Coming Fall 2022
On November 16, six teams will compete for two research prizes: The Odette Award for Health System Innovation and The Keenan Award for Medical Discovery.
Each team will pitch to celebrity judges who, along with our panel of jurors, will vote for the winners. At stake? Half a million dollars of funding. And once again, you, the audience, will get to choose your favourite team for The Canada Life People's Choice Award.
Register to get insider updates before the show.
Transforming scientific discoveries into novel therapies, better diagnostics, vaccines or medical devices.
Keenan Award for Medical Discovery
Odette Award for Health System Innovation
Improving our healthcare system by increasing its effectiveness, efficiency, equitability or sustainability.
The Awards
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Corporate Jurors
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Team Biographies
Registration Sponsor
John Barford
Jurors
Bass Associates
Professional Corporation
Greg and Susie Belton
Tony Cesta
David Cooper
Vito & Nancy Culmone
Mark Curry
Gail Dhruv
The Hon. Nicky Eaton
Janet Fanaki
Elaine Kierans & Shawn McReynolds
The Krembil Foundation
Barbara Lemaire
George Longo
Joe Mazzocco
James McPhedran
Pat Meneley
Mary Mullen
Andrew Mullen
NEI Investments
PBY Capital
Diane Perry
The Honourable David Peterson
Tony Rodrigues
Harcharan (Harry) and Prembal Singh
Sarah Stevens
Kate Stevenson
Dan & Sandra Sullivan
Kristine Thompson
Richard Thorpe
Charles & Maureen Tillett
Savita Verma
Impact & Main
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Team Award Sponsors
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Special Thanks To
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NextGen Sponsors
Ann Savege
Catherine Bateman
Louise Cannon
Barbara Zvan
Helen Sinclair
Lisa Melchior
Beverly Topping
Joanne De Laurentiis
Maureen Kempston Darkes
Veronica Maidman
Samantha Yammine - Judge
Samantha Yammine, PhD, is a neuroscientist and popular Science Communicator. As @science.sam on Instagram and TikTok, she’s an innovative leader in making science more familiar, accessible, and inclusive. Sam is a regular guest expert on Netflix, TVO Kids, CBC GEM, Discovery UK, CBC Radio, and AsapSCIENCE. She sits on the Board for RCIScience and ScienceUpFirst. Sam was named one of Toronto Life’s Top 50 Most Influential People in Toronto in 2021.
Eugenia Addy - Judge
Eugenia Addy is a seasoned educator, a community organizer, a media personality and a passionate advocate. She is also the CEO of Visions of Science, a charity that helps young people from marginalized communities reach their fullest potential by connecting them to STEM. Eugenia holds both an HBA in Chemistry and Biology and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Toronto. You've likely seen her work in national magazines and newspapers and on the TEDx stage.
Dan Riskin - Judge
Dan Riskin, PhD, is a bat biologist, science journalist, author and speaker. He is best known as CTV’s Science and Technology Specialist, former co-host of Daily Planet on Discovery and author of the bestselling book Mother Nature is Trying to Kill You. When not leading wildlife tours in the tropics, or talking about science on the news, Dan spends time with his wife Shelby and three great kids. His first science book for kids, Fiona the Fruit Bat, was published last year.
Bonnie Brooks - Judge
Bonnie Brooks, C.M., MBA, has over 35 years of global retail executive experience, including at Chicos FAS USA and Hudson’s Bay Company. She was inducted into the American Marketing Hall of Legends. Bonnie was awarded the Order of Canada for her contributions to Canadian culture, and received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her service to the Canadian Olympic Association. Among her many not-for-profit leadership roles is as Chair of the Royal Ontario Museum.
