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 Edmonton-based biotechnology company True Angle raised $1.64 million in a recent funding round. The company said on LinkedIn that the funds will support its mission to treat dysphagia. Health City and the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) announced that Merck Canada is now a partner in the Alberta-based synthetic health data project that was launched in October 2020. Existing partners include Alberta Innovates and the University of Alberta. Health City and Brightsquid announced the second cohort of its Digital Health Integration Readiness Program (Pre-HaTCH), which aims to prepare small and medium enterprises to reach commercialization of products. The application deadline is June 4. U of A researcher Shokrollah Elahi led a new research project which showed that cancer patients who had high levels of a protein called galectin-9 were less likely to benefit from immunotherapy. The discovery could help doctors determine which patients are most likely to respond to the treatment. U of A researchers are investigating why children with neuroblastoma that affects nerve tissues don’t respond well to treatments like radiation and chemotherapies. A U of A research project is looking into how pregnancy may impact asthma symptoms in children. U of A researchers and Alberta Precision Laboratories have developed a new procedure to help improve the treatment of patients rescued from house fires. The protocol is now being used in the Misericordia and University of Alberta hospitals. The U of A has launched the U of A Innovation Generator to highlight 30 innovative ideas, including developing vaccines and using machine learning to improve mental health. Edmonton-based biotechnology company 48Hour Discovery was featured in an article about how it is using new technology that applies the power of big data to molecular discovery. U of A virologist Dr. Michael Houghton was featured in a new piece in Edify. The article provided a brief history of Houghton’s research that led to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus and resulted in his Nobel Prize win. The provincial government is providing more than $789,000 in funding to support the implementation of a new digital tool to improve police interactions when responding to mental health emergencies. U of A computing scientist Richard Sutton was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society, the world’s oldest national scientific institution for pioneering contributions to machine learning. Emerging Health Leaders (EHL) Edmonton co-chair Sandra Stabel and board member Sheena Morton are presenting at the Women in Health Speaker Series on May 18. Real Talk Ryan Jespersen podcast is hosting a panel discussion about Innovation in Edmonton on May 14. Events May 10-14: UAlberta Innovation Showcase May 13, 12pm: TRAIL Dataset Webinar – Collision Avoidance Dataset May 13-May 20 (Thursdays): Pandemic End Game: Implications for Patients and Public Health May 17-21: Canadian Innovation Week May 18, 8:30am: Speaker Series “Women in Health” May 18, 4pm: University Hospital Foundation’s Virtual Expedition: “An Education on COVID Vaccines and their Safety May 18-19: Promoting Healthy Brain Aging and Preventing Dementia International Symposium May 18 & June 1: Celebrating 100 Years of Insulin Seminar Series May 18 & June 15, 11am: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Grand Rounds May 19-June 2 (Wednesdays): Diabetes Updates – From Guidelines to Practice May 27: DNA testing in pregnancy June 7-9: Global Healthcare Innovation Academy (GHIA) June 22-24: Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology/Gairdner Virtual Virology Symposium Sept. 22-24: Inventures 2021 Startup Pitch Event 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