Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office / en With 茄子直播 innovators front and centre, Collision conference wraps up five-year Toronto run /news/u-t-innovators-front-and-centre-collision-conference-wraps-five-year-toronto-run <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">With 茄子直播 innovators front and centre, Collision conference wraps up five-year Toronto run</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-06/2024-06-20-Collision-Conference-%2815%29-crop_0.jpg?h=fd4977a3&amp;itok=9IrZWH9H 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-06/2024-06-20-Collision-Conference-%2815%29-crop_0.jpg?h=fd4977a3&amp;itok=neJCJKc_ 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-06/2024-06-20-Collision-Conference-%2815%29-crop_0.jpg?h=fd4977a3&amp;itok=Sjwg__pg 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-06/2024-06-20-Collision-Conference-%2815%29-crop_0.jpg?h=fd4977a3&amp;itok=9IrZWH9H" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-06-21T10:52:23-04:00" title="Friday, June 21, 2024 - 10:52" class="datetime">Fri, 06/21/2024 - 10:52</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>茄子直播 alumna Nuha Siddiqui, co-founder and CEO of&nbsp;</em><i>Erthos, on stage at the Collision tech conference&nbsp;</i><em>(photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rahul-kalvapalle" hreflang="en">Rahul Kalvapalle</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-secondary-author-reporter field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/adina-bresge" hreflang="en">Adina Bresge</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">茄子直播 Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/geoffrey-hinton" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Hinton</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovation-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovations-partnerships-office" hreflang="en">Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Budding entrepreneurs, leading scientists and future business leaders from the University of Toronto community played a leading role at the 2024 Collision tech conference in downtown Toronto.</p> <p>Running over three days this week, the conference drew some 40,000 attendees from across the spheres of tech, business and media, including more than 1,600 startups and 700 investors.</p> <p>The rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies and their impact on business and society were key themes for many of the conference鈥檚 keynotes and exhibits 鈥 so it was no surprise that 茄子直播鈥檚 AI luminaries were front and centre.</p> <p>They included 茄子直播 alumnus&nbsp;<strong>Aidan Gomez</strong>, co-founder of <a href="https://cohere.com" target="_blank">language processing startup Cohere</a> 鈥&nbsp;which has raised hundreds of millions from investors and generated significant industry buzz.</p> <p>He urged businesses to commit to adopting AI tools to support their workers.</p> <p>鈥淢aking sure that you鈥檙e delivering the tools that your employees need to be competitive and effective is crucial,鈥 Gomez said during his talk on Tuesday.</p> <p>He added that augmentation of workforces with AI co-pilots and assistants is inevitable 鈥 including in industries that might not stand out as obvious adopters of the technology. He shared the example of a natural resources insurance firm that built an AI co-pilot 鈥 powered by <a href="https://cohere.com" target="_blank">Cohere</a> 鈥 to help their actuaries speed up their research, craft more accurate bids and win more contracts.</p> <p>鈥淚 never would have thought a natural resources insurance company would be adopting LLMs [large language models], but they are, and it鈥檚 having an impact. It鈥檚 actually helping them win more business,鈥 Gomez said. 鈥淪o I think the technology is completely horizontal.鈥</p> <p>Gomez also cited the medical sector 鈥 particularly, drug discovery 鈥&nbsp;as another area that鈥檚 poised to benefit massively from AI advances.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-06/2024-06-18-Collision_Aiden-Gomez_Polina-Teif-2-crop.jpg?itok=2iCQjWxy" width="750" height="500" alt="Aiden Gomez on the main stage at Collision 2024" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Aidan Gomez, a 茄子直播 alumnus, talked about how AI will be used to augment the workforce (photo by Polina Teif)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p><a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/complete-list-university-professors/">University Professor</a> Emeritus <strong>Geoffrey Hinton</strong>, the influential computer scientist often dubbed the 鈥済odfather of AI,鈥 also identified medical care and productivity as two key areas that will see significant improvements thanks to AI. However, much of his discussion, titled "Can We Control AI?", focused on his previously-cited concerns about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9cW4Gcn5WY">how AI development could ultimately wrest control from humans</a>&nbsp;given the current race to develop the technology and the absence of sufficient safeguards.</p> <p>鈥淓ven if I鈥檓 totally benevolent and I just want to achieve what you asked me to achieve, I鈥檒l realize that if I get more control, it will be easier to do that,鈥 Hinton said of AI agents.</p> <p>鈥淎nd actually, if these things are much smarter than us, they鈥檒l realize: Just take the control away from people and it will be much more efficient 鈥 and that seems to be like a very slippery path.鈥</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-06/2024-06-20-Collision-Conference-%2829%29-crop.jpg?itok=LSs7MxsV" width="750" height="500" alt="Geoffrey Hinton on the main stage at Collision 2024" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Geoffrey Hinton warned of the existential dangers posed by unchecked AI development (photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Gomez, for his part, said he doesn鈥檛 believe AI poses a serious threat.</p> <p>鈥淭he notion that the technology is going to start self-improving, that it鈥檚 going to start manipulating people, that it鈥檚 going to take over, seize power and displace humans: that鈥檚 a sci-fi narrative,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 am empathetic to it 鈥 we鈥檝e been writing stories about that exact scenario for decades, since before computers, and so it鈥檚 very deeply embedded in our cultural brainstems ... I just don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 true.鈥</p> <p>Earlier at the conference,&nbsp;<strong>Raquel Urtasun</strong>, founder of self-driving trucking startup <a href="https://waabi.ai">Waabi</a>, spoke about generative AI and how Waabi is applying the technology to autonomous trucks. Her keynote took place following the company鈥檚 announcement&nbsp;that it <a href="/news/waabi-founded-u-t-s-raquel-urtasun-raises-us200-million-launch-self-driving-trucks">raised US$200 million in Series B funding</a> to support the deployment of driverless trucks in 2025.</p> <p>鈥淓verything will be controlled by generative AI systems inside the vehicle and nothing else. This is a breakthrough for the industry, where such a thing has never happened before,鈥 said Urtasun, a professor in the department of computer science in 茄子直播's Faculty of Arts &amp; Science.