Special Episode - A Little Radiation Goes a Long Way

In this episode of the BEaTS Research Radio, Annie Xiang from the University of Ottawa sits down with Dr. Marcelo Vazquez, radiobiology section head at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. Together, they explore how cosmic and proton radiation affects the human body as astronauts prepare for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Dr. Vazquez shares his journey from aspiring astronaut to NASA researcher, explains the power of human brain organoids as cutting-edge research models, and highlights how this work will help protect future astronauts.            Learn more: https://space.uwo.ca/people/our-members/vazquez-marcelo/index.html0:01 | BEaTs and host introduction0:50 | Introduction by Dr. Vazquez and his scientific journey4:18 | Overview of Dr. Vazquez's research on radiation biology5:58 | Summary of a paper published by Dr. Vazquez regarding radiation on brain organoids6:54 | Reasons for using human brain organoid models8:57 | Challenges encountered during the research process11:30 | How Dr. Vazquez's findings can help protect astronauts from space radiation13:30 | Final takeaways by Dr. VazquezSoundtrack by The Underground Drive. All rights reserved. Listen more:https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/the-underground-drive/1571062779https://open.spotify.com/artist/4sCJG8TMQyTZ9FDd1JjJmR                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Annie Xiang (Voice), Annie Xiang, Adam Al-Khalili, Kamron Yunusov, Tabassum Howlader (Post-production, Content generation, Producers).