Hosted by CJ the DJ (Colette Steer), this is a 30 minute radio show featuring a graduate student or postdoc each week. Each episode is an opportunity for Queen’s grad students and postdocs to showcase their research to the Queen’s and Kingston community. From time to time, CJ the DJ also interviews an alum or interview grad students in relation to something topical for the day. Grad Chat is a collaboration between the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs and CFRC 101.9FM
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The Tibetan Graduates Studies Seminar (TGSS) is a weekly series of colloquia and guest lectures at the Oriental Institute. The intended purpose of the TGSS is to give MPhil and DPhil candidates a platform to present their work-in-progress and receive feedback from staff and affiliated scholars of the field. Additionally, the weekly time slot will also allow visiting scholars to present their current research. They are provided with the opportunity to engage in similar ways with both students ...
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Peash Saha (Computing) – Improving Efficiency of Societal Services for the Vulnerable through Algorithmic Approach
36:04
A social choice represents the collective decision of the individuals based on their preferences over the alternatives. There are societal services operated by governmental or non-governmental organizations which implement a social choice model. For example, the allocation of shelters to homeless individuals considers both the preferences of homele…
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With Canada’s aging population and rising immigration rates, this research explores the unique transportation challenges faced by older adult women—both local-born and immigrants—in mid-sized Canadian cities. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs website.…
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Nithikaa Shashikanth (Rehabilitation Science) – Parent-Administered Sensorimotor Intervention (PASI) Program
32:22
Nithikaa looks at the effect of the Parent-Administered Sensorimotor Intervention (PASI) on the developmental outcomes in infants born preterm at 18 months of age and to determine the long-term impact of this program. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs webs…
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Nikta’s research for my dissertation, titled “Queer Remembering: Fractured Memory and Haunted Futures in Contemporary Novels of the Black Diaspora,” focuses on the contemporary re-imagining of archiving Black pasts and futures in Afrofuturist, diasporic, fantasy novels. The authors and texts that I examine refuse the fluidity of time and truth, opt…
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Danielle Harper (Pathology & Molecular Medicine) – Genetic disruption to decrease breast cancer metastasis
33:38
Danielle studies triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive breast cancer subtype associated with poor survival. Unlike other subtypes for which there are targeted therapies, treatment options for TNBC are limited. In order to better understand the biology underlying TNBC, she studies a family of proteins called calpains. For upcoming inte…
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Margot Smith (Geography) – An Astrobiologists’s study of lipids in spring waters up in the high Arctic
29:07
The Arctic is host to cold, hypersaline, perennial springs that flow through 600m of permafrost. I studied 44 samples from cores, sediments, filtrates and microbial mats from these springs. Surficial life at these springs has been studied for decades, but this is the first investigation that looks at the deep subsurface life. This is of interest as…
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Canadian provincial education systems play a vital role in developing the social and academic interests of youth who, typically, spend over thirty hours in classrooms per week. Yet, significant consistency in terms of provincial guidelines and teacher booklists restrict these classrooms’ approaches to diverse literary content. The lack of both dive…
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Alyssa Grocutt (Management) – Employee perceptions and behaviours towards tattooed colleagues
42:32
Alyssa’s research focuses on nuances in observer perceptions and treatment of tattooed colleagues based on tattoo content. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs website.CFRC Podcast Network
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Lara Bulger (Cultural Studies) – Documentary Film, how we can use it as a pedagogical tool and a medium for social change
37:13
Lara is looking at Canadian documentary film through both a contemporary and historical lens, as well as the limits of radical pedagogy and activism. Some of the themes that interest her include environmental racism, Indigenous sovereignty and food security. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Gra…
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My research focuses on looking at black holes. Some black holes are so energetic, that they tear up the bright hot matter spinning around them and funnel it into jets shooting out their top and bottom. And once in a while, we luck out and a few black holes are oriented so that the jets are pointed straight towards the earth! We call these kinds of …
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Francisco Zepeda Trujillo (Cultural Studies) – Failed Aspirations: Modernity, Religion, and the Interplay of Social and Political Imaginaries in Twentieth Century Mexico
42:55
This research explores the interplay of social and political imaginaries in Mexico, both secular and religious, during the twentieth century. It uses archival research and discourse analysis to examine how liberal and revolutionary political leaders and various Catholic groups have interacted, how they have handled their contradictions, how their r…
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Ahmad Nagib (computing) – Building Trust in Reinforcement Learning for Next-Generation Wireless Networks
35:37
Machine learning is very popular nowadays for solving problems in many fields, including wireless networks such as 5G networks that we use to make calls and connect to the internet using our phones. Next-generation wireless networks (NGWNs), such as 6G networks, will include more diverse devices and applications that make them more complex to contr…
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Gabby Torretto (Pathology & Molecular Medicine) – Assessing BRCA1 Genetic Variants involved in Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer
31:06
Between 5-10% of breast and 20-25% of ovarian cancers are inherited. The majority of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer cases are caused by deleterious mutations (variants) in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which normally prevent cancer through protecting and repairing our DNA. Genetic testing is used to identify pathogenic BRCA carriers who would su…
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Christina Ferazzutti (Biomedical & Molecular Sciences) – Why One Complicated Pregnancy Can Lead to Another: The Role of Immune Memory
35:39
Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a significant complication linked to uncontrolled inflammation, which not only causes immediate distress but also heightens risks in future pregnancies. It is hypothesized that inflammation during pregnancy induces long-term changes in maternal immune cells, altering their responses in subsequent pregnancies and in…
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This session talks about the PhD-Community Initiative program at Queen’s University and one of the projects with a community partner (KFL&A Public Health) to provide a Program Evaluation of the Efforts to Prevent Invasive Meningococcal Disease in Kingston. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Gradu…
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Rooted in Victorian England as a response to a number of social and religious factors, Muscular Christianity is a set of beliefs that revolves around contact sports, the physicality of the male body, and a return to a “traditional” masculinity (a term always fraught), much writing has been done on Muscular Christianity in it’s heyday during the lat…
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Allen Tian (Biology) – Assessing the impact of invasive mollusk species on native mollusk communities and algal blooms with eDNA
31:51
Zebra mussels are some of the most high profile and impactful invasive species in Canada, and have transformed the Great Lakes watershed in the past three decades. Voracious feeders that consume all algae, they have clarified our lakes, caked our beaches with their sharp shells, and denied other species precious food. Interactions between zebra mus…
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A look at what graduate events are coming up in 2025 from GRADflix to the Three Minute Thesis. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs website – https://www.queensu.ca/grad-postdoc/research/share/grad-chatCFRC Podcast Network
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Reflecting on this years interviews.For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs website – https://www.queensu.ca/grad-postdoc/research/share/grad-chatCFRC Podcast Network
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Logan Germain (Biomedical & Molecular Sciences) – The impact of the environmental pollutant triphenyl phosphate on epigenetics in aquatic embryonic cells
39:42
Triphenyl phosphate is used as a flame retardant and plasticizer in a wide variety of consumer and industrial products in Canada. TPhP is also an environmental pollutant found in air, water and soil. TPhP has been shown to act as an Endocrine Disrupting Chemical, meaning it interferes with normal hormonal signalling. I’m investigating how epigeneti…
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Eileen O’Brien (Biomedical & Molecular Sciences) – Gut healing: uncovering immune pathways contributing to IBD
34:17
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an immune disorder leading to chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. It affects 0.8% of the Canadian population with a recent increased prevalence in the pediatric population. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affai…
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Hemophilia A (HA) is an X-linked bleeding disorder caused by a mutation in the factor 8 (F8) gene that codes for FVIII coagulation protein. FVIII is naturally synthesized in the liver and the mutation results in the loss of function of FVIII protein which is critical in the blood clotting cascades. HA occurs is 1 to 5000 male births and it is estim…
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Blue Miaoran Dong (Carleton-PhD) – Studying the similarities and differences between tech platforms and privatized infrastructure.
33:32
Although tech platform companies often claim in their advertisements and public relations efforts that they represent the public interest, as private companies, their primary goal is to maximize their own profits. Equating private interests with public interests not only overlooks the issues arising from the increasingly blurred lines between the t…
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The Queen’s chapter and why be part of the American Chemical Society will be hosting the “Celebrating the Late Dr. Alfred R. Bader: A 100th Birthday Symposium” on Monday, November 18th, 2024. This interviews highlights the work of Dr Bader and how Queen’s will showcase his love for chemistry and the arts. To round it off we delve a little bit into …
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The coastal zone is shaped by sea level change, wave action, geological characteristics, and human decisions. These processes are spatially continuous, therefore techniques that monitor larger regions, such as remote sensing and numerical modeling, allow for a more detailed understanding of the drivers of coastal change. In Laura’s research, she ap…
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Rashelle Aldbai (Biomedical & Molecular Sciences) – Impact of cannabis on cancer metastasis mediated through epigenetic rewiring
34:24
The plant Cannabis sativa L. has historically served as a herbal remedy, garnering a considerable surge in both recreational and medicinal domains in contemporary times. However, this increased application has not aligned with our clinical awareness regarding the disturbances associated with cannabis. This assumes heightened significance in the con…
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Kennedy Quigg (Chemistry/Chemistry Biology) – Discovery and Characterization of Putative Thermostable Enzymes for the Degradation of Polyether-Polyurethane Foam
33:23
Over 2,000 garbage trucks worth of plastic waste enter our oceans, lakes, rivers, and estuaries every day. Of the 300 million tons of plastic produced annually, only 10% is recycled. Due to the inertness and durability of plastic materials, current industrial recycling processes employ energetically demanding processes such as combustion and meltin…
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Jessica Burnside (Epidemiology) – The Burden of Steatotic Liver Disease in Canada: Sex Differences in Prevalence and Cardiometabolic Profiles
36:02
Jessica discusses the characteristics of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic (fat build up) liver disease (MASLD) in the Canadian context. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs website.CFRC Podcast Network
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Taylor Rae Morrell (Geological Sciences) – how the pre-existing faults in the tectonic plate that is thrust beneath the other plate can be reactivated or move during collision
38:48
Taylor is a structural geologist, which means I study the architecture and processes behind the development of mountain systems. As a structural geologist, I need to factor in all the different aspects of a mountain system to effectively study it and create a comprehensive tectonic model to explain the evolution of the mountain system. For upcoming…
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Mapping out and understanding the rise, power and resiliency of modern Christian prophecy among American evangelical voters that relate to Donald Trump’s presidency. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chat webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs website.…
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David McFarlane (TMU) – How we might come to understand the Great Lakes as animated actors in their own rights, with their own unique subjectivities?
