Toronto, ON, & Vancouver, BC — Medventions, founded at Sunnybrook Research Institute, is a healthcare-based, medtech innovation fellowship program that targets clinical needs and nurtures Canada’s rising medtech talent base. During the Medventions Toronto Innovation Day on June 9, Co-founder and Co-director, Dr. Ahmed Nasef, announced the launch of the Medventions Mitacs Umbrella agreement. This Umbrella will support Medventions fellowship programs across Canada, including in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador over the next two years.
“The launch of the Medventions Mitacs Umbrella represents an important milestone in building a pan-Canadian health innovation talent pipeline and expanding experiential innovation training opportunities for the next generation of healthcare innovators,” said Dr. Ahmed Nasef.
Since 2021, Sunnybrook Research Institute and Mitacs have worked together to support interns within the Medventions programs. The Umbrella formalizes this partnership and expedites the process, so more medtech talent can be trained across Canada. The Umbrella will support 39 internships within the Medventions program, equipping the next generation of medtech entrepreneurs with invaluable hands-on experience and the skills they need to succeed.
“The most transformative breakthroughs in healthcare often happen at the intersection of rigorous research and real-world clinical insight. Mitacs’ partnership with Sunnybrook to bolster their Medventions program reflects a shared commitment to accelerating made-in-Canada medical innovations that address the health challenges of today and tomorrow,” said Dr. Stephen Lucas, CEO of Mitacs. “By removing barriers between researchers, clinicians, and industry, we are creating a direct pathway from innovation to impact for patients.”
Medventions is supported by INOVAIT, Sunnybrook Research Institute, and the Strategic Response Fund through Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada.
“Canada’s future as a global powerhouse in health innovation depends on our ability to nurture and support the next generation of talented medtech entrepreneurs. Through strategic partnerships like the Medventions Mitacs Umbrella, our government is empowering innovators with the real-world experience, resources, and collaboration opportunities they need to turn groundbreaking ideas into transformative solutions for patients in Canada and around the world.” said The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
About Medventions
Founded at Sunnybrook Research Institute, Medventions is a healthcare-based, medtech innovation fellowship program that targets clinical needs and nurtures Canada’s promising medtech entrepreneurs. The fellowship program uniquely creates opportunities for meaningful clinical innovation. Medventions bridges the understanding gap between engineering research and the clinical domain by immersing fellows in real clinical settings across Canada, allowing them to observe clinical procedures and engage with clinicians to hone in the true needs of Canadian healthcare and develop innovations to solve for those needs.
About Mitacs
For over 25 years, Mitacs has helped grow the economy and develop the workforce of tomorrow, connecting industry with academia and global partners to solve real-world challenges. They support business-academic research collaboration through internships, co-funded with businesses, for undergraduate to graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, acting as an essential research-commercialization bridge. Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.
À propos d’INOVAIT
INOVAIT is the national image-guided therapy (IGT) and artificial intelligence (AI) network developing and commercializing advanced groundbreaking AI-enhanced IGT technologies. Established in 2020 at Sunnybrook Research Institute and supported by the Strategic Response Fund, the network invests strategically in collaborative partnerships that build upon Canada’s strength in digital innovation and health science research to create a critical mass of world-leading medtech companies.
À propos de l’Institut de recherche Sunnybrook
Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI) is the research arm of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, one of Canada’s leading academic health sciences centres. SRI is internationally recognized for its groundbreaking work in biomedical discovery, clinical innovation, and the translation of research into real-world health solutions. Its scientists and clinicians are advancing breakthroughs in areas such as image-guided therapy, neuroscience, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and trauma—helping to transform patient care in Canada and around the world.
Media Contact:
Dr. Ahmed Nasef
Co-founder and Co-director, Medventions