Jennifer Hsiung - Host
As co-anchor of CP24 Breakfast, Jennifer Hsiung delivers all the news that viewers across Toronto and the GTHA need to start their day. With more than a decade of international broadcasting experience, Hsuing has covered a wide range of stories for CP24 both at home and abroad since joining the station in September 2020 – including daily updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
Meet the Judges & Host
Gwen Harvey, Co-Chair
Melissa Martin, Co-Chair
Nancy Abbey
Cath Bradley
Jill Burgin
Dr. Erica Conte
Gail Dhruv
John McCartney
Weston McComb
James McPhedran
Mary Mullen
Sherri Neldner
Tony Rodrigues
Dr. Ori Rotstein
Mark Smithyes
Our Committee
Gwen Harvey, Co-Chair
Melissa Martin, Co-Chair
Jill Burgin
Dr. Erica Conte
Gail Dhruv
John McCartney
Weston McComb
Mary Mullen
James McPhedran
William Pringle
Dr. Ori Rotstein
Tony Rodrigues
Mark Smithyes
Suctioning Stones for Clean Kidneys
Dr. Monica Farcas
MORE
Keenan Award for Medical Discovery
Dr. Monica Farcas
Investigator, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Surgeon-Entrepreneur, Urologist, St. Michael’s Hospital
THE CHALLENGE: The pain of kidney stones is excruciating and 10 percent of adults have an attack in their lifetime. While surgeons can remove kidney stones by breaking them with lasers, the process leaves tiny fragments, like sand, that can create new stones over time. With too many recurrences, people can lose their kidney function altogether.
THE SOLUTION: Dr. Monica Farcas has invented a device that sucks up the kidney stone fragments during surgery leaving the patient completely stone free. Now they want to take the prototype to the next level. For the patient, the innovation means healthy kidneys and a pain-free life. And for the health-care system, it means fewer emergency visits and operations.
Watch Her Pitch
Congratulations to our 2022 Winners
Meet the Teams
The 2022 Angels Den competitors pitched their research projects that make access to care faster. That customize treatments to each patient. That prevent disease and disability. That make healthcare more human. This is HUMANCARE.
Keenan Award for Medical Discovery
Cardio MedCheck: Is Your Medicine Working?
Dr. Mohammad Qadura | Muzammil Syed
MORE
Dr. Mohammad Qadura
Clinician Scientist, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and Vascular Surgeon, St. Michael's Hospital
Muzammil Syed
Research Staff, St. Michael’s Hospital
THE CHALLENGE
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death globally. Although millions of people are prescribed medications to treat their condition, more than 30 percent don’t get the right dosages or medication. One reason is that factors such as weight and genetics that impact how well a medication performs are normally not considered.
THE SOLUTION
Dr. Mohammad Qadura and Muzammil Syed have developed Cardio MedCheck. The device is a convenient urine test that measures the amount of cardiovascular drugs in your system to assess whether your body can absorb the medication, if you have the right amount, or if you need a different medication.
Watch Their Pitch
Six teams will compete for two research prizes: The Odette Award for Health System Innovation and The Keenan Award for Medical Discovery.
Each team will pitch to celebrity judges who, along with our panel of jurors, will vote for the winners. At stake? Half a million dollars of funding. And once again, you, the audience, will get to choose your favourite team for The Canada Life People's Choice Award.
About
Keenan Award for Medical Discovery
Cancelling Chemo: An Alternative Treatment for Kidney Cancer
Dr. Rola Saleeb | Dr. Kelsie Thu
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Dr. Rola Saleeb
Clinician Investigator, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, and Pathologist, St. Michael’s Hospital
Dr. Kelsie Thu
Scientist, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael’s Hospital, and Canada Research Chair in Lung Cancer Therapy Response
THE CHALLENGE
Every year, over 85,000 people in North America are diagnosed with kidney cancer. It’s a silent killer that can go undetected for years; one in four will die. Since there are many different types of kidney cancer, each with its unique biology, the current one-size-fits-all approach to therapy doesn’t work.
THE SOLUTION
Dr. Rola Saleeb and Dr. Kelsie Thu want to tailor kidney cancer treatment. They have identified a gene that defines the second most common type of kidney cancer which may make these tumours respond to a safe and Health Canada approved allergy medication. By testing this therapy, they hope to slow down kidney cancer growth and provide an alternative to chemotherapy.
