The Unsung Lung Podcast

Lung health is important. Join host Jacob Sperling, Health Promotion Coordinator for Alberta Lung, as he delves into the world of lung health and lung disease. 1 in 5 Albertans will struggle with lung disease in their lifetime. We need to make lung health a central focus in our overall well-being. This podcast aims to educate you, the listener, on how to protect yourself and embrace compassion for others who are struggling with lung disease. To support our podcast, please visit www.patreon.com/unsunglung. We appreciate every supporter and every dollar goes to helping Canadians with lung disease!

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Episodes

4 days ago

It's cold outside! And you know what that means, Radon Action Month! Jacob chats with Andrew Arshinoff from Radon Care about testing your homes for this colourless, odourless, radioactive gas. The two discuss different studies related to radon, how mitigation works, and what to do if you are a little skeptical about everything radon-related. November is a great month to remind ourselves that, oftentimes, it is the invisible things in our environment that are most dangerous to our lung health.
Stay Connected:
To find programs and initiatives offered by Alberta Lung, visit: www.ablung.ca
For more information about the show, visit: www.ablung.ca/unsung-lung
 
"As Always... Just Remember to Breathe"

Wednesday Oct 01, 2025

October's edition of The Unsung Lung Podcast puts the future at the forefront. Jacob chats with Dr. Giovani Ferrara, a Professor of Medicine at the University of Alberta, about all things wearable technology and lung health. They discuss using AI to predict lung health flare-ups, digital health and its real life applications, and how individual statistics can have population-wide impacts. This is the show if you love technology in any form!
Stay Connected:
To find programs and initiatives offered by Alberta Lung, visit: www.ablung.ca
For more information about the show, visit: www.ablung.ca/unsung-lung
 
"As Always... Just Remember to Breathe"

What We Breathe In

Monday Sep 01, 2025

Monday Sep 01, 2025

On September's edition of The Unsung Lung Podcast, we take a step back and look at lung health research from a 20,000 foot view. Jacob speaks with Dr. Robin Urquhart, an Associate Professor at Dalhousie University and Canadian Cancer Society Endowed Chair. They chat about Dr. Urquhart's academic journey, her current research on lung cancer outside the smoking realm, and the future of lung health research. Join Jacob as he dives deep into the world of environmental toxins and how we investigate them.
Stay Connected:
To find programs and initiatives offered by Alberta Lung, visit: www.ablung.ca
For more information about the show, visit: www.ablung.ca/unsung-lung
 
"As Always... Just Remember to Breathe"

Friday Aug 01, 2025

August's episode releases right before Heritage Day in Alberta and what better way to celebrate all the different cultures in Canada than with a discussion that touches each and every part of our great nation! On this edition of The Unsung Lung Podcast, Jacob talks with Manuel Escoto about the Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program (CDTRP). They discuss Manuel's own journey with organ transplant, how the CDTRP helps Canadians dealing with complex health issues, and the amazing benefits of Alberta Lung's Breathing Space. This episode blends patients, families, donors, and transplantation all into one little bite-sized snack for your ears:)
Stay Connected:
To find programs and initiatives offered by Alberta Lung, visit: www.ablung.ca
For more information about the show, visit: www.ablung.ca/unsung-lung
To access CDTRP resources, visit: https://cdtrp.ca/en/
 
"As Always... Just Remember to Breathe"

Pulmonary Programs!

Sunday Jul 06, 2025

Sunday Jul 06, 2025

You probably know that this podcast is brought to you by Alberta Lung, but do you know what other health programs your local not-for-profit lung health charity has to offer? On July's edition of The Unsung Lung Podcast, Jacob chats with Jamie Happy, Alberta Lung's Health Promotion Coordinator! They discuss the main health initiatives at Alberta Lung, new and exciting programs that the organization is rolling out, and update you on Breathing Space! Sometimes we just have to reconnect to our roots and this podcast would be nothing without Alberta Lung so we thought we'd dedicate an episode to our amazing founding organization.
Stay Connected:
To find programs and initiatives offered by Alberta Lung, visit: www.ablung.ca
For more information about the show, visit: www.ablung.ca/unsung-lung
 
"As Always... Just Remember to Breathe" 