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-06/2024-06-18-Collision_Raquel-Urtasun_Polina-Teif-6-crop.jpg?itok=-aqQfinC" width="750" height="500" alt="Raquel Urtasun on the main stage at Collision 2024" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Raquel Urtasun spoke about her self-driving truck startup Waabi (photo by Polina Teif)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The conference also featured demos from other promising 茄子直播 startups including <a href="https://www.planeterthos.com" target="_blank">Erthos</a>, which has invented sustainable alternatives to plastics and is now using machine learning to accelerate biomaterials discovery.</p> <p>鈥淥ur platform allows us to design effective biomaterials five times faster and with 92 per cent less cost compared to our industry,鈥 said co-founder and CEO&nbsp;<strong>Nuha Siddiqui</strong>.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-06/2024-06-20-Collision-Conference-%2820%29-crop_0.jpg?itok=phIn0lj7" width="750" height="500" alt="crowds inside the 2024 Collision conference floor" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Collision鈥檚 final year in Toronto was expected to draw some 40,000 attendees (photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>During the conference, 茄子直播鈥檚&nbsp;booth near the main stage featured exhibits from <a href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/accelerators/#accelerator-directory">campus-linked accelerators</a>, <a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/">institutional strategic initiatives</a>, academic divisions and the Innovations and Partnerships Office.&nbsp;茄子直播鈥檚&nbsp;<a aria-label="Link Black Founders Network" href="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/black-founders-network/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank" title="https://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/for-entrepreneurs/black-founders-network/">Black Founders Network</a>&nbsp;was also at Collision as one of the organizers of the Black Innovation Zone.</p> <p>Collision 2024 marked the fifth and final edition of the annual conference in Toronto.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 21 Jun 2024 14:52:23 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 308270 at 茄子直播 pharmacy grad co-founded startup that promises to help detect and treat cancers /news/u-t-pharmacy-grad-co-founded-startup-promises-help-detect-and-treat-cancers <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">茄子直播 pharmacy grad co-founded startup that promises to help detect and treat cancers</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Mohammad-Ali-Amini-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=X5tKn6u1 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Mohammad-Ali-Amini-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_XxkyS9P 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Mohammad-Ali-Amini-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ef2vNlXu 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Mohammad-Ali-Amini-weblead.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=X5tKn6u1" alt> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-06-06T14:54:47-04:00" title="Thursday, June 6, 2019 - 14:54" class="datetime">Thu, 06/06/2019 - 14:54</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">鈥淥ur nanoparticulate system uses manganese and can simultaneously detect cancer using MRI and improve radiation therapy by sensitizing cancer cells,鈥 says Mohammad Ali Amini, the co-founder and CEO of Nanology Labs (photo by Steve Southon) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/kate-richards" hreflang="en">Kate Richards</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/convocation-2019" hreflang="en">Convocation 2019</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-stories" hreflang="en">Graduate Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cancer" hreflang="en">Cancer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/creative-destruction-lab" hreflang="en">Creative Destruction Lab</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health-innovation-hub" hreflang="en">Health Innovation Hub</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/impact-centre" hreflang="en">Impact Centre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovations-partnerships-office" hreflang="en">Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utest" hreflang="en">UTEST</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When <strong>Mohammad Ali Amini</strong> receives his PhD&nbsp;from the University of Toronto this week, he will also be celebrating the successful rise of Nanology Labs, the startup he launched while completing his research at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.</p> <p>Based on technologies invented in the lab of Professor <strong>Xiao Yu (Shirley) Wu</strong> over two decades, Nanology is developing an innovative low-toxicity MRI contrast agent that circumvents the limitations of other MRI contrast agents currently available to detect and treat brain cancer.</p> <p>鈥淥ur nanoparticulate system uses manganese and can simultaneously detect cancer using MRI and improve radiation therapy by sensitizing cancer cells,鈥 says Amini.</p> <p>Manganese, an element that already exists in the human body, is safer and less toxic than MRI contrast agents made of gadolinium, which comes with a U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning.</p> <p>In addition to concerns about toxicity, current MRI contrast agents are not sensitive enough to catch cancer early, says Amini. 鈥淲e lack means for early-stage brain cancer detection in clinics. Roughly 65 per cent of brain cancer patients are diagnosed at later stages and, in North America, roughly 20,000 people a year lose their lives.鈥</p> <p>Patients would receive an injection of the agent, which passes the formidable blood-brain barrier. It&nbsp;then illuminates and oxygenates the tumor to improve radiation therapy performance. To date, Amini has seen promising results in various pre-clinical models. The goal is to move the technology toward first-stage clinical trials.</p> <p>Connecting with 茄子直播鈥檚 Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office and several 茄子直播-based accelerators, including the Health Innovation Hub (H2i), UTEST and Impact Centre, helped Amini understand how a technology could be translated into commercialization and patient care. He got advice on how to conduct market research, write a good business plan and effectively explore the feasibility of his idea.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚t鈥檚 a very challenging path and it is a huge learning curve for scientists 鈥 you have to be persistent and passionate and believe in yourself and the technology,鈥 says&nbsp;Amini, who completed a degree in veterinary medicine in Iran before joining Wu鈥檚 lab in 2013.</p> <p>He also credits Wu, who is both a co-founder of Nanology Labs and his doctoral supervisor, for providing him with the necessary support and opportunities.</p> <p>During Wu鈥檚 25-year academic career, her lab has invented many delivery technologies with issued or pending patents.