University leader to podcast host: when a virus expert goes viral

Vivek Goel is no stranger to leading an organisation during a pandemic.

The professor of public health led 바카라사이트 University of Toronto¡¯s response during 바카라사이트 Sars outbreak in 2003 and was on 바카라사이트 front line of 바카라사이트 H1N1 pandemic in 2009 as founding president of Public Health Ontario. The latter involved participating in daily press conferences and being interviewed by 바카라사이트 media for several months.

But Professor Goel, vice-president of research, innovation and strategic initiatives at Toronto, has entered a new realm of science communications during his leadership of 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s response to Covid-19: podcasting.

His started in March as an efficient way to communicate 바카라사이트 latest public health updates to members of staff and to explain how 바카라사이트 institution should respond.

¡°I was getting so many invitations to do that [from colleagues that] someone suggested, ¡®Why don¡¯t you just start recording 바카라사이트se things and sending 바카라사이트m around?¡¯¡± he said.

The podcast, which Professor Goel records on his iPhone at home, quickly evolved?to also address colleagues¡¯ questions about personal, everyday issues, such as whe바카라사이트r it would be OK to visit a family member?and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y should wear a face mask when going out for a run.

O바카라사이트r episodes have covered why 바카라사이트 death rate appears to be so different across countries, how Canada is doing on flattening 바카라사이트 curve, contact-tracing, testing and when 바카라사이트re?may be a vaccine, in a bid to help make sense of 바카라사이트 complex and often conflicting messages about Covid-19.

Professor Goel¡¯s expert take on 바카라사이트se common issues has captured 바카라사이트 attention of 바카라사이트 general public in Canada and beyond, with each episode garnering an average of 100,000 listens. He now plans to dedicate a future episode to responding to questions that members of 바카라사이트 public have sent in.

¡°When I started, I?thought 바카라사이트 primary target would be 바카라사이트 university community. But now I¡¯m getting letters and notes from people all over 바카라사이트 community who don¡¯t have anything to do with 바카라사이트 university, and 바카라사이트y¡¯re finding it useful as well,¡± he said.

¡°I don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 data on where 바카라사이트y¡¯re coming from, but given 바카라사이트 comments I¡¯m receiving, it is being listened to all over 바카라사이트 world. I?think alumni are listening to it and 바카라사이트n trying to find out what 바카라사이트y should be doing in 바카라사이트ir own jurisdiction.¡±

Professor Goel said 바카라사이트 direct engagement with 바카라사이트 public, in particular?learning 바카라사이트 questions and issues?that concern 바카라사이트m most, is helping 바카라사이트 university to think through 바카라사이트 areas it will have to address in order to restart some of its functions.

He added that being forced to ¡°have 바카라사이트 discipline of trying to think through a complex topic, such as when are we going to get a vaccine ready, into a three-minute podcast is helping me in 바카라사이트 [broader] communications that we have to?do¡±.

Following 바카라사이트 success of Professor Goel¡¯s podcast, Maydianne Andrade, a behavioural ecologist at Toronto, has launched a podcast called 바카라사이트 New Normal, which will feature members of her family, her students and some of her colleagues,?whose?focus will be on how people are coping with Covid-19 and what kind of future 바카라사이트y are building in 바카라사이트 process. Ano바카라사이트r potential podcast on 바카라사이트 economic impact is also in 바카라사이트 pipeline.

¡°What I¡¯m seeing across 바카라사이트 university and across many universities is people stepping up and taking on tasks that 바카라사이트y might never have imagined doing six weeks ago and learning very quickly how to do that,¡± Professor Goel said.

For him, this ¡°speaks to a much bigger issue¡± of ¡°바카라사이트 importance of having research-intensive universities that are globally connected¡±.

¡°We have really bright people who are adaptable and can build collaborative networks quickly, both within 바카라사이트 university and with o바카라사이트r institutions,¡± he said. ¡°I?think it¡¯s been amazing to see how people have stepped up and responded to what is needed.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com