Best Lives

This episode explores new research from BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) that uses an innovative MRI technique to measure brain oxygen metabolism in preterm infants. Dr. Alexander Weber, an MRI biomedical engineer and investigator at BCCHR, explains how this safe, noninvasive method offers a clearer window into brain health during a critical stage of development. The study looked at how different types of respiratory support were associated with brain oxygen use in very prete...

Managing a child's food allergy can be an enormous source of stress. Constant vigilance, fear of accidental exposures, and navigating complicated meal plans can deeply impact a family's quality of life. But new research from BC Children's Hospital Research Institute highlights how one treatment option can alleviate certain psychosocial impacts of food allergies for parents and caregivers. This episode focuses on the experiences of parents whose young children receive oral immunotherapy (OIT) ...

Concussions are more than "just a bump" — they're brain injuries that can seriously impact a child's life. In this episode, Dr. Shelina Babul, concussion expert and creator of the Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT), joins us to break down why concussions matter, especially in children and youth. We explore common misconceptions, early symptoms, and how CATT is changing concussion care across Canada and beyond. Whether you're a parent, coach, teacher, or teen, you'll learn how to ...

Dr. Georgina Barnabas and PhD candidate Tariq Bhat — from the Lange and Lim Labs at BCCHR — share how they used proteomics and a personalized tumour model to identify a treatment option for a child with hard-to-treat cancer, within just two weeks. Their story reveals how the latest precision approaches are identifying hidden vulnerabilities in aggressive childhood cancers and reshaping what's possible when conventional cancer treatments fail. It's a glimpse into a future where researche...

Cheek swabs are easy to collect, but the science behind them is anything but simple. In this episode, Dr. Sarah Merrill and Dr. Chaini Konwar discuss how the proportion of cells collected from cheek swabs — buccal epithelial cells — change with age and why this matters for pediatric epigenetics. Learn how these changes impact biomarker accuracy, epigenetic clocks like PedBE, and our understanding of child development and health risks. For scientists and curious minds alike, the episode ...

In this episode, Dr. Hana Mitchell joins us to talk about the barriers to HPV vaccine uptake, the role of schools in vaccine awareness, vaccine anxiety and parental involvement, integrating educational resources in schools, and much more. Learn more about topics discussed in this episode: Kids Boost Immunity Opportunities for HPV vaccine education in school-based immunization programs in British Columbia, Canada: A qualitative study, Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics Vaccine Evaluat...