Amy Wu, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Ingenuity Labs Research Institute
Helping robots learn to walk

Host:Barry Kaplan Synopsis:Dr. Amy Wu is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s University. She leads the Biomechanics x Robotics Laboratory (BxRL) and is a member of the Queen’s Ingenuity Labs Research Institute. Her research interests include mechatronics, human biomechanics, and wearable and assistive devices. One of Dr. Wu’s projects, Rando the Robot, is a low-cost bipedal walking robot with an open-source mindset, to expand accessibility to and involvement in walking robot education and research. She has demonstrated this project at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Maker Faire Rome, and Science Rendezvous Kingston.In this episode, Dr. Wu discusses her work at BxRL and the first-principles approach in understanding the mechanics and energies of human movement for robot design and biomechanics. Shealso explains the motivation for constructing Rando the Robot with an open-source mindset to encourage cost-efficient robotics research.Please visit the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering for more information about Dr.Wu’s research.

Xiaodan Zhu, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ingenuity Labs Research Institute
Teaching language to computers

Host:Barry Kaplan Synopsis:Dr. Xiaodan Zhu is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Queen’s,where he leads the Text Analytics and Machine Learning Lab (TAML). He is also a member of the Ingenuity Labs Research Institute and is an affiliated expert with Queen’s Conflict Analytics Lab. He is associate editor of the journal Computational Intelligence and serves as the program co-chair of the 33rd Canadian Conference on Artificial Intelligence.His research interests include machine learning, natural language processing, deep learning, and artificial intelligence.Prior to joining Queen’s in 2017, Dr. Zhu was a research officer at the National Research Council of Canada.In this episode, Dr. Zhu discusses how his research, at the frontier of artificial intelligence, is helping computers better understand language, with wide ranging applications. He also explains the intersections of law and AI with his work at the Queen’s Conflict Analytics Lab.Please visit the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for more information about Dr. Zhu’s research

Elaine Power, Associate Professor, School of Kinesiology and Health StudiesCross-appointed, Department of Gender Studies Affiliated, Cultural Studies Graduate Program
Understanding our food habits

Host:Barry Kaplan
Synopsis:Dr. Elaine Power is an associate professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies and cross-appointed to the Department of Gender Studies at Queen’s University. She is the co-editor of the recently published book,Messy Eating: Conversations on Animals as Food and the forthcoming volume,Feminist Food Studies: Intersectional Perspectives. Her research focuses on issues related to poverty,class, health, and food security. In particular, Dr. Power uses qualitative research methods and critical social theory to investigate food practices, especially in relation to income and social class. She is also a founding member of the Canadian Association for Food Studies and the Kingston Action Group for a Basic Income Guarantee.In this episode, Dr. Power discusses her co-authored book,Acquired Tastes: Why Families Eat the Way They Do,which analyzes over 100 interviews with families across Canada to understand how food habituate shaped by class, health, gender, poverty, and food insecurity.Please visit the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies for more information about Dr. Power’s research

Shideh Kabiri AmeriAssistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
E-tattoos and healthcare: nano materials for superior wearable tech

Host:Barry Kaplan
Synopsis:Dr. Shideh Kabiri Ameri is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s University. Her research focuses on 2D material-based electronic devices and their applications in wearable, bioelectronics, human machine interface, electronic tattoos, internet of things, and mobile healthcare. She leads the Ameri Nano Research Group interested in looking for innovative and novel solutions for technological challenges by applying nano-sciences to Engineering. In 2017, Dr. Ameri was awarded the Rising Star in EECE. In this episode, Dr. Ameri discusses her research on e-tattoos and their application on humans. She also mentions the work conducted at the Ameri Nano Research Group,which uses 2D and nano-materials to develop superior and minimally visible sensors and electronics for wearable healthcare technology.Please visit the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for more information about Dr. Ameri’s research.

Liying Cheng Professor, Faculty of Education

What’s in a Grade?

Host: Barry Kaplan
Synopsis: Dr. Liying Cheng is a professor of teaching English as a second/foreign language and Peer Research Consultant in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University. She is also the director of the Assessment and Evaluation Group at Queen’s and was a recipient of the 2017 Prize for Excellence in Research, Queen’s signature internal research honour. Her research interests include the impact of large-scale testing on instruction, the relationship between assessment and instruction, and teaching and learning English for academic purposes. She has obtained research funding totalling more than $1.7 million and conducted more than 220 conference presentations with more than 140 publications.In this episode, Dr. Cheng discusses her project, “What’s in a Grade? A Multiple Perspective Validity Study on Grading Policies, Practices, Values, and Consequences.” She discusses the importance of understanding the teaching and learning values embedded into a given grade. Her project focuses on China and the interpretation of grades by multiple stakeholders with a comparison to a Canadian context.Please visit the Faculty of Education for more information about Dr. Cheng’s research.

