Dr. Olya Bryksina research focuses on goals. Everything from personal goals to large societal goals. She wants to know what motivates us towards attaining those goals and what can deter us. Currently, Bryksina has been examining different types of public health messaging during the covid-19 pandemic. She wants to learn which health messages are more persuasive in achieving the overall goal of limiting the spread of the virus. 

On this episode the research question is, “What is the importance of understanding collective behaviour and collective group level goals?”

Episode 5: What is the importance of understanding collective behaviour and group level goals?

Dr. Aman Hussain from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Applied Health knows a thing or two about learning in stressful environments. In the past he’s coached athletes, consulted for Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and worked with medical professionals. Now he’s working in partnership with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, conducting a mixed-methods study aimed at understanding how firefighters and paramedics are responding to, and have been affected by, the current pandemic.

On this episode the research question is “how do we learn more effectively while working in a high-stress work environment?”

Episode 6: How do we learn more effectively while working in a high-stress work environment?

Dr. Ed Cloutis, Professor of Geography and Director of the Centre for Terrestrial and Planetary Exploration at the University of Winnipeg has spent a long career focusing on developing new applications of remote sensing to explore the surface of the Earth and planets in the solar system. As part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, Cloutis and his research team are attempting to answer a question that has fascinated humanity since the first days of space exploration. 

On this episode the research question is, “Is there life on Mars?”

Episode 7: Is there life on Mars?

Dr. Nora Casson studies how environmental pressures affect water quality. Dr. Darshani Kumaragamage research focuses on the environmental impacts of agricultural practices. Together, they are working on understanding how climate change and human activities are affecting the Lake Winnipeg watershed.

On this episode the research question is, “how do we improve the water quality of Lake Winnipeg?”

Episode 8: How do we improve the water quality of Lake Winnipeg?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a complex and powerful diagnostic tool in modern medicine. By expanding the capabilities of the technology and developing new magnetic resonance imaging techniques, Dr. Melanie Martin and her research team are hoping to improve the diagnosis and treatment of nervous system disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and Schizophrenia. 

On this episode the research question is: “How does magnetic resonance imaging help detect nervous system disorders?”

Episode 9: How does magnetic resonance imaging help detect nervous system disorders?

Why do some children excel in math, while others struggle? It’s a question Dr. Stephanie Bugden has been trying to answer throughout her career. By using interactive games, and functional brain imaging methods, her and her research team from the University of Winnipeg Psychology Department are hoping to learn more about the cognitive and neural mechanisms that guide math learning to help improve math skills in children. 

On this episode the research question is: “How do children learn math?”

Episode 10: How do children learn math?

Dr. Jason Hannan, Associate Professor in the University of Winnipeg’s Department of Rhetoric, Writing, and Communications, researches the truth in politics and discourse; examining how disinformation, conspiracy theory, and populism is undermining democracy. His new work explains how the toxic online culture of trolling is moving beyond the internet into the public sphere and what that means for society. 

On this episode the research question is: “How are we trolling ourselves to death?”

Episode 11: How are we trolling ourselves to death?

Dr. Mary Jane McCallum is assistant professor in the History Department at the University of Winnipeg, the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous People, History, and Archives and a member of the Munsee-Delaware Nation. Throughout her academic career, McCallum has focused heavily on research related to twentieth century histories of health documenting the impacts of Canada’s colonial healthcare system on Indigenous persons. McCallum argues we need to look to history in order to better understand present day forms of structural racism. 

On this episode, we ask the research question: “How does history help us to think about structural racism?”

Episode 3: How does history teach us about structural racism?

From the University of Winnipeg Research Office and the Oral History Centre, introducing Research Question: The Podcast where we talk to researchers at the University of Winnipeg about the questions they have, and what they’re doing to find answers.

Episode 3: How does history teach us about structural racism?

UW Research Question

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