by Nayaab Punjani

Graphic design by Stefanie Wang

University of Toronto (UofT) Talks is a graduate-student-led group that organizes an annual science communication symposium with the aim to provide diverse perspectives on different healthcare topics. This TED-talk styled symposium includes keynote speakers presented by field experts, discussion panels, and networking events. UofT Talks aims to encourage individuals to explore topics outside of the lab in a new, interactive, and interdisciplinary way, while also supporting the community and grassroot groups. 

Laura Best, current MD student at the University of British Columbia, and PhD alumnus from the Institute of Medical Science (IMS) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), served as the lead of UofT Talks for three years followed by one year as a senior advisor. Laura worked with the IMS department through various initiatives including Student Association President and the SAFE committee. The SAFE committee is a group consisting of IMS alumni, faculty, staff, and students, and aims to provide support to the student groups at IMS. Through this time, Laura saw UofT Talks transition out of the SAFE committee into a standalone student-run initiative. Laura mentions, “Through UofT Talks, I wanted to learn about and share topics in healthcare that were potentially dividing, controversial, or were going to evoke emotion in the general population and not just scientists. I wanted that experience of talking to experts in these fields, people that were in the news that were in conversations and communicate the science from all of these different multidisciplinary lenses.”

Laura helped run UofT Talks over COVID-19, converting the event to an online platform while maintaining its interactive nature for the audience. This opened up a larger conversation about the accessibility of in-person events, particularly when engaging with patient perspectives. As a lead, Laura wanted to ensure a strong camaraderie among the team and did so by taking on a team-focused leadership style. Through considering the larger goals of the committee members, Laura and her team were able to put on a successful event and form a community with lasting friendships beyond UofT Talks. The consideration of accessibility and camaraderie allowed for the biggest event thus far, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 210 attendees and many community partners engaged. 

Through her time as a senior advisor, Laura explains how proud she was of the new co-leads. “I love seeing initiatives grow and move into the direction of the people who take them on. To see them be excited to want to take on larger roles and engage and share their ideas, opinions, and perspectives.”

Laura also highlights the significant impact of UofT Talks on her student experience. “Being involved with UofT Talks was such a pinnacle of science communication in a different way and it allowed me to develop my own skills and thoughts towards what science communication, and what science engagement can be within a community, both in the IMS and beyond.” She further mentions the connections she built within the IMS department. She explains, “It also helped me to grow my peer community within IMS and really find a place where I felt at home and where I felt that I could grow as a leader, as a peer, as a logistics coordinator, as an organizer, and as a team motivator. A leader has to wear so many hats. And having the opportunity to grow that skill within a really supportive environment like the IMS was absolutely invaluable.”

The current 2023-24 co-leads of UofT Talks, Yasmin Alhamdah and Sufyan Shaikh, share a similar sentiment. While transitioning to the co-lead role, they were excited to uphold the mission of UofT Talks and its goal of science communication to the broader community. Sufyan and Yasmin also pointed to their development as leaders through UofT Talks, highlighting the amount of work put into running an annual event, building their confidence in guiding a group towards a shared goal, and as echoed by Laura, making sure the decisions for the event, regardless of how small, are made by the full planning committee. Yasmin states, “On a more personal level, I feel like working within the SAFE committee and working within the IMS umbrella, helped me realize how much of an impact I’m having—not measured by how successful my event is, but measured by how others view the success of our event and the growth of us, not only as members, but also as leaders.”

Building off the large attendance and the quality of the symposium from last year, Yasmin and Sufyan are excited to put forth the UofT Talks this June, which will explore the topic of geriatric and end-of-life care from a wide lens—including the patient perspective. They also aim to further engage community partners through interactive initiatives, based on feedback from last year’s event. Yasmin states, “We think it’s very important to allow students, faculty, researchers, and scientists to engage with community members and organizations to see whether the research could have an impact on them or if there’s any form of interconnectedness that could come from it. And so, we really want to focus on this, especially this year because we have more of a controversial topic.”

Lastly, both past and current co-leads provided advice to prospective students who are considering getting involved in student groups. Graduate school may be a daunting experience packed full of firsts, however, it is important to be curious and take risks. Yasmin emphasizes, “Don’t let this fear prevent you from being part of something that will definitely make you grow as a person.” Laura echoes this, “Get out of the lab. Join a club, any community, any group. It all truly enriches the experience and can remind you why you’re doing all of this work. And be authentic. There’s no right answer. It’s your journey and you get to choose.”