The Unsung Lung Podcast
Lung health is important. Join host Jacob Sperling, Health Promotion Coordinator for Alberta Lung, as he delves into the world of lung health and lung disease. 1 in 5 Albertans will struggle with lung disease in their lifetime. We need to make lung health a central focus in our overall well-being. This podcast aims to educate you, the listener, on how to protect yourself and embrace compassion for others who are struggling with lung disease. To support our podcast, please visit www.patreon.com/unsunglung. We appreciate every supporter and every dollar goes to helping Canadians with lung disease!
Episodes
Vaping is sort of an enigma. It must be bad for us, right? But there seems to be limited research into its negative health consequences. On June's episode of The Unsung Lung Podcast, Jacob chats with Dr. Janice Leung, a Principal Investigator for the new CLOUD Study: the Canadian Lung Outcomes in Users of Vaping Devices Study. They discuss the format of the research, what kinds of toxins we already know are present in vaping device...
Our guests on May's edition of The Unsung Lung Podcast are Chamber Reclaimers: they are building better, more efficient, and more portable inhaler chambers. Jacob chats with Hollo Medical's co-founders, Dr. David Hodgson and Sara Fedullo, to discuss their new product and how it is an improvement on products currently available on the market. They cover topics like medical engineering, product design, and awards that their new produ...
On this edition of The Unsung Lung Podcast, we follow our guest from volunteer to career! Jacob sits down with Alberta Lung Volunteer and Respiratory Therapist, Robyn Gilmore, to chat about her path to becoming an RT. They discuss Alberta Lung's Breathe Smart! Program, what helpful leadership can do, and the life of a hospital-based RT. We follow Robyn's journey from Alberta Lung helper to respiratory warrior!
Stay Connected:
It's our second month in a row of talking to a patient advocate and this conversation certainly did not disappoint. On March's edition of The Unsung Lung Podcast, Jacob chats with Dave Rasmussen, an advocate for those facing pulmonary fibrosis. They discuss Dave's diagnosis, his love of sport, and how he has more than doubled his life expectancy since diagnosis (hence, being called an outlier)! This is a great episode for those loo...
When nobody else will listen, stand up for yourself! On this edition of The Unsung Lung Podcast, Jacob sits down with Maureen Harper, a patient diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. They discuss the signs and symptoms of PH, the importance of patient advocacy, and how a lump on the front of her leg (of all places) led to her eventual diagnosis of a lung disease! This is a great episode for tips and tricks to maneuver through the h...
This is a fun one! For the first episode of 2025, Jacob chats with Mercedes and Anastasia from Small Bits of Happiness. They discuss how seeing the good in life and introducing joy in everyday activities can boost your lung and overall health! If you are looking for tips and tricks to make the regular a little more extraordinary, this is the episode for you!
Stay Connected:
To find programs and initiatives offered by Alberta Lung, ...
Welcome to the new and improved Unsung Lung Podcast! On the first episode of the new format, Jacob chats with the Co-Chair and CEO of Praxus Health, formerly known as 19 to Zero. They discuss everything from health misinformation to the new pulmonary function mobile test units that they are launching next year with the Government of Alberta. This is a great episode all about health behaviour and important initiatives that are happe...
It's a new era for The Unsung Lung Podcast! We're changing things up a little. You can still expect the same knowledge and expertise from our guests on the show, but just in less time. We're making the show shorter to better accommodate you, the listener. So sit back, relax, and enjoy learning about lung health, just in half the time!
To find programs and initiatives offered by Alberta Lung, visit: www.ablung.ca
It's November which means it's Radon Action Month! Join Jacob as he sits down with Dr. Dustin Pearson, a key part of the recent Cross-Canada Radon Survey released in October 2024. They discuss the impact that climate change has on radon levels, energy efficiency in homes, and how radon impacts our lung health! This is the most cutting edge research on radon so you don't want to miss this episode.
