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Dr. Shawna Pandya is a scientist-astronaut candidate with Project PoSSUM, which stands for Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere, she is also a physician, a martial artist, an advanced diver, skydiver and pilot-in-training and an incredible speaker and presenter. She holds degrees in neuroscience, space, entrepreneurship and medicine, and she is currently completing a fellowship in Wilderness Medicine. In 2015, Dr. Pandya completed Scientist-Astronaut Candidate training with Project PoSSUM and was part of the first crew to test a commercial spacesuit in zero-gravity. She has recently been named as an ambassador for the PoSSUM 13, an initiative to make space opportunities and engagement more accessible to students, particularly girls and young women. Dr. Pandya’s adventures and experiences were recently captured in the Land Rover short, which was released with the Apollo 11: First Steps Edition film.

What's the Perfect Diet? The beginning of a new year brings with it a flood of new diet and exercise programs promising a new you in the new year. We all want to look better and be healthier, but with this information overload where does one start? Your everyday diet can have major effects on your health and resistance to rampant diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Advice on what constitutes a healthy diet is more prevalent and more inconsistent than ever. High fat? Low fat? High carb? Low carb? How can your diet act as a preventor of disease? What other factors can affect your health? Is there one perfect diet for all? Speakers: Tammy Cheguis, Registered Dietician Sudbury District Health Unit Dr. Jeffrey Gagnon, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology Laurentian University Ashley Hurley, Registered Dietician, CIty of Lakes Family Health Team Zak Sivret, Lead Trainer LVX Fitness Studio, Canfit Pro Cert. Moderator: Amy Henson

When it comes to studying the nuclear processes in the heart of stars, scientists must turn to neutrinos: subatomic particles that are currently flying through your body by the billions, right this second. These elusive little particles are an excellent probe into the core of the sun and distant supernovae, but they are notoriously difficult to detect. Difficult, but not impossible.

Former Paratrooper, Paralympian, and Invictus Games medalist, Dr. Steven Daniel found strength in physical activity to overcome great adversity in his personal life. Now he uses those experiences, and a passion for health, to show that exercise can benefit people suffering from numerous chronic diseases. Dr. Steven Daniel is a former Paratrooper and Paralympian. He is passionate about exercise and active living, and is currently practicing family medicine Chelmsford, Ontario Canada.

Cannabis is a fascinating plant with the potential to treat illness but surrounded by myth, legend, hype, stigma, rumour, buzz, gossip, puff and propaganda. In the current climate of expanding roles and cultural acceptance of cannabis, where does the hyperbole stop and facts begin? What are the real dangers of cannabis use? This podcast explores our current understanding of common myths, risks and misconceptions around cannabis.Dr. Marks de Chabris is a Sudbury based physician with a practice focused in Pain Medicine and Addiction Medicine. Graduating from McGill University Medical School in 1988 he was certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada in Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine. In 2009 he concentrated his practice in Pain Medicine and Addiction Medicine as was given Focused Practice Designation by the Ontario Medical Association. Dr. Marks de Chabris has been recognized by the Ontario Superior Court as an Expert in Pain Management and Addiction Medicine.

Social accountability is a framework for the moral obligations that health institutions have to the health of the communities that they serve. It echoes the idea that health is a basic human right, introduces concepts of social justice, takes health equity to a whole new level, and gives the community a powerful seat at the table. Dr. Alex Anawati works in the Emergency Department at Health Sciences North, is an assistant professor and board member at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and holds positions on two different national and international Social Accountability organizations. In his ‘free time’ he works for the realization of social accountability in medicine through lectures, workshops, advocacy, and research.

Healthcare providers are the most likely of all occupations to suffer from burnout. This talk focuses on the value of debrief and reflection practices in order to support healthcare providers, particularly following a trauma. Dr. Rob Anderson is the Medical Director of the Heath Sciences North Labelle Innovation and Learning Centre where he has led the creation of simulation-based education programs for both students and healthcare professionals. He advocates for the practice of debriefing and reflection to create a supportive environment for healthcare providers and improve patient care.