32:38
David’s research-creation project draws on his experiences as a musician and visual artist, to employ sonic data gathering techniques such as biodata sonification and field recordings, alongside embodied and Indigenous-informed research methodologies in order to undertake a co-created artistic acoustic ecology with the Great Lakes. For upcoming int…
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Jenelle Regnier-Davies (Toronto Metropolitan University)- Food security and food insecurity responses on the municipal level
36:20
Jenelle’s Ph.D. dissertation research examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on community-based food security responses in Toronto and entails broader examinations of food system governance in practice. Her work interrogates the equitable distribution of resources among the non-profit sector and examines EDI practices within philanthropic an…
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Jiale Xie (MSc in Translational Medicine) – Personalizing Blood Pressure Targets in the ICU to Improve Survivor Cognitive Outcomes
31:01
Each year, approximately 230,000 Canadians, or 1 in 100, receive ICU care. While over 90% survive, up to 55% of survivors develop long-lasting cognitive impairment within two years of ICU discharge. Recent research suggests that inadequate blood flow to the brain may play a role. The purpose of Jiale’s research is to identify patients’ optimal bloo…
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Debbie Hernandez (English & Film Studies) – Demythologizing Our Stories: (Re)connecting with Cultural Teachings in the Filipino Diaspora
36:00
Debbie Hernandez, a PhD student from Wilfrid Laurier University, explores the importance of cultural teachings in Filipino communities, focusing on how these teachings are remembered, experienced, used, and passed on, despite being marginalized within dominant cultures. Guided by feminist theory and postcolonial studies, particularly M. Jacqui Alex…
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Asian Territorial Deity Cosmologies as Vehicles for the Transmission of Buddhadharma (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
40:51
Robert Mayer's analysis of Guru Chowang's enduring connection between territorial deity cosmologies and the preservation of hidden teachings in Tibetan Buddhism Academic scholars are accustomed to understanding gter as sacred texts often associated with Padmasambhava, within a cult deriving historically from ancient imperial burials. Yet the great …
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Kristin Scheible uncovers the hidden role of nāgas in defining Buddhist treasures and explores their surprising significance in safeguarding sacred relics through early texts Much of the literature on nāgas in Indian Buddhist monasticism has focused on their rain-making and monastery-protecting duties. However, early Buddhist texts are full of narr…
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Recalibrating the Perspective on Tibetan and Himalayan History: Identity- and Nation-Building in Bhutan (Transcript)
In this talk, Dr. Dagmar Schwerk presents the work-in-progress of her current research project, an investigation into identity- and nation-building in eighteenth-century Bhutan In this talk, Dr. Dagmar Schwerk presents the work-in-progress of her current research project, an investigation into identity- and nation-building in eighteenth-century Bhu…
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Recalibrating the Perspective on Tibetan and Himalayan History: Identity- and Nation-Building in Bhutan
42:52
In this talk, Dr. Dagmar Schwerk presents the work-in-progress of her current research project, an investigation into identity- and nation-building in eighteenth-century Bhutan In this talk, Dr. Dagmar Schwerk presents the work-in-progress of her current research project, an investigation into identity- and nation-building in eighteenth-century Bhu…
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‘Treasures’ (gter ma) and treasure-finders in Yungdrung Bön: a Tibetan tradition spanning a thousand years (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
50:58
This talk presents an outline of the Yungdrung Bön ’Treasure’ tradition The Tibetan Bön religion, often called Yungdrung (‘Eternal’) Bön by its adherents, arose in Central Tibet at the same time as the ‘Latter Propagation’ (phyi dar) of Buddhism, i.e. in the 10th-11th century CE. In fact, it shares many traits with the Latter Propagation, and may b…
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Yoginīs, Revelation, and Hidden Knowledge in Tantric Śaivism (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
33:52
This presentation examines Śākta transformations of conceptions of revelation and the transmission of esoteric knowledge in Mantramārga Śaivism This presentation examines Śākta transformations of conceptions of revelation and the transmission of esoteric knowledge in Mantramārga Śaivism. In particular, the presentation focuses on representations of…
