About INOVAIT

Established in 2020, INOVAIT is the pan-Canadian network dedicated to developing and commercializing advanced image-guided therapy (IGT) technologies. The network invests strategically in collaborative partnerships that build upon Canada’s strength in digital innovation and medical science research to create a critical mass of world-leading IGT companies. The network brings together small, medium-sized, and large companies, research organizations, post-secondary institutions, and not-for-profit organizations to bolster the Canadian IGT sector and poise it to become leaders on the global stage. The network is hosted by Sunnybrook Research Institute and supported by the Government of Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund.

Our vision is for Canada to be home to a truly integrated image-guided therapy ecosystem, fueling continuous innovation that revolutionizes healthcare globally

Our mission is to connect, educate, and invest in the industry’s brightest minds and most promising ventures in order to improve patient outcomes and fuel economic development in Canada

INOVAIT is proud to be hosted by Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI), the research arm of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre — one of Canada’s premier academic health sciences centres fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. SRI is home to the Centre for Research in Image-Guided Therapeutics, which is developing new and better ways to detect, diagnose and treat complex health conditions. In addition, Sunnybrook has been recognized as a Centre of Excellence by the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, the first site in Canada – and one of only seven in the world – to receive this honour.

Through our unique

offering, we will:

  • Invest in the integration of AI and IGT devices
  • Strengthen R&D collaborations between world class research laboratories, new start-up companies, SMEs, and MNEs
  • Train highly qualified personnel
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Which will in turn:

  • Increase private investment in IGT
  • Grow the industry, as measured by increased number of companies, employment, and sales
  • Strengthen Canada’s scientific, clinical, and commercial reputation in IGT
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Ultimately,

  • Improving patient outcomes
  • Driving down healthcare costs
  • Fueling economic development

Management Board

The Management Board is responsible for the overall governance of the network and is composed of distinguished members drawn from the business, scientific, research and technology communities.

Dr. M. Cynthia Goh, PhD and Professor of Chemistry at University of Toronto
University of Toronto

M Cynthia Goh

Dr. Steven Beyea, PhD and Scientific Director of the Biomedical Translational Imaging Centre
IWK & Nova Scotia Health Authorities

Steven Beyea

Linda Brown, a self-employed consultant

Linda Brown

INOVAIT Co-Executive Director and VP Research and Innovation at Sunnybrook Research Institute

Kullervo Hynynen

Cara Ferreira headshot
Executive at Fusion Pharmaceuticals

Cara Ferreira

University of Toronto

M Cynthia Goh

Dr. M. Cynthia Goh, PhD is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Toronto and a successful entrepreneur focused on translating scientific knowledge into products that benefit society. In addition to having founded 7 science-based companies, Dr. Goh has also developed and implemented training programs, such as Techno and Entrepreneurship101 (E101 at MaRS).

IWK & Nova Scotia Health Authorities

Steven Beyea

Dr. Steven Beyea, PhD is the Scientific Director of the Biomedical Translational Imaging Centre, a research facility based at the IWK and QEII Health Centres in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and focused on medical imaging that spans academic research, clinical translation, and industry partnership/commercialization. In addition, he is also a Professor in the Department of Radiology at Dalhousie University, with cross-appointment to Health Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, and Physics. 

Linda Brown

Linda Brown is a self-employed consultant leveraging her global healthcare experience, best practice business processes and marketing and sales leadership to help start-up companies bring their technology and solutions to market. Linda previously worked at Siemens healthcare for more than 20 years as a senior executive in national and global sales management and marketing positions.

INOVAIT Co-Executive Director and VP Research and Innovation at Sunnybrook Research Institute

Kullervo Hynynen

Dr. Kullervo Hynynen, Ph.D., is Vice President of Research and Innovation and a senior scientist at Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI), a professor in the Department of Biophysics at the University of Toronto, and is a world leader in focused ultrasound research with over 500 scientific papers and about 30 issued or pending patents. Throughout his career, he has built various networks and consortia on focused ultrasound research and commercial development. His work has led to the creation of four companies – Insightec, Ultradiagnostics, Arrayus, and FUS instruments – and as Vice President of Research and Innovation and earlier as the Physical Sciences Platform Director at SRI, he has played a key managerial role in developing SRI commercial activity, including 17 start-ups in the last 13 years.

Executive at Fusion Pharmaceuticals

Cara Ferreira

Dr. Cara Ferreira, PhD, MBA, is an executive at Fusion Pharmaceuticals a clinical stage company focused on targeted alpha therapy for cancer treatment. Previously, Cara was an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, where she led strategy consulting for global pharmaceutical and medical device clients. She is recognized as an inclusive leader and an outstanding mentor in both the business and scientific communities.

