STEMcast - McGill iGEM

Have you ever heard of graphene, the world's thinnest material made of a single-layer of carbon atoms? Early in her career, Prof. Radha Boya asked herself, “if we can create a material that is a single-atom thin, can we create an empty space that is also a single-atom thin?” In today’s episode, we discuss the (now very established) results of this thought experiment - nanoscale channels - with Prof. Boya, a Professor of Nanoscience at the University of Manchester who was recently recognized as a Finalist in the 2026 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK. She co-developped these atomic-scale capillaries, which have opened up a diversity of research opportunities, from modelling neuronal synapse formation to enabling alternative forms of reservoir computing. Join us in this exciting conversation about the science of the small!In this episode, we cover:(1:11) Introduction to Prof. Boya’s research(7:57) Discovering science as a career option(11:20) Stepping stones towards her professional career: creating one-atom-thin empty spaces(15:46) Interesting applications of nanoscale capillaries: replicating biological learning processes(21:27) On the ingredients for cellular memory…(25:09) Future directions of the field(28:09) Mimicking whole-neuron signatures with nanoscale capillaries Further reading (mostly papers in this episode)Prof. Boyda Radha’s groupLong-term memory and synapse-like dynamics in two-dimensional nanofluidic channelsMolecular transport through capillaries made with atomic-scale precisionDirect imaging elucidates ionic memory in two-dimensional nanochannels with Prof. Aleksandra RadenovicEpisode host and producer: Sabrina DuContact: [email protected]

What does it really mean to understand how something learns, whether it's a child, a brain, or a neural network? In today’s episode, we sit down with Prof. Andrew Saxe, Professor of Theoretical Neuroscience & Machine Learning at University College London, to explore how mathematics can help us understand learning processes in all kinds of networks. We dive into the two-way street between how and what we learn, examining the way learnable content and the learning process shape each other. Our conversation anchors itself in Prof. Saxe’s early projects on language development in infants, current interests in knowledge generalization, and future aims for experimentalist-theorist collaborations, and we can’t wait for you to give it a listen!In this episode, we cover:(1:13) Motivations behind studying the learning process(5:24) When did neuroscience and psychology come into the picture?(8:06) Projects and people that defined his trajectory(12:33) Simple mathematical models give rise to complex dynamics. Why focus on simplicity?(15:16) Current and future focus points of the lab? (in the era of LLMs…)(20:27) Sparse reward problems in learning processes(21:46) How hierarchy helps us learn(24:12) How our experience shapes our language structure (29:02) Lab’s Three Axes of Learning(34: 35) Invariant manifolds and network initialization schemes(36:50) The manifold hypothesis(39:50): Cross talk between theorist and experimentalist(41:26) The NeuroAI research programFurther reading (papers, books and more)Read more about Prof. Andrew Saxe, his Theory of Learning Lab and his 2025 Blavatnik Finalist AwardA mathematical theory of semantic development in deep neural networks (2019)What makes language learnable? Dive into Noam Chomsky’s work to learn more.How Deep Neural Networks Learn Compositional Data: The Random Hierarchy Model (2023)The Story of Your Life (mistakenly called “The Story of You” during the episode)Simon Kirby and how our learning capabilities are crucial for structuring our languageSaddle-to-Saddle Dynamics Explains A Simplicity Bias Across Neural Network Architectures (20250)Scaling Learning Towards AI (introduces LeCun and Bengio’s AI Set)Episode host and producer: Sabrina DuContact: [email protected]

What if playing a video game could help advance scientific discovery? Welcome back to STEMcast: Beyond the Lab! Today we invited Professors Attila Szantner (Department of Computer Science at McGill and CEO and co-founder of Massively Multiplayer Online Science) and Jerome Waldispuhl (Department of Computer Science at McGill University and Canada Research Chair (CIHR Tier 1) in Biomedical Citizen Science) to explore how video games are being used to advance scientific research. From improving microbial phylogenies through Borderlands Science to uncovering the unique problem-solving strategies of expert players, we discuss the growing role of citizen science, the strengths of humans and computers in tackling complex challenges, and how millions of gamers are contributing to discoveries in biology and beyond. Join us as we examine the future of research powered by play!

