What's the Big Idea – Details, episodes & analysis

Gut Instincts: Unlocking the Microbiome’s Secrets to Health and Happiness with Dr. Heather Armstrong

In this episode, UM president, Michael Benarroch, asks Dr. Heather Armstrong to unpack the big idea that we can treat diseases such as cancer, arthritis and MS by improving gut health. 

As Canada Research Chair in Integrative Bioscience, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine with the University of Manitoba’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and a research scientist with the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), Dr. Armstrong investigates the intersection of gut health and chronic diseases. Through her research, she aims to unravel the complex interactions between gut microbes, diet, and inflammation to better understand the pathology of these diseases and how they are linked to cancer.  At the forefront of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research, she is seeking a more personalized treatment for people living with the chronic disease and last year received both the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada Women in IBD Emerging Researcher Award and the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada Rising Star Award, honouring her for her research developing and investigating personalized approaches. 

What's the Big Idea? is an award-winning podcast featuring President Michael Benarroch in conversation with some of today's big thinkers. Together, they unpack “the big idea” their work explores. The series features an exciting and diverse array of voices from the UM community contributing to the cultural, social and economic well-being of the people of Manitoba, Canada and the world. What’s the Big Idea? is a University of Manitoba production, created in partnership with Everything Podcasts.  

The University of Manitoba, Western Canada’s first university, is a hub of research, innovation, and learning. Located in Winnipeg, the university offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, fostering a diverse and inclusive community of over 30,000 students. UM is one of Canada’s top research universities and the largest source of skilled professionals in Manitoba. From breakthroughs in health and climate action to meaningful partnerships that advance Reconciliation, UM is a world-class university shaping the future of our province and beyond. 

 
Links:
Enrol today – Learn more about all UM has to offer: Explore UM. 

University of Manitoba Alumni Relations – Find more ways to stay connected: UM Alumni. 

UM News – Read more about UM events and research: UM Today. 

Sources: 

Music 
Adrenaline Rush, by Will Bonness, Associate Professor, Desautels Faculty of Music 

For the love of tariffs: Amanda Lang on how Trump’s re-election will impact Canada: 

UM president, Michael Benarroch and renowned business and political journalist Amanda Lang [BES/91] discuss what Canadians should expect following the results of the US election. How will Trump’s America first approach impact our trade relationship? Will he takes steps to erode academic freedom or freedom of the press? Which industries stand to benefit, and which may face challenges?
  

Amanda Lang [BES/91] is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. With over 25 years covering North America’s top business stories, alum Amanda Lang has appeared on Bloomberg TV, CBC, and now hosts “Taking Stock” on CTV. She’s not only a journalist but a keen observer of politics, leadership, and business in the global political landscape. 

What's the big idea? is an award-winning podcast featuring President Michael Benarroch in conversation with some of today's big thinkers. Together, they unpack “the big idea” their work explores. The series features an exciting and diverse array of voices from the UM community contributing to the cultural, social and economic well-being of the people of Manitoba, Canada and the world.

The University of Manitoba, Western Canada’s first university, is a hub of research, innovation, and learning. Located in Winnipeg, the university offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, fostering a diverse and inclusive community of over 30,000 students. UM is one of Canada’s top research universities and the largest source of skilled professionals in Manitoba. From breakthroughs in health and climate action to meaningful partnerships that advance Reconciliation, UM is a world-class university shaping the future of our province and beyond.

Links:
 
 Enrol today – Learn more about all UM has to offer: Explore UM.

University of Manitoba Alumni Relations – Find more ways to stay connected: UM Alumni.

UM News – Read more about UM events and research: UM Today.

Sources:
 
 CBC News: The National | Donald Trump’s return to power, November 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIGsJKnQNsg

Forbes Breaking News, Trump Lays Out Economic Promises, October 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhZYn5dymBs 

CTV News, ‘Canada will be absolutely fine’, November 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_NFUkq07Z0 

Music
Adrenaline Rush, by Will Bonness, Associate Professor, Desautels Faculty of Music

In this episode, guest host University of Manitoba's Chancellor Anne Mahon speaks to UM alum and New York Times best-selling author of the Vagina Bible and the Menopause Manifesto, Dr. Jen Gunter. As a board certified OB/GYN in both Canada and the United States, Dr. Gunter is a candid advocate for women and science.

