RI-MUHC researchers and trainees collaborate on four winning teams

SOURCE: McGill Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

The Sixth Annual McGill Clinical Innovation Competition and Awards Ceremony took place on May 11, 2023. Congratulations to the researchers and trainees from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) who numbered among the winners and finalists! From pediatric trauma care to individualized care for vulnerable older patients, their winning projects below have the potential to impact clinical care across the lifespan.

Winner of the Hakim Family Innovation Prize: PL Signals

Lung fibrosis is a serious chronic and progressive disease with limited treatment options. TGF-beta is a potent pro-fibrotic factor, and its excessive action plays a central role in lung fibrosis. The PL Signals team developed a novel anti-fibrotic biologic that traps TGF-beta with high specificity and efficiently reduces lung fibrosis in preclinical models and in vitro in patients’ fibrotic cells. Anie Philip, PhD, of the Injury Repair Recovery (IRR) Program at the RI-MUHC, led this innovative team.

Anie Philip, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
Shikha Chawla, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
Kenneth Finnson, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
Jini John, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
Tenzin Kungyal, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University

Winner of the First Marika Zelenka Roy Innovation Prize: CoreSlicer

CoreSlicer is a cloud-based AI platform that automates the measurement of frailty and body composition from clinically available medical images (CT, MRI, ultrasound). The insights provided by CoreSlicer empower clinicians to individualize the care of vulnerable older patients to prevent postoperative complications, fatal adverse events, and emergency readmissions. The team is led by Jonathan Afilalo, a researcher in the Cardiovascular Health Across the Lifespan Program at the RI-MUHC.

Jonathan Afilalo, MD, MSc, Principal Scientist, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University
Philippe Marchandise, Lead Developer
Ding Yi Zhang, Data Scientist & Medical Student
Zara Vajihi, Machine Learning Engineer
Magueye Diagne, Data Engineer
Jeremie Abitbol, Strategic Analyst
Ibrahim Mohamed, Full-Stack Developer
Robert Viengkhou, Interface Designer
Louis Mullie, MD, MSc, Prior Member
Marc Afilalo, MD, Clinical Scientist

Winner of the Second Marika Zelenka Roy Simnovation Prize: PeTIT VR

PeTIT VR (Pediatric Trauma Innovative Training) is a virtual reality course designed to enhance the skills of healthcare students and providers in pediatric trauma care. By leveraging the immersive and interactive nature of virtual reality technology, PeTIT VR is able to provide a unique and effective training experience that increases the quality of care and safety for pediatric trauma patients. Team member Dr. Dan Poenaru is a senior scientist in the Child Health and Human Development Program at the RI-MUHC.

Fabio Botelho, MD, Experimental Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
Dan Poenaru, MD, Experimental Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
Elena Guadagno, MLIS, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Montreal Children's Hospital
Hamed Ranjbar, MSc, Experimental Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University

Winner of the First-Place MI4 Innovation Prize and the Bereskin & Parr Innovation Prize: BacPen DIAGNOSTIC

BacPen DIAGNOSTIC is a medical device start-up focused on a real-time point-of-care approach for diagnosing bacterial infections. They have developed a technology using electrochemistry that allows detection and specifically quantification for bacteria and other biological moieties in liquid and solid specimens. Géraldine Merle, PhD, and Edward Harvey, MDCM, M.Sc., are members of the IRR Program at the RI-MUHC.

Geraldine Merle, Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique
Edward Harvey, Professor, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
Raphael Trouillon, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering, Polytechnique

Learn more on the McGill University website

June 7, 2023