Science at the Fifty-Third Degree Science at the Fifty-Third Degree https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/ https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/collections/3684 en-us Basic Sciences Administrative Unit, 2026 https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/feeds/banners/000/000/035/original/Science-at-the-Fifty-Third-Degree-Square-Cover.png?1777609221 University of Alberta Library https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/ Basic Sciences Administrative Unit tetro@ualberta.ca University of Alberta, science podcast, research, Edmonton, science communication, health, medicine, discovery, academia, Canadian science no Tue, 5 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Tetro, Jason Great science doesn't happen in a vacuum — it happens at universities, in labs, and in the minds of researchers who've dedicated their lives to solving problems that matter. At the fifty-third degree of latitude, the University of Alberta is home to some of the world's most compelling scientific work. And most people have never heard of it. Science at the Fifty-Third Degree changes that. Hosted by Dr. Nayiar Shahid, each episode takes a deep dive into a single piece of research — exploring not just the science itself, but the human story behind it. The questions being asked. The methods being used. And what the answers might one day mean for the rest of us. From the molecular machinery of a healing heart to the cutting edge of fields you didn't know existed, this is science made accessible, personal, and genuinely surprising — one discovery at a time. New episodes available on the University of Alberta's Aviary platform and wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions or feedback? Reach us at basicsci@ualberta.ca. This podcast was recorded and produced at the University of Alberta. The University of Alberta, its buildings, labs and research stations are primarily located on the territory of Néhiyaw (Cree), Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Métis, Nakoda (Stoney), Dene, Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and Anishinaabe (Ojibway/Saulteaux), lands that are now known as part of Treaties 6, 7 and 8 and homeland of the Métis. The University of Alberta respects the sovereignty, lands, histories, languages, knowledge systems and cultures of all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. Hosted by Dr. Nayiar Shahid, Science at the Fifty-Third Degree brings the groundbreaking research happening at the University of Alberta to the people it was always meant to serve. Each episode, one scientist. One discovery. And a question that just might change everything. Fri, 15 May 2026 10:46:46 -0400 Science at the Fifty-Third Degree: Trailer <p>Have you ever seen a news headline about a medical breakthrough and wondered about the rest of the story? In this trailer for Science at the Fifty-Third Degree, host Dr. Nayiar Shahid introduces a podcast designed to bring science "from the bench right to your backdoor."</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>After a decade-long journey spanning pharmaceutical quality control, drug discovery in London, diabetes research in Malaysia, and a PhD in pharmacology at the University of Alberta, Dr. Shahid is moving from the lab bench to the bridge. This series shifts the focus from dry data to the human stories, precision, and invisible systems that make scientific success possible.</p> Have you ever seen a news headline about a medical breakthrough and wondered about the rest of the story? In this trailer for Science at the Fifty-Third Degree, host Dr. Nayiar Shahid introduces a podcast designed to bring science "from the bench right to your backdoor." &nbsp; After a decade-long journey spanning pharmaceutical quality control, drug discovery in London, diabetes research in Malaysia, and a PhD in pharmacology at the University of Alberta, Dr. Shahid is moving from the lab bench to the bridge. This series shifts the focus from dry data to the human stories, precision, and invisible systems that make scientific success possible. Have you ever seen a news headline about a medical breakthrough and wondered about the rest of the story? In this trailer for Science at the Fifty-Third Degree, host Dr. Nayiar Shahid introduces a podcast designed to bring science "from the bench right... Cardiac repair research, ADAM17 heart attack treatment No trailer 1 1 Have you ever seen a news headline about a medical breakthrough and wondered about the rest of the story? In this trailer for Science at the Fifty-Third Degree, host Dr. Nayiar Shahid introduces a podcast designed to bring science "from the bench right to your backdoor."

After a decade-long journey spanning pharmaceutical quality control, drug discovery in London, diabetes research in Malaysia, and a PhD in pharmacology at the University of Alberta, Dr. Shahid is moving from the lab bench to the bridge. This series shifts the focus from dry data to the human stories, precision, and invisible systems that make scientific success possible.

