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​WINNER 2022 Canadian Podcast Award: 'Outstanding Science Series'
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A podcast about the people behind world-leading research at UHN

Season 5 of the award-winning podcast Behind the Breakthrough features an all-star cast of UHN researchers, including Princess Margaret Cancer Center Senior Scientists Dr. Gelareh Zadeh, who achieved a world first when her lab successfully mapped the biology of meningiomas, and Dr. Laurie Ailles, who scored a research first when she discovered the origin cell of head and neck squamous carcinoma.

Listeners will also hear about some of the outside-the-box research UHN champions in an effort to expand the mission of Canadian hospitals and lead in a collaborative way to generate solutions that address the root causes of health problems. This includes in-depth conversations with Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine Director, Dr. Andrew Boozary, a pioneer of the concept of social medicine and driving force in this country to improve the health outcomes of disadvantaged populations, and, Dr. Howard Abrams, Medical Lead of UHN's NORC Innovation Centre, and one of the pioneers of the Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORC) initiative for seniors who want to age at home safely and with dignity.

Starting Tuesday, October 10 listen every Tuesday for a new Behind the Breakthrough episode featuring the pioneering work and compelling life journeys of UHN scientists.


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Dr. Gelareh Zadeh

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Episode 9 – Dr. Gelareh Zadeh's pioneering research in brain tumors

Air Date: December 5, 2023 | Length: 01:05:10 | Download the transcript

UHN's Dr. Gelareh Zadeh sits down to talk about her pioneering research of meningiomas – or skull base 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 there, she tracks her successful professional trajectory, and meteoric 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 lead a university neurosurgical program.


Learn more about Dr. Zadeh


Listen to the full episode and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.




Dr. Howard Abrams 

Episode 8 – Dr. Howard Abrams champions innovative housing solution to help Canadians age in place
Air Date: November 28, 2023 | Length: 45:42

Learn more about Dr. Abrams & listen to the episode


Dr. Tatyana Mollayeva 

Episode 7 – Sleep disruption research by Dr. Tatyana Mollayeva shows the impact on recovery from brain injury, cognitive reaction
Air Date: November 21, 2023 | Length: 51:07

Learn more about Dr. Mollayeva & listen to the episode


Dr. Lauries Ailles 

Episode 6 – Hunting the origin cell of Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma
Air Date: November 14, 2023 | Length: 39:35

Learn more about Dr. Ailles & listen to the episode


Dr. Bryan Coburn 

Episode 5 – Therapeutic manipulation of the microbiome as a treatment
Air Date: November 7, 2023 | Length: 51:54

Learn more about Dr. Coburn & listen to the episode


Dr. Cristina Nostro 

Episode 4 – Dr. Cristina Nostro pioneers an approach using stem cells to cure type one diabetes
Air Date: October 31, 2023 | Length: 39:05

Learn more about Dr. Nostro & listen to the episode


Dr. Hance Clarke 

Episode 3 – Identifying novel acute pain treatments following major surgery
Air Date: October 24, 2023 | Length: 45:28

Learn more about Dr. Clarke & listen to the episode


Dr. Mamatha Bhat 

Episode 2 – Pioneering UHN research targets long-term complications of liver transplantation
Air Date: October 17, 2023 | Length: 46:50

Learn more about Dr. Bhat & listen to the episode


Dr. Andrew Boozary 

Episode 1 – Dr. Andrew Boozary prescribes housing to curb homelessness
Air Date: October 10, 2023 | Length: 57:53

Learn more about Dr. Boozary & listen to the episode

​Episode Information: Seasons 1 to 4

Dr. Shaf Keshavjee

Episode 10 – Dr. Shaf Keshavjee takes us behind the breakthrough of his lung transplant discoveries
Air Date: December 14, 2022 | Length: 59:06

Learn more about Dr. Keshavjee & listen to the episode




Dr. Michael Reber

Episode 9 – Dr. Michael Reber and pioneering the use of virtual reality devices to restore vision
Air Date: December 7, 2022 | Length: 41:54

Learn more about Dr. Reber & listen to the episode




Dr. Rama Khokha

Episode 8 – Dr. Rama Khokha on her breakthrough to map the biology of pancreatic cancer
Air Date: November 30, 2022 | Length: 34:50

Learn more about Dr. Khokha & listen to the episode




Dr. Lorraine Kalia

Episode 7 – Dr. Lorraine Kalia and a promising new treatment for Parkinson's Disease
Air Date: November 23, 2022 | Length: 41:54

