As Ontario’s research and education network, we facilitate Ontario’s progress through essential digital infrastructure. We’re extremely proud to support and empower the innovation achieved every day throughout the ORION community. Work that tackles complex problems and ultimately makes the world a better place. May 16-20 was Canadian Innovation Week and we’re excited to showcase a selection of inspiring innovations happening within the ORION community.
Western University working towards a sustainable future
Western University was named first in Canada, and third in the world, in a global ranking of universities working toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They were awarded this honour due to their continued innovative projects that are working towards embedding sustainability across the university. The university is home to more than 100 researchers dedicated to finding innovative solutions to urgent environmental and sustainability challenges.
Innovative projects that led to Western being recognized as a leader in the world:
“No poverty: End poverty in all its forms everywhere”
A new way to pinpoint cancer by UHN clinicians & scientists
UHN clinicians and scientists, Drs. Amit Oza, Brian Wilson and Jonathan Irish won the first Agnico Eagle Grand Challenge “Beyond Chemotherapy” Award for their innovative work on a new way to pinpoint cancerous tumours. This recognition along with its $500,000 prize will help to finance the world’s first-in-human safety trial using their new method in real-time in the operating room.
Baycrest’s game changing dementia care program
An innovative dementia care program developed by Baycrest has the potential to reduce the need for hospitalization admissions by sixty percent. The program, called Virtual Behavioural Medicine (VBM) allows clinicians to assess and manage patients with severe neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia while still in the comfort of their own homes. With rising numbers of people living with dementia worldwide, VBM has the potential to be adopted everywhere to help those diagnosed with dementia continue to live their best lives, outside of a clinical setting, as long as possible.