Watch Their Pitch
Keenan Award for Medical Discovery
Trauma AI: Data to Decisions
Dr. Michelle Sholzberg | Dr. Brodie Nolan
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Dr. Michelle Sholzberg
Clinician Scientist, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and Hematologist, St. Michael’s Hospital
Dr. Brodie Nolan
Clinician Scientist, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and Emergency Physician, St. Michael’s Hospital
THE CHALLENGE
More than 6,000 people in Ontario die each year from traumatic injuries. The leading cause is severe blood loss. Every minute a blood transfusion is delayed increases the odds of death by five percent. But what if AI could help emergency physicians decide quickly what products will best treat injured patients?
THE SOLUTION
Dr. Brodie Nolan and Dr. Michelle Sholzberg will create AI algorithms that analyze a patient’s vital signs and blood tests in real time to develop a personalized treatment plan. A monitor in the trauma bay will quickly show the right products that need to be administered, saving precious minutes and saving more lives.
Watch Their Pitch
Odette Award for Health System Innovation
The Thrive Program: Breaking the Cycle of Youth Violence
Dr. Carolyn Snider | Deshawn Hibbert
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Dr. Carolyn Snider
Clinician Scientist, MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and Chief of Emergency Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital
Deshawn Hibbert
THRIVE Coach, St. Michael’s Hospital
THE CHALLENGE
Youth who have been injured by violence often end up in the emergency department. 20% are at an increased risk of a repeat injury. 42% will experience post-traumatic stress disorders for up to six years. Can an emergency department-based program that intervenes on the spot break the cycle of violence?
THE SOLUTION
Working with community and hospital partners, Dr. Carolyn Snider and Deshawn Hibbert co-designed and launched THRIVE: Toronto Hospitals Reducing Injury from Violence, a program that supports survivors of violent crimes. Now, this team wants to prove that providing mental health support and trauma counselling for six to 12 months after they are discharged from the emergency department will further disrupt the cycle of violence, allowing traumatized youth the opportunity to stay safe and thrive.
Watch Their Pitch
Odette Award for Health System Innovation
Confusion to Clarity: Preventing Delirium
Dr. Fahad Razak | Dr. Amol Verma
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Dr. Fahad Razak
Clinician Scientist, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and General Internal Medicine Physician, St. Michael’s Hospital
Dr. Amol Verma
Clinician Scientist, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and General Internal Medicine Physician, St. Michael’s Hospital
THE CHALLENGE
Delirium is a state of confusion that affects one in three hospitalized adults. Patients experiencing delirium have two times the mortality rate and stay in the hospital for an average of eight days longer. Up to 40 percent of delirium cases can be prevented through interventions that improve sleep, mobility, cognition and nutrition. However, our overburdened healthcare staff often do not know who is at high risk of developing delirium.
THE SOLUTION
Dr. Amol Verma and Dr. Fahad Razak want to develop an AI tool that predicts which patients are at high risk of developing delirium. The tool will alert healthcare workers in real-time so they can intervene and prevent delirium from occurring. Not only will patients fare better, but costs to the healthcare system will be significantly reduced.
Watch Their Pitch
Odette Award for Health System Innovation
Our Healthbox: Supplies and Support Without Stigma
Dr. Sean B. Rourke | Dr. Aaron Orkin
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Dr. Sean B. Rourke
Clinician Scientist, MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital
Dr. Aaron Orkin
Clinician Scientist, MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and Emergency Physician, St. Joseph’s Hospital
THE CHALLENGE
People experiencing homelessness struggle to get quality healthcare. This marginalized population often has complex health issues, such as HIV and opioid use, and stigma hinders their access to quality healthcare. How can we break down barriers to get people the healthcare where and when they need it?
