The Health Innovation Roundup, sponsored by Health Cities, 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 NanoSpeed Diagnostics is seeing success using AI-enhanced blood tests to get results that are faster, cheaper, and use only a single drop of blood, says the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii). NanoSpeed analyzes blood by using a spectrometer and microscope to read how light interacts with the sample and, thus, what elements it contains. PainWorth, an Edmonton-based insurance-tech startup, has secured $2.1 million in seed funding. The company said this will help it continue simplifying the process of applying for personal injury insurance claims via its app. True Angle, an Edmonton company that uses sensors and software to help patients with swallowing disorders, won in the science startup category at the Falling Walls Science Summit, held in Berlin. Matt Hodgson, co-founder of Edmonton’s Outbreaker Solutions, spoke with the Talk is Biotech! podcast about his company’s products, which use compressed sodium chloride (CSC) to kill microorganisms on surfaces. The company can integrate CSC — which is regular salt compressed into a hard, durable material — into things like door knobs, railings, etc. 500 Global, one of the world’s most active venture capital organizations, has launched in Alberta. The Alberta Accelerator by 500 is taking 14 seed-stage companies through a 10-week training program to learn from experienced mentors, experts, and coaches. Some Edmonton companies are believed to be on the list, but it has not yet been made public. First Nations people in Alberta receive a lower quality of emergency care, indicates a University of Alberta study that looked at 11 million emergency room visits between 2012 and 2017. A committee made up of UCP and NDP MLAs has begun work on examining the possibility of setting up a safe supply of drugs in an effort to reduce the number of overdose deaths in Alberta. Safe supply — which has been rolled out in Vancouver and other jurisdictions around Canada — sees drugs of a known dosage and purity given to people with a dependency on them. February is Heart Month at the University Hospital Foundation, which is hosting events to raise $617,000 for the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute. Events Jan. 25, 11:15am: Crypto & Blockchain Technology for Health Professionals and Others Jan. 19, 5:30: Free Naloxone Training at Forest Heights Community League Jan. 21, 3:30pm: Roundtable on Politics of the Drug Poisoning Crisis in Alberta Jan. 25, 8am: AI for Precision Heath: Challenges and Opportunities Jan. 26, 6:30pm: Transform Your Stress: The Resilience Advantage – Strategies for Managing Stress in Challenging Times Feb. 1: Maz Move-A-Thon, part of Heart month and a fundraising opportunity to support the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute Feb. 3, 4pm: Virtual Expedition: Cardiac Care, part of Heart Month Feb. 7, March 7, April 11, 10am: Thrive in Life: Enjoying Post Cancer Happiness – Edmonton Feb. 12, 10:30am: Free STI Screening Clinic at Aurora Social Club Feb. 24, Heart Pledge Day on Up! 99.3, part of Heart month and a fundraising opportunity to support the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute March 17: Startup TNT Life Sciences Investment Summit May 24-27: Amii’s AI Week 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