Called “Catalysts for Change,” season five of the I’m Pharmacy Podcast explores the moments, forces, and people that shift entire systems.

The award-winning I’m Pharmacy Podcast returns for its fifth season at a critical moment for science and health care. Upheaval is a word that comes to mind, as the way societies make decisions about science and medicine is changing faster than ever, and with profound consequences.

“This season, we’re talking about catalysts for change,” says host Mina Tadrous, associate professor, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto. “Those moments, those forces, that shift entire systems. These catalysts can come from policy, technology, economics, or culture, but they all share one thing: they create turning points. And 2025, without a doubt, feels like a turning point.” 

In the season’s first episode, Tadrous speaks with Bradly Wouters, executive vice-president, science and research, University Health Network and Adam Bjorndahl, associate professor, department of philosophy, Carnegie Mellon University, about the impact of the Trump administration's cuts to science and research in the U.S. – and the ripple-effect opportunities for Canadian scientists and institutions.

It's a highly charged topic in our current landscape, but one that deserves time, space and insightful discussion, says Tadrous. “Because the way we fund science is not just about labs and grants, it’s about what treatments we can build, and innovations we can make that ultimately shape how we will live into the future.”

 

Episode 1: Defunding Discovery: Who Pays the Price When Science Is Starved?

Trump’s Whitehouse is at war with national funding institutions, pausing hundreds of research projects both nationally and internationally. How are Canadian researchers coping with widespread funding cuts, and who pays the price? 

Guests: 

Bradly Wouters, executive vice-president science and research, University Health Network 

Adam Bjorndahl, associate professor, Department of Philosophy, Carnegie Mellon University 

 

I’m Pharmacy Podcast celebrates five years

Since launching in 2020, the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy’s I’m Pharmacy Podcast has had more than 20,000 downloads and earned over 1,000 regular subscribers. Listeners tune in from around the world to hear stories of discovery, innovation, and the people shaping the future of pharmacy and health care.

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