Last VIEW to the U episode for 2020 - Talking sleep

On this short day’s journey into night, Professor David Samson from the Department of Anthropology at UofT Mississauga is featured on this edition of VIEW to the U, on which he talks about his evolutionary biology research in UTM’s Department of Anthropology. 

For this season of the podcast, which is a focus on "adventures in research," Samson shares his stories that vividly illustrate studies are not always conducted in a lab and that researchers are sometimes literally ‘going out on a limb’ for their findings!

He also lets us in on the details of the “candlelight challenge” that some of his 4th-year undergraduate students are pursuing, as well as his top tips for a good night’s sleep, based on his extensive research into understanding sleep, sleep disorders and the health implications of sleep deficiency.

David Samson is an assistant professor at U of T Mississauga. His work has demonstrated human sleep has a unique evolutionary history distinct from other primates.

A true champion of science communication and public outreach, along with agreeing to take part in this podcast, Samson has been featured on a number of international podcasts, as well as on many media resources – on the radio, in newspapers, and on TV – including CTV News, World News Radio, CBC radio, The New York Times, GQ Magazine, and TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin.

Prior to joining the faculty at UofT, Samson was a Senior Research Scientist as well as a Postdoctoral Associate at Duke University, and a Visiting Professor of Anthropology at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He completed his undergraduate studies and PhD at Indiana University in Biological Anthropology.

He joined the faculty at UTM in 2017.

A full transcript of the podcast interview is available.