Stay Connected:
You've heard of the 'black plague', but what about the 'white plague'? This episode of the show is dedicated to Alberta Lung's 85th anniversary of advocating for lung health. On this month's edition of The Unsung Lung Podcast, Jacob sits down with renowned tuberculosis expert, Dr. Anne Fanning. A member of the Order of Canada and one of Alberta's Physician's of the Century, Dr. Fanning knows her fair share about TB. They dive head ...
Access to care is one of the most pressing issues in Canadian healthcare. From long wait times at hospitals to low levels of family physicians throughout the country, this is an issue that spans across the entirety of medicine in Canada. But what about a pharmacist's take on access to care? On this edition of The Unsung Lung Podcast, Jacob sits down with Dr. Tatiana Makhinova, a 2022 Lung Health Research Grant Winner. The two discu...
On the 30th episode of The Unsung Lung Podcast, Jacob sits down with veterinarian and Director of Animal Health at the Edmonton Humane Society, Dr. Michelle Meckelborg. Pivoting from our normal conversations about humans and lung health, the two discuss everything animals and pets! From short-nosed pugs to Dr. Meckelborg's real life experiences of treating animals in respiratory distress (spoiler alert, a porcupine!) we cover every...
The 'Patient Spotlight Series' is back in action and we're here to teach you about what it's like to have asthma! On this episode of the show, Jacobs sits down with lifelong asthma patient, Jessica Poirier. They discuss stereotypes, the challenges of asthma, and the disease progression from childhood through to the adult years. We're so grateful to Jessica for giving up her time to be on the show and we hope you enjoy the discussio...
As summer is approaching in Alberta, the warmer temperatures remind us of fun things like water parks on a warm sunny day and a bike ride through your favourite park. They also remind us of the not-so-fun-things, like wildfires and climate change. On this episode of The Unsung Lung Podcast, Jacob sits down with Epidemiologist, Dr. Scott Weichenthal. They discuss biostatistics, health effects of air pollution, and how large-scale en...
It almost seems like a bad word. The "C" word. Cancer. Today, Jacob sits down with Dr. Quincy Chu and Dr. Paul Wheatley-Price to discuss everything lung cancer. They talk about Lung Cancer Canada, new lung cancer treatments, and Dr. Wheatley-Prince's podcast called Lung Cancer Voices. This was an amazing discussion bridging health policy with everything medical science and research. We hope you enjoy the show!
Stay Connected:
The University of Alberta Lung Transplant Program performs the highest volume of transplants per capita in Canada and boasts the best survival rates of any other program in the country. This is in no small part due to dedicated and experienced transplant coordinators like Marianne Goodvin, our guest on the show today. We discuss a day in the life of a lung transplant coordinator and how her team know all too well the importance of ...
This month's show has us talking about all things health policy and indoor air quality. Jacob sits down with lawyer and PhD, Dr. Noah Quastel, to talk about radon, sustainability, and law and policy. They discuss why it is so important to advocate to your local politicians about causes that are important to you, specifically issues related to lung health!
Stay Connected:
For more information about the show, visit: www.ablung.ca/uns...
We've got another double-researcher episode for you! On today's show, we talk all things lung transplant with Dr. Jason Weatherald and Dr. Kieran Halloran. Dr. Weatherald is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta and focusses on pulmonary vascular disease. Dr. Halloran is an Associate Professor at the U of A and lung transplantation is his main area of expertise. In the interview, we discuss everything from organ rejec...
New year, new show! We talk 'all-things-vaping' with two experts in the field of lung health in Alberta! Dr. Harissios Vliagoftis is a Professor at the University of Alberta and focuses on immunology, asthma, and allergies. Dr. Paul Forsythe has his PhD in immunopharmacology and runs The Forsythe Lab that researches the connection between the lungs and the brain. Together, these two physicians are the researchers that are studying ...
On today's show, we talk about everything Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) with two guys who know a thing or two about the disease. Dr. Dion Neame is a pediatrician and Assistant Clinical Professor at McMaster University. Amit Gupta has a Doctorate in Pharmacy who is passionate about enhancing immunization rates in marginalized communities. The trio discusses the prevalence of RSV, how it affects different age groups, and how you ...
Popular Podcasts
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.