Smoke (or Vape?) and Mirrors

Sunday Jun 01, 2025

Sunday Jun 01, 2025

Vaping is sort of an enigma. It must be bad for us, right? But there seems to be limited research into its negative health consequences. On June's episode of The Unsung Lung Podcast, Jacob chats with Dr. Janice Leung, a Principal Investigator for the new CLOUD Study: the Canadian Lung Outcomes in Users of Vaping Devices Study. They discuss the format of the research, what kinds of toxins we already know are present in vaping devices, and why so many Canadian youth are turning to vaping. This is a great chat showcasing cutting edge lung health research in Canada.
Stay Connected:
To find programs and initiatives offered by Alberta Lung, visit: www.ablung.ca
For more information about the show, visit: www.ablung.ca/unsung-lung
To learn more about the CLOUD Study, visit: www.cloudstudy.ca
To participate in the Edmonton study, email ecig@ualberta.ca or call (780) 492-1121
 
"As Always, Just Remember to Breathe"

Chamber Reclaimers

Thursday May 01, 2025

Thursday May 01, 2025

Our guests on May's edition of The Unsung Lung Podcast are Chamber Reclaimers: they are building better, more efficient, and more portable inhaler chambers. Jacob chats with Hollo Medical's co-founders, Dr. David Hodgson and Sara Fedullo, to discuss their new product and how it is an improvement on products currently available on the market. They cover topics like medical engineering, product design, and awards that their new product has already taken home! This is a perfect episode for those who love innovations in lung health happening right here in Canada.
Stay Connected:
To find programs and initiatives offered by Alberta Lung, visit: www.ablung.ca
For more information about the show, visit: www.ablung.ca/unsung-lung
 
"As Always... Just Remember to Breathe"

Volunteer to Career

Tuesday Apr 01, 2025

Tuesday Apr 01, 2025

On this edition of The Unsung Lung Podcast, we follow our guest from volunteer to career! Jacob sits down with Alberta Lung Volunteer and Respiratory Therapist, Robyn Gilmore, to chat about her path to becoming an RT. They discuss Alberta Lung's Breathe Smart! Program, what helpful leadership can do, and the life of a hospital-based RT. We follow Robyn's journey from Alberta Lung helper to respiratory warrior!
Stay Connected:
To find programs and initiatives offered by Alberta Lung, visit: www.ablung.ca
For more information about the show, visit: www.ablung.ca/unsung-lung
"As Always... Just Remember to Breathe"

Life as an Outlier

Saturday Mar 01, 2025

Saturday Mar 01, 2025

It's our second month in a row of talking to a patient advocate and this conversation certainly did not disappoint. On March's edition of The Unsung Lung Podcast, Jacob chats with Dave Rasmussen, an advocate for those facing pulmonary fibrosis. They discuss Dave's diagnosis, his love of sport, and how he has more than doubled his life expectancy since diagnosis (hence, being called an outlier)! This is a great episode for those looking for a little extra motivation.
Stay Connected:
To find programs and initiatives offered by Alberta Lung, visit: www.ablung.ca
For more information about the show, visit: www.ablung.ca/unsung-lung
 
"As Always... Just Remember to Breathe"

One in Ten Thousand!

Saturday Feb 01, 2025

Saturday Feb 01, 2025

When nobody else will listen, stand up for yourself! On this edition of The Unsung Lung Podcast, Jacob sits down with Maureen Harper, a patient diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. They discuss the signs and symptoms of PH, the importance of patient advocacy, and how a lump on the front of her leg (of all places) led to her eventual diagnosis of a lung disease! This is a great episode for tips and tricks to maneuver through the healthcare system when things aren't exactly going your way.
Stay Connected:
To find programs and initiatives offered by Alberta Lung, visit: www.ablung.ca
For more information about the show, visit: www.ablung.ca/unsung-lung
 
"As Always... Just Remember to Breathe"

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Alberta Lung

Founded in the 1930’s by the Kinsmen Club to aid in the Tuberculosis epidemic, Alberta Lung now operates to raise funds for research, prevention of lung disease, and patient supports. Our vision is to create a world free of lung disease, and our goals are to help save lives, promote greater understanding of lung disease, and create positive change in lung health. Visit us online at www.ablung.ca to learn more about all our initiatives!

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