</p> <p>鈥淗owever,鈥 she says,&nbsp;鈥渢here is a huge gap between patenting technologies and developing nanomedicine products to provide benefits to patients. Trainees, like Mohammad, with a strong passion to lead a startup to develop technologies into products, are extremely valuable. I am delighted to see the success that Nanology has achieved at this early stage under his leadership.</p> <p>鈥淢ohammad has set a role model for other trainees who may explore entrepreneurship as their career path, especially with an aim to commercialize technologies for which they have been involved in the invention.鈥</p> <p>Nanology is the first startup to come out of the Wu lab.</p> <p>While Amini has entertained offers to pursue a post-doctoral degree from other institutions, he has decided to stay the course as CEO and co-founder of Nanology Labs.</p> <p>Since June 2018, Nanology Labs has picked up significant funding support from several entrepreneurship pitch competitions, including $50,000 from the Ontario Brain Institute's ONtrepreneurs program, $25,000 from MaRS HealthKick Pitch Competition 2019, and the $25,000 first prize at this year鈥檚 RBC Prize for Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship, <a href="/news/u-t-startups-true-blue-expo-take-home-cash-prizes-receive-advice-wealthsimple-co-founder">an annual pitch competition and finale of the True Blue Expo</a>, the capstone event of 茄子直播鈥檚 Entrepreneurship Week.</p> <p>The financing Amini has secured will help the company manufacture the agent formulation and lead to additional pre-clinical studies for safety evaluation. He will also be part of the Creative Destruction Lab鈥檚 (CDL) Super Session, an annual showcase of CDL鈥檚 graduating early-stage tech companies. The CDL Super Session 2019 is taking place June 12-13 at 茄子直播鈥檚 Rotman School of Management.</p> <p>When he began his PhD six years ago, Amini did not envision he would be leading a startup company. His&nbsp;takeaway?</p> <p>鈥淚f you want to be successful, create your own path,鈥 he says. 鈥淭his is what I鈥檝e learned.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 06 Jun 2019 18:54:47 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 156829 at 茄子直播 innovation centre to help form 鈥榥ew cornerstone鈥 of the Canadian economy /news/u-t-innovation-centre-help-form-new-cornerstone-canadian-economy <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">茄子直播 innovation centre to help form 鈥榥ew cornerstone鈥 of the Canadian economy </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-07-19-pie-c-view%20from%20west-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=EVX-d7q5 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-07-19-pie-c-view%20from%20west-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=MkrO7Xsz 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-07-19-pie-c-view%20from%20west-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=1NlCrJSd 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-07-19-pie-c-view%20from%20west-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=EVX-d7q5" alt="Phase one of the new 茄子直播 innovation centre, as viewed from the west"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-07-23T15:39:34-04:00" title="Monday, July 23, 2018 - 15:39" class="datetime">Mon, 07/23/2018 - 15:39</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">A rendering of phase one of the new University of Toronto innovation centre at the corner of College Street and University Avenue, as viewed from the west (all renderings courtesy of Weiss/Manfredi Architects)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sorensen" hreflang="en">Chris Sorensen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovation-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovations-partnerships-office" hreflang="en">Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/meric-gertler" hreflang="en">Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Toronto鈥檚 burgeoning innovation district 鈥 home to hundreds of researchers, entrepreneurs and innovation-minded partners 鈥 is poised to undergo a dramatic expansion.</p> <p>The University of Toronto has confirmed plans to build a new innovation centre at the corner of College Street and University Avenue, directly across the street from the MaRS Discovery District and up the road from several of the country鈥檚 top research hospitals.</p> <p>Part of a longer-term development plan, the first phase of the project will consist of a 14-storey tower that proposes to house 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship, the Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office and the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence.</p> <p>The gently sloping tower, which will replace the western portion of the Banting and Best complex, will also devote half of its 250,000 square feet of floor space to startup companies and established corporate partners who want to be closer to 茄子直播鈥檚 cutting-edge research. It鈥檚 expected to be completed in 2021.</p> <p>鈥淭he University of Toronto has played a key role in the GTA鈥檚 emergence as a global centre for innovation,鈥 said 茄子直播 President <strong>Meric Gertler</strong>.</p> <p>鈥淚n fields ranging from artificial intelligence to regenerative and precision medicine, our world-class researchers and students continue to have a profound impact on innovation and entrepreneurship in the Toronto region.鈥</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__8881 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2018-07-23-pie-c-view%20from%20southwest-resized.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>A rendering of phase one of the innovation centre, as viewed from the southwest</em></p> <p>茄子直播 has emerged as a leader in creating startups in recent years, producing more than 500 companies that have collectively generated more than $1 billion in investment in the past decade. Since 2010, the university has also filed more than 400 patent applications and negotiated over 250 license agreements related to technologies developed by its researchers.</p> <p>With the new innovation centre, 茄子直播 will significantly increase its capacity 鈥 and that of Toronto 鈥 to play a significant role in shaping the future of Canada鈥檚 knowledge economy.</p> <p>Designed by New York-based Weiss/Manfredi Architects in collaboration with Toronto鈥檚 Teeple Architects, the new centre will encourage student entrepreneurs to rub shoulders with industry veterans, using a mix of office and instructional space, shared meeting rooms, lounges and public areas 鈥 some of which will be connected vertically between floors.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__8882 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2018-07-23-pie-c-lobby-resized.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>The lobby of phase one of the innovation centre&nbsp;</em></p> <p>Phase two of the project 鈥 a second, taller tower connected by a multi-storey podium 鈥 will support 茄子直播鈥檚 innovation and commercialization activities in the biomedical and regenerative medicine space.