It has been a long and painful pandemic but the light at the end of the tunnel is within our sights. While there are many reasons for what will surely be a celebration, there is one one particular medical advancement that has raised all of our spirits and may represent the future for battling disease. It’s the mRNA vaccine. This week, we’re closing out our season on COVID-19 science with a guest we all need to hear. He is Pieter Cullis and he a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology  at the University of British Columbia. He is one of the founders of mRNA vaccine technology, although when he started this journey over four decades ago, there was a very different reason for the work. It’s a story you need to hear to truly get a feel for the miracle that is mRNA vaccines.  I want to thank everyone who asked a question over the course of this season. It helped to make the show interactive and also more informative. If you have any questions, you can still reach me on Twitter or by Email. Have a great summer and I look forward to better times and awesome science.  Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.comGuest:Pieter Cullishttps://biochem.ubc.ca/person/pieter-cullis/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for the Super Awesome Science Show SASS Class on COVID-19 variants. I want to thank everyone who reached out to me. We received quite a few and will try to answer them today.  We’re back with Earl Brown, a professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa and also a colleague with whom I’ve performed research and published on emerging pathogens such as SARS and avian flu. He has been observing the impact of variants and is ready to answer your questions.  Next week is our season finale and it is with one of the original researchers behind the mRNA vaccine technology. He’s been doing it for over 40 years and best of all, it’s been done right here in Canada. You won’t want to miss it.   Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.comGuest:Earl Brownhttps://web5.uottawa.ca/www2/mcs-smc/media/experts-details-324.html  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the course of the pandemic, our vocabulary has gained a specific word that has come to represent great concern and distress in our global community. Variant. In the context of COVID-19, it has meant a resurgence in viral infections, resistance to treatments, and the risk of an ineffective vaccine.  This week, we’re going to look at the science behind SARS-CoV-2 variants with Earl Brown. He’s a professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa and also a colleague with whom I’ve performed research and published on emerging pathogens such as SARS and avian flu. Our discussion will not only enlighten you but also reveal aspects of the nature of variants you won’t hear anywhere else.  While we try to identify all the potential questions you might have regarding wastewater testing, I’m sure you will have more. Which is why I hope you reach out to me on Twitter, by Email, or via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.   Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.comGuest:Earl Brownhttps://web5.uottawa.ca/www2/mcs-smc/media/experts-details-324.html  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for the Super Awesome Science Show SASS Class on COVID-19 and wastewater. I want to thank everyone who reached out to me. We received quite a few and will try to answer them today.  We’re back with Tyson Graber, a research associate at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute. He has been working on the development of wastewater testing and has gained support from the local government who now shares that data with the population.  Over the last few months, I have received a few questions regarding the impact of COVID-19 on those living with Multiple Sclerosis. I have reached out to Farrah Mateen, an Associate Professor of Neurology and her clinical practice focuses on helping and treating MS patients. She has been learning of the impacts of the pandemic from her patients and also through her international collaborations with researchers in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and South America. If you didn’t hear your question, make sure to contact me on Twitter, by Email and now, via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.   Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.comGuest:Tyson Graberhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tysongraber/?originalSubdomain=ca City of Ottawa Wastewater Surveillance https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/reports-research-and-statistics/Wastewater_COVID-19_Surveillance.aspx Farrah Mateen https://www.massgeneral.org/doctors/19421/farrah-mateen    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It may seem like COVID-19 is everywhere and this week, we’re going to find out how we can take advantage of that fact. Research has shown that the virus behind the disease, SARS-CoV-2 can survive in sewage and be identified using a diagnostic test. More importantly, the results of those tests provide an early warning system to communities about the spread of the disease.  Our guest this week has been working on the development of wastewater testing and has gained support from the local government who now shares that data with the population. His name is Tyson Graber and he is a research associate at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute.  While we try to identify all the potential questions you might have regarding wastewater testing, I’m sure you will have more. Which is why I hope you reach out to me on Twitter, by Email, or via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.   Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.comGuest:Tyson Graberhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tysongraber/?originalSubdomain=ca City of Ottawa Wastewater Surveillance https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/reports-research-and-statistics/Wastewater_COVID-19_Surveillance.aspx  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for the Super Awesome Science Show SASS Class on COVID-19 and diagnostic tests. I want to thank everyone who reached out to me. We received quite a few and will try to answer them today.  Our guest this week has been focused on why we need diagnostic tests for all to get us past this pandemic and to keep us safe and confident even long after. She is Cherie Lynn Ramirez and she is an assistant professor in the Chemistry and Physics Department at Simmons University. She was the Deputy Director of the Global Learning Studio at the Global Health Education and Learning Incubator at Harvard University. Recently, she and her colleagues wrote a discussion piece on the need for universal access to diagnostic tests. You can find that paper below.  