Best Lives – Details, episodes & analysis

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 Evaluation Center at BC Children's Hospital

All episodes written and produced by the Research Communications team at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute.

Theme music: "Life Is Beautiful" by Anastasia Kir

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 recognize and respond to concussions early — key to safer recoveries and better outcomes. Tune in and learn how we can all protect kids' brains.

Learn more about topics discussed in this episode:

Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) website

Concussion Awareness Training Tool for youth: Impact on concussion knowledge, beliefs, and reporting intentions, Health Education & Behavior

Concussion Harmonization Project webpage

Follow-up visits after a concussion in the pediatric population: An integrative review, NeuroRehabilitation

All episodes written and produced by the Research Communications team at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute.

Theme music: "Life Is Beautiful" by Anastasia Kir

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 researchers and clinicians can respond as quickly and as personally as each diagnosis demands.

Learn more about topics discussed in this episode:

ACCESS website

BRAvE website

PROFYLE website

Proteomics and personalized PDX models identify treatment for a progressive malignancy within an actionable timeframe, EMBO Molecular Medicine

All episodes written and produced by the Research Communications team at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute.

Theme music: "Life Is Beautiful" by Anastasia Kir

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 explores how cheek swabs — from infancy through adolescence — can help us better track, understand, and support children's health over time. 

Learn more about topics discussed in this episode:

Impact of age-related changes in buccal epithelial cells on pediatric epigenetic biomarker research, Nature Communications

All episodes written and produced by the Research Communications team at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute.

Theme music: "Life Is Beautiful" by Anastasia Kir