]]> https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/r/6h4cn7108m 00:04:13 Wed, 6 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 S1E2: The Power of N-of-1 <p>What happens when the patient sitting across from you is the only person in the world with their specific condition? In traditional medicine, that's a problem. For Harry Wilton-Clark, it's the whole point.</p> <p>In this episode of Science at the Fifty-Third Degree, host Dr. Nayiar Shahid talks with Harry Wilton-Clark, a researcher at the University of Alberta's Women and Children's Health Research Institute, about a quiet revolution happening at the edges of medicine &mdash; the rise of N-of-1 therapies. These are treatments designed not for thousands of patients, but for one.</p> <p>Harry's work focuses on Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare and fatal disease that strikes children. Using a technique called exon skipping therapy, his lab designs what he calls "genetic band-aids" &mdash; molecules that bind to a specific mutation in a patient's DNA and hide it from the body, allowing it to function more normally. The therapy isn't built for a population. It's built for a child.</p> <p>This episode covers:</p> <p>What Duchenne muscular dystrophy is and why it's so difficult to treat</p> <p><br />How exon skipping therapy works &mdash; and what a "genetic band-aid" actually does</p> <p><br />Why traditional clinical trials fail rare disease patients &mdash; and what N-of-1 trials offer instead</p> <p><br />How patient families and advocacy organizations are driving research breakthroughs</p> <p><br />What it felt like when a mouse that wouldn't run &mdash; finally ran</p> <p><br />Why a single patient's treatment could become a master key for thousands of others<br />Harry recently represented Canada at the Falling Walls Lab in Berlin &mdash; one of 100 researchers selected from around the world to present work breaking the boundaries of science's biggest problems. The wall he chose to break: the one standing between a child and a cure.</p> <p>Science at the Fifty-Third Degree is produced at the University of Alberta and available on the Aviary platform and wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions? <a title="basicsci@ualberta.ca" href="mailto:basicsci@ualberta.ca" target="_blank" rel="noopener">basicsci@ualberta.ca</a></p> What happens when the patient sitting across from you is the only person in the world with their specific condition? In traditional medicine, that's a problem. For Harry Wilton-Clark, it's the whole point. In this episode of Science at the Fifty-Third Degree, host Dr. Nayiar Shahid talks with Harry Wilton-Clark, a researcher at the University of Alberta's Women and Children's Health Research Institute, about a quiet revolution happening at the edges of medicine &mdash; the rise of N-of-1 therapies. These are treatments designed not for thousands of patients, but for one. Harry's work focuses on Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare and fatal disease that strikes children. Using a technique called exon skipping therapy, his lab designs what he calls "genetic band-aids" &mdash; molecules that bind to a specific mutation in a patient's DNA and hide it from the body, allowing it to function more normally. The therapy isn't built for a population. It's built for a child. This episode covers: What Duchenne muscular dystrophy is and why it's so difficult to treat How exon skipping therapy works &mdash; and what a "genetic band-aid" actually does Why traditional clinical trials fail rare disease patients &mdash; and what N-of-1 trials offer instead How patient families and advocacy organizations are driving research breakthroughs What it felt like when a mouse that wouldn't run &mdash; finally ran Why a single patient's treatment could become a master key for thousands of othersHarry recently represented Canada at the Falling Walls Lab in Berlin &mdash; one of 100 researchers selected from around the world to present work breaking the boundaries of science's biggest problems. The wall he chose to break: the one standing between a child and a cure. Science at the Fifty-Third Degree is produced at the University of Alberta and available on the Aviary platform and wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions? basicsci@ualberta.ca What happens when the patient sitting across from you is the only person in the world with their specific condition? In traditional medicine, that's a problem. For Harry Wilton-Clark, it's the whole point. In this episode of Science at the Fifty-Third... N-of-1 clinical trials, Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment, antisense oligonucleotides ASO, rare disease personalized medicine No full 3 1 What happens when the patient sitting across from you is the only person in the world with their specific condition? In traditional medicine, that's a problem. For Harry Wilton-Clark, it's the whole point.

In this episode of Science at the Fifty-Third Degree, host Dr. Nayiar Shahid talks with Harry Wilton-Clark, a researcher at the University of Alberta's Women and Children's Health Research Institute, about a quiet revolution happening at the edges of medicine — the rise of N-of-1 therapies. These are treatments designed not for thousands of patients, but for one.

Harry's work focuses on Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare and fatal disease that strikes children. Using a technique called exon skipping therapy, his lab designs what he calls "genetic band-aids" — molecules that bind to a specific mutation in a patient's DNA and hide it from the body, allowing it to function more normally. The therapy isn't built for a population. It's built for a child.

