For Canadians who spend long periods outdoors, winter battery problems are almost inevitable. Phones die faster when used in extremely cold conditions. The range on electric vehicles drops noticeably during sub-zero temperatures. E-bikes and e-scooters charge slowly after being left outside during a cold night. These are some of the issues associated with cold-weather operation […]
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is a powerful public health tool used to prevent various health conditions (previously discussed in my first blog post). However, this was not always the case. It was not until the early 1980s that German scientist Harald zur Hausen identified the link between HPV and cervical cancer. Today, there exist more than 200 subtypes of the […]
If you read my first blog post in this series, you’ve probably come to realize that when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, police are generally the default responders. This intervention has become so common that it often goes unquestioned. But police did not take on this role because they are uniquely equipped to provide care. So, how did police become the de facto mental health crisis responders? […]
In my previous blog post, I introduced the concept of “rites of passage,” first popularized by anthropologist Arnold van Gennep in 1909. “Rites of passage” can be used as a framework to explain the social importance of major life events, such as coming-of-age ceremonies, marriages, retirement parties and funerals. Childbirth is a potent example of a rite of passage; the birth of a […]
Canada’s federal public service has made diversity and inclusion a stated priority — and yet, for many equity-deserving employees, the gap between that commitment and their daily experience remains wide. Many departments have a dedicated office space, an annual report and a set of demographic targets they are working toward. Some have all three and still cannot tell you whether any of it has made […]
Imagine seeing a problem that affects millions of people and deciding to do something about it. That is exactly what Muhammad Yunus did. While teaching economics in Bangladesh, Yunus noticed that many people living in poverty could not access traditional banking services. Without access to even small amounts of money to start a business, buy supplies or invest in […]
You are sitting in a hospital triage area. The nurse looks up from her clipboard: “Have you ever been told you have MRSA or VRE?” She says it like it is routine. You have never heard those letters in your life. After my last post, a few readers asked questions that made me realize I […]
One of the most confusing parts of cancer treatment is how two people can have the same cancer, receive the same therapy and have totally different experiences. What may work for one person might not work at all for another. I touched on this concept in my last blog post but now I’d like to introduce one of the biggest challenges in cancer research and treatment: heterogeneity. In simple terms, heterogeneity […]
As a cancer researcher, the number one question I am asked is whether I have found “The Cure” yet. The number two question is where I think “they’ve” hidden it. While I (and the hundreds of thousands of other scientists in cancer research) would love to say that I have the answer, I think it’s very unlikely there will ever be one singular cure for all cancers. You […]
I, perhaps stereotypically, had the childhood dream of becoming a marine biologist. So, when I graduated high school, I pursued a bachelor’s degree in biology, then a master’s in marine ecology to train for this dream. However, along this journey, the further into the field I got, the more I found myself pulled in another direction, towards the human dimension of marine […]