Best Summer O Toole Podcasts (2024)

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84. Deep Mutational Scanning and How to Investigate Protein Behaviour (with Isabelle Zane) 46:04

6d ago46:04

46:04

In this week's episode we are joined by Isabelle Zane, a PhD student at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge who is investigating the link between genetic mutations and protein function in the Lehner & Parts labs. We discuss a novel technology- deep mutational scanning- which is used to screen how single gene mutations influence the structure…

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Training Plateau? Sonia's Has The Cure! 32:53

14d ago32:53

32:53

Has your progressed stalled? Are your race times flattening out? A training plateau is common and very normal even for elite athletes. Fresh off the plane from her latest trip abroad for the Sisterly retreat in Portugal, Sonia O’Sullivan advises comedian Jarlath Regan on the best way to mix things up. Changing our approach to keep our training chal…

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83. Transcriptomics to Translation (with Inga Van den Bossche) 43:07

20d ago43:07

43:07

Join Carolina and Clara in today's episode on transcriptomics to translation with Inga Van den Bossche. Inga carried out her undergrad and masters degree in materials science and engineering at Imperial college London and is now a doctoral student since 2022 in Professor Molly Stevens lab at Oxford, researching cellular interfaces and innovative bi…

1
Sonia's Long Run Commandments 30:26

27d ago30:26

30:26

Sonia O’Sullivan provides her Ten Commandments for achieving your best long run with the help of comedian Jarlath Regan. The greatest Irish track athlete of all time explains the importance of a longer run and how to get the most out of it. First we hear about her travels with her athletes at the top track meets around Europe. Why not become a memb…

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[Summer Rerelease] Biomimetics and Bioinspired Materials 29:40

1M ago29:40

29:40

Welcome to our special summer rerelease series! Carolina and Clara take a trip down memory lane with a special series dedicated to their older episodes, including ones you may have missed! In today’s episode Carolina and Clara discuss biomimetic and bioinspired materials, and the challenges of understanding the biological structure of natural mater…

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Your Running Motivation Tool Kit with Sonia O'Sullivan 30:39

1M ago30:39

30:39

Motivation is not a constant. How do we grow it, regain it and survive its loss. Sonia O'Sullivan talks to comedian Jarlath Regan about the one thing your smart watch can't measure. There's no magical science to staying up but we can lean into certain habits when the going gets tough and the bed feels comfy. For an even deeper dive into this topic …

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82. Using Protein Engineering to Tackle Non-Biodegradable Materials (with Ryen O’Meara) 34:45

2M ago34:45

34:45

In today's episode we are joined by Ryen O’Meara, a Chemical Engineer graduate student in Caltech. Ryen joined Nobel Laureate Francis Arnold's lab with the aim to engineer enzymes that degrade emerging environmental contaminants, and merge sustainability and protein engineering. We discuss with Ryen the environmentally concerning Silicon-Carbon bon…

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Sonia's Olympic Review, Streets of Galway 8km & Cathal Dennehy 30:58

2M ago30:58

30:58

Sonia O'Sullivan sits down with Jarlath Regan to discuss the highest highs and the lowest lows of the Paris Olympics. She was trackside to watch her daughter Sophie take part in her first games and working for RTE covering the rest of the events. Ireland broke new ground and the team captured the nation's heart but what were her standout moments wi…

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[Summer Rerelease] Mycelium 20:47

2M ago20:47

20:47

Welcome to our special summer rerelease series! Carolina and Clara take a trip down memory lane with a special series dedicated to their older episodes, including ones you may have missed! In this episode, we discussed the fascinating world of fungi, and in particular, mycelium or mycorrhizal networks- a form of fungi that have an incredible capaci…

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Live From Paris - Irishman Running Abroad Olympic Special 45:32

2M ago45:32

45:32

Jarlath Regan is joined by athletics writer and commentator Cathal Dennehy to get a preview of the track and field events at the Paris Olympics. He gives his predictions, medal hopes, dark horses and much much more. Sonia O'Sullivan is deep in the preparations with her daughter Sophie so Jarlath is flying solo this week. It gives him the chance to …