</p> <p>鈥淚f you purpose-build a building to support interaction, collaboration and the growth of spin-off companies, you get a much higher success rate,鈥 explained <strong>Scott Mabury</strong>, 茄子直播鈥檚 vice-president of operations.</p> <p>At the same time, the centre鈥檚 soaring atrium and open, inviting street-front design will serve to better connect the public with the university, and those working inside with the people whose future they are working to transform 鈥 yet another example of how 茄子直播 is very much a part of the city in which it is located.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__8883 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2018-07-23-pie-c-level10-wintergarden-resized.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>A rendering of a lounge area in phase one of the project</em></p> <p>The new development comes at a time when the physical structures housing much of 茄子直播鈥檚 commercialization apparatus are bursting at the seams. The Banting and Best buildings, built in 1930 and 1954 respectively, house an array of startups, accelerators and programs. There are over 50 茄子直播-affiliated&nbsp;startups in the Banting and Best buildings now 鈥 with&nbsp;a waiting list. Banting is also home to 茄子直播鈥檚 ONRamp co-working space, which was created in partnership with RBC and is open to entrepreneurs from 茄子直播 and partner universities in southern Ontario. &nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭here is huge support and need for this type of building 鈥 it鈥檚 the right space in the right location,鈥 said Mabury, adding that planning for the facility first began about eight years ago.</p> <p>Mabury said the new centre will amplify the innovation and commercialization activities already underway elsewhere at 茄子直播, MaRS and downtown Toronto鈥檚 proliferating array of research institutes, incubators and accelerators 鈥 an expanding hub that鈥檚 already winning praise for its open, urban-centric approach to encouraging innovation.</p> <p>鈥淥ur aspiration is to help build a new cornerstone for the Canadian economy.鈥</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__8889 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2018-07-24-aerial-view-resized.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"><br> <em>A rendering of 茄子直播's new innovation centre (white buildings, at left) on the corner of College Street and University Avenue, once both phases are complete</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 23 Jul 2018 19:39:34 +0000 noreen.rasbach 139343 at Beyond the lab: 茄子直播 creates new guidebooks for researchers seeking to commercialize their work /news/beyond-lab-u-t-creates-new-guidebooks-researchers-seeking-commercialize-their-work <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Beyond the lab: 茄子直播 creates new guidebooks for researchers seeking to commercialize their work</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-05-03-Jennifer-Fraser%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=t1vAljKq 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-05-03-Jennifer-Fraser%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=kl58oUH4 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-05-03-Jennifer-Fraser%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=HIDNfw2q 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-05-03-Jennifer-Fraser%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=t1vAljKq" alt="Photo of Jennifer Fraser"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-05-15T10:07:44-04:00" title="Tuesday, May 15, 2018 - 10:07" class="datetime">Tue, 05/15/2018 - 10:07</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Jennifer Fraser, 茄子直播鈥檚 director, innovations, stands in a boardroom decorated with framed copies of the university鈥檚 patents (photo by Chris Sorensen)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sorensen" hreflang="en">Chris Sorensen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovations-partnerships-office" hreflang="en">Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molecular-genetics" hreflang="en">Molecular Genetics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Philip Kim</strong> is an expert in cancer-related protein interactions, but he had a lot to learn when it came to commercializing his potentially life-saving research.</p> <p>The associate professor of computer science and molecular genetics at the University of Toronto first filed an invention disclosure in 2014 based on a lab process related to cancer inhibitors, but ultimately decided not to push for a patent application because he sensed a lack of interest 鈥 a decision he now considers a miscalculation.&nbsp;</p> <p>Two years later, he found himself in the opposite situation.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淲e had already published something 鈥 a method to predict targets for antibodies 鈥 and a company approached me about licensing it. So, basically, we filed an invention disclosure after we had already published, which is not the way it鈥檚 supposed to go.鈥</p> <p>Kim鈥檚 initial missteps aren鈥檛 exactly unusual 鈥 even at 茄子直播. Put simply: Researchers are busy, focused on their work, and can鈥檛 always be expected to know the mechanics of technology transfer.</p> <p>So, to help educate and improve awareness, 茄子直播鈥檚 Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office, or IPO, spent the past year developing two step-by-step guides to commercialization at the university.</p> <h3><a href="http://uoft.me/InventorGuide">Read the technology transfer guide</a></h3> <h3><a href="http://uoft.me/StartupGuide">Read the startup guide</a></h3> <p>The first guide explains how 茄子直播鈥檚 technology transfer process works, from the patent process to negotiating license agreements. It also details 茄子直播鈥檚 鈥渋nventor鈥檚 choice鈥 policy, which allows researchers to either commercialize an invention themselves or offer it to the university.</p> <p>The second guide, meantime, aims to demystify the process of launching a startup company based on intellectual property developed at the university.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__8354 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/Kim_mirror_smaller%28webembed%29.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>Philip Kim, an expert in cancer-related protein interactions, filed an invention disclosure last year related to mirror-image molecules that can help make drugs longer-lasting (photo by Jovana Drinjakovic)</em></p> <p>鈥淲e were getting a lot of one-off questions from our inventors and the same themes kept coming up,鈥 explains <strong>Jennifer Fraser</strong>, 茄子直播鈥檚 director, innovations.</p> <p>鈥淲e felt there must be a better way to introduce people to what it means to be an inventor at 茄子直播, who we are and how we can help.鈥</p> <p>Fraser says the three most common questions the office receives from 茄子直播 researchers are when, why and how to file an invention disclosure, with the 鈥渨hen鈥 query causing the most consternation. She adds that many of the 209 invention disclosures her office received last year 鈥 three-quarters of which were submitted by teams that include&nbsp;both a faculty member and student, and half of which were submitted by women 鈥 pertain to technologies unlikely to be deemed 鈥渂usiness-ready.