Why to How: Adventures in STEM

Youth Science Canada
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Every great science fair project starts with a simple question: ‘why?’, which sparks a pursuit of curiosity to ultimately discover the ‘how.’ Join Youth Science Canada’s Stuart McKelvie as he interviews science fair alumni to take a deep dive into their passion for STEM. If you’re wanting to start a science fair project, interested in STEM or just want to hear some great career & life advice, this is the podcast for you.

  1. OCT 30

    Sara Waqas

    In this episode of the Why The How Podcast, host Stuart McKelvie interviews Sara Waqas, a young scientist who has made significant strides in mental health research, particularly focusing on schizophrenia. Sara discusses her award-winning project that aims to develop personalized treatments based on neurobiological profiles. She shares her journey of inspiration, the research process, and the importance of community engagement in mental health. Throughout the conversation, Sara emphasizes the need for flexibility in research, the impact of mentorship, and the significance of pursuing interests in STEM. She also addresses misconceptions about schizophrenia and the challenges faced during her project, while encouraging others to explore their passions in science. See Sara's project here: https://partner.projectboard.world/ysc/project/neurobiologically-informed-targeted-schizophrenia-treatment-a-multi-omic-fmri-approach *Chapters* 00:00 Introduction to Sarah Waqas and Her Achievements 01:02 Understanding the Project: Targeted Schizophrenia Treatment 03:01 Inspiration and Research Journey 06:02 Project Development and Flexibility 09:00 Timeline and Research Process 11:59 Mental Health Research Approach 17:01 Challenges in Mental Health Research 20:05 Impact of Research on the Community 24:00 Misconceptions and Surprises in Research 27:05 Overcoming Challenges and Mental Blocks 33:42 Exploring Chemistry and Learning Resources 35:20 Finding Mentors and Building Connections 39:10 Support from Friends and Family 41:49 Balancing Multiple Commitments 47:16 Protecting Mental Health in Research 50:04 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 54:38 The Importance of STEM Projects 57:11 Developing Communication Skills 59:57 Future Aspirations and Research Goals

    1h 5m

  2. OCT 16

    Trisha Haldar

    In this episode of the Why to How podcast, host Stuart McKelvie interviews Trisha Haldar, a grade 9 student and the Junior Innovation Platinum Award winner at the Canada-Wide Science Fair 2025. Trisha discusses her award-winning project, the Visual Drug Interaction Checker, which aims to simplify the understanding of drug interactions for patients, especially seniors. She shares her journey of inspiration, the challenges she faced during the project, and the technical aspects of her work, including programming and research. Trisha emphasizes the importance of accessibility in health information, the value of STEM projects for youth, and the significance of support from family and mentors. The conversation highlights the learning process, the importance of simplicity in solutions, and the motivation to continue exploring new ideas in STEM. See Trisha's project here: https://partner.projectboard.world/ysc/project/visual-drug-interaction-checker

    1h 2m

  3. 12/03/2022

    Annabelle Rayson

    Welcome, welcome all, to this episode of the Why to How Podcast, where we explore adventures in STEM. After an amazing CWSF a few months ago, I wanted to check in with our Platinum & Best Project award winners, to learn more about their science fair projects & the adventures they’ve had along the way.    Today, I’m joined by Annabelle Rayson, a student from Lambton County and our Best Project Award - Discovery winner at CWSF 2022 for her project, "Plankton Wars: An Innovative Analysis of Daphnia Genotype Biomanipulation for Algae Bloom Prevention".   Feel free to check out Annabelle's project and leave comments of support at: https://projectboard.world/ysc/project/plankton-wars-an-innovative-analysis-of-daphnia-genotype-biomanipulation-for-algae-bloom-prevention

    51 min

  4. 12/02/2022

    Arushi Nath

    Welcome, welcome all, to this episode of the Why to How Podcast, where we explore adventures in STEM. After an amazing CWSF a few months ago, I wanted to check in with our Platinum & Best Project award winners, to learn more about their science fair projects & the adventures they’ve had along the way.    Today, I’m joined by Arushi Nath, a student from Toronto and our Best Project Award - Innovation winner at CWSF 2022 for her project, "Strengthening Planetary Defense: Detecting Unknown Asteroids using Open Data, Math, and Python".   Feel free to check out Louis and Koral's project and leave comments of support at: https://projectboard.world/ysc/project/planetary-defense-detecting-unknown-asteroids-using-open-data-math-and-python

    35 min

  5. 12/01/2022

    Louis & Koral

    Welcome, welcome all, to this episode of the Why to How Podcast, where we explore adventures in STEM. After an amazing CWSF a few months ago, I wanted to check in with our Platinum & Best Project award winners, to learn more about their science fair projects & the adventures they’ve had along the way.    Today, I’m joined by Louis Wu and Koral Kulacoglu, students from York and our Senior Platinum Award - Innovation winners at CWSF 2022 for their project, "FourSight Screenings".   Feel free to check out Louis and Koral's project and leave comments of support at: https://projectboard.world/ysc/project/foursight-screenings

    57 min

  6. 11/30/2022

    Max Du

    Welcome, welcome all, to this episode of the Why to How Podcast, where we explore adventures in STEM. After an amazing CWSF a few months ago, I wanted to check in with our Platinum & Best Project award winners, to learn more about their science fair projects & the adventures they’ve had along the way.    Today, I’m joined by Max Du, a student from Calgary Youth and our Intermediate Platinum Award - Innovation winner at CWSF 2022 for his project, "A Novel Pre-Hospital Indoor Rescue Drone".   Feel free to check out Max's project and leave comments of support at: https://projectboard.world/ysc/project/old-novel-pre-hospital-indoor-rescue-drone

    50 min

  7. 11/29/2022

    Jasmine Schneider

    Welcome, welcome all, to this episode of the Why to How Podcast, where we explore adventures in STEM. After an amazing CWSF a few months ago, I wanted to check in with our Platinum & Best Project award winners, to learn more about their science fair projects & the adventures they’ve had along the way.    Today, I’m joined by Jasmine Schneider, a student from Waterloo-Wellington and our Intermediate Platinum Award - Discovery winner at CWSF 2022 for her project, "Phosphate Removal from Groundwater Using Mussel Shell Biochar".   Feel free to check out Jasmine's project and leave comments of support at: https://projectboard.world/ysc/project/phosphate-removal-from-groundwater-using-mussel-shell-biochar

    43 min

  8. 11/28/2022

    Audrey Cowen

    Welcome, welcome all, to this episode of the Why to How Podcast, where we explore adventures in STEM. After an amazing CWSF a few months ago, I wanted to check in with our Platinum & Best Project award winners, to learn more about their science fair projects & the adventures they’ve had along the way.    Today, I’m joined by Audrey Cowen, a student from Toronto and our Junior Platinum Award - Discovery winner at CWSF 2022 for her project, "The Hidden Side of Your Dog's Love".   Feel free to check out Audrey's project and leave comments of support at: https://projectboard.world/ysc/project/the-hidden-side-of-your-dogs-love-npdmr

    30 min
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Every great science fair project starts with a simple question: ‘why?’, which sparks a pursuit of curiosity to ultimately discover the ‘how.’ Join Youth Science Canada’s Stuart McKelvie as he interviews science fair alumni to take a deep dive into their passion for STEM. If you’re wanting to start a science fair project, interested in STEM or just want to hear some great career & life advice, this is the podcast for you.

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