From the climate crisis, to the weakening of global democracies, to AI disruption in the workplace, hear from McGill's leading alumni and faculty tackling the world’s biggest challenges on Mark my words. A podcast for curious minds, powered by McGill University.
To stream previous episodes and learn more about McGill, visit the McGill News website.
Clinical trial results have sparked real excitement about the potential of mRNA) vaccines to revolutionize cancer treatment – even in cancers that resist conventional therapies. Will these personalized vaccines be a gamechanger in cancer care? We sit down with Professor Thomas Duchaine and Dr. Ramy Saleh to talk about how mRNA cancer vaccines differ from existing cancer treatments, when they might become available to the wider public, and the leading research role that McGill University plays in this field.
Featuring:
Thomas Duchaine
Professor and Chair, Department of Biochemistry, McGill University Full member, Goodman Cancer Institute
Dr. Ramy Saleh, MedResident’18, MSc’20
Medical Director of Oncology Clinical Trials, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
Recommendations:
Want to dig deeper? Here are a few suggestions from our guests:
Follow the media coverage of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress being held in Madrid from October 23-27, 2026.
Breaking Through: My Life in Science by Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó
To stream previous episodes and learn more about McGill, visit the McGill News website: https://mcgillnews.mcgill.ca/tag/podcasts/?utm_source=apple-spotify-pocketcasts&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=mark-my-words&utm_content=s2-e3-cancer-podcast (https://mcgillnews.mcgill.ca/tag/podcasts/?utm_source=apple-spotify-pocketcasts&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=mark-my-words&utm_content=s2-e3-cancer-podcast)
22 Sept 2026
Why is democracy in peril?
The hallmarks of liberal democracy are in decline as autocrats gain popularity and power. How did this happen – and what can we do about it? We sit down with Gerald Butts and Prof. Dietlind Stolle to talk about the biggest threats to democracy today and how we can defend against them.
Featuring:
Gerald Butts, BA’93, MA’96, Chairman, Eurasia Group
Dietlind Stolle , James McGill Professor of Political Science at McGill University
Recommendations:
Want to dig deeper? We asked our guests to recommend some of their favourite resources on this topic.
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder
The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt
The Lives of Others dir. by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
Civil Resistance: What Everyone Needs to Know by Erica Chenoweth
To stream previous episodes and learn more about McGill, visit the McGill News (https://mcgillnews.mcgill.ca/tag/podcasts/?utm_source=apple-spotify-pocketcasts&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=mark-my-words&utm_content=s2-e2-democracy-podcast) website.
9 Sept 2026
Are universities our secret weapon against the climate crisis?
As sustainability challenges grow more complex and urgent, who will lead the search for solutions? In our season opener, we explore why meaningful progress requires collaboration across sectors, and how the future McGill Sustainability Park is poised to help lead the way.
Featuring:
Grégoire Baillargeon, BCL/ LLB’98, President, BMO Quebec
Rees Kassen, PhD’01, Academic Director, McGill Sustainability Park
Recommended Reading: Want to dig deeper? We asked our guests to recommend some of their favourite resources on this topic:
Speed & Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now_ by John Doerr
Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet_ by Hannah Ritchie
What We Owe the Future_ by William MacAskill
The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View from the Future_ by Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway
To stream previous episodes and learn more about McGill, visit the McGill News (https://mcgillnews.mcgill.ca/tag/podcasts/?utm_source=apple-spotify-pocketcasts&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=mark-my-words&utm_content=s2-e1-msp-podcast) website.
5 Nov 2025
How can we fix Canada’s health care system?
Health policy expert Amélie Quésnel-Vallée explains why health care in Canada feels like it is eroding, how we can make it more accessible and equitable, and why we should still be proud of our national health care system despite its challenges.
29 Oct 2025
Freedom and justice in a polarized world
Political Science professor Catherine Lu explores how we might reimagine foundational concepts such as freedom, human rights and global justice in an era marked by deepening political polarization and global unrest.
22 Oct 2025
When governments use AI: what can go wrong (and right)?
Professor Jennifer Raso, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law, delves deep into AI and how governments are using AI to make decisions, why regulation is so challenging, and the ways AI is changing the policies and politics that affect our lives.
15 Oct 2025
Will the world run out of food?
Learn how conflict, climate change and rural migration are converging to leave millions increasingly vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition – and what it will take to address one of the most urgent challenges of our time with Patrick Courtbaoui, Managing Director of McGill’s Gilliam Institute for Global Food Security.
8 Oct 2025
Why great cities matter more than ever - for us and the earth
In this episode, Professor Kevin Manaugh, Department of Geography and the Bieler School of Environment, talks about how urban design, transit access, and neighborhood planning can affect poverty and health. We also dive into how cities are tackling climate threats like fires and floods—and what we can all do to ensure our governments make the best decisions to build more resilient, livable communities.
1 Oct 2025
How AI and data science are transforming the shopping experience
From your local mall to your go-to online shop, Prof. Maxime Cohen, Academic Director of McGill’s Bensadoun School of Retail Management, talks about how retailers are leveraging the power of AI and predictive modeling to shape the way we spend our money –- and what it could mean for your next purchase.
24 Sept 2025
Is a cure for cancer on the horizon?
We’re joined by Professor John Stagg, Director of the Goodman Cancer Research Institute, to explore how scientists' understanding of cancer is evolving, how cutting-edge technologies are transforming research and treatment, and the exciting breakthroughs that might redefine how we understand, treat and even cure a variety of cancers.
11 Sept 2025
When Climate Change Threatens Human Health
From intensifying heat waves to the growing impact of wildfire smoke, Dr. Jill Baumgartner, Director of the McGill Centre for Climate Change and Health, explores how a warming planet is becoming a growing concern for public health – and what we can do about it.
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