Learn more about Dr. Kalia & listen to the episode




Dr. Eleanor Fish

Episode 6 – Dr. Eleanor Fish on therapeutic benefit of interferons against viruses
Air Date: November 16, 2022 | Length: 31:49

Learn more about Dr. Fish & listen to the episode




Dr. Jonathan Irish

Episode 5 – Dr. Jonathan Irish and augmented reality in cancer surgery
Air Date: November 9, 2022 | Length: 46:54

Learn more about Dr. Irish & listen to the episode




Dr. Carmela Tartaglia

Episode 4 – Dr. Carmela Tartaglia and pioneering a diagnosis for CTE
Air Date: November 2, 2022 | Length: 43:57

Learn more about Dr. Tartaglia & listen to the episode




Dr. Andrea Iaboni

Episode 3 – Dr. Andrea Iaboni and a new toolkit for LTC to help care of residents during an outbreak
Air Date: October 26, 2022 | Length: 33:56

Learn more about Dr. Iaboni & listen to the episode




Dr. Gordon Keller

Episode 2 – Dr. Gordon Keller on his groundbreaking research to advance stem cell-based therapies
Air Date: October 19, 2022 | Length: 43:23

Learn more about Dr. Keller & listen to the episode




Dr. Andrea Furlan

Episode 1 – Dr. Andrea Furlan on groundbreaking new treatments for chronic pain
Air Date: October 12, 2022 | Length: 1:01:41

Learn more about Dr. Furlan & listen to the episode

Dr. Angela Cheung

Episode 10 – Dr. Angela Cheung pioneers research on the symptoms and treatment for long-hauler COVID patients
Air Date: December 14, 2021 | Length: 40:56

Learn more about Dr. Cheung & listen to the episode




Dr. Andres Lozano

Episode 9 – Dr. Andres Lozano on investigating DBS to treat Alzheimer's disease
Air Date: December 7, 2021 | Length: 38:35

Learn more about Dr. Lozano & listen to the episode




Dr. Babak Taatia

Episode 8 – Dr. Babak Taati on pioneering the use of computer vision to help seniors live safer, healthier lives
Air Date: November 30, 2021 | Length: 34:36

Learn more about Dr. Taati & listen to the episode




Dr. Joan Wither

Episode 7 – The 'Biomarker Hunter' – searching for the genetic and immune system abnormalities that lead to systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases
Air Date: November 23, 2021 | Length: 37:58

Learn more about Dr. Wither & listen to the episode




Dr. Gang Zheng

Episode 6 – Dr. Gang Zheng on harnessing the promise of nanotechnology for the detection and treatment of cancer
Air Date: November 16, 2021 | Length: 52:10

Learn more about Dr. Zheng & listen to the episode




Dr. Jordan Feld

Episode 5 – Dr. Jordan Feld on shifting from discovering a pill that cures Hepatitis C to investigating a treatment for mild COVID
Air Date: November 9, 2021 | Length: 53:10

Learn more about Dr. Feld & listen to the episode




Dr. Catherine O'Brien

Episode 4 – Dr. Catherine O'Brien on the world-first discovery that colorectal cancer cells hibernate like bears to evade chemotherapy
Air Date: November 2, 2021 | Length: 44:44

Learn more about Dr. O'Brien & listen to the episode




Dr. Deepali Kumar

Episode 3 – Dr. Deepali Kumar on world-first discovery that third COVID-19 vaccine dose significantly boosts protection for transplant patients
Air Date: October 26, 2021 | Length: 28:05

Learn more about Dr. Kumar & listen to the episode




Dr. Beate Sander

Episode 2 – Dr. Beate Sander on the economics of infectious diseases and guiding public health policy during the COVID-19 pandemic
Air Date: October 19, 2021 | Length: 47:21

Learn more about Dr. Sander & listen to the episode




Dr. Brad Wouters

Episode 1 – UHN's world leading COVID-19 research; the triumph of basic science in creating the vaccine; and when will the pandemic end?
Air Date: October 12, 2021 | Length: 54:52

Learn more about Dr. Wouters & listen to the episode

Dr. John Dick

Episode 10 – Dr. John Dick on his famous discovery of cancer stem cells, and the puzzle of research
Air Date: November 26, 2020 | Length: 1:15:06

Learn more about Dr. Dick & listen to the episode




Dr. Mansoor Husain

Episode 9 — Dr. Mansoor Husain on a breakthrough drug for diabetes and heart disease
Air Date: | Length:

Learn more about Dr. Wither & listen to the episode




Dr. Alex Mihailidis

Episode 8 – Dr. Alex Mihailidis on helping us live at home longer
Air Date: November 19, 2020 | Length: 45:02

Learn more about Dr. Mihailidis & listen to the episode




Dr. Ralph DaCosta

Episode 7 – Dr. Ralph DaCosta on a better way to visualize cancer and his serendipitous invention
Air Date: November 17, 2020 | Length: 41:48

Learn more about Dr. DaCosta & listen to the episode




Dr. Sonya MacParland

Episode 6 – Dr. Sonya MacParland on developing the world's first map of the liver
Air Date: November 12, 2020 | Length: 42:52

Learn more about Dr. Wither & listen to the episode




Dr. Heather Baltzer

Episode 5 – Dr. Heather Baltzer on pioneering hand trauma treatment
Air Date: November 10, 2020 | Length: 31:26

Learn more about Dr. Baltzer & listen to the episode




Dr. Pamela Ohashi

Episode 4 – Dr. Pamela Ohashi on treating cancer with immunotherapy
Air Date: November 5, 2020 | Length: 28:05

Learn more about Dr. Ohashi & listen to the episode




Dr. Taufik Valiante

Episode 3 – Dr. Taufik Valiante invents computer chip designed to monitor and stop epileptic seizures
Air Date: November 3, 2020 | Length: 52:27

Learn more about Dr. Valiante & listen to the episode




Dr. Stephanie Protze

Episode 2 – Turning stem cells into pacemaker cells, with Dr. Stephanie Protze
Air Date: October 29, 2019 | Length: 30:27

Learn more about Dr. Protze & listen to the episode




Dr. Brad Wouters

Episode 1 – Dr. Brad Wouters on leadership during the pandemic, COVID-19 research, and anti-vaxxers
Air Date: October 27, 2020 | Length: 46:35

Learn more about Dr. Wouters & listen to the episode

Dr. Donald Weaver

Episode 11 – Beating back Alzheimer's, one poem at a time, with Dr. Donald Weaver
Air Date: December 17, 2019 | Length: 37:14

Learn more about Dr. Weaver & listen to the episode




Dr. Michael Hoffman

Episode 10 — Using computers to understand cancer with Dr. Michael Hoffman
Air Date: December 10, 2019 | Length: 31:00

Learn more about Dr. Hoffman & listen to the episode




Dr. Kristin Musselman

Episode 9 — Pioneering research by UHN's Dr. Kristin Musselman is designed to get spinal cord injured patients mobile
Air Date: December 3, 2019 | Length: 30:22

Learn more about Dr. Musselman & listen to the episode




Dr. Valerie Wallace

Episode 8 — Reversing blindness and the serendipity of science, with Dr. Valerie Wallace
Air Date: November 26, 2019 | Length: 35:04

Learn more about Dr. Wallace & listen to the episode




Dr. Michael Laflamme

Episode 7 – Repairing broken hearts with stem cells, with Dr. Michael Laflamme
Air Date: November 19, 2019 | Length: 28:22

Learn more about Dr. Laflamme & listen to the episode




Dr. Jennifer Campos

Episode 6 – Overcoming 'imposter syndrome' and helping the elderly live well, with Dr. Jennifer Campos
Air Date: November 12, 2019 | Length: 40:02

Learn more about Dr. Campos & listen to the episode




Dr. Mathieu Lupien

Episode 5 – Meet the cancer codebreaker, Dr. Mathieu Lupien
Air Date: November 5, 2019 | Length: 47:38

Learn more about Dr. Lupien & listen to the episode




Dr. Milos Popovic

Episode 4 – Robotics, rehabilitation therapy and learning from failure, with Dr. Milos Popovic
Air Date: October 29, 2019 | Length: 32:03

Learn more about Dr. Popovic & listen to the episode




Dr. Camilla Zimmermann

Episode 3 – Challenging the meaning of palliative care, with Dr. Camilla Zimmermann
Air Date: October 22, 2019 | Length: 43:20

Learn more about Dr. Zimmermann & listen to the episode




Dr. Karen Davis

Episode 2 – Chronic pain and scientific baseball, with Dr. Karen Davis
Air Date: October 15, 2019 | Length: 34:56

Learn more about Dr. Davis & listen to the episode




Dr. Heather Ross

Episode 1 – Dr. Heather Ross on heart failure, artificial intelligence and a near-death experience
Air Date: October 8, 2019 | Length: 42:07

Learn more about Dr. Ross & listen to the episode

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