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81. Tools for Looking Into the Brain: Squiggly Lines, An Insight into Learning & Memory (with Dr. Sam Cooke) 1:13:51

3M ago1:13:51

1:13:51

In today's episode, we are joined by Dr. Sam Cooke, a group leader and senior lecturer at King's College London who researches the mechanisms that underlie learning and memory in the brain. We discuss his research journey that led him to become fascinated in the processes of learning and memory, as well as the tools he uses to record neural activit…

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What All Runners Need To Eat - Sonia's Essential Runners' Shopping List! 30:28

3M ago30:28

30:28

What should every runner have in their grocery cart every week without fail? If temptation is an issue for you, having Sonia’s shopping list to keep you on the straight and narrow, it might be the difference between a diet PB and a DNF. This week she opens her cupboards and lets us see what’s inside. What foods will always work for a runner trying …

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[Summer Rerelease] Oxygen - Friend or Foe: a Debate 23:50

3M ago23:50

23:50

Welcome to our special summer rerelease series! Carolina and Clara take a trip down memory lane with a special series dedicated to their older episodes, including ones you may have missed! Today we are reviving the oxygen debate - is oxygen a friend or foe? Was it truly evolutionarily advantageous for us to learn to respire using oxygen or should a…

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Sonia's Summer Sessions Guide & The National Championships 2024 28:06

3M ago28:06

28:06

The Irish National Athletics Championships are here, it's drizzling outside and Sonia O'Sullivan is back in the country. It must be summer! Jarlath Regan and Sonia O'Sullivan look back on the biggest weekend at Morten Stadium, the rise and rise of Rhasidat Adeleke, Thomas Barr and Mark English's dominance, the crowds, the craic and Sophie O'Sulliva…

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80. BCI Breakthroughs: The Therapeutic Progress of Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI) 34:57

3M ago34:57

34:57

In today's episode Carolina and Clara discuss the latest research on brain computer interfaces (BCI), and how they aid patients with motor related deficits such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), paralysis, and locked-in syndrome. Different types of BCI vary in how invasive they are and the different sorts of motor functions they can aid, from…

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The Recovery Key To Your Fastest 5K with Vinny Mulvey & Cathal Dennehy 31:00

4M ago31:00

31:00

Running your fastest 5km isn’t all about running more. As Sonia explains in today’s episode, it has just as much to do with what you do when you’re not running. Without proper recovery methods nobody gets faster. Jarlath quizzes the GOAT on what works best, drops into a Vinny Mulvey 5km Camp to get his opinion and asks Cathal Dennehy what a recover…

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79. The Evolution of Self-Medication, and What Chimpanzees Know (with Dr. Elodie Freymann) 1:10:52

4M ago1:10:52

1:10:52

This week we are joined by Elodie Freymann, an evolutionary anthropologist, primatologist, artist and storyteller to discuss the evolution of self-medication. Elodie recently completed a PhD in evolutionary anthropology at the University of Oxford, and shares with us her work studying self-medication in chimpanzees of the Budongo Forest in Uganda. …

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Sonia's Mailbag - You Ask, Sonia Answers! (Part 1) 32:25

4M ago32:25

32:25

You asks Sonia O’Sullivan answers. The mailbag is open and no topic is left uncovered. How to train for a mile, how to recover, how to breathe, how to negotiate peri menopause, how to run back to back marathons, the best supplement right now and does she ever think about that Olympic gold that got away. Download the full episode on www.patreon.com/…

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78. Ways to Interrogate Synaptic Function (with Dr Rachel Jackson) 36:11

4M ago36:11

36:11

In today's episode Carolina and Clara are joined by Dr Rachel Jackson to discuss different techniques to interrogate synaptic function. Neurotransmitter release is a crucial function of the neuron that enables the transfer of information in the brain. When this gets disrupted pathologies can arise, such as in neurodegenerative disorders. We discuss…

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How To Undo The Impact Sitting Down Has On Your Running - With Vinny Mulvey 31:49

5M ago31:49

31:49

Sitting down for prolonged periods is bad for everyone especially runners. For a lot of us it is unavoidable and likely to cause an injury like the one Jarlath suffered before the London Marathon. This week with the help of Sonia and Vinny Mulvey, he invested in some simple exercises to offset the impact of all that sitting making podcasts! These s…