In this powerful conversation, she shares her mission to correct the masses of misinformation on everything from menstruation and menopause; and she explains how women’s health is still weaponized for profit, even while accurate information is easier to access than ever before.

Dr. Gunter’s upcoming book, Blood, The science, medicine, and mythology of menstruation, will be released in January 2024. 

A note on the Women Leading Change Health Research Fund 

As demonstrated in this podcast episode, health research has long been dominated by a focus on men’s health. Underrepresentation in clinical trials, lack of information leading to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, and treatment plans that have been designed specifically for men have created inequities that have life-threating consequences for women.

You can help close the gap by supporting research that can pave the way for better health for all women. The Women Leading Change Health Research Fund will support women at the University of Manitoba who lead innovative research that advances women’s health. The goal is to raise $100,000.  For more information and to donate, visit the fund’s website.

About the host:

Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Throughout his career, Dr. Benarroch has demonstrated his lifelong dedication to transformative higher education and has made significant contributions to the fields of economics, research, and post-secondary administration. A passionate teacher and researcher, he has taught economics at Canadian universities since 1989. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017) and 21-years with the University of Winnipeg, where he was chair of the department of Economics (1999 - 2007). 

About the University of Manitoba:

For more than 140 years, the University of Manitoba has delivered life-changing learning experiences for students, conducted world-class research and shared knowledge and discovery to shape our province, country and world. UM is western Canada’s flagship university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Red River Métis.

Why Guaranteed Income is affordable, effective and just with economist Evelyn Forget. University of Manitoba President Michael Benarroch in conversation with economist and academic director of Manitoba Research Data Centre Evelyn Forget. Together they’ll discuss how a basic income guarantee is not only possible and affordable, but an effective and just way to reduce poverty in Canada.

About the guest:

Evelyn Forget is an economist, academic director of Manitoba Research Data Centre, and a professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences.

She is a multidisciplinary political economist who uses the tools of economics to inform policy debate locally, nationally and worldwide. Her methodological innovations, which ground big data and experimental techniques in a profound understanding of history and culture, have re-invigorated research on social welfare policy and created new hope for people caught up in dysfunctional bureaucratic systems.

She is an officer of the Order of Canada and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Her fourth book on basic income, which came out in 2022, is called Radical Trust: Basic Income for Complicated Lives. It amplifies the stories of those who are often left out of the dialogue around public policy. It advocates that all citizens in a wealthy nation like Canada should be guaranteed a modest standard of living. 

Her book, Basic Income for Canadians: The Key to a Healthier, Happier and More Secure Life, made the 2018/2019 Donner Prize shortlist. The award recognizes the best public policy book by a Canadian. 

About the host:
Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Dr. Benarroch is
a Manitoban and former Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017). He returns to Winnipeg where he maintains strong community-wide connections and a lifelong dedication to transformative higher education. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), acting as the institution’s chief academic and operating officer as well as a tenured professor in the department of Economics, Faculty of Arts. He co-chaired Toronto Metropolitan University's Truth and Reconciliation Implementation Committee and is an active advocate for the advancement of Indigenous engagement and reconciliation.

About the University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba is western Canada’s first university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

University of Manitoba President Michael Benarroch in conversation with Dr. Nicole Wilson, Canada Research Chair in Arctic Environmental Change and Governance. Together they’ll discuss how Canada can better understand, govern, and enhance Indigenous self-determination over water rights.

About the guest:

Dr. Nicole Wilson is a scholar of settler origin whose research focuses on Indigenous peoples, environmental governance, and environmental change in the Arctic. In particular, her research examines the many ways that Indigenous peoples are asserting their self-determination and revitalizing their governance systems to respond to various stressors including climate change and resource development. She has examined these topics in a number of contexts including Community-Based Monitoring, water governance and policy, water security, and climate change adaptation.

