Mar 28, 2017

Pillars of Health: Making Connections in Health Innovation

Pillars of Health
By

Dan Haves

Pillars of Health

More than 200 students, researchers, physicians, and thought leaders gathered together at JLABS@Toronto this week to brainstorm solutions to some of the problems in the health care system. Hosted by the Health Innovation Hub, Pillars of Health was a student-led event that provided an opportunity for students to meet with mentors and pitch some of their ideas for health care.

“It was a great chance for students to learn about areas of health care they might not otherwise think about, like public health, funding and health policy,” says co-organizer Edyta Marcon, a first-year student in the Translational Research Program at the Institute of Medical Sciences. “It also provided a space for connections not only between mentors and students but also among mentors from different fields.’’

Among the attendees was Professor Richard Hegele (Vice-Dean of Research at the Faculty of Medicine), who delivered a note of welcome.

Attendees participated in a “speed dating” style networking session where they moved from station to station for brief one-on-one conversations with others from a variety of health disciplines to talk about their research and professional interests. The hope is that from these connections new ideas and potential collaborations can be formed.

“It’s a wonderful event,” says Hegele. “It’s a unique opportunity for our students and faculty meet to be able to meet with industry and other key stakeholders so they can take their discoveries and translate them into technology and products that will improve health outcomes for Canadians and people around the world.”

Pillars of Health is part of U of T’s inaugural Entrepreneurship Week, with events planned across campus to help celebrate entrepreneurship and research innovation.