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 A new platform, launched by Health City and Brightsquid, has accepted 12 companies in its first cohort. The Digital Health Integration Readiness Platform aims to prepare small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to reach commercialization of their products and service. Alberta-based physician Dr. Alika Lafontaine is the first Indigenous person to be elected as the Canadian Medical Association president. Lafontaine will serve as the president-elect nominee until August 2022, after which he will become the official CMA president. University of Alberta researchers have discovered a new way to measure future risk for heart disease and diabetes in youth living with obesity. The new study shows that a type of cholesterol produced as we consume food is a stronger predictor of health risk than the more commonly tested “bad cholesterol.” A recent U of A study found that a growth factor called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) can help inhibit chronic pain. TeleRehab 2.0 is a rehabilitation platform at the U of A, which provides specialized care to rural Albertans. The U of A student-led MD Admissions Initiative for Diversity and Equity program is expanding to support underrepresented communities across the province. Edmonton-based BioNeutra Global Corporation is receiving advisory services and research and development funding from three Canadian leading research organizations to help the company develop new gut health products. BioNeutra said in a statement that these companies are Alberta Innovates, the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program, and the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Edmonton-based biotechnology company Outbreaker Solutions was featured in an article by BioTalent Canada for its innovative technology antimicrobial compressed sodium chloride (CSC) that can de-activate viruses in minutes. The founder of Edmonton-based CarePros, Charles Wong, was named one of Canada’s top 50 changemakers by The Globe and Mail 2021 Report on Business. U of A graduate Cole Delyea launched a new YouTube channel to summarize scientific papers for non-specialist audiences. Events March 3, 7pm: Mixing beakers and business: Alumni stories of building successful startups March 3-4: BioAlberta Annual Policy Forum: Advancing the Life Sciences Sector March 4, 3pm: Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute Research Day March 4, 7pm Then and Now: Lessons From the Spanish Flu Pandemic March 12-13: Second Annual Artificial Intelligence in Health Care Symposium March 18, 6pm: Researchers at Forefront of Fight against COVID-19 March 23, 7pm: Science on Tap: Personalized Medicine – One Size Does Not Fit All 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