Grad Chat - Queen's School Of Graduate Studies

Topic: “How does the coordination of your lower body change based on how high you jump?”. Overview:  By understanding the lower extremity coordination patterns that people use to jump to submaximal and maximal heights, my research can help further knowledge in how to train athletes to jump higher and how to help athletes recover following injury. If you are interested in finding out more about Robert’s work, follow his twitter account – www.twitter.com/RobMackowiak

Topic: Understanding the lived experiences of spouses who are separated in long-term care facilities. . Overview:  The aim of my research is to explore the lived experiences of older adults who are separated from their partners in two separate long-term care facilities – specifically in relation to feelings of loneliness and isolation

Topic: Women’s Representation in New Democracies: Underrepresentation of Ethnic Minority Women in Burmese Politics. Overview:  My research will investigate how political parties’ actions and attitudes contribute to this underrepresentation, particularly in regions with high concentrations of ethnic minorities.

Topic: Zambian Political History. Overview:  I am studying the Chona Commission, a constitutional review commission that ushered in the era of the single party state in post colonial Zambia, 1972/3

Topic: Racialized sexual attractions and sexual responses Overview:  I’m specifically interested in examining Black people’s sexual responses relative to white people’s.

Topic: ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) in the Canadian energy sector Overview:  I am taking a deep dive into sustainability reporting for major Canadian energy companies to identify gaps and key areas that are material to their business, which may help to de-risk some of the social, political, and technological issues as well as public perception related to different types of energy development (fossil fuels, nuclear, renewables etc.).

Topic: The Double Minority Dilemma and Conflict Settlement Negotiations in Cyprus and Northern Ireland. Overview:  My research outlines the theory of the Double Minority Dilemma (DMD) which argues that each community’s security dilemma is defined by their perception of their own minority status both domestically and in combination with the geopolitical environment of third-party actors, which serves to justify their “cause.”.

Topic: Retinal Implants. Overview:  My research looks at ways to lower the cost of retinal implants for people with age-related macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa, two of the most common outer retinal degenerative problems and the predominant cause of most blind related diseases.

Topic: Changing the landscape: A critical race informed narrative inquiry of a Canadian University told by racialized students.. Overview:  The proposed research study will use community based participatory research principle that prioritize racialized student experiences to design, conduct and assess a training resource to progress diversity , equity and inclusion from a state of awareness to action for faculty and staff.

Topic: The Galaxy Manifold: A statistical and systematic analysis of intrinsic galaxy properties. Overview:  I am exploring a multi-dimensional approach to galaxy modeling. Most traditional analysis is performed on correlations of two parameters at a time. I am developing a framework for examining trends in any number of parameters simultaneously. I use machine learning models and techniques to fully extract all available information. By determining which parameters are fundamentally linked to each other, I can connect models of galaxy formation to real observations and possibly learn about the nature of dark matter. Listen to Fast Radio Bursts on podcast, bring exciting space news hot off the telescope into your ears.

Topic: The long-term ecological consequences of gold mining operations, urbanization, and climatic changes on sub-Arctic lakes near Yellowknife (Northwest Territories, Canada). Overview:  The lack of long-term environmental monitoring data poses significant challenges to understanding the impacts of past anthropogenic activities on freshwater ecosystems. However, we can use natural archives (e.g. lake sediments that accumulate continuously) to fill this knowledge gap.

Topic: Using paleolimnology to reconstruct past seabird populations. Overview:  Most seabird populations are in decline. However, because of sparse monitoring it is impossible to know when the population began to decline. My research uses lake sediments to address this lack in delivery. I am to answer key questions in conservation biology, such as “What are the drivers of seabird decline” and “what is natural, before human interference?”

Topic: Ideology, Production, and Reproduction in the work of Virginia Woolf, Marie Stopes, and H.D. Overview:  My research looks at how the emergence of debates in the 1920s and 30s regarding reproduction and sexuality influenced the work of three modernist writers.

Topic: What’s Up 2021! Overview:  Suyin (aka DJ Bear), asks CJ the DJ what to expect in 2021.

Topic: Diet, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Pain Overview:  My research looks at how a popular food additive, monosodium glutamate (MSG), can cause pain in a pre-clinical model of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The goal is to provide a neuronal mechanism that underlies MSG’s ability to trigger pain in this patient group.

Topic: The rold of women orchestral conductors, particularly within the Canadian context. Overview:  Although in the early stages of my research, my current focus has been identifying some of the ways in which women are excluded from orchestral conducting at the highest levels. This includes mentorship and educational shortfalls, gender bias and media representation.

Topic: Towards improving the education that mental health professionals receive about transgender-spectrum health Overview:  Sofia’s Master’s thesis aims to develop an instrument that measures mental health professionals’ knowledge, skills, and awareness (KSA) about trans health. Having this instrument is an essential starting point for the design of better educational practices that will improve mental health trainees’ KSA towards trans healthcare. Her work on this project is funded through the Ontario Women’s Health Scholars award and the Canadian Graduate Scholar Master’s level award (SSHRC).

Topic: Grad Student, Parent, Teacher – Coping with Covid Overview:  Join CJ the DJ and Suyin Olguin as they chat about a grad students life during the pandemic. How you balance your own work, with parenting and teaching duties.

Topic: Life Skills Training For Therapy Assistant Students Overview:  College students often struggle with basic life skills such as coping skills and managing finances, leading to challenges with coping, academic performance, practicum, and employability. Rehabilitation students who are expected to work on life skills with clients can face particular challenges if they lack experience or competence in these areas themselves, so this research targets students in rehabilitation diploma programs. The purpose of this study is to improve therapy assistant students’ life skills to improve their short-term success as students and long-term success in launching their careers.

Topic: Studying bird-window collisions on the Queen’s University main campus Overview:  Aiming to estimate the number of annual collisions on main campus and test the effectiveness of collision mitigation film so it can be incorporated into campus planning.