Day one
Registration and Networking
MaRS Auditorium
30 min
Participate in 1:1 roulette style conversations
Hopin
30 min
Welcome to MaRS Impact Health
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
5 min
What to expect at the conference this week.
What to expect at the conference this week.
Building a national biotech and life sciences ecosystem
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
45 min
“You’ve got to think about building the racetrack and the facility of the racetrack, rather than...
“You’ve got to think about building the racetrack and the facility of the racetrack, rather than betting on individual horses.”
— Andrew Casey, President and CEO, BIOTECanada
It’s a common refrain: Canada is great at research, but we need to get better at commercializing our discoveries and anchoring them here. The last two years have been promising, so have we finally bridged the gap between discovery and commercialization in life sciences? What else is needed to address the investment, infrastructure and talent necessary to support a flourishing biotech industry in Canada? This panel will take an in-depth look at current efforts to build Canada’s biotech ecosystem, which includes nurturing ventures, raising capital, boosting manufacturing capacity and attracting talent.
Decentralizing biotech
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
35 min
The speedy creation of COVID vaccines showed the potential of collaboration and adopting more flexible models...
The speedy creation of COVID vaccines showed the potential of collaboration and adopting more flexible models for biotech development. Centralized funding and top-down decision-making are giving way to a more decentralized network where startups run by scientist-CEOs are creating innovative partnerships with pharma companies. How is this model working in practice? And will it lead to better therapies faster?
Out of the lab, into the patient: Canada’s commercial opportunity in cell and gene therapy manufacturing
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
35 min
Canada’s cell and gene manufacturing industry is at an inflection point. Companies are transitioning from drug...
Canada’s cell and gene manufacturing industry is at an inflection point. Companies are transitioning from drug discovery into producing therapies for clinical trials. Looming on the horizon is the need for full-scale commercial manufacturing. But how much of that production will happen in Canada?
Break
Philanthropy and health innovation
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
35 min
Foundations and donors across North America are finding new ways to catalyze health innovation. New funding...
Foundations and donors across North America are finding new ways to catalyze health innovation. New funding models, like venture philanthropy, aim to bridge the chasms between revolutionary research and the commercialization of lifesaving therapies and equipment. What new approaches can inspire people to give across the health innovation journey?
Day two
Registration and networking
MaRS Auditorium
60 min
Participate in 1:1 roulette style conversations
Hopin
60 min
Welcome, introductions and what to expect at MaRS Impact Health
Fireside chat with Pieter Cullis and Katalin Karikó: From basic research to world-changing therapies
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
45 min
In April 2022, Katalin Karikó, senior vice president of BioNTech in Germany, was named one of...
In April 2022, Katalin Karikó, senior vice president of BioNTech in Germany, was named one of this year’s recipients of the Canada Gairdner International Award, one of the top global prizes in biomedicine. She was recognized alongside Pieter Cullis, the University of British Columbia scientist whose development of nanomedicines provided the delivery mechanism for COVID-19 vaccines.
This discussion, moderated by Janet Rossant, Gairdner Foundation president and scientific director, will explore how the two scientists produced one of the most consequential and widely used medical interventions in a generation: messenger RNA vaccines against COVID-19.
Tackling international markets: How Canadian ventures can address health challenges globally
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
25 min
This session will feature several initiatives that support high potential health ventures that are ready to...
This session will feature several initiatives that support high potential health ventures that are ready to tackle global markets. Hear from entrepreneurs who are growing across the United States and in international markets through a blend of tailored connections to financing, innovation partners and export markets, funding programs, workshops, mentorship and networking.
Venture Showcase 1: Digital Health
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
35 min
This session features pitches from six leading startups in digital health, followed by a Q&A with...
This session features pitches from six leading startups in digital health, followed by a Q&A with a panel of venture capitalists and industry thought leaders. Participants will have the chance to request 1-on-1 meetings with the presenting companies.
Lunch
Tackling misinformation and building trust in science
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
30 min
During the pandemic, we saw firsthand how misinformation and distrust in science has a direct impact...
During the pandemic, we saw firsthand how misinformation and distrust in science has a direct impact on human health. False content amplified by social media makes it challenging for health officials and the public to navigate health information and make informed decisions. This discussion will explore the impact of misinformation and strategies for building trust in science and medicine.
Investor Roundtable
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
40 min
Some of Canada’s top investors discuss major driving factors, challenges and prospects that will define the...
Some of Canada’s top investors discuss major driving factors, challenges and prospects that will define the growth of the health innovation sector in the coming years.
