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Best Lives

Best Lives

By: BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Host: Kristen Hovet
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About this listen

Bringing you the latest in pediatric research from BC Children's Hospital Research Institute. We highlight researchers, clinicians, and their trainees here at the Research Institute whose work is helping kids live their healthiest, happiest lives. The Best Lives podcast is a leading Canadian pediatric medicine and research podcast!

© 2025 Best Lives
Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease
Episodes
  • Oral immunotherapy treats kids' food allergies and reduces parents' anxiety
    Jul 31 2025

    Managing a child's food allergy can be an enormous source of stress. Constant vigilance, fear of accidental exposures, and navigating complicated meal plans can deeply impact a family's quality of life. But new research from BC Children's Hospital Research Institute highlights how one treatment option can alleviate certain psychosocial impacts of food allergies for parents and caregivers.

    This episode focuses on the experiences of parents whose young children receive oral immunotherapy (OIT) — a well-established treatment that helps kids gradually build tolerance to allergenic foods. Dr. Lianne Soller shares findings showing that OIT not only improves clinical outcomes for kids with food allergies, but also reduces anxiety and increases quality of life for their parents and caregivers.

    The conversation explores the broader emotional and practical challenges of parenting a child with food allergies — and how OIT is changing what long-term management can look like for families.

    Learn more about topics discussed in this episode:

    Preschool oral immunotherapy is associated with improved parental food allergy-specific anxiety and quality of life: A real-world observational study, Clinical & Experimental Allergy

    Food Allergy Immunotherapy (FAIT) Program

    All episodes written and produced by the Research Communications team at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute.

    Theme music: "Life Is Beautiful" by Anastasia Kir

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    21 mins
  • Kids and concussion: What every parent, coach, and health-care professional should know
    Jun 2 2025

    Concussions are more than "just a bump" — they're brain injuries that can seriously impact a child's life. In this episode, Dr. Shelina Babul, concussion expert and creator of the Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT), joins us to break down why concussions matter, especially in children and youth. We explore common misconceptions, early symptoms, and how CATT is changing concussion care across Canada and beyond.

    Whether you're a parent, coach, teacher, or teen, you'll learn how to recognize and respond to concussions early — key to safer recoveries and better outcomes. Tune in and learn how we can all protect kids' brains.

    Learn more about topics discussed in this episode:

    Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) website

    Concussion Awareness Training Tool for youth: Impact on concussion knowledge, beliefs, and reporting intentions, Health Education & Behavior

    Concussion Harmonization Project webpage

    Follow-up visits after a concussion in the pediatric population: An integrative review, NeuroRehabilitation

    All episodes written and produced by the Research Communications team at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute.

    Theme music: "Life Is Beautiful" by Anastasia Kir

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    22 mins
  • EP03: Fast-tracking pediatric cancer care
    May 22 2025

    Dr. Georgina Barnabas and PhD candidate Tariq Bhat — from the Lange and Lim Labs at BCCHR — share how they used proteomics and a personalized tumour model to identify a treatment option for a child with hard-to-treat cancer, within just two weeks.

    Their story reveals how the latest precision approaches are identifying hidden vulnerabilities in aggressive childhood cancers and reshaping what's possible when conventional cancer treatments fail. It's a glimpse into a future where researchers and clinicians can respond as quickly and as personally as each diagnosis demands.

    Learn more about topics discussed in this episode:

    ACCESS website

    BRAvE website

    PROFYLE website

    Proteomics and personalized PDX models identify treatment for a progressive malignancy within an actionable timeframe, EMBO Molecular Medicine

    All episodes written and produced by the Research Communications team at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute.

    Theme music: "Life Is Beautiful" by Anastasia Kir

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    23 mins
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