Congratulations to Dr. Gerald Batist, Kathryn Bozek, Sarah Ghezelbash, Mirta Dumancic, Migmar Tsamchoe, Farida Zakariya, Maryam Rahbaran, Andia Moshari, Anantpreet Kaur Sood, Shyam Vijayan Menon, and Jennifer Choi from the Lady Davis Institute, recipients of a $2,000 Tremplin Ambassador Award to support the launching of a podcast series featuring interviews with people who had success in spinning off to commercialize their innovation or in translating their research — an initiative that address the professional growth needs, empowering research trainees to pursue careers in the innovation ecosystem.
Added Value : This initiative is the first of its kind at McGill—a student-led podcast dedicated to demystifying translational research and the intricate scientific ecosystem involved in it. While students are deeply immersed in their own research projects throughout their degrees, our podcast offers a unique and accessible way to explore how that research can extend beyond the lab bench and contribute meaningfully to the broader world. It also highlights how students themselves can play an active role in the translational research landscape, both during their studies and throughout their careers.
❝ The impact of this podcast project on our community has been far-reaching. Building the podcast from the ground up has empowered this trainees committee in numerous ways. They’ve developed essential leadership skills, learned how to delegate tasks effectively, and grown more confident in managing collaborative projects. Perhaps most importantly, they’ve strengthened their ability to communicate science—even in areas where they initially felt less confident or experienced. The Tremplin Ambassador Award played a pivotal role in bringing this podcast to life. Producing a high-quality podcast requires a significant investment in equipment—microphones, headsets, mixers, cables, lighting, cameras, and recording/editing software. This funding was essential to ensuring the successful launch and production of the series. Importantly, its impact extends well beyond the initial funding period, as we are now equipped to continue recording episodes for the foreseeable future. Beyond the financial support, the ongoing encouragement and generosity of the Tremplin team have been deeply motivating. Their belief in our vision has empowered us, boosted our confidence, and helped us turn an ambitious idea into a sustainable, impactful project ! ❞
❝Working on this podcast series has helped me engage with new members in the translational research community. I am grateful to be able to use and develop my creative skills to promote science communication in cancer research. Working as a team has been incredible and fun, and I am looking forward to more people joining this project.❞ – Mirta
❝Coming together with likeminded students to build this podcast has given me confidence in my management, teamwork, leadership, and communication skills. It has empowered all of us and forced us to step outside of our comfort zones to build a passion project. This experience has had a profound impact on my PhD journey and has allowed me to reflect on my own skills and how I can improve as a scientist, a communicator, and a team member. I can’t wait to keep working on this project and improve my skills along the way, hopefully inspiring more students to work on it with us.❞ – Katie