鈥</p> <p>To help researchers better gauge timing, the technology transfer guide spells out nine steps of technology readiness, from observing and reporting basic principles in the lab to successfully proving the technology in an operational environment.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__8355 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/inventor%27s-guide-cover-shade-and-borde-%28sized%29r.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p>Researchers considering making an invention disclosure are also encouraged to reach out to IPO as early as possible for guidance. The office has considerable expertise. Since 2010, 茄子直播 has filed more that 400 patent applications and negotiated over 250 license agreements. When it comes to determining which elements of an investigator鈥檚 research hold the most commercial promise, or are most suitable for a patent application, having industry perspective is useful.</p> <p>There may also be opportunities to strategize around timing.</p> <p>鈥淟et鈥檚 say they鈥檙e waiting to find out about a grant needed to complete a pilot study, which will provide some great data to support a particular invention,鈥 says <strong>Marilee Krinsky</strong>, the office鈥檚 commercialization manager for life sciences. 鈥淲e might say: 鈥楲et鈥檚 wait. If you get that data, it鈥檚 going to be a much better quality submission.鈥欌</p> <p>Fraser ultimately hopes the guides build knowledge about commercialization opportunities at 茄子直播 and help researchers feel more comfortable about participating in the process.</p> <p>鈥淚 hope it facilitates a more constructive conversation and brings forward new ideas 鈥 really just generate more interest,鈥 she says, adding that, in addition to making money for inventors, commercialization can help speed the adoption of new technologies and pay for future research.</p> <p>As for Kim, he filed his latest invention disclosure 鈥 mirror-image molecules that can be used to make drugs longer-lasting and more effective 鈥 early last year, and followed it up with a provisional patent application.</p> <p>He is now working on commercializing the technology with several biotech partners.</p> <p>With his research increasingly taking on an applied bent, Kim now considers himself something of a commercialization veteran. 鈥淚鈥檓 very deep into it 鈥 I鈥檓 talking to companies all the time and I have a sponsored research agreement,鈥 he says.</p> <p>鈥淭he research we do ended up being very useful for a lot of things.鈥</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 15 May 2018 14:07:44 +0000 noreen.rasbach 135373 at Changing tack: How 茄子直播 startup Nymi found an unexpected, but lucrative niche /news/changing-tack-how-u-t-startup-nymi-found-unexpected-lucrative-niche <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Changing tack: How 茄子直播 startup Nymi found an unexpected, but lucrative niche</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-02-18-Nymi.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7FNJ3hbe 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-02-18-Nymi.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=0QVyyc2I 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-02-18-Nymi.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=wKmuKPPN 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-02-18-Nymi.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7FNJ3hbe" alt="Photo of Nymi wristbands"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-02-23T09:56:58-05:00" title="Friday, February 23, 2018 - 09:56" class="datetime">Fri, 02/23/2018 - 09:56</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Founded by 茄子直播 researchers in 2011, Nymi uses people's heartbeats as biometric identifiers to log them into iPhones, iPads 鈥 and now industrial equipment (photo courtesy of Nymi)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sorensen" hreflang="en">Chris Sorensen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">茄子直播</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/creative-destruction-lab" hreflang="en">Creative Destruction Lab</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovations-partnerships-office" hreflang="en">Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-school-management" hreflang="en">Rotman School of Management</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startup" hreflang="en">Startup</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utest" hreflang="en">UTEST</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">鈥淵ou have to build something people want to use 鈥 not something that鈥檚 imposed on them鈥</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Nymi, a University of Toronto startup, made a big splash five years ago when <a href="https://www.ece.utoronto.ca/news/ece-alumni-grab-international-headlines-nymi/">it first&nbsp;unveiled a wristband </a>that uses people's heartbeats to wirelessly log them into iPhones, iPads and other devices 鈥 no passwords needed.&nbsp;</p> <p>There was just one problem.</p> <p>鈥淔or a person to not just buy it, but wear it all day,&nbsp;it would have to 鈥&nbsp;out of the box&nbsp;鈥&nbsp;work immediately with everything they owned,鈥 says <strong>Karl Martin</strong>, a 茄子直播 alumnus who is Nymi鈥檚 CEO and co-founder.&nbsp;</p> <p>While that might be possible for a consumer electronics giant like Apple, selling everything from watches to computers, Martin and his team soon realized it was a significant hill to climb for their startup. So they turned their attention to business customers and soon stumbled upon a potentially vast market as unexpected as it was underserved: Big Pharma 鈥 and regulated industrial environments, more broadly.</p> <p>Martin says pharmaceutical manufacturers need to track what their employees are doing on the production line at all times. It鈥檚 not so much an issue of security, he says, as it is a need to create an audit trail for regulators in case something goes wrong.</p> <p>鈥淵ou have workers who are entering passwords 100 times per shift,鈥 Martin says. 鈥淎 worker on a production line literally gets a pop-up every few minutes and has to enter a password.鈥</p> <h3><a href="/entrepreneurs">This Is The Place: Read more stories about entrepreneurship at&nbsp;茄子直播</a></h3> <p>Not surprisingly, such frequent interruptions make it difficult to get much work done, translating into lost profits. Hence, Nymi鈥檚 revamped sales pitch for the Nymi Band positions it as a way to boost productivity without compromising security.&nbsp;</p> <p>It鈥檚 a message that seems to be resonating. Martin says Nymi has spent the past couple years conducting pilot projects with most of the world鈥檚 top 20 pharmaceutical companies, spanning Europe, North America and Asia.&nbsp;Armed with $15 million in additional financing raised last spring, the company is now getting ready to roll out its updated wristband solution.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淲e鈥檙e going full deployment this year,鈥 Martin says.</p> <p>It鈥檚 been a long road for Martin and his team. He initially incorporated the company in 2011 with co-founder and fellow 茄子直播 researcher <strong>Foteini Agrafioti</strong>, who is now the chief science officer at Royal Bank. <a href="/news/bionym-raises-14-million-heartbeat-sensing-wearable-replace-passwords-key-cards">Then called Bionym</a>, the original goal was simply to license technology that used people鈥檚 unique heartbeat signatures as an always-on biometric identifier.