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In this talk, Jacob Fisher presents his research on a history of the Buddhist discussions surrounding perceptual relativism, in India and Tibet Indian and Tibetan epistemologists have spent millennia grappling with the central philosophical questions of relativism and intersubjectivity. This talk will present my ongoing DPhil research that attempts…
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A Chorus of Voices Chanting the Names of Mañjuśrī Rong-zom Chos-kyi-bzang-po’s Commentary on the Nāmasaṅgīti, and Its Indian Sources
53:54
Nicola Bajetta takes us through Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo's commentary on the Nāmasaṅgīti, a hymn of praise dedicated to Mañjuśrī Among the circa thirty-two extant works by the seminal rNying-ma scholar Rong-zom Chos-kyi-bzang-po (11th–12th cent.), his Explanation in Three Points (rNam gsum bshad pa) is one of the earliest autochthonous Tibetan comment…
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Reinier Langelaar’s talk on early Tibetan treasure literature’s influences, inspirations, and narrative themes Early Tibetan treasure literature was pivotal in the development of a distinctly Buddhist vision of Tibetan history. In formulating such narratives, two influential early works, the Ma-ṇi-bka’-‘bum and the Bka’-chems-ka-khol-ma, appear to …
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Early Teachings on the Four Phurpas and the Relationship between the Revelatory and Transmitted Textual Tradition (Oxford Treasure Seminar Series)
41:30
Early teachings on the Four Phurpas in the light of the Eightfold Buddha Word, Embodying the Sugatas (bka' brgyad bde gshegs 'dus pa) revelation of Myang ral Nyi ma 'od zer (1124-1192), and the relationship between the Revelatory (gter ma) and Transmitted Myang ral's twelfth century revealed corpus of the Eightfold Buddha Word, Embodying the Sugata…
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Exploring relationships between theory of practice and practice by looking at the Abhisamayālaṃkāra in Gelukpa scholasticism
51:58
Chandra Ehm's investigation into the foundations of the Geluk monastic curriculum The commentarial corpus of the Abhisamayālaṃkāra, as we find it in the scholarship of the gelukpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, clearly outlines soteriological paths on how to achieve the religious goal of enlightenment. These scriptures are studied, debated, and con…
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The Transformation of Nyingma Identity: Some Key Developments in Contemporary Nyingma Monastic Education
45:51
Nicholas Hobhouse on Developments in Contemporary Nyingma Monastic Education This presentation, which draws upon the speaker’s ongoing PhD research, will examine some of the key developments that have taken place in Nyingma monastic education, both in ‘exile’ and inside Eastern Tibet, since the ruptures brought about by the Maoist invasion of the 1…
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Valeriya Gazizova's talk on several cases of ‘treasure’ concealment and discoveries in the Buddhist society of postsocialist Kalmykia I shall discuss several cases of ‘treasure’ concealment and discoveries that can be somewhat subsumed under the broader category of Tibetan gter ma in the Buddhist society of postsocialist Kalmykia. Whether scriptura…
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Drukgyel Tsering's talk on Rendawa Shonu Lodro (1349–1412), the famed teacher of Lama Tsongkhapa and important progenitor of Madhyamaka philosophy in Tibet Red mda' ba gzhon nu blo gros (1349–1412) was one of the most exceptional scholars in 13th and early 14th century Tibet. He played a critical role in bringing Madhyamaka philosophy back to the a…
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The Rgyud sde spyi rnam ascribed to Rin chen bzang po (958–1055) and its authoritative sources
41:17
Sonam Choden discusses Lo tsā ba Rin chen bzang po's composition of his "General Presentation of the Tantric Systems" and its authoritative sources While numerous Indian works translated by Lo-chen Rin-chen-bzang-po (958–1055) have been transmitted through the Tibetan Buddhist Canon and are thus easily available, works composed (or believed to have…
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This lecture highlights Tibetan responses to the Mongol imperial bureaucratic practices during the 14th century The value of government documents for studying the 13–14th-century Tibetan history has long been recognized. But we do not know much about the procedures of drafting, issuing, translating, announcing, and receiving these documents. With t…
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