ABOUT US

It started on a long run.

A podcast that grew into a platform, built by people who love research and want to share it with the next generation of scholars.

WHERE IT BEGAN
Line drawing of a running shoe mid stride, with notes, books and a microphone rising from it like ideas taking shape

Like many of Jon's big ideas, The Emerging Scholar was dreamt up on a long run.

It began as a side project: a way for Jon to challenge himself, dig into new topics and learn from experts across many fields. Along the way he has kept working on the craft of the interview itself, finding better ways to ask questions and draw out the thinking behind the work. It has been a learning experience for all of us, and it still is.

What started as a podcast has grown into a larger focus, and it is now becoming a full platform, with learning resources for trainees and teaching resources for instructors. At its heart, it is about sharing our passion for research with the people just starting out, and with those who have the chance to inspire the next generation of emerging scholars.

OUR MISSION

To help emerging scholars build the skills to design good research, through honest conversations with leading researchers and practical resources for the people who learn and teach it.

OUR VISION

A generation of trainees who approach research with curiosity, confidence and care, and who design studies that are rigorous, equitable and meaningful for the communities they serve.

HOW WE WORK

We would rather make a few things well than many things quickly, so every episode and resource starts with one question: will this help someone design better research? We treat every conversation as a partnership, and we want each guest to leave glad they came. Trainees help shape what we make next, and we listen to them regularly and adjust. Behind the scenes, we make decisions together, keep each other in the loop and try never to promise more than we can deliver well.

THE TEAM

The people behind the conversations

Dr. Jon McGavock
Dr. Jon McGavock
CO-LEAD, HOST AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Jon is a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Manitoba and a researcher at the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. He co-leads the Canadian Network for Pediatric Resident Research, which creates resources and opportunities for pediatric residents across the country to build their scholarly work. His research works to understand type 1 and type 2 diabetes in youth, and also studies how people use trails in Winnipeg and across Canada, and what that means for community health. He is a strong advocate for anti-racism in research, including how studies are designed, who leads them and whose knowledge counts. Outside of work, Jon is a dad, an avid runner and cyclist, and a true coffee connoisseur. He is also something of a hobby farmer, with chickens, a donkey and a collection of animals that somehow keeps growing.

Jana Apperley
Jana Apperley
CO-LEAD

Jana holds a Master's degree in Kinesiology and has spent more than 10 years as a research coordinator at the University of Manitoba and the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. She has coordinated studies across multiple sites, from ethics applications and data systems to keeping teams on track. That experience gives her a close view of what trainees find hardest about starting research, and it shapes how The Emerging Scholar turns expert conversations into practical tools for learners and instructors. Outside of work, Jana is a mom of two who loves a hard workout almost as much as a good cup of coffee.

Jared McKetiak
Jared McKetiak
PRODUCER

Jared has been Station Manager at UMFM 101.5 for 25 years, after starting at the station as a volunteer in 1999. He is passionate about independent media and has served on the boards of several arts and community not-for-profits. Outside the studio you'll find him with his family and pets, at the hockey rink or a baseball game, and enjoying strong coffee, good beer and great music.