Raw Talk Podcast

Raw Talk recently hosted their second annual live event, entitled Medicine Meets Machine: The Emerging Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare. Today's episode with Grace and Stephania shares the discussion from our first panel of experts focusing on current applications and limitations of AI in medicine. Our speakers share perspectives from healthcare, academia, industry, and policy development. You'll hear from Dr. Oren Kraus, Dr. Jason Lerch, Dr. Marzyeh Ghassemi and Dr. Joanna Yu, as well as moderator Dr. Shreejoy Tripathy about the realities of AI and the challenges involved, as well as the implications of AI for their own work. Written by: Grace Jacobs

Within the last couple of years, the concept of "fake news" has generated much interest in mainstream media. Currently, our generation has access to more information than at any other time in human history. But what are we doing to stay critical of all the information we receive? How do we separate the fact from the fiction? On today's episode, our team explores the state of science literacy, current initiatives aimed at improving science literacy, and how medical practice has changed in this "information" era. Melissa and Anton took it to the streets of Toronto to get a sense of where the general public gets their science information and how they decide whether to believe what they hear. Next, Richie spoke with Dr. Vince Stendardo, a family doctor in Toronto, about how the abundance of information available to patients online has changed his practice. Melissa also spoke with Jesse Hildebrand, a University of Toronto alum and founder of Science Literacy Week, to discuss his work with science promotion and outreach. Lastly, Amber sat down with Dr. Roger Riendeau, professor in the writing and rhetoric program at the University of Toronto, to talk about the illusions and reality of evidence, and how people process evidence in order to reach conclusions. So before you fall prey to the next big "fake news" story, tune in to find out how you can be more science literate. Until next time, keep it raw! Written by: Anton Rogachov Canada Most Science Literate Country in the World (CBC Article) Science Literacy Week Roger Reindeau's Teaching and Writing Site

Crime shows are ubiquitous these days. A common theme in the genre is violence committed by individuals who are mentally ill. These events are oftentimes sensationalized, drawing attention to the nature of the crime, and blurring the circumstances and neurobiology that played a role in setting the stage. Today's episode explores the intersection of violence and mental illness, and among other things, talks about how crime in this context could be interpreted as a symptom of inadequate care. To start, we sat down with Dr. Hy Bloom, a forensic psychiatrist and lawyer, and part-time staff member in the Complex Mental Illness/Forensic Services Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). With one foot in the medical world, and another in the legal realm, he talked about the legal nuances of forensic psychiatry. Next was Dr. Sandy Simpson, a clinician-scientist and the Chief of Forensic Psychiatry at CAMH. Dr. Simpson talked about his international research in the field, and emphasized the need for more community-based services. Finally, Dr. James Cantor, a clinical psychologist and Director of the Toronto Sexuality Centre, spoke to us about his practice and research in the field of pedophilia and paraphilias. Tune in for an episode as riveting as any true crime story you have listened to. Until next time, keep it raw! Written by: Alexandra Mogadam Dr. Hy Bloom's Workplace.Calm Dr. Bloom's Department of Psychiatry profile Dr. Bloom's Faculty of Law profile Dr. James Cantor's website Toronto Sexuality Centre (Article) White Matter Deficiency in Men who are Pedocphilic. By Dr. Cantor (Documentary) I, Pedophile

Have you ever had a bad reaction to a medication? Or realized that it just wasn't helping at all? The way someone responds to a particular drug - how effective it is and whether they experience any side effects - can vary greatly between individuals, and it's becoming apparent that a personalized approach is needed when treating many conditions. This is especially true for several psychiatric conditions, where finding the right medication for someone has relied heavily on trial and error. In this episode, we talked to Dr. James Kennedy and Dr. Daniel Mueller, clinician scientists at CAMH and co-principal investigators of the IMPACT study, which aims to personalize the treatment of several psychiatric conditions. Catherine Virelli, a student in the Translational Research Program working with Dr. Kennedy, told us about the steps and challenges involved with bringing predictive tools produced by programs like IMPACT into clinical use. We also sat down with Dr. Christine Bear, senior scientist at Sick Kids and director of CFIT - the Program for Individualized Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Therapy. She told us about why an individualized approach is necessary for treating CF and how the CFIT program can be useful for discovering new personalized therapies for patients. Written by: Thamiya Vasanthakumar The IMPACT Study Dr. Daniel Mueller's Pharmacogenetics Research Clinic SickKids Foundation Cystic Fibrosis Page MJ (A CF patient) visits Dr. Christine Bear's lab CFIT Register for our Live Podcast Event!

Memory loss, molecular changes, and positive aspects of aging are discussed in this episode. The importance of adapting building codes for older adults is highlighted, along with fears and challenges associated with aging.