Dr. Caycedo presents myths and facts about colon cancer, colonoscopy, probiotics, and colon cleansing. What are you almost certainly doing that will lead to hemorrhoids? Learn what you can do to maintain a healthy lifestyle, when to consult your doctor, and why Dr. Google is not such a reliable substitute. Dr. Caycedo, a native of Colombia, is a colorectal surgeon bringing advanced minimally-invasive techniques to his patients in Northern Ontario since his arrival at Health Sciences North in 2011. Dr. Caycedo is also an associate professor at NOSM, a clinical researcher, and was selected in 2016 as one of the ten most influential Hispanic Canadians.

Cannabis has been used as a medicine for thousands of years, but in the last century, it has been misrepresented as a dangerous drug. In this talk, Dr. Marks de Chabris demystifies the myths and misconceptions of medical cannabis.   Dr. Marks de Chabris practices chronic pain management and addiction medicine and is an assistant professor at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He lectures to both medical and non-medical audiences across Canada.

Dr. Christa Favot will take us from dental school to surgery and from bone in a bottle to forest bathing as she describes her specialty: Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. This is the portal through which she sees continually advancing technologies and gleans insights into lifestyle approaches that are also part of treatment and prevention. Dr. Christa Favot revels in outdoor adventure, an avid skier and pilot, but her passion for portraiture, science and people led her to become an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon. Her love for her home northern community brought her back to Sudbury after her studies and she is now an Associate Staff at Health Sciences North, lecturer at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and surgeon in private practice at the North Face Centre for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.

Only a minority of patients with advanced breast cancer achieve complete destruction of their tumours during chemotherapy, while most experience strong toxic side effects from this treatment.  Tools are now being developed that allow medical oncologists to tailor chemotherapy regimens only to patients that benefit from treatment. Dr. Parissenti is a highly published scientist associated with the Health Sciences North Research Institute in Sudbury. He currently studies novel approaches to improve cancer care by developing tailored treatments to each patient, and by tracking effectiveness of the treatments using methods he developed in Sudbury Ontario Canada.

Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an important link of the chain of survival for out of hospital cardiac arrest. Without timely and effective CPR, our families, friends, and members of our community may not survive. Empower yourself to save a life, learn effective CPR and help us become a City of Heroes. #NorthernCityofHeroes Dr. Sarah McIsaac is an Anesthesiologist and Intensivist at Health Sciences North.  She has a strong background in education, leadership and organizational change management. Together with her husband, Dr. Robert Ohle, they have a dream that Sudbury will become a "City of Heroes," with the highest survival rate for out of hospital cardiac arrests in Canada.  #northerncityofheroes Dr. Robert Ohle is an emergency medicine physician and Researcher working at Health Science North. He is passionate about evidence-informed health care. Together with his wife, Dr. Sarah McIsaac they have a dream that Sudbury will become a "City of Heroes," with the highest survival rate for out of hospital cardiac arrests in Canada. #northerncityofheroes

Our society shys away from talking about serious illness and the concept of death, and death, even in medicine, is often considered a failure. Palliative Care focuses on the patient's wishes and hopes and fundamentally believes in striving for the best quality of life possible in difficult situations. Dr. Deb Harrold, a palliative care physician, will bring the palliative care approach directly to the audience with the intention to have us all walk away living our "best life" possible. Dr. Deb Harrold is a palliative care physician from Huntsville Ontario Canada. She dedicates her time and expertise to ensure every patient has the best quality of life in the face of dying. Hope, goals and gratitude guide this difficult work for both her patients and for her!

Billions of dollars raised and invested for research - yet we still haven't cured cancer.  Dr. Pitre discusses the nature of cancer and help to dispel the myth that 'one single cure' for cancer exists while revealing how discoveries and progress in cancer solutions really come about. Dr. Lacey Pitre is a medical oncologist working in Sudbury, Ontario. Originally from Val Caron and a member of the 2nd graduating class of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Dr. Pitre primarily treats breast cancer and melanoma at the Northeast Cancer Center. She is the current physician lead of our region's cancer Clinical Trials team.