In today’s show, we welcome Prof. Paola Pinilla, Associate Professor in exoplanets at University College London. Together, we peer into her journey from a kid in Bogotá (Columbia) dreaming about the stars to her role as a Principal Investigator studying early planetary formation in London. Her research on protoplanetary discs, formed from dust and gas around young stars, helps us understand how the planetary systems and organic molecules behind life first emerged, earning her the prestigious 2026 Blavatnik Award. From the complexity of protoplanetary discs to the importance of following your curiosity, this conversation is filled with nuggets of wisdom for scientists in every field.In this episode, we cover:(01:25) Questions that drive her research: How did the Earth form? How did our solar system form?(3:00) Prof. Pinilla’s past scientific breakthroughs: pressure bumps and planet embryos(6:55) Non-scientific stepping stones towards those scientific achievements(13:51) Fitting in a scientific community(19:19) What pushes Prof. Pinilla to dream bigger and bigger?(21:40) Diving into Prof. Pinilla’s research: What are protoplanetary discs?(25:59) How the diversity of protoplanetary discs leads to the diversity of exoplanets(28:22) What methodologies does Prof. Pinilla’s group use?(33:32) New research directions: Recreating the physical conditions of early planetary formation(36:12) Creation and delivery of organic compounds to the inner disc(40:30) We are made of the same stuff: stardust. Further readingRead more about Prof. Paola Pinilla and her 2026 Blavatnik AwardRead the paper we discussed in Nature Astronomy (way to form organic matter in protoplanetary)Her initiative on Mothers in AstromnomyEpisode host and producer: Sabrina Du and Kenza Rtel BennaniContact: [email protected]

Welcome back to STEMCast: Beyond the Lab! In our most interdisciplinary episode to date, we invited Professors Perry Zurn (Department of Philosophy at the American University) and Dani Basset (Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania) to discuss their individual research careers and their most prominent topic of collaboration: curiosity. Join us as we learn everything from mathematical models of curiosity to social dilemmas that could benefit from them!In this episode, we cover:(01:38) Dani’s scientific curiosities(4:15) Perry’s scientific curiosities(7:24) How did you both start working together?(9:31) Defining curiosity: a type of edge work?(16:19) How does living in an information-dense age affect how we channel our curiosity?(18:49) Differences in collective curiosity and inequity in scientific research(24:00) Curiosity archetypes that will help us tackle ethical dilemmas(29:37) Mathematics of network modeling and its pitfalls(32:19) Fuzzy nodes and marbles (not) in the brain!(42:21) Questions that you guys are looking forward to working on in the futureFurther readingRead more about Prof. Dani BassettRead more about Prof. Perry ZurnBook: Curious Minds: The Power of ConnectionEpisode host and producer: Sabrina Du and Isabelle GuoContact:[email protected]

This week on STEMcast, we interview Kyne Santos, renowned math communicator and drag queen, known familiarly on TikTok and Instagram as OnlineKyne. With short content math videos, Kyne explores the mathematical world at all educational levels, all while dressed fabulously in drag! In this episode, we learn more about Kyne, his introduction to both the math and drag worlds, and how he uses his platform to expand access to education. We discuss the importance of scientific communication, the overlaps of art and science, and how queerness and gender interact with the STEM world. To top it off, we throw in our own experiences with synthetic biology, education in iGEM and our own experiences navigating STEM spaces as queer individuals. Tune in for personal stories, humour and new insights into how queer identity and STEM can intersect!

This week on STEMcast, we interview three professionals doing impressive technical and advocacy work across academia and industry, and ask them about their experiences with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in a panel-style format. You'll hear from Aflah Hanafiah, a graduate student researching epigenetics and a prominent advocate working to uplift LGBTQIA+ voices in academia; Mel Rees, an oil and gas systems operator with expertise in the energy sector, who also shares a passion for advocacy and promoting inclusivity in STEM; and Anmol Nagpal, the CEO and co-founder of a start-up specializing in therapeutics for genetic neurological disorders, and a passionate advisor in the biotech start-up sphere.Tune in for inspiring stories, insights on current DEI challenges, and discussions on how we—as students and professionals—can help shape a future where all voices are empowered in STEM spaces.