This episode covers:

What Duchenne muscular dystrophy is and why it's so difficult to treat


How exon skipping therapy works — and what a "genetic band-aid" actually does


Why traditional clinical trials fail rare disease patients — and what N-of-1 trials offer instead


How patient families and advocacy organizations are driving research breakthroughs


What it felt like when a mouse that wouldn't run — finally ran


Why a single patient's treatment could become a master key for thousands of others
Harry recently represented Canada at the Falling Walls Lab in Berlin — one of 100 researchers selected from around the world to present work breaking the boundaries of science's biggest problems. The wall he chose to break: the one standing between a child and a cure.

]]> https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/r/x921c1wp9k 00:12:03 Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 S1E1: How She Mends A Broken Heart <p>Your heart beats more than 100,000 times a day without you ever asking it to. But what happens when something interrupts that rhythm &mdash; and more importantly, what happens after?<br /><br /></p> <p>In this pilot episode of Science at the Fifty-Third Degree, host Dr. Nayiar Shahid sits down with Dr. Zam Kassiri, a professor at the University of Alberta, to explore the fascinating and surprisingly delicate science of cardiac repair. After a heart attack, the heart doesn't just sit still &mdash; it begins a complex process of remodeling itself, reshaping its own structure to survive. But that same repair process, if it goes too far or lasts too long, can quietly become the source of long-term damage.<br /><br /></p> <p>Dr. Kassiri's research focuses on the molecular signals &mdash; including a family of proteins called ADAMs, and particularly ADAM17 &mdash; that guide whether the heart heals properly or continues to decline. Using cutting-edge tools like single-cell sequencing, her lab is mapping the conversations happening between individual cells in an injured heart, one cell at a time.</p> <p>This episode covers:</p> <ul> <li>What's actually happening inside the body during a heart attack</li> <li>The process of cardiac remodeling and why timing is everything</li> <li>How the same molecules that protect the heart early on can become harmful later</li> <li>What single-cell sequencing is revealing about heart disease at the microscopic level</li> <li>What it feels like to do science that could one day change &mdash; or extend &mdash; someone's life</li> </ul> Your heart beats more than 100,000 times a day without you ever asking it to. But what happens when something interrupts that rhythm &mdash; and more importantly, what happens after? In this pilot episode of Science at the Fifty-Third Degree, host Dr. Nayiar Shahid sits down with Dr. Zam Kassiri, a professor at the University of Alberta, to explore the fascinating and surprisingly delicate science of cardiac repair. After a heart attack, the heart doesn't just sit still &mdash; it begins a complex process of remodeling itself, reshaping its own structure to survive. But that same repair process, if it goes too far or lasts too long, can quietly become the source of long-term damage. Dr. Kassiri's research focuses on the molecular signals &mdash; including a family of proteins called ADAMs, and particularly ADAM17 &mdash; that guide whether the heart heals properly or continues to decline. Using cutting-edge tools like single-cell sequencing, her lab is mapping the conversations happening between individual cells in an injured heart, one cell at a time. This episode covers: What's actually happening inside the body during a heart attack The process of cardiac remodeling and why timing is everything How the same molecules that protect the heart early on can become harmful later What single-cell sequencing is revealing about heart disease at the microscopic level What it feels like to do science that could one day change &mdash; or extend &mdash; someone's life Your heart beats more than 100,000 times a day without you ever asking it to. But what happens when something interrupts that rhythm &mdash; and more importantly, what happens after? In this pilot episode of Science at the Fifty-Third Degree, host Dr.... heart attack, cardiac repair, cardiovascular research No full 1 1 Your heart beats more than 100,000 times a day without you ever asking it to. But what happens when something interrupts that rhythm — and more importantly, what happens after?

In this pilot episode of Science at the Fifty-Third Degree, host Dr. Nayiar Shahid sits down with Dr. Zam Kassiri, a professor at the University of Alberta, to explore the fascinating and surprisingly delicate science of cardiac repair. After a heart attack, the heart doesn't just sit still — it begins a complex process of remodeling itself, reshaping its own structure to survive. But that same repair process, if it goes too far or lasts too long, can quietly become the source of long-term damage.

]]> https://ualberta.aviaryplatform.com/r/0g3gx46m4b 00:18:46 Wed, 6 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000