&nbsp;</p> <p>But a trip through 茄子直播鈥檚 Creative Destruction Lab accelerator, affiliated with 茄子直播鈥檚 Rotman School of Management, convinced Martin and Agrafioti to think bigger by developing their own hardware. The Nymi Band was born.</p> <p>Was it a mistake to launch the Nymi Band as a consumer product? Far from it,&nbsp;Martin says. Rather,&nbsp;focusing on consumers allowed Nymi to establish a 鈥渇riendly, positive relationship with the product鈥 鈥 important for something you expect people, be it consumers or employees, to wear in place of jewelry or a wristwatch.</p> <p>鈥淵ou have to build something people want to use 鈥 not something that鈥檚 imposed on them.鈥</p> <p>Martin鈥檚 search for the right business model isn鈥檛 unusual for entrepreneurs seeking to capitalize on a novel research innovation. Many are breaking new ground and don鈥檛 have the luxury of simply building on an idea that鈥檚 already been tested by a competitor.&nbsp;</p> <p>The upside, Martin says, is that when you finally get a hit, you tend to hit big.</p> <p>鈥淧eople think you came out of nowhere,鈥 he says, 鈥渁nd there鈥檚 barriers for others following because the approach you took was non-obvious 鈥 so now you鈥檙e way ahead of the game.鈥</p> <p>Martin says the direction he received from CDL, then in its first year of operation, was invaluable to Nymi鈥檚 development. The startup also received guidance from <strong>Kurtis Scissons</strong>, the entrepreneurship manager at 茄子直播鈥檚 innovations and partnership office and a co-director of the UTEST accelerator.</p> <p>Martin&nbsp;also credits the startup鈥檚 decision to remain in Toronto for its continued success, citing an abundance of talent and a growing network of incubators and accelerators to help startups succeed.</p> <p>鈥淚n the old days, the saying was go to [Silicon] Valley to get the capital, but now investors come here,鈥 he says.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚f you鈥檙e checking the pulse the last few years, there鈥檚 real a buzz 鈥 there鈥檚 serious companies being built here and serial entrepreneurs who are investing back into the ecosystem.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚 can鈥檛 think of a better place.鈥</p> <h3><a href="http://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/">Learn more about 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship</a></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 23 Feb 2018 14:56:58 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 130022 at Innovation machine: How one 茄子直播 researcher is having an outsized impact on the health startup space /news/innovation-machine-how-one-u-t-researcher-having-outsized-impact-health-startup-space <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Innovation machine: How one 茄子直播 researcher is having an outsized impact on the health startup space</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-12-07-Santerre-group-%28web-lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=LvHspqL5 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-12-07-Santerre-group-%28web-lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=sWQULeW8 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-12-07-Santerre-group-%28web-lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=mK-THJkL 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-12-07-Santerre-group-%28web-lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=LvHspqL5" alt="Photo of Paul Santerre"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-12-07T11:25:17-05:00" title="Thursday, December 7, 2017 - 11:25" class="datetime">Thu, 12/07/2017 - 11:25</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Professor Paul Santerre (centre) has filed for more than 60 patents, sits on the boards of three startups that have emerged from his lab and is advising 41 others though 茄子直播's Health Innovation Hub accelerator (photo by Chris Sorensen)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sorensen" hreflang="en">Chris Sorensen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-dentistry" hreflang="en">Faculty of Dentistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health-innovation-hub" hreflang="en">Health Innovation Hub</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovations-partnerships-office" hreflang="en">Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institute-biomaterials-and-biomedical-engineering-0" hreflang="en">Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Paul Santerre</strong> recently flew to Boston to help launch a cerebral catheter that incorporates an anti-clotting polymer additive created by Interface Biologics, the company he co-founded nearly two decades ago based on his University of Toronto lab work.</p> <p>It was the sort of business trip that should be routine for the 茄子直播 biomaterials professor, given that Interface, by his count, has previously made five such announcements.&nbsp;</p> <p>But that didn鈥檛 dampen the enthusiasm of one of the university鈥檚 most prolific entrepreneurs.</p> <p>鈥淔or Interface Biologics to be entering the neural area is big,鈥 says Santerre, who has appointments in 茄子直播鈥檚 Faculty of Dentistry and the Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering. 鈥淎 lot of imaging tools are starting to rely on catheter technologies to peer into spots where they can鈥檛 get the resolution they need with an MRI.</p> <p>鈥淭his is an innovative product in an area that鈥檚 going to be a game-changer. It sets the stage for the next phase of growth for this local company of ours.鈥</p> <p>The extra-ventricular catheter drain in question is designed by Knoxville, Tenn.-based startup Arkis Biosciences. Called CerebroFlo, the catheter will employ Interface鈥檚 Endexo technology, which a press release states 鈥渉as been proven to be highly effective for reducing catheter occlusions and thrombosis,鈥 including in a recent study of 656 patients at the Ottawa Hospital.</p> <p>Endexo grew out of Santerre鈥檚 lab research in the 1990s. It鈥檚 a polymer additive that essentially tricks the body to ignoring its presence, preventing the formation of blood clots that can break off and lodge in blood vessels. It鈥檚 already being used in everything from flexible PICC catheters to dialysis machine membranes 鈥 basically anywhere that patients鈥 blood and medical instruments come into contact for extended periods.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> The technology also helps reduce the chance of infection, since blood clots tend to be a breeding ground for bacteria 鈥 a feature Santerre says is critical for neurological applications.<br> &nbsp;<br> 鈥淵ou can imagine what happens if you get a bug crawling up those catheter lines into the brain,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 over, very fast.鈥</p> <p>The continued success of Interface is a testament both to Santerre鈥檚 research prowess and his relentless drive to move such discoveries out of the lab into the commercial realm where they can achieve maximum impact.