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77. Dynamics of Strategy Learning of Deep Neural Networks (with Aaditya Singh) 59:36

5M ago59:36

59:36

In today's episode Carolina & Clara discuss the dynamics of strategy-learning of deep neural networks with Aaditya Singh. Aditya is carrying out a PhD on “Learning dynamics of various strategies and circuits in deep neural networks” in Prof. Andrew Saxe’s and Dr Felix Hill at UCL in the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit. Aaditya completed his …

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Your Fastest 5K Made Easy With Sonia O'Sullivan 26:05

5M ago26:05

26:05

Whatever your target over the 5 kilometre distance, Sonia has the advice to get you there. Today we start the process of helping Jarlath and the listeners get their 5k experience to where they want it to be. What’s the key to setting the right goal? Why won’t one particular thing get you there? Now is the time to join in and have fun getting faster…

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76. Interoception 34:21

5M ago34:21

34:21

In today's episode, Carolina & Clara discuss the neuroscience and psychology behind interoception, the process that guides our sense of self and is often termed our "sixth sense". How does our perception of our internal bodily states drive our emotions and cognitive state? We discuss the place for interoception in our sense of being. We also discus…

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London City Marathon 2024 Sights & Sounds with special guest Vinny Mulvey 47:06

6M ago47:06

47:06

Run the 2024 TCS London City Marathon alongside Jarlath Regan, Sonia O'Sullivan, Vinny Mulvey and 50,000 amazing humans raising more than 1 billion pounds for charities and causes. Hear all the sounds of this massive event and let Jarlath take you inside the turmoil that unfolds at 38km. This year he was running for Kidney Care UK. If you can, plea…

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75. Tools for Looking into the Brain: Reading and Writing Patterns in the Brain (with Dr. Adil Khan) 57:32

6M ago57:32

57:32

For our third episode in our "Tools for Looking into the Brain" series, we are joined by Dr. Adil Khan, a neuroscientist and group leader at King's College London, to explore reading and writing patterns into the brain. We discuss the principles of two major tools used to examine and manipulate neural activity, namely two-photon microscopy and opto…

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Cobh 2024 - The Sights & Sounds Episode - Live From Cobh 48:21

6M ago48:21

48:21

Sonia's squad of hand-picked listeners head to Cobh after 3 months of training under her guidance. It's a jam packed episode full of the sights and sounds of the race weekend. Massive congratulations to Maria Lennon, Nial McLoughlin, Danny O'Hare, Tom Corcoran, Han & Mary Vanderloo, Joe Maher, Brian Barry, Edel Buckley, Sandra Busteed Ciara Cullen,…

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74. Neural Computation of Naturalistic Behaviours (with Professor Tiago Branco) 58:13

6M ago58:13

58:13

In today's episode, we are joined by Professor Tiago Branco, a Principal Investigator and Group Leader at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre at UCL. The Branco lab studies how instinctive decisions are computed from sensory information, and from representations of the world built from experience. In this episode, we discuss what different sorts of appro…

1
Sonia's Cross Training Guide - Irishman Running Abroad 33:27

7M ago33:27

33:27

Whether you're injured or PB'ing every race, finding running easy or bored off your head by the thought of it...chances are some form of cross training is going to enhance your experience. Sonia O'Sullivan, the queen of Irish athletics, makes the case for the one part of running that most people avoid. She talks to Jarlath Regan about the massive r…

1
73. Evolutionary Impact of the Lichen Lifestyle on the Fungal Genome (with George Mears) 26:50

7M ago26:50

26:50

Today's episode is about fungi & lichen! We are joined by George Mears, a PhD student at Royal Holloway and Kew Gardens. Having carried out research on the evolutionary impact of the lichen lifestyle on the fungal genome during his Masters, George is currently in the LIDo iCASE PhD program, working under Professor Robin Williams to continue biologi…

1
Shoes Glorious Shoes & The Road To Cobh Week 9 29:07

7M ago29:07

29:07

Has the world of athletics started to move away from the super shoe? Does a regular even need a carbon plate under their foot? Jarlath Regan talks to the legend Sonia O'Sullivan from Nike HQ. With the road to Cobh heating up they get voice notes from the squad and Ciara Cullen joins them on the LiveLine for a fun chat about her progress. Finally Ja…

