Inaugural Research Canada Innovates event at The Institute a resounding success

Sold-out event united health researchers and innovators to shape the future of healthcare

SOURCE: Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute)
April 3, 2025

On March 24, 2025, The Institute proudly partnered with Research Canada to host the inaugural Research Canada Innovates event in Montreal. The sold-out gathering brought together trainees, researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, policymakers and industry leaders for a day of thought-provoking discussions and bold ideas. Featuring outstanding speakers focused on innovation and healthcare, the event tackled pressing challenges, sparked dialogue on transformative solutions, and explored the future of health research and technology.

The event opened with the Emerging Researcher Innovation Showcase, a poster competition featuring work from research trainees from across Canada. With 36 submissions from over 30 institutions, the Showcase featured innovative projects in AI, digital health, and precision medicine—demonstrating fresh perspectives and potential solutions to transform patient care, treatments, and healthcare systems.

Alison Evans, President and Chief Executive Officer of Research Canada, and Dr. Rhian Touyz, Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer of The Institute

Once settled in the Cruess Amphitheater, attendees were welcomed by The Institute’s Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Rhian Touyz. Dr. Touyz highlighted how perfectly this event aligned with The Institute’s 2030 Vision, emphasizing that innovation thrives in an environment of collaboration across disciplines, domains, and communities.

The heart of the event lay in two thought-provoking panel discussions featuring experts from academia, healthcare, government and industry. The first panel, entitled “Shaping the Future of Precision Medicine in Canada” focused on Canada’s readiness for the future of companion diagnostics in precision medicine and liquid biopsy. Companion diagnostics are tests that help determine the most effective treatment for a patient based on their individual characteristics, such as genetic makeup or disease markers.

Speakers included:

Moderator: Ilias Iliopolous, AstraZeneca Canada
Antoine Desilets, Montréal Cancer Research Institute
Gerald Batist, McGill University/Jewish General Hospital
Alvina Nadeem, Patient Advocate Hasna Rouighi, Santé Quebec
Alice Dragomir, RI-MUHC
Melanie Martin, INESSS

The second panel, entitled “Visionary Perspectives on Quebec’s Health Research and Innovation Ecosystem”, tackled the broader landscape of health research and innovation in the province. Conversations were candid, addressing both challenges and opportunities. The dialog underscored the importance of cross-sector collaboration in driving meaningful progress.

Speakers included:

Moderator: Elizabeth Douville, IRICoR
Julie Couture, FRQ
Véronique Dugas, CQDM
David Buckeridge, MUHC
Maxime Pesant, Fonds de solidarité FTQ
Martin Leblanc, CellCarta
Josh Walonoski, Medeloop

A defining moment came when Panel 2 moderator Elizabeth Douville (IRICoR) urged attendees to see the evolving political climate not as an obstacle, but as a catalyst for change. She called for collective action to reduce barriers to innovation—particularly by improving access to data—highlighting how policy and research must work hand in hand to accelerate impact.

The afternoon concluded with the announcement of the winners of the poster competition, including Avesta Gheysari, Simran Jaffer, Eleane Hamburger, Tarek Klaylat, and Eva Sénéchal.

"It was a pleasure to engage with so many passionate individuals, exchange ideas, and spark crucial discussions about the future of health research and innovation in Canada," said Benoît Chambaron, Manager of the Pre-Awards Office at The Institute and the primary organizer of the event. "We are eager to maintain this momentum and look forward to hosting more events like this in the future."

The afternoon concluded with a lively cocktail reception, where discussions continued informally, followed by an evening networking event at the World Trade Centre Montréal, hosted by Medeloop.

Research Canada and The Institute thank sponsors Medeloop and AstraZeneca for making this event possible.