Samuel Dahan Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Queen’s National Scholar

Algorithms and Precedent: How AI Can Provide Open-Access Legal Resources

Host: Barry Kaplan
Synopsis: Dr. Samuel Dahan is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Law and a Queen’s National Scholar. He is the director of the Conflict Analytics Lab at Queen’s University, a LegalTech global consortium on the application of data analytics and AI to dispute resolution and negotiation. Dr. Dahan has worked as a legal secretary to the Court of Justice of the European Union and as a legal advisor for the Comparative Law Unit of the French Administrative Supreme Court. His research focuses on regulatory responses to the euro crisis from an empirical data perspective. He is also a nationally medaled athlete in Taekwondo.

In this episode, Dr. Dahan discusses the Conflict Analytics Lab and his open-access work training machines to read law texts and extract the relevant information, typically the precedent, to assist lawyers and self-represented litigants in their research. He also discusses the limitations of algorithms in predicting subjective outcomes in judicial decision making.

Please visit the Faculty of Law for more information about Dr. Dahan’s research

Fahim Quadir, Vice-Provost and Dean, School of Graduate Studies Professor, Department of Global Development Studies
Civil society, cosmopolitan citizenship, and realistic utopia

Host: Barry Kaplan
Synopsis: Dr. Fahim Quadir is the Vice-Provost and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Queen’s University and a Professor in the Department of Global Development Studies. His research explores international development, international relations, and international political economy. In particular, Dr. Quadir focuses on South-South cooperation, emerging donors, aid effectiveness, good governance, democratic consolidation, transnational social movements, and human security. Aligning his research and administrative interests, he has served as the President of the Canadian Consortium for University Programs in International Development. In this episode, Dr. Quadir discusses how his research focuses on producing new knowledge to address some of the pressing challenges facing the world today. He also explores how the concepts of civil society, cosmopolitan citizenship, and realistic utopia contribute to the role of post-secondary education in society. Please visit the School of Graduate Studies for more information about Dr. Quadir’s research

Janet Jull, Occupational Therapist and Assistant Professor, School of Rehabilitation Therapy
Shared decision-making: a partnership for client-centred healthcare

Host:Barry Kaplan
Synopsis:Dr. Janet Jull is an occupational therapist and Assistant Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University. Her research focuses on developing and evaluating shared decision-making tools and approaches to support client-centred care, with a particular focus on cancer care. In all of her research, Dr. Jull works in collaboration with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis researchers and communities. She also investigates how research is conducted in partnerships; specifically when those who are engaged in the production of research, partner with those who contend with the real-world needs and constraints of health systems and their users. In this episode, Dr. Jull discusses the process of shared decision-making and the collaboration and partnership needed between the healthcare provider and the client. She also explains the four major steps involved in a shared decision-making model. Please visit the School of Rehabilitation Therapy for more information about Dr. Jull’s research.

Margaret Moore

Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy and Diversity
Professor, Department of Political Studies and Department of Philosophy

The People, the Land, and the Government

Host: Barry Kaplan

Synopsis: Dr. Margaret Moore is the Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy and Diversity at Queen’s University, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and a professor in the department of Political Studies with a cross-appointment in Philosophy where she teaches in the Master’s in Political and Legal Theory program. Her research focuses on justice, nationalism, and the territorial rights of peoples and states. She is the author of A Political Theory of Territory, which won the Canadian Philosophical Association’s biannual book prize for 2017, and most recently Who Should Own Natural Resources?. She is also a recipient of the 2019 Prize for Excellence in Research, Queen’s signature internal research honour.

In this episode, Dr. Moore discusses A Political Theory of Territory and its examination of the geographical domain of the state and the rights associated with territorial jurisdiction. In her book, she puts three things into relationship: the people, the land, and the government to understand the moral significance associated with plans and attachments of place. Dr. Moore also explains how her latest book, Who Should Own Natural Resources, is a deeper dive into the relationship between natural resources and claims of ownership.

Please visit the Department of Political Studies for more information about Dr. Moore’s research.

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Gianluigi Bisleri

Associate Professor, Department of Surgery
Clinician-scientist, Kingston Health Sciences Centre

Matters of the Heart: Less-invasive Approaches to Cardiac Surgery

Host: Barry Kaplan

Synopsis: Dr. Gianluigi Bisleri is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at Queen’s University and a Clinician-scientist at the Kingston Health Sciences Centre. His research focuses on developing and expanding the use of new treatments and novel, less-invasive procedures for cardiac surgery. Dr. Bisleri’s work also includes economic analysis of these new approaches to assess their impact on outcomes such as shorter recovery times and more effective use of hospital resources. Additionally, he is working with the Departments of Biological and Molecular Sciences and Mechanical Engineering to better understand the mechanical properties of the aorta, and to uncover new electrical signalling information from the heart. He also holds two US patents for novel endoscopic surgical tools.

In this episode, Dr. Bisleri discusses his research on developing less-invasive approaches in cardiac surgery to minimize the need for large incisions or the opening of the breastbone. He explains how the development of precision tools has advanced the ability to perform complex cardiac surgeries with minimal invasiveness. Dr. Bisleri also discusses his team-based approach to cardiac surgery that is critical to surgical success and novel, less traumatic procedures.

Please visit the School of Medicine for more information about Dr. Bisleri’s research.

DJ Cook

Associate Professor, Department of Surgery Neurosurgeon, Kingston Health Sciences Centre
Network Connectivity: Rewiring Lost Brain Functions
Host: Barry Kaplan

Synopsis: Dr. DJ Cook is a Neurosurgeon at Kingston Health Sciences Centre and an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at Queen’s University. In 2018, he was named Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 and recognized for his work in developing minimally invasive surgical procedures for complex brain disorders and for his innovative research focusing on therapy and treatments to enhance recovery for patients who have suffered a stroke. His Translational Stroke Research Lab has received funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation. In his spare time, he runs Otter Creek Farms where he incorporates a scientific approach to raising Japanese wagyu cattle.

In this episode, Dr. Cook discusses what happens to the brain after a stroke and the treatments and strategies for recovery. He also describes the interdisciplinary components of this field of research and how his lab focuses on the brain’s response to injury and the changes in its process of recovery through such methods as multimodal MRI. Dr. Cook also discusses his work with elite athletes as his research helps them overcome neurological shortcomings through training of the brain.
Please visit the School of Medicine for more information about Dr. Cook’s research.

Tandy ThomasAssociate Professor of Marketing and Distinguished Faculty Fellow of Marketing, Smith School of Business
Navigating the Consumer Marketplace
Host: Barry Kaplan

Synopsis: Dr. Tandy Thomas is an Associate Professor of Marketing and Distinguished Faculty Fellow of Marketing at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. Her research interests explore the intersection of consumer culture theory and social psychology, looking at the interplay between consumers, their social contexts, and marketing activities. Her current projects explore perceptions of advertisements and how these are socially embedded, how consumption communities influence consumption practices, and how consumers navigate marketplace decision making.

In this episode, Dr. Thomas discusses the social elements of consumption and consumer behaviour along with their impact on the individual consumer and their relationships with marketers and retailers. She explores the complexities of these relationships through her work researching collective identities or communities, such as a running group. She also discusses her research into consumption products and how they are used in particular instances to better an individual’s life through a community setting, such as in a book club. Please visit the Smith School of Business for more information about Dr. Thomas’s research.

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education

Microinteractions and how gender functions in a particular space

Dr. Lee Airton is an Assistant Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies in Education with the Faculty of Education. Their research program explores the micropolitics of gender and sexual diversity accommodation in K-12 and teacher education, with particular emphasis on the issues facing transgender and/or non-binary people in those settings. They recently published a popular press book entitled Gender: Your Guide – A gender-friendly primer on what to say, what to know, and what to do in the new gender culture. As an advocate, Dr. Airton founded They is My Pronoun and the No Big Deal Campaign. In 2017, they received the Youth Role Model of the Year Award from the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity.

In this episode, Dr. Airton discusses their book Gender: Your Guide as a resource for public education and advice for someone unfamiliar with the new gender culture. They also comment on the history of transgender activism and the issues facing non-binary people, such as advocacy for access. Dr. Airton also explains their research into the implementation of legal protections against gender discrimination in the policies governing schools at the provincial and board level.

https://educ.queensu.ca/lee-airton

https://www.leeairton.com/

http://www.theyismypronoun.com

https://www.nbdcampaign.ca/

www.genderyourguide.com

Professor, School of Rehabilitation Therapy and Department of Public Health Sciences

Associate Director, Centre for Health Services and Policy Research

A Conversation on Spirituality and Health Studies

Dr. Mary Ann McColl is a Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy and in the Department of Public Health Sciences, as well as the Associate Director of the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research at Queen’s University. She is also the Academic Lead for the Canadian Disability Policy Alliance, an association of academic, community and policy partners committed to understanding and enhancing disability policy in Canada. Dr. McColl’s research examines access to health services for people with disabilities, disability policy, spirituality and health, primary care for special populations, and community integration and social support.

In this episode, Dr. McColl explores the concept of spirituality, which she defines as a human trait related to the extent to which one is able to or wishes to perceive of something beyond which we can experience with our five senses and our brain, as it relates to disability and health studies. She also explains the development of disability studies, and in particular appreciative inquiry, in teaching future healthcare professionals.

https://www.rehab.queensu.ca/mary-ann-mccoll

https://www.queensu.ca/cspc/about-us/contact-us/mary-mccoll