&nbsp;</p> <p>Santerre, who recently won an <a href="/news/u-t-researchers-sweep-entrepreneurship-r-d-ontario-professional-engineers-awards">Ontario Professional Engineers Award for entrepreneurship</a> and a <a href="/news/u-t-inventor-entrepreneur-honoured-governor-general-s-innovation-award">Governor General鈥檚 Innovation Award</a>, sits on the board of three different startups that grew out of his lab. In addition to Interface, they include Polumiros, which makes a polymer filler that can be used to cosmetically repair patients鈥 breasts following a lumpectomy, and an emerging startup built around a ceramic-based 鈥渂one tape鈥 that could change the way facial fractures are repaired.</p> <p>He鈥檚 also working on a biodegradable cardiac patch that coaxes damaged cardiac tissues to regenerate themselves.&nbsp;</p> <p>Other research interests include devising new restorative dental materials, drug delivery platforms and biomaterials for tissue engineering.</p> <p>In all, 茄子直播鈥檚 Innovations and Partnerships Office says Santerre has filed for 57 patents over the years, although it cautions its records aren鈥檛 exhaustive. Santerre, for his part, says he lost count somewhere after his 60<sup>th</sup> patent filing.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7060 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2017-12-7-ferenbok-%28web-embed%29.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>Joseph Ferenbok is the director of 茄子直播's translational research program and co-director of the H2i accelerator&nbsp;(photo by Chris Sorensen)</em></p> <p>Santerre鈥檚 zeal for commercializing innovation goes beyond his own lab. He鈥檚 also a driving force behind 茄子直播鈥檚 Health Innovation Hub (H2i) incubator, one of several entrepreneurship hubs spread across 茄子直播鈥檚 three Toronto-area campuses.</p> <p>鈥淗is goal is to get 100 companies started that are successful in their own right to help with our ecosystem,鈥 says <strong>Joseph Ferenbok</strong>, who is the director of 茄子直播鈥檚 translational research program in the Faculty of Medicine and co-directs H2i with Santerre.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淗e wants to help students, trainees and researchers avoid some of the pitfalls that he experienced.鈥</p> <p>To that end, Santerre is currently acting as an adviser to no fewer than 41 different H2i startups.</p> <p>Some of those budding entrepreneurs participated in a recent <a href="/news/medical-startups-compete-15000-prizes-u-t-accelerator-s-pitch-event">H2i pitch event</a>. Their ideas ranged from an expandable trocar (the access tunnels used to insert minimal invasive surgical tools) to better-fitting radiation shields for physicians.</p> <p>Other startups that have worked with H2i include: <a href="/news/u-t-startup-trexo-robotics-takes-another-step-forward-children-s-iron-man-exoskeleton">Trexo Robotics</a>, which makes a child-sized exoskeleton for children who are unable to walk; <a href="/news/what-does-speech-reveal-about-our-health-u-t-startup-finds-400-subtle-neurological-health">WinterLight Labs</a>, which uses AI to track cognitive impairment through speech; and <a href="https://medicine.utoronto.ca/news/u-t-start-helps-surgeons-feel-distance">SensOR</a>, which has developed a force-sensing technology to aid surgeons using minimally invasive techniques.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7056 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2017-12-7-Perfectpitch-%28web-embed%29.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>Paul Santerre, far right, and Richard Hegele, the Faculty of Medicine's vice-dean of research and innovation (centre), with the winners of a recent H2i pitch competition (photo by Chris Sorensen)</em></p> <p>While medical innovations are usually thought of in terms of improving patient outcomes, Santerre says a big opportunity exists for entrepreneurs who can find ways to deliver care more efficiently in an age of ballooning health costs.</p> <p>He points, as an example, to Interface鈥檚 work with Fresenius Medical Care, the world鈥檚 largest provider of dialysis products and services. Santerre says each dialysis procedure currently requires patients to be administered expensive anticoagulant drugs 鈥 a cost that could be significantly reduced with addition of Endexo.</p> <p>鈥淭here are millions of patients that undergo regular dialysis daily in North America and around the world,鈥 he notes, adding that all those dosages of anticoagulants quickly add up to hundreds of millions of dollars.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淵ou can see why they鈥檙e very excited about this technology in terms of cost to health care.鈥</p> <p>Santerre credits his training as an engineer for developing his nose for efficiency. While many of his research counterparts in the 1990s were focused on costly biological anti-clotting agents that suffered from stability and shelf-life issues, Santerre says he gravitated to the potential of comparatively cheap and stable polymers.&nbsp;</p> <p>Then, seemingly overnight, spiralling health costs became a front-page story, particularly in the United States.&nbsp;鈥淭hat was the a-ha moment that very few people were paying attention to 鈥 I mean, to be honest, I wasn鈥檛 paying attention to it either in 1990 when I started,鈥 Santerre says.</p> <p>Maybe not, but Santerre was better prepared than most to take advantage of the coming shift in priorities 鈥 and he jumped at the opportunity. 鈥淚 was thinking, 鈥極h my gosh. This is going to be significant,鈥 because the need to drive health-care costs down is an imperative to saving the system,鈥 he says.</p> <p>鈥淚 always say, 鈥楲uck is being ready when the right time happens.鈥 And we were ready when the right time happened.鈥</p> <h3><a href="http://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/">Learn more about 茄子直播 Entrepreneurship</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 07 Dec 2017 16:25:17 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 124158 at The next blockbuster? 茄子直播 startup Protagenic Therapeutics goes public on U.S. stock market /news/next-blockbuster-u-t-startup-protagenic-therapeutics-goes-public-us-stock-market <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">The next blockbuster? 茄子直播 startup Protagenic Therapeutics goes public on U.S. stock market</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-03-10-lovejoy.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fGEErKL0 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-03-10-lovejoy.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=aWIrq6nK 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-03-10-lovejoy.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=JG3pKSiU 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-03-10-lovejoy.