Welcome to the Beyond the Lab series of STEMcast! Today, AI is helping us understand what allowed us to create it in the first place: our brains. Although the intersection of neuroscience and AI is nothing new, tools that leverage this combination are now making their way from the lab and into consumer markets. What are these tools? Why are they better equipped to analyze neural data, and why are researchers launching entrepreneurial ventures to bring them to life?In this episode, Adrien Peyrache and Blake Richards, professors at McGill University’s Montreal Neurological Institute and pioneers in the NeuroAI space, join us to discuss their research careers and what led them to co-found Lamarck Labs, a neurotech company building foundation models for neuroscience.Note: After this episode, this series will be taking a short break. We’re excited to come back in the Fall, refreshed and ready to share more stories beyond the lab.In this episode we cover:(01:27) A rave that lead to Blake’s research origins(04:03) Adrien’s scientific beginnings(09:05) Scientific collaboration: How did they meet and start working together?(14:53) Why are AI systems better at “decoding the brain”?(19:59) Entrepreneurial collaboration: Founding Lamarck Labs(25:58) Why now? Using foundations models in neuroscience(31:35) Applications of foundation models in Lamarck Labs(37:00) What excites and worries both professors about the future of this technology.Further reading/listeningRead more about Prof. Adrien Peyrache hereRead more about the Peyrache LabRead more about Prof. Blake Richards hereRead more about LiNC LabRead more about Lamarck Labs herePapers, essays and other media that we mentioned:Paper: Sequential Predictive Learning is a unifying theory for hippocampal representations and replaySuperDataScience Podcast with John KrohnAdrien Peyrache’s Amazing Brain Science TalkBlake Richards’ Amazing Brain Science TalkHost and producer : Sabrina DuContact: [email protected]

Welcome to the Beyond the Lab series of STEMcast! With Prof. Andrew Millis, Professor of Physics at Columbia University and co-director of the Center for Computational Quantum Physics at the Flatiron Institute, we dive into the fundamental and fundamentally strange world of quantum mechanics and how it is connected to the world of everyday things. How do collective properties arise from the interaction of individual atoms and electrons? How is the whole different from the sum of its parts? Alongside these questions, we discuss the origins of the Simons Foundation and its internal research division, the Flatiron Institute. Prof. Millis describes the philosophy of philanthropy-driven science at Flatiron, how it differs from traditional academic funding models, and how it fosters a culture of collaboration. Thanks to this culture, the whole can truly go beyond the sum of its parts.Note: At 3:30-4:51, there is a difference in audio quality. Our sincerest apologies!In this episode, we cover:(01:21) What is quantum condensed matter physics?(5:15) Simons Foundation and the Flatiron Institute(12:54) Funding models for long-term projects(16:21) A culture of collaboration at the Flatiron(20:03) Interdisciplinary vs. deep domain expertise(24:25) Sharing a “common language” between fields(30:20) Picking up the basics of mathematics and physics(33:06) Philanthropic fundingFurther reading/listeningRead more about Prof. Andrew MillisRead more about the Simons FoundationRead more about the Flatiron InstituteEpisode host and producer: Sabrina DuContact: [email protected]