Team

The INOVAIT team is dedicated to the ongoing operations and success of the image-guided therapy and artificial intelligence network.

Raphael Ronen, MSc, CFA, Director, Commercialization and Administration, INOVAIT
INOVAIT Co-Executive Director

Raphael Ronen

Headshot of Ahmed Nasef.
Programs Manager

Ahmed Nasef

Leo Mui's headshot
Funding Manager

Leo Mui

Administrative Assistant

Teresa Bellantone

Project Officer

Kristian Hau

Finance Analyst

Mandy Ho

Amar Gill headshot
Legal Counsel

Amar Gill

Communications Strategist

Clara MacKinnon-Cabral

Philip Boyer's headshot
Project Analyst

Philip Boyer

INOVAIT Co-Executive Director

Raphael Ronen

Raphael Ronen, M.Sc., CFA, has over 17 years in the medical device industry, with wide-ranging experience in business development and commercialization, including product development, financing, technology assessment, licensing, and IP management. For the past 10 years, he has had increasing managerial positions in technology transfer and business development with various world-renowned academic institutions, including MaRS Innovation, University of Toronto, and Robarts Research Institute. Most recently, he serves as Director, Business Development at Sunnybrook Research Institute. Raphael has also held senior management and advisory positions within several emerging Canadian image-guided therapy companies, including FUS Instruments and Harmonic Medical. Throughout his career, Raphael has raised over $75M in grants for commercialization activities for several industry and academic partners across Canada, including the previous FedDev TDP and ICP awards to SRI, bringing together 28 industry and academic partners to advance IGT technologies. Raphael holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, an M.Sc. in Medical Biophysics from the University of Western Ontario, and a B.Sc. in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo.

Programs Manager

Ahmed Nasef

Ahmed Nasef, MD, MBA manages INOVAIT’s networking, outreach and training programs. Ahmed is an enthusiastic clinician 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, and has been managing Medventions, Sunnybrook’s flagship healthcare innovation training program. Ahmed earned his MD degree from Cairo, Egypt and holds an MBA in healthcare management and technology innovation from Schulich School of Business at York University.

Funding Manager

Leo Mui

Leo Mui, MSc manages INOVAIT’s funding program for collaborative research and commercialization and works closely with industry and academia to create and sustain impactful projects in IGT and AI. He has spent his career in a variety of roles to bring science to society through entrepreneurship and commercialization. Leo obtained a master’s in organic chemistry from the University of Toronto after completing a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and human geography.

Administrative Assistant

Teresa Bellantone

Teresa Bellantone is an Administrative Assistant with the INOVAIT team, supporting Raphael Ronen. She is excited to be a part of a growing network that provides the opportunity to do interesting, complex work that’s meaningful to the lives of all. She has a varied background supporting senior management in the mining, asset management and hydro utility businesses.

Project Officer

Kristian Hau

Kristian Hau, MBIOT, conducts project-related tasks for INOVAIT’s funding program by working closely with Network participants, from application submissions to facilitating reviews and reporting. He has held an assortment of positions during his career – from scientific research labs in academia and industry, to business development role in biotech startups. Kristian obtained his Master of Biotechnology from the University of Guelph after completing a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at the University of Waterloo.

Finance Analyst

Mandy Ho

Mandy Ho, BA, assists network members with their financial questions pertaining to their projects and providing guidance during the claims process involving both the government and INOVAIT. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Guelph and a Diploma in Business Administration with a specialization in accounting from Humber College. She is actively pursuing CPA certification.

Legal Counsel

Amar Gill

Amar Gill, H.Bcom, JD, assists with the drafting and negotiation of legal agreements along with ad-hoc legal matters relating to INOVAIT. Amar also supports Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre’s legal services team, working primarily on research agreements. Amar has an honours degree in business commerce, specializing in accounting.

Communications Strategist

Clara MacKinnon-Cabral

Clara MacKinnon-Cabral, HBSc, leads INOVAIT’s marketing, events, and public relations efforts. While raising awareness about INOVAIT’s tremendous role in Canada’s image-guided therapy sector, she assists members in marketing strategy. She has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, specializing in neuroscience, psychology, and art history. Clara’s extensive interdisciplinary background in art and science has equipped her with a robust health communications skill set.

Project Analyst

Philip Boyer

Phil Boyer, MASc, PhD, enables INOVAIT’s data strategy by supporting the network’s health data working group and is leading efforts to define the Canadian IGT sector through market research with input from network member companies. Phil has a strong background in both research and commercialization, having completed his PhD work at Sunnybrook Research Institute and previously serving various roles at a national centre for the commercialization of medical devices. Phil has a PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Toronto, a Masters of Applied Science in biomedical engineering from Carleton University, and a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Carleton University.