The Health Innovation Roundup, sponsored by Health City, is written and published weekly by Taproot Edmonton to bring you the latest news and events in research, technology, companies and people changing health for the better in Edmonton.

Sign up to get the full edition delivered directly to your inbox. Use the code HEALTHCITY & you’ll get 10% off the first year.

Here are some highlights from this week’s Health Innovation Roundup:

Headlines

  • The Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology at the U of A is receiving $20-million in provincial funding as a part of Budget 2021 to develop its own vaccines and expand research capacity.
  • A new research project at the U of A is looking to develop innovative precision diagnostics that could predict which men with prostate cancer are at risk of developing a more aggressive form of the disease.
  • Alberta Health Services has issued a request for proposals (RFP) in an effort to provide more publicly-funded surgeries for Albertans. AHS said the RFP is part of the Alberta Surgical Initiative (ASI) being implemented to ensure all Albertans receive scheduled surgeries within clinically appropriate targets.
  • The City of Edmonton will offer free menstrual products in all women’s and gender-inclusive washrooms in city-owned facilities by June 16.
  • Edmonton-based biotechnology company Ceapro announced the successful completion of a collaborative research and development program with the U of A. Ceapro said in a statement the project advances the application and utility of the company’s technologies to develop innovative delivery systems composed of new chemical complexes.
  • BioAlberta has joined 18 other organizations across Canada to call on the federal government for more collaboration to create a world-class life sciences sector and solve the pandemic today and future health challenges.
  • Edmonton-based BioNeutra is receiving a $2.94M investment from the federal government to accelerate the company’s manufacturing capacity.
  • Alberta Blue Cross and the Mental Health Foundation are partnering with Kickstand to launch a new mental wellness messaging service. MoreGoodDays delivers daily tips and support to guide young people to manage their mental health.
  • U of A PhD student Grant Bruno is studying autism in First Nations communities. Bruno told CBC News there’s minimal academic literature on the lived experience of autism in his community, where many don’t get diagnosed until they are adults.
  • Edmonton-based personal injury tool Painworth has acquired California legal-tech startup ProSe Claims. The free Painsworth app makes it possible for injury claimants to find out what their claim might be worth.
  • CDI College has raised $5,000 for the Cross Cancer Institute. The fundraising campaign was started in early March by the Edmonton campus and surpassed its original fundraising goal within days.
  • AltaML’s Applied AI Lab was featured in a news piece by A100. The article highlighted AltaML’s role in supporting AI in Edmonton and Calgary.

Events

Have a suggestion for a future edition? Send it to hello@taprootedmonton.ca for consideration.

Become a “Roundup Cultivator” and sponsor Taproot Edmonton to help them chronicle health innovation in Edmonton. Learn more

Health Innovation Roundup
Health Innovation Roundup