Welcome to the Beyond the Lab series of STEMcast! This week, we are joined by Matthew Cobb, Professor of zoology (Professor Emeritus) at the University of Manchester, historian and author. From the discovery of the double helix to the 1975 Asilomar conference on recombinant DNA, we explore various historical events that shaped public perception of the life sciences and talk about how the history of science can help explain disruptive technologies. Through these discussions, Prof. Cobb draws our attention both to the scientist(s) that made the discovery and to the discovery that made the scientist(s). Is there more to the connection that binds the two?Note: Many readings and resources were mentioned during this episode. Please find links to all of them below.In this episode we cover:(01:11) Origin of Prof. Cobb’s research interests(07:29) A Second Hat: Prof. Cobb as a Historian(11:38) Public opinion shaping life sciences discoveries and vice-versa(14:44) Using history to communicate disruptive technologies(21:58) How a scientific background positions you as a historian: His experience with Rosalind Franklin Archives(25:37) Tug-of-war between scientific advancement and ethical concerns(30:22) Protecting ethical science in a publish or perish culture(34:41) Using history to communicate the importance of foundational advances: The Story on PCR and CRISPR(37:39) The discovery versus the individual who discovered: Watson Crick and the discovery of the double helixFurther reading/listeningRead more about Prof. Matthew CobbListen to Prof. Cobb’s 2024 Wilkins-Bernal-Medawar Prize LectureView annotated copies of Rosalind Franklin’s DNA notebooksExtended show notesBooks mentioned:The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA (James Watson)The Astonishing Hypothesis: The Scientific Search for the Soul (Francis Crick)As Gods: A Moral History of the Genetic Age ((Matthew Cobb)Crick: A Mind in Motion (Matthew Cobb)Episode host and producer : Sabrina DuContact: [email protected]

Welcome to STEMCast: Beyond the Lab, a series where we explore the many hats that scientists wear. From professors embarking on entrepreneurial journeys to researchers involved in policy making, join us as we explore both inside and beyond the lab.With Dr. Shari Wiseman, Chief Editor at Nature Neuroscience, we peer into her journey from the lab bench to the editor's desk, and how that transition gave her a broad view of scientific progress in neuroscience. Dr. Wiseman shares her perspective on the future of the field, explains how her team identifies and nurtures emerging research, and describes the responsibility of curating a journal that sets global research standards. From the art and science of publishing to the importance of listening to your emotions as a student, this conversation is filled with practical wisdom for scientists at every stage.In this episode, we cover:(00:40) Dr. Wiseman’s research background and appreciation for lab culture(4:28) How did her interest in scientific editing emerge?(8:20) Finding excitement and fulfillment as Chief Editor at Nature Neuroscience(12:49) Curating Nature Neuroscience(16:27) Creativity in science publishing and shaping the field(21:46) Current and emerging trends in neuroscience(28:08) Paradigm shifts in neuroscience (32:14) Open science(36:13) The future of neuroscience and neuroscience publishing(39: 52) Advice for studentsFurther readingRead more about Dr. Shari WisemanRead Nature Neuroscience’s July IssueNature Neuroscience is hiring!Episode host and producer: Sabrina Du Contact: [email protected]

Dr. Peter Grutter, a physicist studying and developing atomic force microscopy (AFM), takes this episode to walk us through the varying facets of his work. We begin by understanding how manipulating the properties of nanoscale materials can alter their behaviours in ways unintuitive to us macro-scale beings, despite them following the same basic universal ruleset as everything else: physics. The episode continues to explore Dr. Grutter’s work, which involves using AFM to measure Nanonewton-scale forces or evaluate the shape of Nanometer-scale objects. He explains how this cutting-edge tool is applicable to a plethora of fields, including microbiology. Tune in to learn how physics is contributing to the fight against cancer at scales smaller than an atom!

This special episode of STEMcast is cut from a seminar presented to participants of miniGEM, a mini version of the iGEM competition that McGill’s iGEM team runs for high school students across Canada. We learn about the judges’ paths into synthetic biology, and we hear their opinions on various topics, like ‘how important is the visual component of an iGEM project?’, or ‘what features do award-winning projects have that others don’t?’. Tune in to step up your iGEM game!

On this episode of STEMcast, Dr. Julia Freeman walks us through her experience working with farmers in India to understand the impact that modern biotechnology is having on both a personal and industrial level. She explains that biotech has more complicated questions associated with it than what most sensationalist coverage about it (both pro- and anti-biotech) makes apparent. Where is biotech a solution, and where does it need legislative protection? How to protect farmers health and economic well-being while taking advantage of these technologies? Are farmers choosing these seeds, or is biotech being forced upon them? Hear an on-field perspective in this episode of STEMcast.

This STEMcast episode, we are joined by Dr. Jay Nadeau, an astrophysicist currently part of the search for extraterrestrial life and a key founder of McGill’s first iGEM team. We hear about how Dr. Nadeau’s career led her to McGill and how her physics background complements her biological work, before discussing the thermodynamic probability of life arising on other planets/moons, and how humanity might go about finding it.

