By Hamzah Khan, Stefan Aguiar, Anthaea-Grace Patricia Dennis

Graphic design by Qingyue Guo  

If you were walking down Sussex Avenue on the night of June 13^th, 2025, you might have seen people streaming out of Innis Town Hall. If you were not there, what happened was this: a team of graduate students from the Institute of Medical Science (IMS) hosted UofT Talks 2025, an annual TED-Talk style symposium that has become a keystone event for the IMS. It features science communication that connects researchers, students, and the broader community. This year’s event, titled “Growing Up Today – Modern Stressors on Aging and Health,” was a thought-provoking discussion on how 21^st century problems such as technology affect sleep and circadian rhythms and explored how these disruptions can impact health across the lifespan. 

UofT Talks began as a small initiative, but has now become a stand-alone event funded through the IMS Student, Alumni, and Faculty Engagement (SAFE) Committee, which supports and funds IMS-based committees and groups. According to the events official statement on their website, the goal of the event has evolved to “create a dynamic space that facilitates engagement and education, and challenge misconceptions about multi-faceted, complex scientific, and health-related topics.”  Each year, a diverse group of students strive to make an inclusive, multi-perspective event through presentations and panel discussions with researchers, industry members, and community members. Over the years, the theme of UofT Talks has covered a wide variety of topics, from the opioid crisis to food science.

In 2025, the dynamic line-up of speakers featured researchers in neurobiology, microbiology, and public health, offering unique perspectives on how modern stressors can shape and impact health. Dr. Dawn Bowdish, a professor at McMaster University, discussed how the evolving human microbiota alongside the immune system can impact frailty and susceptibility to disease. In addition, she spoke on the role of microbiome-based nutrition to support healthy aging. Dr. Andrew Lim, a neurologist and sleep researcher at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, talked about sleep misalignment caused by artificial lighting and technology, and how it can impact cognitive function and emotional resilience. Lastly, Dr. Susan Deering, a family physician in Toronto and climate-health advocate addressed how climate change can act as a biological stressor for vulnerable populations. The panel was moderated by Dr. Ross Upshur, professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, who helped showcase the connection between these multiple disciplines. 

This year, UofT Talks was led by two members of the UofT Talks 2024 team: Stefan Aguiar and Anthaea-Grace Patricia Dennis. Stefan is a third-year PhD candidate whose research focuses on psychosocial oncology–particularly, as it relates to patients with advanced cancer considering medical assistance in dying (MAID). Anthaea-Grace Patricia is a second-year PhD candidate and conducts research on applications of machine learning techniques for early detection of Parkinson’s disease and associated cognitive impairment. 

When asked why they joined the UofT Talks team, Stefan explained that initiatives like UofT Talks are an amazing opportunity for students to learn about a fascinating field of research and disseminate important scientific discoveries to people that are not familiar with the world of science. Anthaea-Grace Patricia and Stefan enjoyed leading the annual event so much that they have decided to continue in their roles for UofT Talks 2026. They hope to keep the momentum going from UofT Talks 2025, as they truly enjoyed the commitment, company, and journey in creating a successful conference. “A large part of our success was our organizing committee,” Anthaea-Grace Patricia said, “and we hope that the incoming IMS students will be just as drawn to UofT Talks as we were when we initially joined.”