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fGEErKL0" alt="Lovejoy lab"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-03-10T14:38:53-05:00" title="Friday, March 10, 2017 - 14:38" class="datetime">Fri, 03/10/2017 - 14:38</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Protagenic Therapeutics comes from research done at David Lovejoy's lab. From left to right, Dr. David Hogg, Professor David Lovejoy, master's students Mia Husic and Ola Michalec and PhD researcher Andrea D'Aquila (photo by Johnny Guatto) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jennifer-robinson" hreflang="en">Jennifer Robinson</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Jennifer Robinson</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/health" hreflang="en">Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/prozac" hreflang="en">Prozac</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/protagenic-therapeutics" hreflang="en">Protagenic Therapeutics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startup" hreflang="en">Startup</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/commercialization" hreflang="en">Commercialization</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research" hreflang="en">Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/genes" hreflang="en">Genes</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovations-partnerships-office" hreflang="en">Innovations &amp; Partnerships Office</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Company fuelled by ongoing discoveries at 茄子直播</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The fortuitous discovery of an ancient&nbsp;gene, which made the leap from bacteria to animals hundreds of millions of years ago, could be the next billion-dollar breakthrough in the antidepressant market.</p> <p>Bigger than Prozac? Maybe.</p> <p>A game-changer in the industry if approved? Absolutely, says <strong>David Lovejoy</strong>, a 茄子直播 neuroendocrinology professor.</p> <p>The company, Protagenic Therapeutics, founded on research conducted in Lovejoy's lab at the Ramsay Wright building,&nbsp;took a&nbsp;leap forward by getting listed on the New York-based OTCQB stock exchange, considered a stepping stone to the NASDAQ.</p> <p>鈥淭his is an entirely new gene, a new process and a paradigm shift in terms of how we look at drugs to relate to stress-associated pathology like depression, anxiety, addictions, post-traumatic stress disorder and even some of the more psychotic conditions like bipolar and schizophrenia,鈥 Lovejoy explains.</p> <p>鈥淭his could lead to an entirely novel approach to treat addiction.鈥</p> <p>And, he says 茄子直播 was the source of all the research behind the&nbsp;hormonal drugs tied to this gene.</p> <p>Thirteen years ago, Lovejoy and his team of student researchers were looking for a family of four genes tied to the stress response in animals when they identified a novel but related gene that was 鈥渟pecial.鈥</p> <p>鈥淎s soon as we had the gene, I went to the University of Toronto Innovations Office [now Innovations &amp; Partnership Office (IPO)] . . . and they got very excited,鈥 says Lovejoy of the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science. As the son of an engineer and businessman, early on he was&nbsp;instilled with&nbsp;the importance of ensuring his research had a practical outlook.</p> <p>茄子直播 encouraged and supported him in the creation of a company, which eventually located its headquarters in New York City with 鈥渁&nbsp;very enthusiastic investor.鈥 A Canadian subsidiary is located in Toronto.</p> <p>鈥淭hey were absolutely fantastic,鈥 Lovejoy says of IPO. 鈥淭hey got us involved with a number of people and introduced us to business development officers . . . Had I not received that support, we would have never gone forward.鈥</p> <p>So how does an ancient gene impact our emotional states in this fast-paced modern world?</p> <p>During the process of evolution, Lovejoy鈥檚 鈥渟pecial鈥 gene became important for the normal function of brain cells in humans. Protagenic鈥檚 natural hormone drugs are based on a small protein encoded by this gene, located on the X chromosome.</p> <p>When stressed, cells are starved for nutrients. He describes the response as similar to when we have bills piling up and not enough money in our bank accounts to pay.</p> <p>鈥淚f someone hands you a cheque for a $100,000, you don鈥檛 have that stress. That鈥檚 what this hormone does,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t protects the cells and turns on their ability to utilize nutrients against neurodegeneration and stressors, but it鈥檚 completely natural . . .</p> <p>鈥淭his hormone is so important in humans there are virtually four identical copies of it. It鈥檚 the only hormone that is that well conserved. It鈥檚 that important. It predates insulin, and yet it does a lot of the same things that insulin does.鈥</p> <p>At this time, Protagenic Therapeutics is well into its preclinical work and is expected to start phase 1 clinical trials later this year or early next year for use in treating depression, anxiety and addiction, Lovejoy says. If deemed safe and approved by the U.S. Food &amp; Drug Administration, their product could be on the market in as little as six years.</p> <p>Going public will help fund these trials, which can take tens of millions of dollars and years to complete. But he says his company has two important advantages: they have a drug&nbsp;that is different, i.e. not in competition with previously approved offerings, and the drug comes from natural hormones 鈥渢hat the body is already prepared to deal with.鈥</p> <p>The experience of creating a startup and launching the company publicly has been an exciting ride, Lovejoy says, adding he鈥檚 open to talking to fellow academics about taking the plunge.</p> <p>It鈥檚 an idea with growing interest on campus. In the years since he created his company, the number of faculty research-based startups and inventions has skyrocketed at the University of Toronto.</p> <p>From 2011-2015, IPO reported 837 inventions, 244 patent applications and 89 research-based startups. Those with licensing agreements with 茄子直播 鈥 like Protagenic Therapeutics 鈥 have generated $49 million in revenue.</p> <p>鈥淭he interaction of Protagenic Therapeutics, the University of Toronto, our department of Cell and Systems Biology and our IP people has been instrumental in our success,鈥 he says. 鈥淢y grad students and a number of my undergrad students are gaining training in understanding the commercialization process. Indeed, some of them are named as co-inventors on patents.</p> <p>鈥淚 think we鈥檝e achieved a seamless transition between academia, patent protection and commercialization.鈥</p> <p><strong>Andrea D鈥橝quila</strong>, a PhD student in Prof. Lovejoy鈥檚 lab, agrees.</p> <p>鈥淔ew academic laboratories provide experiences with both academia and industry,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 have been able to publish in academic journals, as well as being named as a co-inventor on patent applications. As a scientist-in-training, it鈥檚 one of the best experiences to understand both sides of the coin in discovery and development.鈥</p> <p><strong>Jennifer Fraser</strong>, IPO鈥檚 current director, adds that the university is proud to have been a part of the&nbsp;project.</p> <p>鈥 We knew it would be several years before a product would make it to market, but we were able to identify a unique investor,鈥 Fraser says. 鈥淒r. Lovejoy鈥檚 passion came through in our discussions with them. That made all the difference.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 10 Mar 2017 19:38:53 +0000 ullahnor 105687 at