Fungi enthusiast and expert Dr. Shireef Darwish gives us a window into the third class of life on earth (after plants and animals) — fungi. After falling in love with these organisms early in his career, Dr. Darwish has experimented with all sorts of fungi-related work, including teaching, lab work, and even foraging for rare fungi (often to take home and eat!). In this episode, Dr. Darwish explains the ubiquitous role fungi play in the life cycles of both plants and animals, how these organisms can be used medicinally, and even the chemistry behind fungi-based hallucinogens.

In this episode of STEMcast, we join Simon Daoust to discuss the intersection of ecology, evolution, and medicine. We hear about everything from mind-controlling parasites to sustainable ecosystem design, and explore questions like “will there ever be a cure to cancer?”, or “why are Homo Sapiens the only human-like species to have avoided extinction?”. Dr. Daoust’s broad expertise provides for a thrilling and humorous deep-dive into all of these.

In this episode of STEMcast, we join Dr. Nagissa Mahmoudi — a biogeochemist at McGill University — in exploring how microbes live and thrive in various extremes. We hear how Dr. Mahmoudi fell in love with biology, and how she spends her days now as an educator and researcher. She provides wisdom on how events such as oil spills can affect their ecosystems’ microbiomes, and we hear an expert’s predictions on the possibilities of life outside of Earth. All this and more on this episode of STEMcast.

Join us on this episode of STEMCast as we explore topics ranging from NeuroAI to student entrepreneurship with Yohaï-Eliel Berreby, a current Ph.D. student at McGill University's School of Biomedical Sciences. He is a CAMBAM and Childress Fellow and has received many prestigious awards alongside his doctoral studies in one of McGill's most renowned programs. Besides pursuing NeuroAI research, he has also won multiple high-profile hackathons (e.g., ReadyTraderGo Algorithmic Market Making Competition, Meta's AI Safety Hackathon, etc.) and is the acting CEO of ShapeShifters, an IT consulting firm based in Paris. How has he managed to balance so many commitments? What advice would he give to students? Hear it all on this episode of STEMCast.

In this episode of STEMCast, we will be diving into the world of artificial intelligence with Professor Aaron Courville, with topics spanning from Game Theory to Explainable AI. Prof. Courville is from the Department of Computer Science and Operations Research at Université de Montréal. He is one of the founding members of Mila and a Canada CIFAIR AI Chair.Alongside Ian Goodfellow and Yoshua Bengio, he co-wrote the seminal textbook on deep learning: aptly named Deep Learning. His current research focuses on developing deep learning models and methods, with a particular interest in reinforcement learning, deep generative models, and multimodal ML in the domains of language and vision.

In this episode, we dive into the wonders of the depths of Earth's oceans and the reaches of empty space to explore the role that microorganisms play in life everywhere with Dr. Nagissa Mahmoudi, a specialist in Geomicrobiology and Assistant Professor at McGill in the School of Environment and at Trottier Space Institute. Dr. Mahmoudi received her bachelor of science in integrative biology at the University of Toronto and her PhD in Environmental Geochemistry at McMaster University and has since had an incredibly successful career in geomicrobiology academia, with over a decade of attention-grabbing publications under her belt.

In this episode of STEMcast, we explore Dr. Shuaiqi Guo's academic history as well as his research in adhesive surface chemistry and its relation to antimicrobial resistance. Dr. Guo is an assistant professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at McGill University. He completed his education worldwide, starting at the undergraduate level at Mount Allison University, continuing into his Ph.D. at Queen's University, and finally in postdoctoral fellowship at Eindhoven University of Technology and Yale University. His current research is focused on combatting antimicrobial resistance through alternative methods focused on bacterial adhesion, which has particular promise in its ability to circumvent the speed of bacterial evolution by preventing binding in the first place.