Heartbeat-tracking: Collaborating with big tech to drive better patient outcomes
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
30 min
Dr. Heather Ross, a UHN expert in cardiology, talks about how physiologic signs from Apple devices...
Dr. Heather Ross, a UHN expert in cardiology, talks about how physiologic signs from Apple devices can help manage disease and prevent poor clinical outcomes.
Break
Venture Showcase 2: Medical Devices
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
40 min
This session features pitches from six leading startups in medical devices, followed by a Q&A with...
This session features pitches from six leading startups in medical devices, followed by a Q&A with a panel of venture capitalists and industry thought leaders. Participants will have the chance to request 1-on-1 meetings with the presenting companies.
Sam Ifergan
iGan Partners
Melicent Lavers-Sailly
Medtronic Canada
Anne Woods
Silicon Valley Bank Canada
Jonathan Toma
Tidal Medical
Youssef Helwa
NERv Technology Inc.
Ron Mills
Northernmost
Daniel Gelman
Aufero Medical
Pooya Saberi
Sensoreal
Saumik Biswas
Tenomix
Amol Deshpande
MaRS Discovery District
Bootstrap to billions: The Baylis Medical story
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
25 min
Kris Shah, co-founder and president of Baylis Medical, describes how a bootstrapped Canadian health innovator landed...
Kris Shah, co-founder and president of Baylis Medical, describes how a bootstrapped Canadian health innovator landed a U.S.$1.75-billion sale to Boston Scientific. Kris shares how he scaled Baylis from two employees to a workforce of 1,000 and offers his take on how Canada can improve innovation success in the medical device space.
Networking reception
MaRS Centre (Lower Concourse)
90 min
Mix and mingle with fellow Impact Health attendees.
Mix and mingle with fellow Impact Health attendees.
Day three
Participate in 1:1 roulette style conversations
Hopin
60 min
Breakfast info session with Switzerland
MaRS Centre (CR-4)
60 min
An ideal location for life sciences companies of all sizes to base their European operations, Switzerland’s...
An ideal location for life sciences companies of all sizes to base their European operations, Switzerland’s dynamic ecosystem, underpinned by giants Roche and Novartis and leading academic institutions, provides excellent soft-landing options, research collaboration, ease of clinical trials and outstanding multi-cultural talent.
Invention to market: Open science and commercialization
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
30 min
What are the best new models for bringing life science innovation to the market? Can commercialization...
What are the best new models for bringing life science innovation to the market? Can commercialization and open science coexist? This discussion will try to square the seeming tension and essential partnership between intellectual property and open science in drug discovery.
Fireside chat with Nick Glover: Winning through (clinical) trials and errors
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
20 min
A.I. and biotech
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
35 min
A.I./M.L. innovations now affect almost every aspect of our lives. As the digital merges with the...
A.I./M.L. innovations now affect almost every aspect of our lives. As the digital merges with the biological, many new opportunities will emerge in our ability to discover, deploy and market new therapeutics. Meet several A.I.-based ventures — Cyclica, BenchSci, ODAIA and deepCDR — changing our perspectives on pharmaceuticals as they move from bench to bedside.
Medicine in the Metaverse
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
40 min
The metaverse (or at least what it will become) has triggered the invention of a number...
The metaverse (or at least what it will become) has triggered the invention of a number of new medical devices and processes. And while critics have raised concerns about metaverse privacy and overhype, these healthcare products have real transformational substance. This panel features several ventures and clinicians using cutting-edge technologies to enhance care.
Lunch
Venture Showcase 3: Biotech
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
95 min
This session features pitches from six leading startups in biotechnology, followed by a Q&A with a...
This session features pitches from six leading startups in biotechnology, followed by a Q&A with a panel of venture capitalists and industry thought leaders. Participants will have the chance to request 1-on-1 meetings with the presenting companies.
Yin He
Amazon
Ali Tehrani
Amplitude VC
Parimal Nathwani
Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners (TIAP)
Mohammad Ali Amini
Nanology Labs Inc.
Gabriel Musso
BioSymetrics
Andrew Lingard
Armistice Biotherapeutics
Ali Hashemi
CSTS Health Care
Chris Ahuja
Inteligex
George Nikopoulos
Mannin Research Inc.
Amol Deshpande
MaRS Discovery District
The power minority in biotech
MaRS Auditorium and Hopin
30 min
A discussion on gender equity in the biotech and life science industry, as well as the...
A discussion on gender equity in the biotech and life science industry, as well as the importance of prioritizing inclusive innovation in order to boost the commercialization of breakthrough science in Canada and tackle ongoing gaps in women’s healthcare.