How do technologies shape the stories we tell? How do they influence the daily lives we share? Digital platforms and generative AI now play a big role in journalism. They affect how news is created and shared. This interplay raises critical questions about who controls these systems. It also impacts how communities connect and discuss shared issues. Understanding this dynamic is important to ensuring the media serves the public good and to help maintain open, inclusive dialogue in our society.

In this episode of From Research to Impact, we talk with Dr. Mike Ananny. He is a 2006 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation scholar. He is also an associate professor of Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. Mike’s research dives into how digital infrastructures, algorithms, and AI shape journalism. He explores how these tools affect our daily lives. He also examines ways to make them better serve public interests. From designing tech-enhanced toys to advising on CBC/Radio-Canada’s future, Mike offers a unique view. He highlights the power and responsibility of those building media technologies.

Resources

• Explore the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation’s Website and Scholarship Program.
• Center on Generative AI and Society (at USC)
• Center of Science Technology and Public Life (at USC)
• Read “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder

About Dr. Mike Ananny

Dr. Mike Ananny is an Associate Professor of Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School, with a courtesy appointment in Cinematic Arts. His research explores how digital infrastructures, algorithms, and generative AI shape journalism and even our daily lives. However, he emphasizes that these systems can better serve public interests. He co-directs the Media as Socio-Technical Systems collective and the AI for Media and Storytelling initiative at USC’s Center on Generative AI and Society, and serves on the steering committee of the Center of Science, Technology, and Public Life.

With a background in system design, Dr. Ananny has built technologies for community storytelling, from tech-enhanced toys at MIT’s Media Lab to participatory media projects in Europe. His work bridges technical innovation with cultural and ethical questions, influencing journalism’s response to emerging technologies. He is the author of Networked Press Freedom and co-editor of Bauhaus Futures, with contributions to outlets like The Atlantic, WIRED, and Harvard’s Nieman Lab.

At USC, Dr. Ananny teaches courses on networked press, AI in media, and network publics, mentoring students across journalism, engineering, and cinematic arts. His interdisciplinary approach fosters critical thinking about technology’s role in storytelling and public discourse, preparing students to navigate and shape a rapidly evolving media landscape.

Dr. Ananny holds a PhD from Stanford University, a master’s from MIT’s Media Lab, and was a postdoctoral scholar at Microsoft Research. He is a 2006 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation scholar.

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Find out more about Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation at https://www.trudeaufoundation.ca/

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How do the unseen gender norms, religion, and community shape the success of entrepreneurs, particularly those from marginalized groups? In a world that often celebrates the solo entrepreneur, the reality is that entrepreneurship is deeply embedded in social contexts that can either empower or hinder growth. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for fostering inclusive economic progress globally.

In this episode of From Research to Impact, Dr. Kylie Heales, a 2021 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation scholar and Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at Miami University’s Farmer School of Business, explores the intricate relationships between social norms, institutions, and entrepreneurship. Her research, spanning contexts from Tunisia to Haiti, reveals how cultural expectations influence entrepreneurial behavior and outcomes, particularly for women. By unpacking these dynamics, she uncovers pathways to foster true entrepreneurship success in even the most resource-scarce environments.

Resources

• Explore the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation’s Website and Scholarship Program.
• Visit the SEED Network website
• Desjardin International Development
• CFE Tunisia
• Center for Advancing Social Entrepreneurship (at Duke University)
• Learn more about Dr. Kylie Heales on her profile in the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

About Dr. Kylie Heales

Dr. Kylie Heales is an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at Miami University's Farmer School of Business where she researches the relationships between norms, institutions, and entrepreneurship, focusing on growth challenges for marginalized entrepreneurs globally. Her current research dives into how gender, religion, and community norms shape entrepreneurial success in diverse contexts - from Tunisia and Haiti, to centuries-old family businesses.

