Immunology and Beyond

This week’s episode of Immunology and Beyond is the last of the second season and a little different because you get to know a little bit more about your hosts! Specifically in this episode, we discuss our own journey through grad school and tips we learned along the way. Specifically, Eddy’s preparation to defend his master’s thesis, Dom’s successful master’s thesis defense and next steps, and Ana’s successful transition to her Ph.D. We also discuss plans for the upcoming season.

On this week’s episode of Immunology and Beyond Dr. Puja Bagri joins us to discuss her career path from completing her Ph.D. in mucosal immunity to being a Project Analyst at the Institute of Infection and Immunity. Dr. Bagri completed her Ph.D. at McMaster University where she used mouse models to understand the role of estrogen in affecting anti-viral responses within the female reproductive tract. Stay tuned as we also discuss the importance of seizing opportunities and much more!

On this week’s episode of Immunology and Beyond Dr. David Glass joins us to discuss his fascinating and unconventional path from a full-time music artist to a computational immunologist. Dr. Glass completed his Ph.D. at Stanford University where he used mass cytometry and computational biology techniques to characterize novel B cell subpopulations in humans. Dr. Glass is continuing to pursue academic research through his post-doctoral work at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle. Stay tuned as we also discuss how to overcome imposter syndrome during academia and much more!

In this episode of Immunology and Beyond we share our experiences with science conferences before the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss everything from tips, lessons that we learned, and funny stories of Ana and Eddy's first international conference.

On this week’s episode of Immunology and Beyond Dr. Anthony Rullo joins us to discuss his path through graduate studies, engaging in different domains of science, and establishing a new laboratory. Dr. Rullo completed his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto, and a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University focused on enhancing the anti-tumour response by developing antibody recruiting molecules. Currently, Dr. Rullo is an assistant professor at MIRC with a focus on tumour immunology at the intersection of chemical biology and cancer immunology. We also discuss his past as a musician, the importance of collaboration in science, and much more!

On this week’s episode of Immunology and Beyond we had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Bérénice Mbiribindi, fellow NK cell lover and scientific researcher at Genentech! Dr. Mbiribindi completed her Ph.D. in the United Kingdom before pursuing her postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University, where she investigated the role of NK cells in latent Epstein Bar Virus infection. In the episode, Dr. Mbiribindi breaks down her research questions and fascinating research findings. We also discuss her passion for science communication and advice for students interested in industry positions! Episodes are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Play. Make sure to follow us on Twitter @immunoNbeyond

On this week’s episode of Immunology and Beyond Dr. Dawn Bowdish joins us to discuss her path through academia, and her experiences with knowledge translation within the community. Dr. Bowdish completed her Ph.D. at the University of British Colombia and is a principal investigator and professor at McMaster Immunology Research Center with a focus on the relationship between aging and the immune system. We also discuss how she has pivoted her research to further our understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic and much more! Episodes are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Play. Make sure to follow us on Twitter @immunoNbeyond.

This week's episode is part 2 of our interview with Dr. Oliveria where we discuss the transition from PhD to PostDoc and the importance of advocacy in STEM. Dr. Oliveria completed his Ph.D. at McMaster University and is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University where he utilizes mass cytometry and multiplexed ion beam imaging in understanding mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease. We also discuss his experiences through academia and the advice he has received along the way.

In this week's episode, Dr. John-Paul Oliveria joins us to discuss the role of B cells in asthma, the importance of diversifying education during graduate school, and his involvement with clinical research. Dr. Oliveria completed his Ph.D. at McMaster University, which explored the role of B cell subsets in promoting or reducing the allergic response in asthma. We also discuss how he dealt with hardships during his Ph.D. and what advice he has for current graduate students.

In this week’s episode, Dr. Leyla Soleymani joins us to discuss her multi-disciplinary research program focused on the development of novel biosensors for point-of-care diagnostics. Dr. Soleymani obtained her Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto and is now a professor in the Department of Bioelectrical Engineering at McMaster University. We discuss how COVID-19 has pivoted her research, tips on avoiding tunnel vision during graduate studies, and much more!

In this week’s episode of Immunology and Beyond, Dr. Arinjay Banerjee joins us to discuss his path through graduate studies, isolating the virus responsible for COVID-19, and how it has changed him as a scientist. Dr. Banerjee defended his Ph.D. in Microbiology with a focus on the innate antiviral responses to coronaviruses in bats and is now a leading scientist for research into SARS-Cov-2 in Canada. We also discuss the value of taking risks and starting initiatives for graduate students.

In this week’s episode, Dr. David Bakhshinyan joins us to discuss his path through graduate studies and postdoctoral training in industry. Dr. Bakhshinyan defended his Ph.D. in Biochemistry at McMaster University, which explored the development of murine models to study tumor recurrence in Pediatric Medulloblastoma. We also discuss tips on choosing a laboratory, and how he plans to bridge academia, industry, and the clinic. Twitter @immunoNbeyond & Insta @immunologyandbeyond

In this week’s episode, Dr. Jeremy Hirota joins us to share his experience with entrepreneurial ventures and innovation in industry. Dr. Hirota is an assistant professor at McMaster's Firestone Institute of Respiratory Health with research that focuses on how inhaled environmental factors influence the development or progression of lung diseases. We also discuss his experiences in drug commercialization, starting biotech companies, and much more! Follow us on Twitter @immunoNbeyond!

On this week’s episode of Immunology and Beyond Dr. Sam Afkhami joins us to discuss his path through graduate school, vaccine development, and managing year-long experiments. On September 2019, Sam defended his PhD in Medical Sciences at McMaster University, which explored the development of a Chimpanzee Adenovirus-Vectored Vaccine against Tuberculosis. We also discuss his experience in clinical research, the importance of time-management during graduate studies, and much more!

In the first episode of the podcast, Dr. Amy Gillgrass joins us to discuss her path through academia, raising a family while pursuing research, and what it takes to start and run a laboratory. Dr. Gillgrass received her PhD at McMaster University and joined the McMaster Immunology Research Centre as an assistant professor in 2018, where she began her research program studying Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Tuberculosis (TB) co-infection. Make sure to follow us on Twitter @immunoNbeyond.

On this episode we introduce the Immunology and Beyond podcast and discuss the interesting things we have planned for this series.