The Medventions Fall 2023 Lecture Series is a hybrid (in-person and virtual) educational series designed to equip the next generation of medtech innovators with the knowledge and skills they need to transform healthcare. The Lecture Series offers an excellent opportunity to learn about health technology innovation, how to validate healthcare needs, invent new medical technology products, and plan for their implementation into patient care. There are thirteen (13) lectures in the Medventions 2023 Fall Lecture Series.
SPEAKER: Dr. Brian Courtney
ABOUT THE LECTURE
In the first lecture of the Medventions Fall 2023 Lecture Series, Dr. Brian Courtney reveals industry insights and strategic trends that are currently shaping the medical technology industry in Canada. Dr. Courtney is an interventional cardiologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, clinician-scientist at Sunnybrook Research Institute, and Director of the Sunnybrook Medventions Program. He is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Conavi Medical Inc. and is a co-inventor on over fifteen issued US patents and a co-author on eighteen peer-reviewed publications. Throughout the lecture, Dr. Courtney shares his views of the health technology innovation and commercialization landscape in Canada including current opportunities and enduring complexities in the regulatory, reimbursement, and commercialization processes for health technologies and devices.
SPEAKER: Dr. Nardin Samuel
ABOUT THE LECTURE
In the second lecture of the Medventions Fall 2023 Lecture Series, Dr. Nardin Samuel, Resident Physician and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Toronto, reveals key steps in starting up a healthcare technology company, drawing reference to her experience in co-founding Cove Neurosciences, a Toronto-based start-up developing the next generation of brain mapping software. In the lecture, Dr. Samuel addresses the basic skills and knowledge needed to build new ventures and develop medical device ideas from concept to reality. She also discusses other critical topics to healthcare entrepreneurship and start-up strategies including team-formation, idea generation, patenting, fundraising, challenges, and rewards.
SPEAKER: Leon Wahler
ABOUT THE LECTURE
In the third lecture of the Medventions Fall 2023 Lecture Series, Leon Wahler, independent market researcher with over 35 years of experience in the healthcare market, provides a practical introduction to market research and the fundamentals of market analysis. The lecture covers various methodologies and strategies employed in market research.
SPEAKER: Kasey Dunn
ABOUT THE LECTURE
In the fourth lecture of the Medventions Fall 2023 Lecture Series, Kasey Dunn explores the guiding principles of design thinking and creativity and discusses the diverse ideation and brainstorming methods that are typically utilized by entrepreneurs and innovators. Kasey Dunn is an accomplished educator and entrepreneur, currently serving as Professor of Creativity and Innovation at Sheridan College. Throughout the lecture, Dunn teaches how embracing a human-centred perspective when pursuing innovation in healthcare is built for success and demonstrates how to actively apply a creative mindset to designing novel solutions in healthcare.
SPEAKER: Nick Kuryluk
ABOUT THE LECTURE
In the fifth lecture of the Medventions Fall 2023 Lecture Series, Nick Kuryluk explains the fundamentals of medical device financing and fundraising. Nick Kuryluk is the Principal at Virtus Insights Inc., a strategic management services company specializing in life sciences. Throughout the lecture, Kuryluk examines the different business models that apply to medtech companies and how this ties into your proposed revenue streams and financial projections.
SPEAKER: Yolande Dufresne
ABOUT THE LECTURE
For the sixth lecture of the Medventions Fall 2023 Lecture Series, Yolande Dufresne educates listeners on the various types of intellectual property (IP) and why IP is an important asset. Yolande Dufresne is a registered trademark agent and counsel in IP and Life Sciences at Torys. Throughout the lecture, Dufresne explores patents and the patenting process in the context of IP commercialization and discusses common pitfalls and ways to avoid them.
While this lecture is cancelled, we encourage you to watch previous year’s lectures for Medical Device Regulation.
We have included the link to a previous year’s lecture to the right.
SPEAKER: Mark Smithyes
ABOUT THE LECTURE
The eighth lecture of the Medventions Fall 2023 Lecture Series discusses the reimbursement landscape in Canada, provides a basic overview of the pathways to successful reimbursement, and presents a medical device reimbursement framework that can be applied when seeking medical device reimbursement. The lecture is conducted by Mark Smithyes, a transformational leader in life sciences who has worked in various senior leadership positions in pharmaceutical and medical device multinationals such as Novartis and Alcon. He serves on the Expert Review Panels for both Genome Quebec’s Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP) and the Ontario Centre of Innovation’s (OCI) Life Sciences Innovation Fund (LSIF).
