Grad Chat - Queen's School Of Graduate Studies

Overview: My research topic is around the foreign body reaction (FBR) which describes a patient’s biological response to an implanted material or device, and includes tissue injury, blood-material interactions, provisional matrix formation, acute and chronic inflammation, and fibrous matrix deposition surrounding the implant. The inflammatory response to the implant can impair its performance and lifespan. This research focus is on strategies to attenuate the foreign body response (FBR) towards implanted biomaterial without losing the protection of host immune system. For upcoming interviews check out the Grad Chap webpage on Queen’s University School of Graduate Studies website – https://www.queensu.ca/sgs/grad-chat

Overview:  I am interested in understanding how and why people walk the way they do. I leverage robotic exoskeletons to change people’s natural way of walking, and I investigate how they adapt to this new environment. I am also the manager of the Queen’s Ergonomics Consulting Program (QECP), and we conduct ergonomic assessments for Queen’s staff and faculty members. Recently, we conducted a survey to investigate how everyone adapted to working from home To see more upcoming Grad Chats visit the Queen’s School of Graduate Studies website.

“In response to ongoing and systemic Racism in both Canada and the United States, students within the Queen’s University Department of Public Health Sciences expressed interest in improving our understanding of Racist Policy in epidemiology and public health.  With this, we decided to form the Racial Considerations in Epidemiology (RaCE) Task Force, where we could meet to develop, share, and express our ideas and understanding of the literature on this topic.” For more episodes of Grad Chat go to Queen’s University, School of Graduate Studies website

Topic: What’s happening in Fall 2021! Overview:  Looking at professional development workshops, the new Individual Development Plan, Career Week and more

A look into Queen’s PHD-Community Initiative – Team United talks about their project titled “Resilient Kingston” Presented by Team United – Emma, Nancy, Skylar, Philip and mentor Jane

CJ the DJ talks to Kim Krezenozki from the School of Graduate Studies on a new initiative for grad students, the Summer Wellness Series.

Topic: Wrap up for the Winter term  Overview: Bloopers, wellness, technology, community. Listen in to find out how we have all fared over the past year and what’s install for summer.  Here about our students resiliency.

Topic: How does a Resident in Anesthesiology fit in time to do a masters and what is the connection? Overview:  Daenis comes from a nursing background, is now an MD and doing his residency in Anesthesiology, it is no wonder he wants to contribute in other areas.  The MSc in Healthcare Quality, helps improve healthcare quality, risk and safety in Canada and worldwide.  Daenis explains how.

Topic: Storytelling as Medicine: Autoethnography of a Two-Spirit Anishinaabe Nurse Practitioner. Overview: Looking at decolonising health care practices, Zongwe’s research will explore the use of a ceremonial self-reflective practice to promote resilience and address compassion fatigue in nurses. Zongwe creates social change through storytelling in her podcast, “Under the Same Stars” and weekly radio show, “Zee’s Place” on CILU 102.7FM. Want to learn more? Go to Zongwe’s website – https://www.zongwebinesikwe.com/

Topic: Queen’s Annual Northern Research Symposium. Overview:  What is the Northern Research Symposium and why it is important to all of us.  Learn more and how to participate on the Symposium website

Topic: “How does the coordination of your lower body change based on how high you jump?”. Overview:  By understanding the lower extremity coordination patterns that people use to jump to submaximal and maximal heights, my research can help further knowledge in how to train athletes to jump higher and how to help athletes recover following injury. If you are interested in finding out more about Robert’s work, follow his twitter account – www.twitter.com/RobMackowiak

Topic: Understanding the lived experiences of spouses who are separated in long-term care facilities. . Overview:  The aim of my research is to explore the lived experiences of older adults who are separated from their partners in two separate long-term care facilities – specifically in relation to feelings of loneliness and isolation

Topic: Women’s Representation in New Democracies: Underrepresentation of Ethnic Minority Women in Burmese Politics. Overview:  My research will investigate how political parties’ actions and attitudes contribute to this underrepresentation, particularly in regions with high concentrations of ethnic minorities.

Topic: Zambian Political History. Overview:  I am studying the Chona Commission, a constitutional review commission that ushered in the era of the single party state in post colonial Zambia, 1972/3

Topic: Racialized sexual attractions and sexual responses Overview:  I’m specifically interested in examining Black people’s sexual responses relative to white people’s.

Topic: ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) in the Canadian energy sector Overview:  I am taking a deep dive into sustainability reporting for major Canadian energy companies to identify gaps and key areas that are material to their business, which may help to de-risk some of the social, political, and technological issues as well as public perception related to different types of energy development (fossil fuels, nuclear, renewables etc.).

Topic: The Double Minority Dilemma and Conflict Settlement Negotiations in Cyprus and Northern Ireland. Overview:  My research outlines the theory of the Double Minority Dilemma (DMD) which argues that each community’s security dilemma is defined by their perception of their own minority status both domestically and in combination with the geopolitical environment of third-party actors, which serves to justify their “cause.”.

Topic: Retinal Implants. Overview:  My research looks at ways to lower the cost of retinal implants for people with age-related macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa, two of the most common outer retinal degenerative problems and the predominant cause of most blind related diseases.

Topic: Changing the landscape: A critical race informed narrative inquiry of a Canadian University told by racialized students.. Overview:  The proposed research study will use community based participatory research principle that prioritize racialized student experiences to design, conduct and assess a training resource to progress diversity , equity and inclusion from a state of awareness to action for faculty and staff.

Topic: The Galaxy Manifold: A statistical and systematic analysis of intrinsic galaxy properties. Overview:  I am exploring a multi-dimensional approach to galaxy modeling. Most traditional analysis is performed on correlations of two parameters at a time. I am developing a framework for examining trends in any number of parameters simultaneously. I use machine learning models and techniques to fully extract all available information. By determining which parameters are fundamentally linked to each other, I can connect models of galaxy formation to real observations and possibly learn about the nature of dark matter. Listen to Fast Radio Bursts on podcast, bring exciting space news hot off the telescope into your ears.