address the SDoH and decrease the associated health disparities. All of our guests are actively working to change our health system and the way we provide care to improve the health disparities we see in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and beyond. Written by: Larkin Davenport Huyer Dr. Andrew Boozary's Twitter Dr. Kate Mulligan's Twitter Dr. Andrew Pinto's Twitter Upstream Lab Social Medicine at UHN as reported by Toronto Star Public Health Ontario's report on SDoH in COVID19

Dr. Sean Wharton, Medical Director of the Wharton Medical Clinic, speaks about anti-Black racism in healthcare. He discusses how subconscious biases in the healthcare system lead to worse health outcomes for Black communities. The importance of recognizing the unique needs of trainee and patient populations is emphasized. Jessica Goncalves, the first Black President of the Nursing Undergraduate Society at the University of Toronto, highlights the importance of diverse representation in health professions. The podcast explores the challenges faced by Black individuals in obtaining proper nutrition and healthcare, the impact of racial concordance on patient health outcomes, the importance of compassion and empathy in healthcare, unconscious biases, and the role of advocacy in bringing about change in healthcare.

Vaccine technology has come a long way in terms of safety and understanding the underlying immunological principles. The first vaccine that was made was against smallpox in the late 18th century. Since then, vaccines have become the key tool in fighting against infectious diseases that have affected humans for centuries, including chickenpox, measles, and polio. But as the world prepares for the largest mass vaccination campaign in history with the COVID19 vaccines, there are many people that are somewhat hesitant about the vaccination process but are curious to learn more. The emergence of mRNA vaccines has allowed for the fastest development of a vaccine in history and could be a sign of what's to come in the future. In this episode, we talk about the COVID19 mRNA vaccine with the co-founder of Moderna, Dr. Derrick Rossi and about how mRNA can be used in personalized cancer vaccines with Providence Therapeutics' Chief Development officer, Dr. Natalia Martin Orozco. We look back at the history of vaccine development with Dr. Christopher Rutty. Finally, We also speak with Dr. Nicole Charles to explore the complexity of vaccine hesitancy in marginalized communities. Written by: Yagnesh Ladumor Connaught Labs at UofT History of Vaccination virtual exhibit Dr. Charles' book - Suspicion. Vaccines, Hesitancy, and the Affective Politics of Protection in Barbados Seminal paper from the Rossi Lab about Modified RNAs Providence Therapeutics

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infectious disease that affects millions of people globally every year. Despite being one of the oldest infectious diseases in humans, control of the epidemic through treatment and vaccination has remained out of reach. In today’s episode, we learned about what makes TB so difficult to control, from immunology to stigma. First, Dr. Jun Liu, a Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics at University of Toronto, guides us through current knowledge on TB and discusses the difficulties and advances in developing TB vaccines. Next, Dr. Amrita Daftary, a Professor in the Department of Global Health at York University, explains the process of diagnosing and treating TB, and later highlights challenges that patients with TB may face while accessing care. Finally, Dr. Sarah Fortune, the Director of TB Research Program at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, helps us understand how TB drug resistance can arise, and why TB-HIV co-infection poses such a challenge. The fight against TB continues every day, by millions of patients, healthcare providers, and researchers alike. Join us as we learn about this forgotten pandemic. Written by: Tsukiko Miyata Dr. Jun Liu - profile Dr. Amrita Daftary - profile Dr. Sarah Fortune - profile What is DOTS? - report Paul Farmer on Partners in Health, Harvard-Haiti, and making the lives of the poor the fight of his life TB Personal Stories Vaccine Preventable Diseases

Dr. Jay Famiglietti and Dr. Madjid Mohseni discuss water security, infrastructure, and quality. They highlight the challenges faced by Indigenous communities and the need for collaboration and proper training. Environmental racism and policy changes are also explored.

Explore the connections and issues in global health outside of a pandemic. Learn about prioritization, funding, and measuring of global health, the roots of imperialism, and the importance of decolonizing it. Discover the significance of highlighting local expertise and youth perspectives for equity and better health outcomes. Hear from leaders in global health and how they strive for improvement.

There are things in life that people take for granted every day. For many of us, that is the privilege of moving about in a world that was designed for our bodies and our physical abilities. Imagine not being able to get to a meeting on time because the nearest subway isn’t accessible. Imagine not getting any matches on a dating profile because 2 years ago you got into a car accident and now you get from place to place in a wheelchair. Imagine what it feels like to have your body be looked at as a problem to be solved. In this episode, we are trying to address ableism by talking to people with lived experience about what having a disability means to them while living in our society and culture today. We talk to disability advocates about the important work they are doing to help challenge how we define disability. Is disability a design problem that we can solve? We also touch on topics that many of us think about on a daily basis: sex, dating. We hope that this episode will help you reflect on some biases you have about living with a disability and think about what you can do to make your world more accessible, because we all deserve the same opportunities in life regardless of our physical ability. Written by: Claire Mazzia The Disabled List Dr. Jeff Preston's website Centre for Independent Living in Toronto