SPEAKER: Harold Wodlinger
ABOUT THE LECTURE
In the ninth lecture of the Medventions Fall 2023 Lecture Series, Harold Wodlinger, an experienced medical device consultant with over 40 years of product development, operations, sales, and management experience, provides a practical guide to the process of raising funds and garnering support from key healthcare stakeholders for your emerging medical device technology. Wodlinger discusses the essential elements required in a good business case or early-stage pitch for medical device innovation, drawing on this unparalleled experience in the Canadian medical device sector.
SPEAKER: Neil Godara
ABOUT THE LECTURE
For the tenth lecture of the Medventions Fall 2023 Lecture Series, Neil Godara provides a high-level understanding of the importance of developing an R&D strategy in the medical technology space. Neil Godara is Vice-President and General Manager at Baylis Medtech, a leading supplier of high-technology spine, end-vascular, and spine products. Throughout the session, Godara covers topics such as developing an effective R&D strategy for novel health technologies, defining strategic goals, constraints, activities and milestones in a project, and characterizing the various phases of the R&D process, including feasibility, concept, prototyping, and process design.
SPEAKER: Stefano Picone
ABOUT THE LECTURE
The eleventh lecture of the Medventions Fall 2023 Lecture Series focuses on the Exit Path for medtech companies. Led by Stefano Picone, the session covers the different funding options available for early-stage medical technology companies, the stage at which they might be most appropriate, and how these options affect the company and its investors as it exits. Stefano Picone is the Vice President of Finance & Business Development at Conavi Medical. He oversees the company’s day-to-day financial activities and leads their fundraising and business development.
SPEAKER: Shyra Khosla
ABOUT THE LECTURE
For the twelfth lecture of the Medventions Fall 2023 Lecture Series, Shyra Khosla teaches listeners about the critical role of quality systems and process management in medical device innovation and commercialization. Shyra Khosla is a quality and process management consultant at Khosavi Pivotal Solutions, where she guides companies in scaling their operations as they transition to mass manufacturing. The lecture reveals the key components of quality systems and their strategic importance in business management.
SPEAKER: Peter Tomashewski
ABOUT THE LECTURE
For the thirteenth and final lecture of the Medventions Fall 2023 Lecture Series, Peter Tomashewski introduces the critical strategic considerations when commercializing innovative medical technology. Peter Tomashewski is a Sales and Marketing Executive with over 30 years of experience leading major international and national businesses in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device industries. The lecture is crafted for entrepreneurs who wish to understand the importance of market orientation early in the life cycle of product or innovation development.
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Commercialization Professional Research Mentor
Ahmed managers the Sunnybrook Medventions training program. He also manages the networking, outreach, and training programs at INOVAIT, a Sunnybrook-led pan-Canadian network in image-guided therapy and artificial intelligence. Ahmed is an enthusiastic clinical entrepreneur who brings more than 11 years of lived experience in healthcare innovation, health science research, and technology commercialization. Ahmed holds an Adjunct Lecturer appointment at the Department of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto. Ahmed earned his MD degree from Cairo, Egypt and holds an MBA in healthcare management and technology innovation from Schulich School of Business, York University.
Technology Innovation Industry Leader
Ahmed managers the Sunnybrook Medventions training program. He also manages the networking, outreach, and training programs at INOVAIT, a Sunnybrook-led pan-Canadian network in image-guided therapy and artificial intelligence. Ahmed is an enthusiastic clinical entrepreneur who brings more than 11 years of lived experience in healthcare innovation, health science research, and technology commercialization. Ahmed holds an Adjunct Lecturer appointment at the Department of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto. Ahmed earned his MD degree from Cairo, Egypt and holds an MBA in healthcare management and technology innovation from Schulich School of Business, York University.
Program Lead, Sunnybrook Medventions
Ahmed managers the Sunnybrook Medventions training program. He also manages the networking, outreach, and training programs at INOVAIT, a Sunnybrook-led pan-Canadian network in image-guided therapy and artificial intelligence. Ahmed is an enthusiastic clinical entrepreneur who brings more than 11 years of lived experience in healthcare innovation, health science research, and technology commercialization. Ahmed holds an Adjunct Lecturer appointment at the Department of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto. Ahmed earned his MD degree from Cairo, Egypt and holds an MBA in healthcare management and technology innovation from Schulich School of Business, York University.
