We are once again bringing you inside UHN's Krembil Brain Institute – one of North America's largest and most innovative neurological centres – to meet the scientists and physicians advancing discovery, the patients who inspire us and the care teams who support them. This season, we're exploring some big new research in brain health, including: What young women need to know about preventing a stroke? Can loneliness re-wire your brain? And how you can reduce your chances of Alzheimer's. We'll also take you to the forefront of AI-powered brain science, dive into the link between genetics and rea ..read more

UHN’s Dr. Gelareh Zadeh sits down to talk about her pioneering research of meningiomas – or skull based tumors, and her discovery of the biology – or makeup – of these meningiomas. She also speaks to her amazing career journey, starting with her family's decision to escape their homeland in Iran following the Iranian Revolution, landing in Winnipeg on a cold Boxing Day in 1988. From their she tracks her successful professional trajectory, and rise as a medical leader - including her appointment as Chair of Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto in 2020 - the first woman ever in Canada to le ..read more

Dr. Howard Abrams leads a team that is pioneering an innovative solution to the gap in senior housing along with providing health supports for elderly Canadians who want to age at home. It’s called NORC – short for Naturally Occurring Retirement Community. What is a NORC? Everything from a co-op to a condo to an apartment building where older people make up the majority of residents. “Most older Canadians want to age in place, they want to age at home…it's where they've lived most of their life, and they know how to do that best,” says Dr. Abrams. So he and a team at the UHN NORC Innovation Ce ..read more

In this episode award winning UHN KITE researcher Dr. Tatyana Mollayeva talks about her pioneering research on sleep disruption and it’s impact on patients with neurological disease and brain injury. Her research for example reveals a connection between a patient’s ability to recover from mild traumatic brain injury and sleep disruption, and, she’s been able identify risk factors such as adverse cognitive reactions and loss of reaction time in people with mild TBI who have sleep issues. Dr. Mollayeva also speaks to her role as an educator, and, advocacy work promoting sleep health awareness, i ..read more

Dr. Laurie Ailles is an award winning senior scientist at UHN's Princess Margaret Cancer Center whose pioneering research revealed the origins of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Her discovery is now paving the way towards more accurate and individualized prognoses that better inform potential treatments and improve outcomes for patients with the disease. Dr. Ailles’ also speaks to her career path as a successful medical science researcher, which traces back to her peripatetic childhood journey of living in several countries around the world as the daughter of a CIDA employee. She credit ..read more

The human microbiome consists of viruses, fungi, bacteria - even parasites and protozoa - that live on and in our bodies. And today the microbiome is having a ‘scientific moment’. Researchers are testing its uses to improve health, and, as a therapeutic agent to treat everything from bloodstream infection to the ill effects of cancer treatment. In this episode of UHN's ‘Behind the Breakthrough’ leading Canadian microbiome research scientist Dr. Bryan Coburn explains how our understanding of the microbiome is growing exponentially, and the human clinical trials he’s conducting to determine if i ..read more

In this episode, we interview Dr. Cristina Nostro, a Senior Scientist at the McEwen Stem Cell Institute at UHN, on her developments in curing type one diabetes through the use of stem cells. She dives into the uptake of islet transplantation as a treatment option, along with the different methods and technological advancements to improve the life of people living with this autoimmune disease.  ..read more

The podcast "Behind the Breakthrough" features Dr. Hance Clarke, an anesthesiologist and director of pain services at Toronto's University Health Network, discussing the challenges of managing pain after surgery. Dive into the consequences of the lack of a protocol and the scope and scale of addiction in Canada as a result of post-surgery pain. Dr. Clarke discusses the need for a balance between patient comfort and preventing addiction, and how his research protocols are used to achieve this balance. The opioid crisis has led to a focus on pain as a part of the process, and how to support pat ..read more

Season 5 launches with an interview with pioneering social medicine advocate Dr. Boozary, who speaks to how UHN is tackling one of the biggest challenges to health for those who are marginalized – homelessness. Dr. Boozary and UHN helped create an ambitious hospital-first in Canada – the construction of a supportive housing site in Parkdale, Toronto. In this wide-ranging and thoughtful interview Dr. Boozary makes the wider case that hospitals must expand their mission and lead innovations in a collaborative way to address the root causes of health problems. And he speaks to the immig ..read more

Season 5 is just around the corner, coming Fall 2023. Until then check-out our friends at UHN's Krembil Brain Institute as they launch season two of Your Complex Brain!  Well, it’s no surprise. Since last season, our brains haven’t gotten any less complex! But that just means there are even more stories to share about the mysteries, myths and science behind how our brains work, and what keeps our brains healthy and fit. On Season 2 of our podcast Your Complex Brain, we’ll highlight the latest research, technology and innovations in brain science by speaking with thought leaders & expe ..read more