THE SOLUTION
Dr. Sean B. Rourke and Dr. Aaron Orkin have developed Our Healthbox, a dispensing machine that contains items such as HIV self-tests, naloxone kits and other health supplies. Partnering with people who have lived experience of homelessness, they will place these machines in Toronto shelters to provide the health supports and supplies without the barrier of meeting with a healthcare provider. Their research will determine if the program is reaching those who need it most—and save the lives of people who often are overlooked by the healthcare system.
Watch Their Pitch
The Research Innovation Council is an exclusive group that chooses top scientists to receive RIC funding to launch their research projects. This is your chance to impact some of the toughest and timeliest health issues – like those you’re watching on Angels Den. Invest $10,000 per year over five years – and make medical ingenuity possible.
Want to go behind the scenes of medical research and launch a life-changing project? You can.
Improving our health care system by increasing effectiveness, efficiency, equitability or sustainability.
Join the Research Innovation Council
Angels Den 2023
Angels Den is back – returning in-person, at Meridian Hall, for its 9th year. On October 11, 2023, six teams of St. Michael’s Hospital's top scientists will pitch their groundbreaking research projects to judges and jurors for a chance at $500,000 in funding.
This year’s line-up of finalists are experts in emergency medicine, critical care, community medicine, cancer and heart disease. And they are tackling everything from personalized medicine and equitable access to healthcare, to developing AI-powered health tools. For more information, contact Lindsay Grange.
Having trouble watching on YouTube? Click here. If you’re experiencing technical difficulties, contact HasanFar@smh.ca
Breathe Easy: The Personalized Ventilator is Here
Dr. Muhammad Mamdani | Dr. Laurent Brochard
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Odette Award For Health Innovation
Dr. Laurent Brochard
Clinician Scientist, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Keenan Chair in Critical Care and Acute Respiratory Failure, and Intensive Care Physician, St. Michael’s Hospital
Dr. Muhammad Mamdani
Scientist, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute and Vice President, Data Science and Advanced Analytics, and Odette Chair in Advanced Analytics, St. Michael’s Hospital
THE CHALLENGE: Mechanical ventilation saves lives. But if it’s not matched to each patient, it can further damage lungs, cause anxiety, pain and discomfort, and even injure other organs. For too many patients, that can mean prolonged stays in hospital, and lead to long-term disability or even death. Not surprisingly, each patient needs different levels of ventilation. How can clinicians make sure a patient gets the full benefit of mechanical ventilation, with none of its bad effects?
THE SOLUTION: Dr. Laurent Brochard and Dr. Muhammad Mamdani will create and deploy into practice AI algorithms that analyze a patient’s status, minute-by-minute. The clinicians then use this information to adjust the ventilation based on patients’ real-time needs which results in less sedation, fewer complications and deaths, and quicker recovery. And for hospitals, that means ICU beds are freed up faster to care for other critically ill patients.
Watch Their Pitch
MyEndo: The App that Eases Endometriosis
Dr. Carmen McCaffrey | Dr. Elizabeth Miazga
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Canada Life People’s Choice Award
Dr. Carmen McCaffrey
Investigator, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgeon, St. Michael’s Hospital
Dr. Elizabeth Miazga
Clinical Fellow, Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, St. Michael’s Hospital
THE CHALLENGE: Endometriosis is an agonizing pelvic disease that afflicts 10 percent of women and people assigned female at birth. Diagnosis is often delayed by 5-10 years and surgery may take years to book, leaving women to suffer with chronic pain, infertility, and significantly impaired quality of life. First-line treatments, like mindfulness and pelvic floor physiotherapy, are effective but often not accessible. They can be too costly for some, since they’re not covered by OHIP, and providers are few and far between.
THE SOLUTION: Dr. Carmen McCaffrey and Dr. Elizabeth Miazga have already developed a basic MyEndo app, which hosts a mindfulness course for patients with endometriosis that eases pain. Now they want to expand the app to include a wide range of online treatments and educational resources, making it free and open access, so women everywhere can get the care they desperately need and deserve.