In the past, the term autism was used to describe the symptoms of schizophrenia and was (incorrectly!) thought to have been caused by apathetic "refrigerator mothers". Today, we use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to describe developmental conditions that affect the communication and behaviour of individuals, with a wide range of symptoms and severities. Clearly, ASD is a complex condition and our understanding of it is constantly evolving. In this episode, you'll hear from two clinician-scientists at CAMH, Dr. Meng-Chuan Lai and Dr. Stephanie Ameis, who cover all the basics on ASD, and some newer research topics like sex and gender differences in autism. Dr. Stephen Scherer, a senior scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children, told us about his work on MSSNG, an exciting collaboration with Google and Autism Speaks, to uncover the genetic basis of ASD. You'll also hear from Connie Putterman, telling the story of her son's ASD diagnosis and how she came to be an advocate for autism research, as well as Rouya Botlani, who shares what she's learned through her work with students who have autism, at U of T Accessibility Services. Written by: Thamiya Vasanthakumar MSSNG POND Network Connie Putterman's The Parent Link Connie Putterman's TedX Talk

Step 1, wash face. Step 2, tone. Step 3, apply serum. Step 4, hydrate. Sound familiar? Most of us have a facial routine that looks something like this. While the amount of steps may differ, most would agree that they follow a variation of the above regime. Today's episode questions where this and other daily hygiene/cleanliness routines come from, and explores the unique intersection at which dermatology lies - between medicine, and beauty. We talked to two dermatologists, medical professionals that specialize in the domain of skin, hair and nails for this purpose. Dr. Sandy Skotnicki, Founder of the Bay Dermatology Centre and Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, told us about her new book Beyond Soap, exploring our culture's hygiene practices, and enlightening us on the sinister side of soap. Dr. Julia Carroll, Ontario Regional Director of the Canadian Dermatology Association, discussed the complex interplay between dermatological conditions and cosmetics, and how these things are hard to untangle. To wrap up, we asked the question we know you are perhaps most interested in: what are the most essential products for healthy and well-balanced skin? Tune in to find out! Until next time, keep it hygienic - not clean! Written by: Alexandra Mogadam Dr. Sandy Skotnicki's Website Beyond Soap by Dr. Sandy Skotnicki and Christopher Shulgan Dr. Skotnicki's Clinic The Product Elimination Diet Dr. Carroll's Clinic The Canadian Dermatology Association CDA Recommended Skincare Product List

What's the science behind the new and improved Canada Food Guide? Is the hype surrounding the keto diet and intermittent fasting supported by evidence? Can your genetic code tell you what diet is best for you? In this installment of Raw Talk, you'll find out! Dr. Carol Loffelmann shares how she leveraged her scientific and medical expertise as an anesthesiologist and Assistant Professor at U of T on her journey to becoming an advocate for evidence-based nutritional guidelines and the health benefits of a low-carb, high-fat diet. Expanding on this, you'll hear about the glycemic index from the man who created it, Dr. David Jenkins, a Scientist at Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute. Dr. Hoon-Ki Sung, Scientist at Sick Kids Hospital, also takes us through how intermittent fasting actually works and what happens in our fat cells. To learn about the future of food, we spoke with Dr. Daiva Nielsen, Assistant Professor at McGill University, about nutrigenomics and how genetic variation affects individuals' response to diet. Finally, we chowed down on the Beyond Meat Burger, made with 100% plant-based protein, with MD/PhD candidate Amy Khan. Your hunger for nutritional knowledge will be satisfied after this one! Written by: James Saravanamuttu Canada Food Guide Food Guides From Around the World Canadian Clinicians for Therapeutic Nutrition Dr. Jenkins' Top 10 Healthiest Foods Science of the Impossible Burger MacLean's Less Meat, More Choice Ultimate Veggie Burger Taste Test

Think back to your first sexual education experience. What did you learn? Who taught you? How has your understanding of sex, sexuality, and gender changed as you got older? In this episode of Raw Talk, we explored these questions and more. Toronto District School Board teacher, Laura Brown, shared her thoughts on changes to the Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum. AIDS Committee Toronto worker, Alex Urquhart discusses PrEP as a revolutionary medication in the gay community. We also had some fun with Dr. Jessica Maxwell chatting about her PhD and current postdoctoral work on relationships and how to boost sexual well-being and satisfaction. Finally, we brought back Dr. Gillian Einstein, who walks us through the biology and neuroscience behind sexual differentiation, and what science says about both sex and sexuality existing on spectrums. Written by: Melissa Galati Episode #31: Sex, Gender and the Brain University of Toronto Sexual Education Centre Walt Disney - The Story of Menstruation (1946) Ontario's Health and Physical Education Curriculum (2015) Ontario's Health and Physical Education Curriculum (1998) Testosterone Rex by Cordelia Fine Closer by Sarah Barmak AIDS Committee Toronto The Lived Experience of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) in Somali-Canadian Women's Daily Lives (article) Sex Beyond the Genitalia: the human brain mosaic (article) Male or Female? Brains are Intersex (article)

Guests include Lee Maracle, a Traditional Teacher at First Nations House. They discuss Indigenous perspectives on health, the importance of cultural competency in healthcare, and the need for self-reflection and disruption of cultural norms. They also touch on institutional policies, consent in research, and the tension between Western biomedicine and other ways of knowing.