Recognizing medical innovators at annual competition

MONTREAL – The 6th Annual McGill Clinical Innovation Competition and Awards Ceremony took place on May 11, 2023. Inspired by Dr. Raymond Hakim, the McGill Clinical Innovation Competition (CLIC) aims to inspire members of our Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences community to conceive and develop promising ideas that will have a direct and positive impact on Canadian or global healthcare.

Winner of the Hakim Family Innovation Prize:
PL Signals
Lung fibrosis is a serious chronic and progressive disease with limited treatment options. TGF-beta is a potent pro-fibrotic factor, and its excessive action plays a central role in lung fibrosis. We have developed a novel anti-fibrotic biologic that traps TGF-beta with high specificity and efficiently reduces lung fibrosis in preclinical models and in vitro in patients’ fibrotic cells.
Anie Philip, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
Shikha Chawla, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
Kenneth Finnson, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
Jini John, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
Tenzin Kungyal, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University

Winner of the First Marika Zelenka Roy Innovation Prize:
CoreSlicer
CoreSlicer is a cloud-based AI platform that automates the measurement of frailty and body composition from clinically available medical images (CT, MRI, ultrasound). The insights provided by CoreSlicer empower clinicians to individualize the care of vulnerable older patients to prevent postoperative complications, fatal adverse events, and emergency readmissions.
Jonathan Afilalo, MD, MSc, Principal Scientist, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University
Philippe Marchandise, Lead Developer
Ding Yi Zhang, Data Scientist & Medical Student
Zara Vajihi, Machine Learning Engineer
Magueye Diagne, Data Engineer
Jeremie Abitbol, Strategic Analyst
Ibrahim Mohamed, Full-Stack Developer
Robert Viengkhou, Interface Designer
Louis Mullie, MD, MSc, Prior Member
Marc Afilalo, MD, Clinical Scientist

Winner of the Second Marika Zelenka Roy Simnovation Prize:
PeTIT VR
PeTIT VR (Pediatric Trauma Innovative Training) is a virtual reality course designed to enhance the skills of healthcare students and providers in pediatric trauma care. By leveraging the immersive and interactive nature of virtual reality technology, PeTIT VR is able to provide a unique and effective training experience that increases the quality of care and safety for pediatric trauma patients.
Fabio Botelho, MD, Experimental Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
Dan Poenaru, MD, Experimental Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
Elena Guadagno, MLIS, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Montreal Children’s Hospital
Hamed Ranjbar , MSc, Experimental Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University

Winner of the First-Place MI4 Innovation Prize and the Bereskin & Parr Innovation Prize:
BacPen DIAGNOSTIC
BacPen DIAGNOSTIC is a medical device start-up focused on a real-time point-of-care approach for diagnosing bacterial infections. They have developed a technology using electrochemistry that allows detection and specifically quantification for bacteria and other biological moieties in liquid and solid specimens.
Geraldine Merle, Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique
Edward Harvey, Professor, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University
Raphael Trouillon, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering, Polytechnique

Winner of the Second-Place MI4 Innovation Prize:
Curaforge
Curaforge aims to provide a low-cost and innovative solutions to make the stethoscope safer for healthcare workers and ultimately prevent healthcare worker exposure in the form of a medical device.
Sean Seltzer, Medical Resident, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University

Congratulations also to our finalist teams:

CapmAI
CapmAI is a leading provider of AI-based diagnostic solutions for capsule endoscopy. Their goal is to minimize diagnostic errors, increase efficiency for gastroenterologists, and accurately identify the location of disease.
Puja Pachchigar, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences student, McGill University
Pranay Dixit, Business and Administration, John Molson School of Business, Concordia University
Emile Normand, Software Engineering, École de technologie supérieure
Xiang Chen Zhu, Computer Sciences, Concordia University

MedTQ
The current standard tourniquet consists of a strip of fabric fastened about a hemorrhaging limb, and a windlass to mechanically augment tightening. However, inappropriate tourniquet application, either in terms of applied pressure or excessive duration, may lead to ischemia, nerve palsy, exsanguination, and possibly amputation. SmartTQ addresses these issues by incorporating a vessel occlusion sensor and timer to monitor these salient parameters, providing key data to soldiers and doctors.
Ludovic Mouttet, Experimental Surgery student, McGill University
Romy Philip, Experimental Surgery student, McGill University
Lora Tzaneva, Experimental Surgery student, McGill University
Gabriella Spacagna, Experimental Surgery student, McGill University
Quentin Bodineau, Engineering student, École Technologie Supérieure
Victoria Peuriot, John Molson School of Business student, Concordia University

SPINORT
SPINORT is an algorithm driven smart garment that manages and prevents recurrent mechanical low back pain. The device captures personal motion and muscle activity data and calculates the amount of near-infrared energy needed to stimulate the deep back muscles and correct the spine posture, and as such improve physical movement.
Antonia Arnaert, Associate Professor, Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University
Swajan Paul, PhD student, Department of Experimental Surgery, McGill University
Zoumanan Debe, Research Associate, Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University

The McGill CLIC has now been running very successfully for five years. McGill is very grateful to the sponsors who offered the following prizes at this year’s sixth annual competition:

• The Hakim Family Innovation Prize recognizes ideas, new processes or devices in healthcare with potential to have a tangible and meaningful impact on the patients entrusted to our care.
• The Marika Zelenka Roy Innovation Prize was launched in partnership with the Montreal General Hospital Foundation. There are two award categories for this prize. The first award recognizes the best solution to an unmet clinical need for the care of a patient and the highest likelihood of success in being translated. The second award recognizes an innovation that improves patient safety/quality, or addresses an unmet clinical need, through simulation.
• The MI4 Innovation Prize, sponsored by the McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity, aims to support innovative solutions that focus on infectious and immune threats to human health. Two winners are chosen for this prize.
• The Bereskin & Parr Innovation Prize recognizes the clinical innovation that has the greatest promise of a commercial value proposition.

Proposals are submitted by teams or individuals with the goal of improving health outcomes, health access for patients, or healthcare efficiency or effectiveness.