This episode of STEMcast focuses on Doctor Shirin Abbasinejad Enger and her research in oncology and medical physics. Dr. Enger is an associate professor in the Department of Oncology at the Jewish General Hospital section of McGill Medicine. Her work focuses in interdisciplinary development and testing of cancer therapies, including brachytherapy and much more. Dr. Enger received her PhD from Uppsala University, and uses her expertise to lead students across multiple branches for cancer research.

In this special collaborative episode of STEMCast (McGill iGEM x UBC-Okanagan iGEM), we speak with Dr. Isaac Li, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. Dr. Li's lab builds DNA-based molecular tools to study mechanobiology through single-molecule and quantitative imaging. These tools are used to better understand the cell-cell interactions involved in diseases such as cancer. Dr. Li was named UBCO Faculty Researcher of the Year in 2023. He also acts as the Primary Investigator for the UBC-Okanagan iGEM Team. Join us for this special episode featuring UBC-Okanagan iGEM's Human Practices Lead, Oluwatinufemi (Tinu) Tope-Awofeko.

Dr. Eugene Park is a specialist in the pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury and brain injury therapeutics to improve outcomes. Dr. Park graduated with a master's from the department of Physiology at UofT and a Ph.D. from the Institute of Medical Science at UofT as well. Dr. Park is currently working as a Senior Research Associate at Unity Health Toronto.

Dr. Drew Endy is a synthetic biologist and professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Stanford University. He helped start new undergraduate majors in bioengineering at both MIT and Stanford. Twenty years ago Drew also helped launch the iGEM competition. As a group of students passionate about building with biology, it's a privilege to be able to speak with Dr. Endy.

In this mini-episode of STEMcast, we speak with Dr. Adalsteinn Brown. Dr. Brown is the Dean of Dalla Lana, the school of public health at the University of Toronto. He obtained his A.B. from Harvard and PhD at Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He has been the co-chair of COVID-19 Advisory Board in Ontario and has held many senior leadership roles in health policy. His research interests include health policy, public health emergency preparedness, outcome assessment in healthcare, and equity in healthcare.

Dr. Sandra Hofmann is an Associate Professor in Bioengineering Bone at the Orthopaedic Biomechanics research group at Eindhoven University of Technology. Dr. Hoffmann obtained her masters in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Basel, Switzerland in 2002, then achieved her Ph.D. with distinctions at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in 2007, studying "Silk fibroin as a biomaterial for drug delivery and tissue engineering". Dr. Hofmann specializes in creating a human cell-based, functional, 3D in vitro model of bone which allows for studying interactions between various environmental factors and their effects on the cells. Additionally, these models can be used for studying the interactions between various cell types with bone and also differences between cells from various donors.

On this episode of STEMcast, we’d like to introduce to you Dr. Michael Hendricks. Dr. Hendricks is currently a Canada Research Chair in Neurobiology and Behaviour. He did his BSc at Bowdoin, his PhD at NUS, and postdoc research at Harvard. On top of being a McGill prof, he is the Hendricks Lab at McGill, where he studies the behaviour of C. Elegans roundworms. Dr. Hendricks has published papers not just on worm neuroscience but also on the gender gap in research funding. His lab website is home to a pretty awesome picture of a cowboy water bear on a worm.

On this episode the STEMcast special release, we explore plant biology with Dr. Jaswinder Singh. Dr. Jaswinder Singh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Science at McGill, specializing in genomics, molecular breeding, and biotechnology. He earned his PhD from the University of Sydney and completed postdoctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley. His research involves epigenetic silencing reversal, novel barley genes linked to Pre-Harvest Sprouting, and cysteine- rich proteins, redox regulation and transcription factors involved in different plant phase transitions. Dr. Singh also directs the NSERC-CREATE program on Genome Editing and has received numerous accolades for his contributions to plant biology.

Dr. Schwarcz is the head of the Office of Science and Society at McGill, which debunks scientific misinformation and provides scientific education to the general public. He also teaches over 3000 students at McGill and is the host of the Dr. Joe Show-a chemistry podcast that has been running for 40+ years-which addresses all kinds of scientific myths and everyday scientific phenomena. In this episode, he addresses the impact of his educational initiatives, the use of statistics, COVID misinformation, and more with McGill iGEM.