About the host:
Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Dr. Benarroch is
a Manitoban and former Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017). He returns to Winnipeg where he maintains strong community-wide connections and a lifelong dedication to transformative higher education. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), acting as the institution’s chief academic and operating officer as well as a tenured professor in the department of Economics, Faculty of Arts. He co-chaired Toronto Metropolitan University's Truth and Reconciliation Implementation Committee and is an active advocate for the advancement of Indigenous engagement and reconciliation.

About the University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba is western Canada’s first university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

University of Manitoba President Michael Benarroch in conversation with Executive Director of the University of Manitoba’s Institute for Global Public Health, Dr. James Blanchard. Together they’ll discuss how the University of Manitoba can be at the center of engaging the academic sector in global public health and how Canada can become a world leader in this field.  

About the guest:

Dr. Blanchard is an epidemiologist and public health specialist focusing on global health. His research focuses on how the characteristics of individuals, communities and large populations contribute to the local and global distribution of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Over the past twenty-five years he has also provided leadership to applying research to improve the design and implementation of large public health programs related to sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS and maternal, neonatal and child health focused in south Asia and Africa.

He is currently the Executive Director of the University of Manitoba’s Institute for Global Public Health and holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Epidemiology and Global Public Health.

About the host:
Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Dr. Benarroch is
a Manitoban and former Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017). He returns to Winnipeg where he maintains strong community-wide connections and a lifelong dedication to transformative higher education. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), acting as the institution’s chief academic and operating officer as well as a tenured professor in the department of Economics, Faculty of Arts. He co-chaired Toronto Metropolitan University's Truth and Reconciliation Implementation Committee and is an active advocate for the advancement of Indigenous engagement and reconciliation.

About the University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba is western Canada’s first university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

University of Manitoba President Michael Benarroch in conversation with Executive Director of the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation, Stephanie Scott. Together they discuss the lasting effects of Canada’s residential school system and the forced separation of Indigenous families. They explore how we as a university can help heal these wounds and plot a path forward to true reconciliation.

About the host:
Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Dr. Benarroch is
a Manitoban and former Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017). He returns to Winnipeg where he maintains strong community-wide connections and a lifelong dedication to transformative higher education. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), acting as the institution’s chief academic and operating officer as well as a tenured professor in the department of Economics, Faculty of Arts. He co-chaired Toronto Metropolitan University's Truth and Reconciliation Implementation Committee and is an active advocate for the advancement of Indigenous engagement and reconciliation.

About the guest:

Stephanie Scott is currently the Executive Director of the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation. Previously she was Director of Operations with the NCTR where she oversaw all budgeting and financial commitments of the NCTR, along with human resources activities. Prior to joining the NCTR team, Stephanie worked with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as the Manager of Statement Gathering: she was responsible for the gathering and documenting of ‘Residential School Survivors’ audio and video recorded statements. In addition to this role while at the TRC, Stephanie served as Executive Assistant to the Chair of the TRC where she learned invaluable leadership skills. Prior to her work with the TRC, Stephanie enjoyed a long and successful career operating her own production business, which she still oversees part-time. Through her past and current work with residential school Survivors, Stephanie experiences firsthand their strength, courage and resilience as they overcome many challenges and pass these teachings onto the next generation.

About the University of Manitoba

The University of Manitoba is western Canada’s first university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

University of Manitoba President Michael Benarroch in conversation with Canada Research Chair in Queer, Community, and Diversity Education and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Robert Mizzi. Together, they’ll discuss Dr. Mizzi’s ideas around “deep inclusion,” and how the University of Manitoba can continue to make strides in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

About the host:
Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Dr. Benarroch is
a Manitoban and former Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017). He returns to Winnipeg where he maintains strong community-wide connections and a lifelong dedication to transformative higher education. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), acting as the institution’s chief academic and operating officer as well as a tenured professor in the department of Economics, Faculty of Arts. He co-chaired Toronto Metropolitan University's Truth and Reconciliation Implementation Committee and is an active advocate for the advancement of Indigenous engagement and reconciliation.