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72. Women's Reproductive Health: Where we are and what needs to improve (with Professor Sohier Elneil) - Celebrating International Women's Day 46:21

7M ago46:21

46:21

In today’s episode we are celebrating women’s day by discussing the current state of women’s reproductive healthcare and research, how much progress has been made and what still needs to be done. We are joined by Professor Sohier Elneil, a UCL Professor and Consultant specialising in Urogynaecology and Uroneurology. Professor Elneil completed her P…

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How To Handle A Dip In Training Motivation & The Squad Put Their Questions To Sonia. 32:08

7M ago32:08

32:08

It's week 7 of the 2024 Road To Cobh so it's totally normal to have a bit of training fatigue. That can manifest in many ways. Loss of running libido is just one of them! Sonia is here to help. Today we get the squad provide the questions and we get to check in on their progress. Sonia recommends a brilliant new book by Frank O'Mara and we announce…

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71: Tools for Looking into the Brain: Fluorescence Microscopy 19:04

8M ago19:04

19:04

Welcome back to Neuroverse, this week we bring to you the second episode in our mini-series "Tools for Looking into the Brain", where we explore the diversity of experimental methods used to study the brain's structure and function. In this episode, we discuss the basic principles of fluorescence microscopy and how it can help us understand the bra…

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Hill Running Special Episode With Sonia O'Sullivan & Ricki Wynne 33:07

8M ago33:07

33:07

You can't go around them, hills are a fact of life for all runners. The great Sonia O'Sullivan is the proof that running up and over them can provide a huge bang for your training buck. Today on the Irishman Running Abroad she sets out the keys to doing it right. We hear from her hand picked squad of listeners heading to Cobh to run her homecoming …

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70. Love on the Brain - 2 year anniversary Neuroverse special 37:17

8M ago37:17

37:17

Happy Valentines day! We hope today you celebrate love in all its shapes and forms. It is also our Neuroverse 2 year anniversary! What better way to celebrate than to dive deep into Love's effect on the brain, from the neurobiology to the philosophy (Neuroverse style). We discuss how the initial phases of falling in Love activates the same biologic…

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69. Q&A with Clara & Carolina 34:03

8M ago34:03

34:03

In today's episode we've answered some of your questions! Topics ranging from academic advice, lab and research environments, personal life choices and more. Tune in to find out the questions asked! --- We hope you enjoy the episode! Please feel free to share with your friends and family, it means a lot to us🤍 Neuroverse Website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://neu…

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Sonia's Session Masterclass - Week 3 Of The Road To Cobh 32:24

8M ago32:24

32:24

Sonia O'Sullivan chat's to comedian Jarlath Regan about the ABCs of athletics training sessions. Where do most people go wrong? Is it ever ok to cut a session short? How do we keep our energy level and get the most out of a session? Sonia has the answers. It's week three of her training plan for the Cobh 10 - her homecoming race in Cork. We hear ho…

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68. The Mosaic of Science (with Professor Carlos Ribeiro) 53:36

9M ago53:36

53:36

In today's episode we are joined by Professor Carlos Ribeiro, who is based at the Champalimaud Research Institute in Lisbon. We discuss research in fruit flies (drosophila melanogaster) in the context of neuroscience and metabolism, the benefits of individual animal models in research, and how interdisciplinary approaches are key for the future of …

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The Road To Cobh Week 1 - Meet The Squad - With Special Guest Vinny Mulvey 40:48

9M ago40:48

40:48

Sonia has read every email, letter and postcard. She has deliberated long into the night to find the best collection of talent and stories to form her squad for the road to Cobh 2024. Today we reveal who they are and hear some of their inspirational journeys. Which member of the team are you most like? There's someone for everyone. You can match yo…

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67. Philosophy of Sound 31:00

9M ago31:00

31:00

In today's episode, we delve into the complexities of sound. What is sound? Is it defined by what produces it or by what hears it? Is sound purely physical, or is it a construct of our minds? Is the perception of sound comparable to the perception of colour? We discuss these fascinating questions and more, and reflect on what sound means to us! ---…