With a decade of hands-on experience, Dr Heales has achieved operational improvements for non-profits, startups, and Fortune 500 giants. She also co-founded a fintech venture and empowered entrepreneurs in Kenya and Zambia to scale their impact.

At Miami University's Farmer School of Business, Dr Heales's teaching approach is deeply rooted in research and real-world experience where she nurtures the next generation of entrepreneurs. Her classes are living labs where research meets hustle, equipping students to thrive in today's dynamic business landscape.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with friends, colleagues, or anyone curious about global challenges!

Find out more about Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation at https://www.trudeaufoundation.ca/

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What if your ability to age well depended not just on your medical history, but on whether you had a friend nearby, access to a grocery store, or a safe home? There’s more to being healthy in your elder years than having access to medical care. Our elder care system works well when it comes to addressing acute health problems — even life-threatening ones. But the question we may have failed to ask is this: how did it get that bad in the first place?

In this compelling episode of From Research to Impact, Dr. Jasmine Mah—a physician and scholar at the forefront of geriatric medicine—unpacks the deep connections between social vulnerability, frailty, and health outcomes in older adults. As Canada braces for a demographic shift with a surge in centenarians, Dr. Mah’s research offers urgent insights into how our systems are failing the elderly.

This episode is for anyone hoping to understand the nuances behind elder care. And it’s not just for the aging population: remember, it’s better to prevent medical issues than struggle to cure them.

About Dr. Jasmine Mah

Dr. Jasmine Mah is a geriatric medicine fellow at Dalhousie University and a 2021 Scholar of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. She earned her medical degree from the University of Ottawa and her PhD from Dalhousie University, focusing on the intersection of social vulnerability, frailty, and health outcomes in older adults.

Inspired by personal experiences with family aging, Dr. Mah is dedicated to transforming elder care in Canada. Her research advocates for integrating social and medical systems to improve quality of life for seniors, particularly in times of crisis and transition.

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Find out more about Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation at https://www.trudeaufoundation.ca/

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How do global policies shape the health of communities, even when health isn’t their primary focus? What happens when nations under pressure, like through sanctions, turn adversity into innovation? These questions ripple through every corner of our interconnected world, touching lives in ways we might not immediately see. Health isn’t just a matter of medicine. It’s an outcome woven into the fabric of every decision we make, from development projects to international relations.

In this episode of From Research to Impact, host Ann Elisabeth Samson is joined by Robert Huish, a 2004 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation scholar and associate professor at Dalhousie University, for a conversation that bridges personal experience with global impact. Robert’s journey offers a compelling lens on how sanctions shape healthcare systems, and how countries like Cuba respond with resilience and ingenuity. Robert brings a wealth of experience, spanning from the healthcare system in Cuba to human rights in North Korea, all rooted in a passion for social justice. This discussion invites us to reflect critically on these connections and imagine how we might act to bridge the gaps they reveal.

This conversation is for anyone curious about international development, health equity, or the power of human ingenuity under pressure. Learn how health intersects with policy and why investing in people can defy even the toughest odds, leaving you inspired to think bigger about the world’s challenges and your place in addressing them.

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you did, be sure to subscribe and share it with your friends! From Research to Impact is a podcast that encourages critical reflection and action from outstanding PhD students and others conducting cutting-edge research.

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. Share it with friends, colleagues, or anyone curious about global challenges.

Find out more about Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation at https://www.trudeaufoundation.ca/

Thank you for tuning in!

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Can research change the world? From Research to Impact is a new podcast that goes beyond academia to explore bold ideas and real-world solutions. Hosted by strategic advisor Anna-Lizabeth Samson, each episode spotlights a past or present scholar from the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation—brilliant thinkers who are tackling today’s most urgent challenges, from achieving net-zero emissions to reimagining health systems.

These aren’t just theories—they’re actionable ideas shaping Canada’s future and influencing global progress.

🔗 Learn more about the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation at trudeaufoundation.ca

🎙️ Episode One launches soon. Follow now so you don’t miss it.

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