About the guest:

Dr. Robert Mizzi is the Canada Research Chair in Queer, Community, and Diversity Education and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.

Originally from northern Ontario, Dr. Mizzi joined UM’s faculty in July 2013. He has published over 50 chapters, articles, and reviews in academic journals and books, including the Journal of Homosexuality and the Journal of Studies in International Education. He has also published four books that focus on work, education, and social development, including the award-winning edited book Disrupting Adult and Community Education: Teaching, Learning, and Working in the Periphery (SUNY Press). In 2018, Robert was awarded the prestigious Falconer Emerging Researcher Rh Award (Social Sciences Category) by the University of Manitoba. Robert is the first Canadian editor of the 2020 Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education. In 2018-2019, Robert was the president of the Canadian Association of Adult Education and became editor-in-chief of the Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education (2019-2021).

About the University of Manitoba

The University of Manitoba is western Canada’s first university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

University of Manitoba President Michael Benarroch in conversation with Vice-Dean of Indigenous Health, Social Justice and Anti-Racism at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and Doctors Manitoba 2022 “Physician of the Year” Dr. Marcia Anderson. Together, they’ll discuss how the University of Manitoba can further ground medical education in anti-racist practices and provide greater health equity for Canada’s Indigenous, Black, and racialized communities.

About the host:
Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Dr. Benarroch is
a Manitoban and former Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017). He returns to Winnipeg where he maintains strong community-wide connections and a lifelong dedication to transformative higher education. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), acting as the institution’s chief academic and operating officer as well as a tenured professor in the department of Economics, Faculty of Arts. He co-chaired Toronto Metropolitan University's Truth and Reconciliation Implementation Committee and is an active advocate for the advancement of Indigenous engagement and reconciliation.

About the guest:
Marcia Anderson, MD is Cree-Anishinaabe and grew up in the North End of Winnipeg. She has family
roots in the Norway House Cree Nation and Peguis First Nation in Manitoba.

She is a medical officer of health for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, a past president of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada and past chair of the Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress. Since 2017, she has served as executive director, Indigenous Academic Affairs, Ongomiizwin-Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing. She also serves as chair of the Indigenous Health Network for the Association of Faculties of Medicine (AFMC), which prepared the Joint Commitment to Action on Indigenous Health report, approved by the AFMC board in May 2019.

Most recently, she was named as one of eight winners of the 2022 Doctors Manitoba Awards,all of whom are connected to the Max Rady College of Medicine.

Follow Marcia Anderson on Twitter.

About the University of Manitoba

The University of Manitoba is western Canada’s first university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

University of Manitoba President Michael Benarroch live in conversation with Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist, UM alum, and the Albert Einstein Professor Emeritus at Princeton Dr. James Peebles. Together, they'll unpack some of Dr. Peebles's groundbreaking work that has been vital to our understanding of the universe, including topics like the Big Bang Theory and dark matter. 

We'll also hear from a UM sophomore and aspiring astrophysicist and hear Dr. Peebles take questions from our live audience.

About the host

Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Dr. Benarroch is a Manitoban and former Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017). He returns to Winnipeg where he maintains strong community-wide connections and a lifelong dedication to transformative higher education. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), acting as the institution’s chief academic and operating officer as well as a tenured professor in the department of Economics, Faculty of Arts. He co-chaired Toronto Metropolitan University's Truth and Reconciliation Implementation Committee and is an active advocate for the advancement of Indigenous engagement and reconciliation.

About the guest

James Peebles is a Canadian-born physicist who was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work on physical cosmology. Peebles received a bachelor’s degree in 1958 from the University of Manitoba and a doctorate in 1962 from Princeton University. He remained at Princeton for the remainder of his career, becoming an assistant professor in 1965 and a full professor in 1972. He became the Albert Einstein Professor of Science in 1984 and a professor emeritus in 2000.

About the University of Manitoba

The University of Manitoba is western Canada’s first university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.