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Don’t Call It A Comeback - How To Return To Running In 2024 35:06

9M ago35:06

35:06

No matter how long or short the layoff, returning to running is a tough task. Sonia O’Sullivan has returned from every kind of challenge. From childbirth to injury, burnout to loss of confidence - Sonia has seen it all. Knocked down, written off and told it is not possible, she is proof that nobody should take no for an answer when it comes to runn…

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66. 2023 Reviewed (Off the Record) 27:02

10M ago27:02

27:02

In our final episode of 2023, we chat about another full year of Neuroverse- our highlights, favourite episodes, what we've most enjoyed learning about, what major questions and themes have arisen, and what we're excited for to come in 2024!Thank you so much for all your support in the past year. --- We hope you enjoy the episode! Please feel free …

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The Road To Cobh - Your Chance To Be Coached By Sonia 30:26

10M ago30:26

30:26

Would you like to be coached by Sonia O’Sullivan? Well that’s the chance we are offering our lucky listeners over the next four months on the road to the Cobh 10 Mile Road Race. Listen to this episode to hear how you can be considered for selection. Entry is now open for Ballymore Cobh AC’s centrepiece race of the year. https://eventmaster.ie/event…

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65. Designing Generative Models (with Pierre Glaser) 38:07

10M ago38:07

38:07

In today's episode we are joined by Pierre Glaser to discuss designing generative models. Pierre Glaser is a PhD student in Machine Learning at the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit in UCL. He is working with Professor Arthur Gretton on advancing the methodology of flexible generative modelling. We discuss what generative models are (such as C…

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2023 Christmas Special (Sonia’s Picks Of The Year) - Irishman Running Abroad 32:56

10M ago32:56

32:56

Sonia O’Sullivan looks back on a jam packed year in athletics and makes her selections for the best of 2023. Later in the show we hear first hand accounts of the Valencia Marathon from listeners James Carty and Wynona Grant. Pop over to hear the full size episode and access hundreds of hours of Sonia’s advice and training tips. www.Patreon.Com/iris…

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64. Tools for Looking into the Brain: Patch-Clamp 33:17

11M ago33:17

33:17

We are launching a new mini-series focusing on experimental methods to study the brain! How do we look at and listen to the activity of neurons, populations of neurons, and the whole brain? In this series, we will be exploring the multitude of techniques and recent advances in technologies to study the brain. To kick of the series, in this episode …

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Is Technology Ruining Running? Are Smart Watches Creating Anxious Runners? 31:32

11M ago31:32

31:32

If a run happens in the woods and there’s no watch there to record it and post it to Strava, did a run ever happen at all? Is the measuring of running ruining running? Sonia O’Sullivan and comedian Jarlath Regan ask whether the focus on data and super advanced technology is sucking the joy out of running? Later in the episode Sonia looks at the lim…

1
63. Protein Dysregulation in Neurodegenerative Disorders (with Dr. Estella Newcombe) 40:27

11M ago40:27

40:27

In this episode, we are joined by a special guest, Dr. Estella Newcombe, to discuss protein dysregulation in neurodegenerative disorders. Estella is currently a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow at the University of Copenhagen in the structural biology and NMR laboratory, researching intrinsically disordered proteins in the context of neurodegenerative…

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Your Marathon Tales (Dublin 2023) - Irishman Running Abroad 32:55

11M ago32:55

32:55

Your stories of triumph and pain at the 2023 DUBLIN city marathon are the focus of today’s episode. Sonia O’Sullivan and Jarlath Regan hear from the listeners who ran, finished, wound up in hospital and got the bus home. This is a one of a kind instalment of Irishman Running Abroad. For anyone thinking of doing a marathon or contemplating getting b…

1
62. What Makes Science Beautiful? 32:16

11M ago32:16

32:16

In today’s episode, Carolina and Clara discuss what beautiful science is, and what makes a beautiful experiment? We delve into aesthetics, what is good and beautiful in science, and highlight how these can influence bias in scientific experiments ---We hope you enjoy the episode! Please feel free to share with your friends and family, it means a lo…

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Summer O Toole Podcasts

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