If you didn’t hear your question, make sure to contact me on Twitter, by Email and now, via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.   Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.comGuest:Cherie Lynn Ramirezhttps://www.simmons.edu/academics/faculty/cherie-ramirez Cherie Lynn Ramirez’s discussion on universal testing:https://www.rapidtests.org/wrong-not-to-test Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The old adage of the only thing to fear is fear itself sometimes rings true although in the case of pandemics, it has a different meaning. We should fear the pandemic but in many cases, people tend to fear and rebel against the measures to keep people safe. But there is a way to prevent this from happening in an equitable way. It’s through the use of rapid diagnostic tests. They can help to keep us aware of the location of a pandemic virus, how’s it’s spreading in the community, and how to develop targeted measures to prevent spread. Our guest this week has been focused on why we need diagnostic tests for all to get us past this pandemic and to keep us safe and confident even long after. She is Cherie Lynn Ramirez and she is an assistant professor in the Chemistry and Physics Department at Simmons University. She was the Deputy Director of the Global Learning Studio at the Global Health Education and Learning Incubator at Harvard University. Recently, she and her colleagues wrote a discussion piece on the need for universal access to diagnostic tests. You can find that paper below.  We try to hit on as many points as we can based on her research but I’m sure you will have questions. Which is why I hope you reach out to me on Twitter, by Email, or via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.   Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.comGuest:Cherie Lynn Ramirezhttps://www.simmons.edu/academics/faculty/cherie-ramirez Cherie Lynn Ramirez’s discussion on universal testing:https://www.rapidtests.org/wrong-not-to-test Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for the Super Awesome Science Show SASS Class on COVID-19 and its effects on our healthcare heroines. I want to thank everyone who reached out to me. We received quite a few and will try to answer them today. Our guest is Emily Jenkins. Emily Jenkins. She is an Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia. She is focused on optimizing mental health outcomes for Canadians through collaborative mental health promotion strategies; health services and policy development and redesign; and knowledge translation approaches. She has also reached out to Canadians and learned about how they really feel about this pandemic. Her two papers on the subject can be found below. If you didn’t hear your question, make sure to contact me on Twitter, by Email and now, via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.  Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.com Guest: Emily JenkinsEmily Jenkins, PhD, MPH, RN | School of Nursing (ubc.ca) COVID-19 and Individual Mental HealthA portrait of the early and differential mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada: Findings from the first wave of a nationally representative cross-sectional survey - ScienceDirect COVID-19 and Family Mental HealthExamining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study | BMJ Open Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pandemics usually are known for their impact on physical health in the forms of infection. But these worldwide outbreaks also affect mental health both in direct and indirect ways. We spoke about the direct manners earlier this season and this week, we’re taking a look at the indirect ways. Our guest is Emily Jenkins. Emily Jenkins. She is an Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia. She is focused on optimizing mental health outcomes for Canadians through collaborative mental health promotion strategies; health services and policy development and redesign; and knowledge translation approaches. She has also reached out to Canadians and learned about how they really feel about this pandemic. Her two papers on the subject can be found below.  We try to hit on as many points as we can based on her research but I’m sure you will have questions. Which is why I hope you reach out to me on Twitter, by Email, or via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.   Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.com Guest: Emily JenkinsEmily Jenkins, PhD, MPH, RN | School of Nursing (ubc.ca) COVID-19 and Individual Mental HealthA portrait of the early and differential mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada: Findings from the first wave of a nationally representative cross-sectional survey - ScienceDirect COVID-19 and Family Mental HealthExamining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study | BMJ Open Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In times of crisis, we look to heroines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have come in the form of healthcare workers. They have given so much of themselves and we are grateful. Yet, even as we offer our thanks, there continues to be suffering in the form of anxiety, burnout, and depression. This week, we’re going to hear about how COVID-19 is affecting our healthcare heroines with our guest, Abi Sriharan. She is the Program Director for Systems Leadership and Innovation and an Assistant Professor, Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. She is also known as a realist applied researcher who looks to develop answers that can be implemented to improve the overall situation. In many ways, she could be considered the healthcare heroine’s heroine. While this discussion will inform, shock and maybe surprise you, I’m sure you will have questions. Which is why I hope you reach out to me on Twitter, by Email, or via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.   Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.com Guest: Abi SriharanAbi Sriharan | Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (utoronto.ca) Abi Sriharan’s work on healthcare heroines and the effect of COVID-19https://www.utoronto.ca/news/women-health-care-increased-risk-stress-burnout-and-depression-during-covid-19-u-t-study  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In times of crisis, we look to heroines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have come in the form of healthcare workers. They have given so much of themselves and we are grateful. Yet, even as we offer our thanks, there continues to be suffering in the form of anxiety, burnout, and depression. This week, we’re going to hear about how COVID-19 is affecting our healthcare heroines with our guest, Abi Sriharan. She is the Program Director for Systems Leadership and Innovation and an Assistant Professor, Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. She is also known as a realist applied researcher who looks to develop answers that can be implemented to improve the overall situation. In many ways, she could be considered the healthcare heroine’s heroine. While this discussion will inform, shock and maybe surprise you, I’m sure you will have questions. Which is why I hope you reach out to me on Twitter, by Email, or via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.   Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.com Guest: Abi SriharanAbi Sriharan | Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (utoronto.ca) Abi Sriharan’s work on healthcare heroines and the effect of COVID-19https://www.utoronto.ca/news/women-health-care-increased-risk-stress-burnout-and-depression-during-covid-19-u-t-study  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SHOW NOTES – COVID-19 AND THE BRAIN - SASS CLASS It’s time for the Super Awesome Science Show SASS Class on COVID-19 and its effects on our brains and nervous system. I want to thank everyone who reached out to me. We received quite a few Emails and DMs and we got to so many during this discussion.  We again are joined by Mark MacLean. He is a resident in the department of neurosurgery at Dalhousie University. He has been focused on learning more about the ways this virus get into our brains and the possible routes for treatment and possibly prevention.   If you didn’t hear your question, make sure to contact me on Twitter, by Email and now, via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.   Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.com Guest: Mark MacLeanhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Maclean  Mark MacLean’s paper on the potential role of microvascular pathology in the neurological manifestations of coronavirus infection https://fluidsbarrierscns.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12987-020-00216-1  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The brain is one of the most protected parts of the human body. Yet, viruses such as herpes, HIV and now SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, have demonstrated their ability to get into this sacred space. Because the brain controls so many of our normal bodily functions, this invasion can lead to a variety of problems, known as neurological sequelae.  This week, we’re exploring what is currently known about the effect of COVID-19 on the brain and the nervous system in general. Our guest is Mark MacLean, a resident in the department of neurosurgery at Dalhousie University. He has been focused on learning more about the ways this virus get into our brains and the possible routes for treatment and possibly prevention.  While this discussion will attempt to provide you with the latest information, I’m sure you will have questions. Which is why I hope you reach out to me on Twitter, by Email, or via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.   Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.com Guest: Mark MacLeanhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Maclean  Mark MacLean’s paper on the potential role of microvascular pathology in the neurological manifestations of coronavirus infection https://fluidsbarrierscns.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12987-020-00216-1  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for the Super Awesome Science Show SASS Class on COVID-19 and heart health. I want to thank everyone who reached out to me. We received quite a few Emails and DMs and we got to so many during this discussion. We again are joined by Ian Paterson. He is a Professor in the Department of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta. He’s a cardiac researcher who has been working to better understand the effects of COVID-19 at the cardiac level. His latest study is called the Multi-organ Imaging With Serial Testing In Covid-19 Infected Patients, better known as MOIST. If you didn’t hear your question, make sure to contact me on Twitter, by Email and now, via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts. Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.com Guest: Ian Patersonhttps://www.ualberta.ca/medicine/about/people/details.html?n=Ian-Paterson MOIST Study:https://www.ualberta.ca/research/our-research/covid19-research.html?search=paterson&details=multi-organ-imaging-with-serial-testing-in-covid-19-patients BeTheCure to enroll in the study: https://bethecure.ca/find-a-study/#studies/5c26010a08393b05921bc3c765803e2b731bf9ec Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Almost as soon as COVID-19 appeared, one of the most troubling consequences was revealed. The virus, SARS-CoV-2 had an effect on the cardiovascular system, including the heart. Since then, researchers have tried to better understand not only the mechanisms behind this added trouble, but also the risks due to pre-existing conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Our guest this week is Ian Paterson. He is a Professor in the Department of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta. He’s a cardiac researcher who has been working to better understand the effects of COVID-19 at the cardiac level. His latest study is called the Multi-organ Imaging With Serial Testing In Covid-19 Infected Patients, better known as MOIST. While this discussion will offer you more than you will hear elsewhere regarding the potential heart troubles that could come from COVID-19, I’m sure you will have questions. Which is why I hope you reach out to me on Twitter, by Email, or via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts. Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.com Guest: Ian Patersonhttps://www.ualberta.ca/medicine/about/people/details.html?n=Ian-Paterson MOIST Study:https://www.ualberta.ca/research/our-research/covid19-research.html?search=paterson&details=multi-organ-imaging-with-serial-testing-in-covid-19-patients BeTheCure to enroll in the study: https://bethecure.ca/find-a-study/#studies/5c26010a08393b05921bc3c765803e2b731bf9ec Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for the Super Awesome Science Show SASS Class on COVID-19 and biological sex. I want to thank everyone who reached out to me. We received quite a few Emails and DMs about the episode although most of them centred on a few important questions. It shows that when it comes to travel, we all seem to have the same concerns and hopes for the future.  