"We have an aging population. Our biggest problems are degenerative diseases that we need to learn how to stall or turn around. It's an amazing set of problems to work on because of the potential for impact."
An interdisciplinary team of scientists, funded by Medicine by Design, aims to use retinal stem cells to restore vision.
"I’m really interested in understanding why and how the heart fails, and how we can help the heart to regenerate itself. As a cardiologist who looks after patients with end-stage heart failure waiting for heart transplants and mechanical hearts, it’s really important to me to think outside the box about these questions."
Medicine by Design’s 5th Annual Symposium on Dec. 7 and 8 attracted more than 500 registrants from across North America, and focused on the theme of better science through convergence – the integration of approaches from engineering, science, medicine and other fields to expand knowledge and spark innovation.
Team led by pioneering stem cell scientist is one step closer to the clinic with cell-based therapies for liver disease.
Competition aims to redefine regenerative medicine and ensure Toronto and Canada continue to lead the field for decades to come
“I've always been fascinated by the brain. I’m fascinated with questions of basic science, but I’d like my bigger impact to be teaching and educating young scientists.”
Using state-of-the art sequencing technology, Medicine by Design-funded scientists have revealed how stem cells are able to generate new blood cells throughout our life, and how these same cellular mechanisms can evade chemotherapy to survive and cause relapse many years later.
Two-day event celebrates the importance of scientific diversity in creating better science and tackling key grand questions in the field.
Scientists can now select individual cells from their local environment & study their molecular contents. The new tool will enable a deeper study of stem cells and other rare cell types for diagnostics & therapy.
Medicine by Design-funded research team says the new treatment approach is not far from clinical trials. This is one of the ways Medicine by Design is transforming human health.
"What’s exciting to me is the development of new bio-informatic tools, and the interface of computational biology with basic science. The sky is the limit to what we can do now, even compared to when I was PhD student. We can re-ask questions that were asked in the 1990s or 2000s, or even the 2010s, and answer them in a different light."
"As scientists, we don’t want our research to sit on the shelf in a journal. We want to translate our discoveries and technologies as quickly and efficiently as possible so they can benefit society."
"I have two main ambitions. I want to democratize medicine so all these amazing breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, immunotherapy and synthetic biology are accessible to communities that need them. I also want to inspire a diverse generation of young people to pursue science and entrepreneurship."
“My proudest accomplishment is training the future generation of scientists. I see how creative they are and how much they’ve bridged the gap between different disciplines. I can’t wait to see what they discover.”
