Welcome to the Emerging Scholar podcast, a space designed for graduate students, medical trainees, residents, and fellows who are beginning their journey toward their first scientific project—and beyond.
Hosted by Dr. John McGavock from the University of Manitoba, this podcast supports you in building the foundational skills needed for strong, meaningful research. Across our episodes, we guide you through the essentials: developing compelling research questions, finding and interpreting the best evidence, working with data, building analytical frameworks, and choosing the right methods to answer your questions. We also emphasize equity, inclusion, and diversity, helping you embed these principles into your work from the start.
Season One laid the groundwork—covering the core elements of research training and connecting you with a range of emerging and established scholars. Now, in Season Two, we dig deeper—focusing on mastering the craft by unpacking these methods, exploring their nuances and challenges, and highlighting the exciting possibilities they offer.
You’ll hear from researchers working across diverse fields—from natural experiments and causal inference to qualitative inquiry rooted in social justice and the evolving field of implementation science. Along the way, we showcase Canadian research excellence, highlight the importance of patient engagement, and celebrate the curiosity that drives scientific discovery.
Whether you’re designing your first study, refining your methods, or simply passionate about rigorous and impactful research, this podcast is here to support and inspire you.
Stay curious—and let’s continue building the skills that shape your scientific journey.
Be sure to check out our new Substack and subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to get episodes delivered direct!
Music for the series is provided by Osani Balkaran.
Hosts
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Dr. Jon McGavock, Host and Executive Producer
Jon is a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Manitoba and researcher at the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. He co-leads the Canadian Network for Pediatric Resident Research that creates resources and opportunities for scholarly achievement for Pediatric Residents across the country. His own research lab makes discoveries that will advance the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes youth, with a particular focus on health equity and justice for structurally oppressed families.
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Jared McKetiak, Producer
Jared McKetiak has been the Station Manager at UMFM 101.5 for 24 years after getting his start with the station as a volunteer in 1999.
He's fiercely passionate about independent media, has sat on boards for a number of arts and community based not-for-profits and is committed to giving back to the amazing city that he lives in. He's a husband, father to two, and his pets, playing hockey, watching baseball, strong coffee, good beer and great music of all sorts are what makes him happy!
Episodes
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Season 1, Episode 6: How To Foster A Mentoring Relationship with Dr. Norman Rosenblum
On today’s episode, we have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Norman Rosenblum, a pediatric nephrologist and clinician scientist at SickKids Hospital and the University of Toronto. Dr. Rosenblum is a professor of pediatrics, a past recipient of a Tier 1 CRC Chair in Developmental Nephrology, and the scientific director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute for Nutrition Metabolism Diabetes. Read more ›
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Season 1, Episode 5: Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGS) with Dr. Hailey Banack
On today’s episode, we’re excited to speak with Dr. Haley Banack, an associate professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Dr. Banack is an epidemiologist with expertise in obesity, aging, epidemiological methods, causal inference, and life course epidemiology. She is also the co-host of the Serious Epi podcast series alongside Matt Fox. Read more ›
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Season 1, Episode 4: Design Principles For Data Analysis with Dr. Lucy D’Agostino McGowan
On this episode, we are thrilled to be joined by Dr. Lucy D’Agostino McGowan, an assistant professor in the Department of Statistical Sciences at Wake Forest University. Dr. D’Agostino McGowan is also the co-host of the insightful podcast Casual Inference, alongside Dr. Ellie Murray. Read more ›
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Season 1, Episode 3: Where To Find The Best Evidence with Dr. Alfonso Iorio and Dr. Lori-ann Linkins
On our third episode, we delve into the critical question of where to find the best evidence for clinical practice and research, and are joined by Drs. Lorianne Linkins and Alfonso Iorio from McMaster University, leaders of an invaluable resource called ACCESSSS. Read more ›
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Season 1, Episode 2: Designing Research Questions That Involve Real World Experiments with Dr. Bapu Jena
On this episode, we are honored to host Dr. Bapu Jena, a clinician, economist, and professor at Harvard Medical School, where he holds the Joseph P. Newhouse Professorship in Health Care Policy. Dr. Jena is also the creator and host of the popular podcast Freakonomics, MD, and the author of Random Acts of Medicine: The Hidden Forces That Shape How Doctors Impact Patients and Shape Our Health. Read more ›
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Season 1, Episode 1: Developing Really Great Questions with Dr. Peter Rosenbaum
On our debut episode, we’re thrilled to feature Dr. Peter Rosenbaum, renowned professor and clinician scientist in the Department of Pediatrics at McMaster University. Join us as Dr. Rosenbaum shares insights from his remarkable career, including his internationally recognized expertise in mentorship. Read more ›
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Introducing The Emerging Scholar...
The Emerging Scholar podcast is designed for graduate students, medical trainees, residents and fellows and graduate students to help them on their journey towards their first scientific project. Read more ›