Our guest is once again Eileen Scully. She is an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and has been researching infection, immunity, and biological sex for years particularly in terms of HIV infection. She has explored the differences in biological sex for not just COVID-19 but also HIV. But when it comes to questions, the most popular had nothing to do with either of those illnesses, which is why I rely on you to let me know what’s on your mind. So, if you didn’t hear your question or have another on this topic or any other, make sure to contact me on Twitter, by Email and now, via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.  Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.comGuest:Eileen Scullyhttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/results/directory/profile/10003614/eileen-scully Biological sex and COVID-19Title: Considering how biological sex impacts immune responses and COVID-19 outcomesLink: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-020-0348-8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The determination of biological sex occurs at the genetic level in which one of our 46 chromosomes can either be an X or a Y. But that one variance can lead to countless differences between the two. Now, thanks to COVID-19, we have another as it has become clear XX and XY respond to the virus differently.  Last year, Eileen Scully outlined those differences and I’ve asked her to come on the show to share them with us. She is an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and has been researching infection, immunity, and biological sex for years particularly in terms of HIV infection. Now she’s taking us on a journey into the possible consequences of COVID-19 infection based on biological sex.  While I do what I can to get to the bottom of the differences, I’m sure you will have questions. Which is why I hope you reach out to me on Twitter, by Email, or via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.  Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.comVoice Message: https://speakpipe.com/SASS Guest:Eileen Scullyhttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/results/directory/profile/10003614/eileen-scully Biological sex and COVID-19Title: Considering how biological sex impacts immune responses and COVID-19 outcomesLink: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-020-0348-8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for the Super Awesome Science Show SASS Class on travel. I want to thank everyone who reached out to me. We received quite a few Emails and DMs about the episode although most of them centred on a few important questions. It shows that when it comes to travel, we all seem to have the same concerns and hopes for the future.  Our first guest is once again Ron St. John and he was the Director General of the Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Public Health Agency of Canada. He also helped develop the Global Public Health Intelligence Network which helps health professionals rapidly detect, identify, assess, prevent and mitigate threats to human health. He now works to help inform the public of threats associated with travel with his company, Sitata. Over the last few months, we have received a few questions regarding the use of ultraviolet light as a disinfectant. To help answer those questions, I’ve reached out to Rick Dayton. He’s been involved in preventing infections in hospitals for decades and has worked extensively with UV light. I’m sure you will find this discussion enlightening and dispel a few myths regarding this technique for keeping our surfaces safe.  If you didn’t hear your question, make sure to contact me on Twitter, by Email and now, via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.  Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.comGuests:Ron St. Johnhttps://www.sitata.com/en Rick Daytonhttps://patents.justia.com/inventor/roderick-dayton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billions of trips occur yearly by all sorts of vessels including cars, trains, boats, and airplanes. They help humans get from point A to point B quickly and effectively. But travel can also help turn an outbreak into a pandemic. Over the millennia, we’ve seen how human movement and migration can spread an infectious disease across the planet. We have had a few close calls and one was the SARS epidemic in 2003. After the world returned to normal, our guest worked on how to develop early warning systems to ensure no outbreak went undetected and allowed to spread across the world. His name is Ron St. John and he was the Director General of the Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Public Health Agency of Canada. He also helped develop the Global Public Health Intelligence Network which helps health professionals rapidly detect, identify, assess, prevent and mitigate threats to human health. He now works to help inform the public of threats associated with travel with his company, Sitata.    While this discussion will offer you more than you might have heard regarding travel and infectious diseases, I’m sure you will have questions. Which is why I hope you reach out to me on Twitter, by Email, or via voice message at Speakpipe.com/SASS. Just follow the link below and send me your thoughts.  Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.comVoice Message: https://speakpipe.com/SASS Guest:Ron St. Johnhttps://www.sitata.com/en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As 2020 comes to a close we’re moving away from COVID-19 for a moment to talk with one of Canada’s greatest treasures, David Suzuki. For almost sixty years, he has been bringing science into our homes on radio and television and has inspired generations of scientists. We talk with him about his history, his motivation for being a science communicator and the lessons he has learned over the years. We also discuss his new adventure, a podcast, that will surely create an impact on anyone who listens. We’ll be taking a few weeks off but keep those questions coming on Twitter, Email and voice messages. We’ll be back soon with even more discussions on COVID-19 and answering the questions that matter to you. Happy Holidays and here’s to a better 2021! Twitter: @JATetroEmail: thegermguy@gmail.comVoice Message: https://speakpipe.com/SASS Guest:David Suzukihttps://davidsuzuki.org/ David Suzuki’s podcast:https://davidsuzuki.org/podcast/ David Suzuki’s 1974 paper on genetics and behaviourhttps://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/g74-079 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices