Molly Shoichet / en Nine U of T startups that have raised big money /news/eight-big-financing-deals-involving-u-t-startups <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Nine U of T startups that have raised big money</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Wattpad-Allen-2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=WYD5ymqJ 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Wattpad-Allen-2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=TIJoznab 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Wattpad-Allen-2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=oOeqBriL 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Wattpad-Allen-2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=WYD5ymqJ" alt="Allen Lau of Wattpad "> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-03-13T13:09:21-04:00" title="Wednesday, March 13, 2019 - 13:09" class="datetime">Wed, 03/13/2019 - 13:09</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Allen Lau co-founded Wattpad with fellow U of T alumnus Ivan Yuen in 2006. With nearly 70 million monthly users, the story-telling platform raised US$51 million from investors in early 2018 (photo courtesy of Wattpad)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sorensen" hreflang="en">Chris Sorensen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/creative-destruction-lab" hreflang="en">Creative Destruction Lab</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-law" hreflang="en">Faculty of Law</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/impact-centre" hreflang="en">Impact Centre</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovation-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molly-shoichet" hreflang="en">Molly Shoichet</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/onramp" hreflang="en">ONRamp</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utest" hreflang="en">UTEST</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>From drug discovery to helping entertainment companies develop the next hit TV show, entrepreneurs associated with the şüŔęĘÓƵ are solving key issues for some of the world's biggest industries. Others are hoping to forge brand new industries of their own.&nbsp;</p> <p>No surprise then that many of their startups are attracting significant sums of money from investors. Over the past 10 years, U of T-affiliated startups have generated $1 billion in investment&nbsp;– a figure that continues to grow.</p> <p>As U of T prepares to <a href="http://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/entrepreneurshipweek/">kick off Entrepreneurship Week next week</a>, here are nine startups connected with the university that have recently raised significant sums to fund their growth.&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Wattpad: US$51 million</h3> <p>The story-sharing platform created by U of T alumni <strong>Allen Lau</strong> and <strong>Ivan Yuen</strong> is forcing the entertainment industry to rethink the way it does business.&nbsp;</p> <p>Originally conceived as an e-reader app, Wattpad now boasts some 70 million monthly users who write and read stories on the online platform – all while sharing their opinions about characters, dialogue and story arcs. Increasingly, the more popular stories and serials are being turned into hit novels, TV shows and Netflix movies.</p> <p>In early 2018, Wattpad <a href="/news/story-sharing-startup-founded-u-t-alumni-raises-us51-million-funding">raised US$51 million from investors</a> – money that it planned to use, in part, to develop machine learning algorithms that can be used to better identify content trends.&nbsp;</p> <p>More recently, Wattpad announced it was <a href="/news/wattpad-founded-u-t-alumni-launches-publishing-division-new-york-times">launching its own book publishing imprint</a>.</p> <p>“Entertainment is in a period of disruption, and how people find and experience stories is evolving,” Lau said in a statement that accompanied details about the financing.&nbsp;</p> <p>“With our global community of users, hundreds of millions of stories and data-driven approach to helping people and partners find great content, Wattpad is leading both sides of this equation.”</p> <h3>Atomwise: US$45 million</h3> <h3><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10446 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/Abe-Heifets.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></h3> <p><em>&nbsp;(photo by Harim Ulfig)</em></p> <p>The pharmaceutical industry has a problem – fewer research breakthroughs per research dollar spent – and Atomwise believes it has the tools to fix it.&nbsp;</p> <p>The U of T startup, co-founded by alumnus&nbsp;<strong>Abraham Heifets</strong>, uses artificial intelligence to screen thousands of potential drug candidates in a fraction of the time needed by traditional methods.</p> <p>Now based in Silicon Valley, Atomwise revealed last March that it had <a href="/news/u-t-startup-raises-us45-million-build-ai-powered-drug-discovery-business">raised US$45 million from investors</a> and was working with several major pharmaceutical companies.&nbsp;</p> <p>It’s a long way from its early days at U of T, where the idea for the startup was forged during an entrepreneurship program run by the Impact Centre, one of nine entrepreneurship hubs on campus.</p> <p>“The first couple of years were really, really tough,” recalled Heifets <a href="/news/co-founder-atomwise-returns-u-t-speak-about-starting-his-ai-powered-drug-discovery-business">during a recent talk at U of T’s ONRamp co-working space for entrepreneurs</a>.</p> <p>“I have to say, without the Impact Centre, Atomwise wouldn’t exist. Our first office was a closet, but it was an office, and that was a big deal.”</p> <h3>Kepler Communications: US$16 million</h3> <h3><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10441 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/0304_Kepler005.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></h3> <p><em>(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></p> <p>The size of a large loaf of bread, the first micro-satellite built by Kepler Communications&nbsp;<a href="/news/liftoff-u-t-startup-s-business-takes-flight-satellite-launch-china">was launched into orbit in early 2018</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Founded by a group of alumni from U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, Kepler followed up the feat with a second satellite launch last fall – and is in the midst of preparing for a third one this spring.&nbsp;</p> <p>Ultimately, the plan is to put as many as 140 low-cost satellites in orbit over the next few years in a bid to provide connectivity to both Earth- and space-based businesses.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Kepler is on a mission to connect the people and devices that gather the world’s information,” Kepler CEO&nbsp;<strong>Mina Mitry&nbsp;</strong><a href="/news/less-satellite-more-data-u-t-startup-will-connect-world-space">told&nbsp;<em>U of T News</em>&nbsp;back in 2017</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>“We’re deploying the largest constellation of small telecommunications satellites to connect devices on the ground – like oil pipeline monitors&nbsp;– and devices in space like satellites that take pictures of the Earth.”</p> <p>To help realize its vision, Kepler raised US$16 million from investors last fall – money that will be used to double the size of its workforce.</p> <h3>BenchSci: US$8 million</h3> <h3><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10440 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2018-05-03-BenchSci-founders.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></h3> <p><em>(photo courtesy of BenchSci)</em></p> <p>Founded by U of T researchers, BenchSci also aims to speed the drug discovery process – though not in a laboratory setting.&nbsp;</p> <p>Instead, the startup’s algorithms scan millions of data points in published research papers to look for promising targets.</p> <p>“Without the use of AI, basic biomedical research is not only challenging, but drug discovery takes much longer and is more expensive,” said <strong>Liran Belenzon</strong>, the co-founder and CEO of BenchSci told Betakit earlier this year.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We are applying and developing a number of advanced data science, bioinformatics, and machine learning algorithms to solve this problem and accelerate scientific discovery by ending reagent failure.”</p> <p>BenchSci said last spring&nbsp;<a href="/news/u-t-startup-draws-google-s-interest-using-ai-speed-drug-discovery">that it had raised US$8 million from a group of investors that includes Google’s Gradient Ventures</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tom Leung</strong>, who did his PhD in epigenetics at U of T, got the idea for the company after struggling to find a suitable antibody for his experiments. BenchSci’s other co-founders include <strong>David Chen</strong> and <strong>Elvis Wianda</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <h3>Blue J Legal: US$7 million</h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10442 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/blue-j.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>(photo by&nbsp;Lisa Sakulensky)</em></p> <p>Blue J Legal uses AI to predict the outcome of tax and employment law cases, saving lawyers and their clients time and money.&nbsp;</p> <p>The startup was co-founded in 2015 by three members of U of T’s Faculty of Law and an enterprise software developer. Professor <strong>Benjamin Alarie</strong>, the startup's CEO,&nbsp;got the idea after being asked to be a judge in an IBM Watson competition that was held at U of T.</p> <p>Blue J, which has already turned several Canadian law firms onto Tax Foresight and Employment Foresight tools, <a href="/news/u-t-startup-blue-j-legal-raises-us7-million-plans-cross-border-expansion">raised US$7 million from investors</a>&nbsp;last fall, and plans to use the money to help fund its expansion into the huge U.S. legal market.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Our long-term vision is to have Foresight for every major area of legal research – insurance, bankruptcy, contracts, personal injury and so on,” Alarie recently told <em>U of T News</em>.&nbsp;</p> <h3>CryptoNumerics: US$2.5 million</h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10476 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/Cryptonumeric-team-%28embed%29.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>(photo courtesy of CryptoNumerics)</em></p> <p>CryptoNumerics was forged at U of T’s Creative Destruction Lab and uses AI to help companies in the financial and medical sectors crunch people’s data without compromising privacy.</p> <p>The startup was co-founded last year by CEO Monika Holboke, as well as U of T alumni&nbsp;<strong>Jimmy Fan</strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Roberto</strong>&nbsp;<strong>Cervantes</strong>. Another co-founder is Hassan Bhatti, who helped launch CDL’s quantum machine learning program two years ago.</p> <p>CryptoNumerics' products, which includes a free downloadable tool called CN-Protect, allow&nbsp;companies to build powerful&nbsp;statistical and machine learning models without relocating the data.</p> <p>“Current approaches to de-identify data such as masking, tokenization, and aggregation can leave data unprotected or without analytical value,” said Holboke in a recent statement issued by the company.</p> <p>She added that CryptoNumerics’ tools, by contrast, used “advanced anonymization techniques” to both protect data and maintain its utility.</p> <p>The startup<a href="https://betakit.com/cryptonumerics-raises-3-3-million-cad-seed-funding-for-data-analytics-privacy-software/"> said this week it had raised US$2.5 million from investors</a>.</p> <h3>AmacaThera: CAN$3.25 million</h3> <h3><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10443 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2017-12-12-molly-shoichet.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></h3> <p><em>(photo by&nbsp;Roberta Baker)</em></p> <p>U of T <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/">University Professor</a> <strong>Molly Shoichet</strong>’s startup could help reduce the need for doctors to prescribe opioids after surgery – a common practice that’s played a role in fuelling the current opioid epidemic.&nbsp;</p> <p>The startup Schoichet co-founded with <strong>Mike Cooke</strong>, formerly a post-doctoral researcher in her lab, uses a gel to deliver – and hold – local anesthetic drugs near the site of surgical incisions, making them longer-lasting and more effective.&nbsp;</p> <p>That, in turn, means many patients won’t require additional medication to deal with post-surgical pain.</p> <p>“It’s actually a pretty high percentage of addicts who start taking these opioids early on for surgical reasons,” Shoichet recently told <em>U of T News</em>.&nbsp;</p> <p>“If this could obviate the need for people to take opioids in the first place, it would have a real societal benefit.”</p> <p>Named AmacaThera, the pair’s startup <a href="/news/u-t-startup-raises-325-million-eliminate-prescription-opioids-after-surgery">raised $3.25 million earlier this year to complete a Phase 1 clinical trial</a>.&nbsp;</p> <h3>Nanovista: CAN$2.3 million</h3> <h3><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10444 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/17-05-08-Pendant-Allen_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></h3> <p><em>(photo by Chris Sorensen)</em></p> <p>Nanovista uses nanotechnology to help doctors identify and remove cancerous tumours.&nbsp;</p> <p>Nanovista’s lipid-based system encapsulates two different imaging agents for use in computed tomography scans and pre-operative planning – a key tool in an era where cancer screening programs are identifying ever smaller cancerous legions that must be surgically removed.</p> <p>“It helps identify the margins of the tumour so the surgeon will remove just the malignant tissue, but all of the malignant tissue,” <strong>Christine Allen</strong>, one of Nanovista’s co-founders and a professor in U of T’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, told <em>U of T News</em>.<br> &nbsp;<br> “It also highlights the malignant lymph nodes the cancer has spread to.”</p> <p>The startup, which was also co-founded <strong>David Jaffray</strong> and <strong>Jinzi Zheng</strong>, <a href="/news/u-t-cancer-imaging-startup-raises-funding-clinical-trials">raised $2.3 million in financing early last year</a>.&nbsp;</p> <h3>Phenomic AI: US$1.5 million</h3> <h3><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10445 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2018-06-18-Oren%20Kraus.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></h3> <p><em>(photo by Jovana Drinjakovic)</em></p> <p>Using deep-learning to track proteins, Phenomic AI hopes to accelerate drug development by learning what makes healthy cells healthy, and what goes wrong during disease.</p> <p>Alumnus and co-founder <strong>Oren Kraus </strong>based the two-year-old startup on software technology he developed during his PhD. The algorithm can quickly sort cells into distinct categories based on how protein molecules are distributed inside.</p> <p>“Our method can be used to distinguish between cells that are growing normally from those that are not, but also for finding out whether or not a drug is working when applied to cells in culture,” says Kraus.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The great thing is that our technique can be widely applicable to almost any type of disease.”</p> <p>Phenomic AI, which received support from U of T’s UTEST program and the Creative Destruction Lab, <a href="https://alumni.utoronto.ca/news-and-stories/news-and-articles/u-t-grads-ai-startup-raises-us15-million-accelerate-cancer-drug">raised US$1.5 million from investors last spring</a>.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="/entrepreneurs?utm_source=UofTHome&amp;utm_medium=WebsiteBanner&amp;utm_content=UTE2019">Read more about entrepreneurship at U of T</a></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 13 Mar 2019 17:09:21 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 154933 at New way of growing cancer cells, developed at U of T, could speed up the search for new drug treatments /news/new-way-growing-cancer-cells-developed-u-t-could-speed-search-new-drug-treatments <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">New way of growing cancer cells, developed at U of T, could speed up the search for new drug treatments</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2019-02-25-shoichet-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=5l0jVmVi 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2019-02-25-shoichet-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=AxkqLHnh 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2019-02-25-shoichet-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=UYkGfC6y 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2019-02-25-shoichet-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=5l0jVmVi" alt="Photo of Molly Shoichet in lab"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-02-25T12:32:53-05:00" title="Monday, February 25, 2019 - 12:32" class="datetime">Mon, 02/25/2019 - 12:32</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">The 3D hydrogel created in University Professor Molly Shoichet’s lab was modelled to mimic the environment of lung cancer, enabling more effective and quicker drug screening (photo by Roberta Baker)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/liz-do" hreflang="en">Liz Do</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/donnelly-centre-cellular-biomolecular-research" hreflang="en">Donnelly Centre for Cellular &amp; Biomolecular Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cancer" hreflang="en">Cancer</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institute-biomaterials-and-biomedical-engineering" hreflang="en">Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molly-shoichet" hreflang="en">Molly Shoichet</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item"> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A 3D hydrogel created by researchers in <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/#section_2">University Professor</a> <strong>Molly Shoichet</strong>’s&nbsp;lab at the şüŔęĘÓƵ is helping University of Ottawa researchers to screen quickly hundreds of potential drugs for their ability to fight highly invasive cancers.</p> <p>Cell invasion is a critical hallmark of metastatic cancers, such as certain types of lung and brain cancer. Fighting these cancers requires therapies that can both kill cancer cells as well as prevent cell invasion of healthy tissue. Today, most cancer drugs are only screened for their ability to kill cancer cells.</p> <p>“In highly invasive diseases, there is a crucial need to screen for both of these functions,” says Shoichet, in&nbsp;U of T’s department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry, and Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering.&nbsp;“We now have a way to do this.”</p> <p>Shoichet and her team are internationally known for their work on hydrogels, jello-like materials based on hyaluronic acid, a biocompatible substance commonly used in cosmetics. In the past, they have used hydrogels to enhance stem cells that are injected in the body to overcome disease or degeneration.</p> <p>In their latest research, the team used hydrogels to mimic the environment of lung cancer, selectively allowing cancer cells, and not healthy cells, to invade. This&nbsp;emulated environment enabled their collaborators in Professor Bill Stanford's lab at University of Ottawa to screen for both cancer-cell growth and invasion.&nbsp;The study, led by <strong>Roger Y. Tam</strong>, a research associate in Shochet’s lab, was recently published in <em><a href="https://shoichetlab.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/rationally-designed-3d-hydrogels...high-content-drug-screening.pdf">Advanced Materials</a></em>.</p> <p>“We can conduct this in a 384-well plate, which is no bigger than your hand. And with image-analysis software, we can automate this method to enable quick, targeted screenings for hundreds of potential cancer treatments,” says Shoichet, whose lab is located in the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research.</p> <p>One example is the researchers’ drug screening for lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare lung disease affecting women. Shoichet and her team were inspired by the work of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Community/Green-Eggs-LAM-333069596713747/">Green Eggs and LAM</a>, a Toronto-based organization raising awareness of the disease.</p> <p>Using their hydrogels, they were able to automate and screen more than 800 drugs, thereby uncovering treatments that could target disease growth and invasion.</p> <p>In the ongoing collaboration, the researchers plan to screen multiple drugs at different doses to gain greater insight into new treatment methods for LAM. The strategies and insights they gain could also help identify new drugs for other invasive cancers.</p> <p>Shoichet, <a href="https://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/molly-shoichet-named-a-distinguished-woman-in-chemistry-or-chemical-engineering/">who was recently named a Distinguished Woman in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering</a>, also plans to patent the hydrogel technology.</p> <p>“This has, and continues to be, a great collaboration that is advancing knowledge at the intersection of engineering and biology,” says Shoichet.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 25 Feb 2019 17:32:53 +0000 noreen.rasbach 154235 at U of T startup raises $3.25 million to eliminate prescription opioids after surgery /news/u-t-startup-raises-325-million-eliminate-prescription-opioids-after-surgery <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T startup raises $3.25 million to eliminate prescription opioids after surgery</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT6182_20140827_MollyShoichet_%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_6usQ8Tr 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/UofT6182_20140827_MollyShoichet_%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Jv244b9V 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/UofT6182_20140827_MollyShoichet_%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=vp_bTEHx 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT6182_20140827_MollyShoichet_%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_6usQ8Tr" alt> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-01-11T00:00:00-05:00" title="Friday, January 11, 2019 - 00:00" class="datetime">Fri, 01/11/2019 - 00:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">AmacaThera's gel-based technology, developed in the lab of University Professor Molly Shoichet, dramatically extends the duration of local anesthetics injected at the site of a surgical incision (photo by Roberta Baker)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sorensen" hreflang="en">Chris Sorensen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institute-health-policy-management-and-evaluation" hreflang="en">Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/creative-destruction-lab" hreflang="en">Creative Destruction Lab</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/innovation-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institute-biomaterials-and-biomedical-engineering-0" hreflang="en">Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molly-shoichet" hreflang="en">Molly Shoichet</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/startups" hreflang="en">Startups</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thisistheplace" hreflang="en">ThisIsThePlace</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utest" hreflang="en">UTEST</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A şüŔęĘÓƵ startup has raised $3.25 million to develop a gel-based drug delivery system that could eliminate&nbsp;the need to give patients powerful painkillers following surgery&nbsp;– a key source of the current opioid crisis.</p> <p>The startup, AmacaThera, is built on a gel technology developed in the U of T lab of <strong>Molly Shoichet</strong>, Ontario’s former chief scientist, that dramatically extends&nbsp;the duration of anesthetics injected at the site of a surgical incision.&nbsp;</p> <p>That, in turn, means surgeons may no longer need to send patients home with prescriptions for powerful&nbsp;– and potentially addictive – painkillers like OxyContin.</p> <p>“It’s actually a pretty high percentage of addicts who start taking these opioids early on for surgical reasons,” says Shoichet, a <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/">University Professor</a> in U of T’s department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry, and Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering.</p> <p>“If this could obviate the need for people to take opioids in the first place, it would have a real societal benefit.”</p> <p>More than half of all opioid-related deaths in Ontario in 2016 involved prescription drugs, according to <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/362/bmj.k3207">a study last year</a> led by <strong>Tara Gomes</strong>, an epidemiologist at St. Michael’s Hospital and an assistant professor at U of T’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, and the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. The same study also found one third of deaths involved people being actively treated with a prescription opioid.&nbsp;</p> <p>AmacaThera’s key technology is a gel that can be easily stored and injected at room temperature, but firms up once it enters the body. It has been formulated to deliver commonly used anesthetic drugs to surgical sites and keep&nbsp;them there for two to three days.&nbsp;</p> <p>By contrast, the same drugs delivered through conventional injections disperse quickly and lose their effectiveness in a matter of hours.</p> <p>“Right now, drugs are given as a solution, which just won’t stay at the incision,” explains <strong>Mike Cooke</strong>, who has spent a decade working in Shoichet’s lab and is AmacaThera’s CEO.&nbsp;</p> <p>“It gets into the blood and washes away into the body. But the gel keeps the pain medication at the site where you need it.”</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__9936 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/Hydrogel_syringe_02_credit-Roberta-Baker-%28embed%29.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="680" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>The gel&nbsp;has been formulated to deliver commonly used anesthetic drugs to surgical sites and, in effect, hold them in place for two to three days (photo by Roberta Baker)</em></p> <p>Founded in 2016, AmacaThera has received support from&nbsp;UTEST and the Creative Destruction Lab, two of <a href="http://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/accelerators/">U of T’s nine entrepreneurship hubs</a>. It has also received support from MaRS and the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization.</p> <p>In its first, or “seed,” round of financing, AmacaThera managed to raise $3.25 million from Sprout BioVentures, Viva Biotech and Grey Sky Venture Partners. The money will be used to test and manufacture the gel in a certified lab and complete a Phase 1 clinical trial, which Cooke expects to begin in about a year.</p> <p>“There is a large unmet need for a non-opioid pain control following surgery,” said Todd McIntyre, a partner at Seattle-based Grey Sky, in a statement, “and AmacaThera’s technology provides a unique solution to the sustained release of acute pain medications.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Cooke and Shoichet first hatched the idea for AmacaThera while Cooke was working as a postdoctoral researcher in Shoichet's lab. At the time, he was using a version of the gel to transplant stem cells, with promising results. The gel had also been formulated into an anti-adhesive barrier to prevent scar tissue from fusing to organs after surgery.&nbsp;</p> <p>In an effort to maximize the chance&nbsp;of success,&nbsp;Cooke and Shoichet canvassed more than 100 surgeons and anesthesiologists in search of a problem that needed solving, and ultimately settled on drug delivery. Next, they went back to the lab to see if their gel could be reformulated to fit the bill.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We wanted to do the business-pull model versus the research-push model – and that’s because we’re starting a business, not starting a research project,” says Shoichet, who has been involved in two previous startups based on research from her lab.&nbsp;</p> <p>The end result was a product with a well-defined market.&nbsp;Another key factor in the decision: AmacaThera's drug delivery application faces a relatively straightforward regulatory approval process.&nbsp;</p> <p>“People normally need the product to last a couple of days, not months or years,” Shoichet says.&nbsp;“So the clinical trial is straightforward and the drugs are already in use. It’s a de-risked strategy.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 11 Jan 2019 05:00:00 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 150740 at Basic research 'at the root' of innovation in Canada: U of T's Molly Shoichet /news/basic-research-root-innovation-canada-u-t-s-molly-shoichet <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Basic research 'at the root' of innovation in Canada: U of T's Molly Shoichet</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-09-14-Molly-Shoichet-economic-club-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nG18iNXi 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-09-14-Molly-Shoichet-economic-club-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Uxzm2sEK 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-09-14-Molly-Shoichet-economic-club-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=6Kqc2UPU 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-09-14-Molly-Shoichet-economic-club-%28weblead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=nG18iNXi" alt="Photo of Molly Shoichet"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-09-14T15:48:19-04:00" title="Friday, September 14, 2018 - 15:48" class="datetime">Fri, 09/14/2018 - 15:48</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">U of T University Professor Molly Shoichet emphasized the importance of funding basic research at an Economic Club of Canada panel discussion (photo by Chris Sorensen)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/chris-sorensen" hreflang="en">Chris Sorensen</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/fundamental-science-review" hreflang="en">Fundamental Science Review</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molly-shoichet" hreflang="en">Molly Shoichet</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/naylor-report" hreflang="en">Naylor Report</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/technology" hreflang="en">Technology</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Canada is well on its way to becoming a country where knowledge and ideas, not oil or timber, are its most important resources – but there’s more work to be done before we truly become an innovation nation.</p> <p>That was the message delivered by şüŔęĘÓƵ researcher and former Ontario chief scientist&nbsp;<strong>Molly Shoichet</strong> and two other post-secondary heavy hitters – Martha Crago, McGill University’s vice-principal of research and innovation, and Paul Davidson, president of Universities Canada – during an Economic Club of Canada event today.</p> <p>Shoichet, who holds a <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/#section_2">University Professor</a> designation in U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, noted “things are really happening” in cities like Toronto and Montreal, which have both seen huge investments by Silicon Valley heavyweights and multinationals in recent years.</p> <p>However, she cautioned the current <a href="/news/toronto-added-more-tech-jobs-last-year-silicon-valley-or-anywhere-else-report">tech boom</a> – much of it focused on artificial intelligence and its myriad applications, from medicine to transportation – wouldn’t have happened without strategic government investments in fundamental research&nbsp;decades ago.&nbsp;</p> <p>“It’s really important to recognize that research is at the root of innovation and commercialization,” Shoichet said during the lunch-time panel discussion.</p> <p>“If you don’t invest in that research, we won't have those innovations and there won't be anything to&nbsp;commercialize.”</p> <p>All three participants in the event, titled “Research, Innovation &amp; the New Economy,” lauded the federal government for launching a federal panel in 2016, led by U of T President Emeritus <strong>Dr. David Naylor</strong>, to review how basic science is funded in this country, and for responding to its findings with<a href="/news/u-t-welcomes-federal-budget-s-boost-fundamental-research"> significant investments in fundamental research in its most recent budget</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Davidson, for his part, said visits to campuses of Universities Canada’s 96 member institutions left him with the impression that serious progress is being made. In particular, he cited growing efforts to foster collaboration&nbsp;between universities and business, as well as between universities themselves, through vehicles like the federal government’s <a href="/news/u-t-expertise-helps-drive-two-supercluster-bids-success">supercluster initiative</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>He also noted Canada is making progress when it comes to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the country’s higher education system.&nbsp;</p> <p>“You can’t have excellence unless you’re inclusive,” he said. “That’s a big shift [in thinking].”&nbsp;</p> <p>Yet, despite the changes, the panelists stressed the need for Canada to continue improving the country’s research and commercialization infrastructure, while simultaneously working to instil&nbsp;a culture of innovation among Canadians.&nbsp;</p> <p>Crago, one of nine members on Canada’s Fundamental Science Review panel, emphasized the importance of continuing to fund young researchers in future budgets.&nbsp;</p> <p>“What is working in this country is students are learning research and innovation by doing it,” Crago said. “They are the engine.”</p> <p>She added Canada could also use more of a risk-taking culture like the one found in Israel, which has built one of the most successful tech sectors outside of Silicon Valley.</p> <p>Shoichet, meantime, suggested there is a need for more research and development jobs in Canada, particularly in key sectors like pharmaceuticals. There was also a lengthy discussion about the best way for universities to work with both giant multinationals&nbsp;and small- and medium-sized businesses and startups.&nbsp;</p> <p>One audience member – OCAD University President Sara Diamond – suggested Canada could do a better job at leveraging Canada’s strengths in fields like design, as well as arts and humanities more generally, to create an innovation sector driven by more than just pure science.&nbsp;</p> <p>Agreeing, Crago pointed to the video game sector in Montreal, which is anchored by firms like France’s Ubisoft.&nbsp;</p> <p>“They’re hiring all these people out of the humanities,” Crago said, “because they are among the most creative thinkers.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Davidson concluded the discussion with a warning about complacency. He cited a 2017 survey by the Pew Research Centre that found nearly 60 per cent of Republican Party supporters believed U.S. colleges and universities were having a negative impact on America.&nbsp;</p> <p>Just think of what these institutions have done for a country like the U.S., in terms of knowledge and innovation,&nbsp;over the past 70 years, Davidson said.&nbsp;</p> <p>“All of that is at risk if we take it for granted.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 14 Sep 2018 19:48:19 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 142887 at Molly Shoichet on the importance of creativity, imagination in research /news/molly-shoichet-importance-creativity-imagination-research <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Molly Shoichet on the importance of creativity, imagination in research</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-03-06-shoichet-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=0Oci9ns_ 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-03-06-shoichet-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=9Ag9d80h 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-03-06-shoichet-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=uYvWQqYY 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-03-06-shoichet-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=0Oci9ns_" alt="Photo of Molly Shoichet in lab"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-03-06T00:00:00-05:00" title="Tuesday, March 6, 2018 - 00:00" class="datetime">Tue, 03/06/2018 - 00:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">"I think what we need to do more of in Canada is celebrate science and celebrate discovery and encourage curiosity," says U of T's Molly Shoichet, Ontario's chief scientist (photo by Roberta Baker)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jennifer-robinson" hreflang="en">Jennifer Robinson</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/astrophysics" hreflang="en">Astrophysics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-law" hreflang="en">Faculty of Law</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molly-shoichet" hreflang="en">Molly Shoichet</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/regenerative-medicine" hreflang="en">Regenerative Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Three top scholars – an astrophysicist, an Indigenous legal rights expert and a biomedical engineer – will talk about the importance of creativity and imagination in the pursuit of world-changing research at a special anniversary event tonight for one of the most prestigious awards in Canada.</p> <p>All three Killam Prize winners will speak at Innis Town Hall Theatre.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/imagining-new-frontiers-celebrating-50-years-of-groundbreaking-research-tickets-42796948826">Tickets are free and are available by registering here.</a></p> <p>The event, hosted by the Canada Council for the Arts and moderated by <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas" target="_blank">Paul Kennedy,</a>&nbsp;host of CBC Radio's&nbsp;<em>Ideas</em>, features:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.uvic.ca/law/facultystaff/facultydirectory/borrows.php" target="_blank"><strong>John Borrows</strong>,</a>&nbsp;Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Law at the University of Victoria Faculty of Law and former professor in the Faculty of Law at the şüŔęĘÓƵ</li> <li><a href="http://www.physics.mcgill.ca/~vkaspi/" target="_blank"><strong>Victoria Kaspi</strong></a>,&nbsp;Canada Research Chair in Observational Astrophysics and director of the McGill Space Institute,&nbsp;McGill University&nbsp;</li> <li><a href="http://www.ecf.utoronto.ca/~molly/molly_bio.html" target="_blank"><strong>Molly Shoichet</strong></a>, Ontario’s chief scientist, Canada Research Chair in Tissue Engineering and professor in U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering’s department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry and the Institute for Biomaterials &amp; Biomedical Engineering.</li> </ul> <p>To get an idea of what the evening may hold, <em>U of T News</em> caught up with Shoichet, a globally recognized leader in stem cell transplantation and regenerative medicine, ahead of her talk.</p> <hr> <p><strong>Why is creativity and imagination important in your research?</strong></p> <p>We’re trying to solve problems that no one has been able to solve. If you want to try and solve a really big problem, you have to take a different approach from what other people have done – that requires creativity and imagination.</p> <p>For example, we’re trying to get the brain to regenerate. We know the brain has the capacity to do this but no one’s really been able to figure out <em>how</em> to do that after a traumatic injury like a stroke. So how can we get the brain to repair itself? What molecules can we deliver to it or what cells can we transplant to get the brain to repair itself after a stroke?</p> <p>I’ve heard there’s been about a thousand failed clinical trials in strokes. That’s a lot of really smart people not being successful.&nbsp;If we try to do the same thing, we’re just going to continue to fail.</p> <p><strong>What impact is your work and your field&nbsp;having on the world?</strong></p> <p>I look at research as the core to invention, innovation and commercialization. If we don’t do that research, we’re not going to have those inventions, the innovation, the commercialization, and you’re not going to have impact on human health.</p> <p>Have we impacted human health so far? No. But that is a major driver for what we do and a major driver for the creativity we talked about before.</p> <p>In our lab, we use innovation in chemistry and engineering to solve problems and answer questions in biology and medicine. We have invented new materials, we have licensed those materials to companies, or used our inventions as the founding technology to start companies, and this is an active part of what we do.</p> <p>Recently we started a company that focuses on post-surgical pain. We want to use some of our inventions to better manage pain for these patients. It’s a very exciting time to take that invention and that commercial opportunity to make a difference in people’s quality of life.</p> <h3><a href="/news/tags/molly-shoichet">Read more about Molly Shoichet</a></h3> <p><strong>Have you met your fellow panellists before? What are you hoping to hear from them?</strong></p> <p>I know both of them. Vicky [Victoria Kaspi], I’ve known for years. I don’t know where I first met her but we’ve been on panels together before. What I love and what I’m looking forward to hearing from her is&nbsp; how a better understanding of the universe can help us better understand who we are.</p> <p>John [Borrows] and I both worked together at the Killam Prize last year. I had the opportunity to meet him at the Killam event. He has such a different perspective on knowledge and how knowledge can be used to affect people’s lives – actually, among the three of us, he has probably had the biggest impact on people’s lives looking at Indigenous rights and Indigenous law. [His work is] very much on the ground.</p> <p><strong>What did winning the Killam last year mean to you?</strong></p> <p>I would say it’s Canada’s biggest prize, certainly in engineering, and perhaps the biggest in science or among the biggest. It’s always humbling when you look at the previous winners and realize you have the support of your peers.</p> <p>I think [the prize] is really a reflection of the fantastic people that I’ve had the opportunity to work with and continue to have the opportunity to work with – the students, the graduate students in the lab, the post-doctoral fellows, even the undergraduate students who come to our labs.</p> <p>And then of course there’s our collaborators. What I love about being at the şüŔęĘÓƵ is just the opportunity to be challenged and to collaborate and to partner with brilliant people and to think outside of the box and to think in a multidisciplinary way.</p> <p><strong>Since winning the Killam, you’ve been named Ontario’s chief scientist. What has changed for you?</strong></p> <p>What’s changed with being chief scientist is . . . it’s a lot. It’s just a huge opportunity to give back to Ontario and to Canada. I’ve gained so much from living here.</p> <p>[The chief scientist has] a really broad mandate but it’s very energizing. It’s this idea of opening up a culture of science or enhancing the culture of science in Ontario. In government, can we enhance the culture of science? Can we take advantage of scientific methodology to make better decisions? Outside of government, can we do more to engage with the public and restore public trust in science?</p> <p>And then [there’s] also looking at Ontario’s research agenda and making sure that we really are doing our best.</p> <p>I have to say that I didn’t have a good understanding of government before I got here. I’ve been here for two months now and it’s fantastic to learn about all the great work that people in government are doing.</p> <p>I also still have my lab at U of T, which is really important to me. I think we all realized it was important for the chief scientist to still be a scientist.</p> <p><strong>Any thoughts on the recent federal budget and the boost in funding for fundamental research? Does this mean it’s a good time to be a scientist in Canada?</strong></p> <p>I really do applaud the federal government for investing in science. It was really needed.</p> <p>We know our future is dependent on what people call the innovation economy or the knowledge-based economy. Natural resources are obviously a huge driver of our economy in Canada but we know the world is changing and we need to invest in research so that we are on the leading edge and we in Canada are inventing that future.<br> <br> Hopefully, as chief scientist we can do something similar in Ontario to continue to invest in research and enhance that.</p> <p><strong>Any final thoughts you’d like to add?</strong></p> <p>The Killam Foundation and the Canada Council for the Arts – they're really a jewel.</p> <p>I’ve served on their committees before and have an enormous amount of respect for the way they run the process. I know that it’s a very rigorous process.</p> <p>I think what we need to do more of in Canada is celebrate science and celebrate discovery and encourage curiosity. If we can get more young people pursuing careers in the STEM fields, then our future will be bright. So the Killam is just one of those bright stars.</p> <p><i>&nbsp;</i></p> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 06 Mar 2018 05:00:00 +0000 noreen.rasbach 130764 at 'I felt like I could help invent the future': U of T's Molly Shoichet talks about new role as Ontario's chief scientist /news/i-felt-i-could-help-invent-future-u-t-s-molly-shoichet-talks-about-new-role-ontario-s-chief <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">'I felt like I could help invent the future': U of T's Molly Shoichet talks about new role as Ontario's chief scientist</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Molly-Shoichet_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=TRcTjmZU 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Molly-Shoichet_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=DA6ssX3D 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Molly-Shoichet_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fnzj4CWq 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Molly-Shoichet_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=TRcTjmZU" alt="Photo of Molly Shoichet"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-02-14T12:52:42-05:00" title="Wednesday, February 14, 2018 - 12:52" class="datetime">Wed, 02/14/2018 - 12:52</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">“There's been a real erosion in the public's trust in science,” Molly Shoichet says in an interview with Canadian Geographic (photo by Roberta Baker)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molly-shoichet" hreflang="en">Molly Shoichet</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>As Ontario's first chief scientist, <strong>Molly Shoichet</strong> hopes to reinstill public trust in science and help the government make better informed decisions based on evidence.&nbsp;</p> <p>In a question-and-answer with <em>Canadian Geographic</em> this week, <a href="http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards/uprofessors.htm">University Professor</a> Shoichet discusses how she sees her new role, her goals and what led her to pursue science and become a world-renowned expert in regenerative medicine.&nbsp;</p> <p>“There's been a real erosion in the public's trust in science,” she tells the magazine.&nbsp;“I think there is a little bit of a vacuum in terms of public engagement in science, and people jump into that vacuum who have very little understanding of science.”</p> <p>At the şüŔęĘÓƵ, Shoichet has tried to bring research to the general public through a social media initiative called Research2Reality. Through a series of videos, each not much longer than a minute, Research2Reality introduces viewers to the work of leading Canadian scientists. On&nbsp;Valentine's Day, <a href="https://research2reality.com/health-medicine/seeking-real-cures-for-broken-hearts/">R2R profiled scientists who are working to repair broken hearts</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;literally – by developing ways to grow heart cells, identify rare mutations and prevent organ rejection in adults.&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2yfgZ8iNuUE" width="740"></iframe><br> Shoichet tells <em>Canadian Geographic </em>she is also trying to bring science to a more general audience by showing how it relates to art. She has helped organize an exhibition with the CONTACT Photography Festival this May, featuring stunning images used by scientists&nbsp;– everything from biological cells and tissues to icicles, lakes and oceans.</p> <p>As chief scientist&nbsp;for the province, she aims to build Ontario's reputation for innovation.&nbsp;“Simply put, I'm letting the world know how fantastic Ontario is in terms of research.”</p> <p>In the interview, she also touches on what led her to pursue science. She says her parents and high school teachers encouraged her to excel in everything she was interested in, and that a female pediatrician was also a role model.</p> <p>“I was always interested in medicine and I ended up getting really excited about research, because with it, I felt like I could help invent the future.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 14 Feb 2018 17:52:42 +0000 geoff.vendeville 129439 at Wynne champions diversity in STEM during visit to U of T /news/wynne-champions-diversity-stem-during-visit-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Wynne champions diversity in STEM during visit to U of T</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-02-14-wynne-visit-main-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=DnUpkyj5 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-02-14-wynne-visit-main-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=VrTkVnHT 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-02-14-wynne-visit-main-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=-Nz6eaEl 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-02-14-wynne-visit-main-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=DnUpkyj5" alt="Photo of Wynne with students"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-02-14T12:28:55-05:00" title="Wednesday, February 14, 2018 - 12:28" class="datetime">Wed, 02/14/2018 - 12:28</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"> Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne (second from left in front row) addresses U of T engineering students on Tuesday. She is sitting beside U of T's Molly Shoichet, who is Ontario's first chief scientist (photo by Roberta Baker)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/centre-engineering-innovation-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Centre for Engineering Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/diversity" hreflang="en">Diversity</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molly-shoichet" hreflang="en">Molly Shoichet</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/stem" hreflang="en">STEM</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">U of T Scarborough</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Ontario Premier <strong>Kathleen Wynne</strong> visited the şüŔęĘÓƵ this week, speaking with Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering students about the challenges and opportunities they face&nbsp;and the importance of diversity in STEM disciplines.</p> <p>Wynne began her visit at the site of the Centre for Engineering Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship, which&nbsp;will officially open in April. She met with <strong>Angela Schoellig,</strong> an assistant professor at the şüŔęĘÓƵ Institute for Aerospace Studies,&nbsp;who spoke about her research to develop algorithms for autonomous flying robots, and with <strong>Jennifer Drake,</strong> an assistant professor in the department of civil engineering,&nbsp;who presented her pioneering work on water-permeable concrete for urban environments.</p> <p>The Premier also took a tour of Polaris, the Blue Sky Solar Racing team’s latest vehicle, and a number of projects – including sounding rockets and a microsatellite – from the şüŔęĘÓƵ Aerospace Team.</p> <p>The demonstrations were followed by a town hall-style meeting in the Lassonde Mining Building, with an audience of more than 50 U of T engineering students.</p> <p>“When we think about the challenges we face today, whether it’s climate change, big data or health, we can’t help but think about science and engineering,” said <a href="http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards/uprofessors.htm">University Professor</a> <strong>Molly Shoichet</strong>, Ontario's first chief scientist,&nbsp;who moderated the discussion. “It’s exciting to have these conversations about how we can harness our collective brain power, and bring the diversity of our cultures and genders into the conversation to solve these problems.”</p> <p>Over the next hour, Wynne heard from students about a wide variety of topics, from hydro pricing to artificial intelligence, and from mental health on campus to diversity in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).</p> <h3><a href="https://www.pscp.tv/w/1lPJqnNMDjYxb">Watch the Premier’s conversation with U of T engineering students on Periscope</a></h3> <p>One theme that emerged was the need to overcome barriers for groups who have been traditionally under-represented in STEM, including women, Black and Indigenous students. Wynne spoke of the current “non-systemic approach” to enriching diversity: While many universities and organizations have outreach programs designed to help people in these groups see themselves in STEM, they don’t exist everywhere and are often are not co-ordinated with the provincial education system.</p> <p>“I think it starts long before high school, when little kids get messages about what it’s OK for them to do and not to do,” said Wynne. “When certain groups feel that certain avenues are cut off to them, that skews the participation rate.”</p> <p>Wynne and the students agreed that some of the barriers to diversity in STEM are embedded in the wider culture, and that ongoing work will be required at many levels – parenting, the education system, employment standards – to change them. Still, there are steps that governments and institutions can take to lead by example, including more equitable representation on their boards of directors and examining systemic biases within their hiring practices.</p> <p>“My intention as a politician is to work to level the playing field so that everyone can be at their best,” said Wynne. “That’s how the province is going to thrive.”</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7565 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2018-02-14-wynne-visit-embed-resized.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="678" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>Kathleen Wynne met with graduate students about their research while visiting U of T Scarborough (photo by Ken Jones)</em></p> <p>Wynne also visited U of T Scarborough, where she met with graduate students in the department of physical and environmental sciences and heard presentations about their research. She also met with undergraduate students about the benefits and challenges of pursuing higher education in Ontario.</p> <p>“It's important that policy-makers know that we do a lot of diverse work in our department ... topics that are really relevant currently in science,”&nbsp;said <strong>Ariola Visha</strong>, a graduate student in the&nbsp;Arhonditsis Ecological Modelling Lab.&nbsp;“You have climate change, you've got mercury contamination, you've got agro-forestry. It just means a lot that science is being heard and that science has a voice.”</p> <p><em>With a file from Raquel Russell&nbsp;</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 14 Feb 2018 17:28:55 +0000 noreen.rasbach 129438 at Dozens of U of T faculty, alumni and supporters named to Order of Canada /news/dozens-u-t-faculty-alumni-and-supporters-named-order-canada <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Dozens of U of T faculty, alumni and supporters named to Order of Canada</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-01-10-orderofcanada-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=3Bo7kpoG 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-01-10-orderofcanada-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=P31ZnpZb 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-01-10-orderofcanada-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=WzAehSs9 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-01-10-orderofcanada-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=3Bo7kpoG" alt="Order of Canada medals"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-01-05T11:02:38-05:00" title="Friday, January 5, 2018 - 11:02" class="datetime">Fri, 01/05/2018 - 11:02</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Many notable Canadians with ties to U of T were named to the Order of Canada or promoted within the Order in December (photo by Sgt. Ronald Duchesne/Rideau Hall)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/centre-indigenous-studies" hreflang="en">Centre for Indigenous Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/factor-inwentash-faculty-social-work" hreflang="en">Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institute-biomaterials-and-biomedical-engineering-0" hreflang="en">Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molly-shoichet" hreflang="en">Molly Shoichet</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A who's who of notable Canadians, many with ties to the şüŔęĘÓƵ, have been named to the Order of Canada or promoted within the Order.&nbsp;</p> <p>Governor General and former astronaut <strong>Julie Payette</strong>&nbsp;– <a href="/news/u-t-alumna-julie-payette-be-next-governor-general">a U of T graduate herself</a>&nbsp;– announced the 125 new appointments last week.</p> <p>Several current faculty members were among the honourees.&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/shoichet-order-canada/">University Professor&nbsp;<strong>Molly Shoichet </strong>of the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a>, who was made Ontario's first Chief Scientist in the fall, has been named an Officer of the Order, the second-highest of its three levels.&nbsp;<span id="docs-internal-guid-786d85a2-c6fd-4e9e-a8d3-1da139ce2292">She is cited for her&nbsp;“cutting-edge research in biomedical engineering, and for&nbsp;efforts to promote women in science and to advance scientific literacy.”</span></p> <p><img alt="Molly Shoichet" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7225 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Molly-Shoichet.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>University Professor Molly Shoichet has been&nbsp;named an Officer of the Order of Canada (photo by Roberta Baker)</em></p> <p>Also from the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering,&nbsp;<a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/sefton-order-canada/">University Professor&nbsp;<strong>Michael Sefton</strong></a>&nbsp;has been named an Officer for his&nbsp;“seminal contributions to the field of biomedical engineering and his mentorship of the next generation of engineers.”&nbsp;&nbsp;He was one of the first to combine living cells with polymers, effectively launching the field now called tissue engineering.</p> <p>University Professor&nbsp;<strong>Sajeev John</strong>,&nbsp;of the department of physics in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, has been named an Officer for his&nbsp;“revolutionary contributions to optical sciences.”&nbsp; He is known for&nbsp;his groundbreaking research&nbsp;on the localization of light and the invention and development of what are known as new photonic band gap&nbsp;materials, among other things. He won the Killam Prize in 2014, one of Canada's most prestigious scholarly awards.</p> <p>From testing the grips of winter boots to making bathrooms more accessible,&nbsp;<strong>Geoffrey Fernie</strong>’s research is focused on improving the lives of people with disabilities and an aging population more broadly. The professor at U of T’s Institute of Biomaterials &amp; Biomedical Engineering and senior scientist and research director at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute has been named a Member of the Order for his advancements in the field.</p> <p>Poet and author&nbsp;<strong>Lee Maracle</strong>,&nbsp;an Indigenous Elder and instructor at U of T's Centre for Indigenous Studies, has been named an Officer for enriching Canada's literary landscape and "for her influential voice in cultural relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.” She has written&nbsp;<em>Ravensong&nbsp;</em>and other novels and short story collections, and mentors Indigenous students at U of T.</p> <p>Cancer researcher Dr.&nbsp;<strong>Kathleen Pritchard</strong>, a professor emerita in U of T’s Faculty of Medicine, has been recognized as a Member for advancing the treatment of breast cancer in women, particularly by leading important clinical trials. She was the first to show that tamoxifen, a hormonal drug used to treat breast cancer, is effective in premenopausal women who have cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.&nbsp;</p> <p>The lengthy list of notable Canadians with ties to U of T who were honoured for their achievements and community service also includes:&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Lynn Factor</strong>’s name hangs alongside her husband’s at U of T’s Factor-Inwentash School of Social Work, which received a generous donation from the pair back in 2007. Factor, who worked for the Durham Region’s Children’s Aid Society for 17 years, has been named a Member for her contributions to the field and her dedication to improving the lives of children.</p> <p>A construction magnate,&nbsp;<strong>Carlo Fidani&nbsp;</strong>heads one of Canada’s leading commercial development and leasing firms. He has been recognized as a Member for contributing to the country’s prosperity and for his health care-focused philanthropy. That includes a multimillion gift that helped lay the foundation for the Mississauga Academy of Medicine, a partnership between U of T’s Faculty of Medicine, U of T Mississauga and Trillium Health Partners.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Joseph Lebovic&nbsp;</strong>and his brother&nbsp;<strong>Wolf Lebovic</strong>, whose foundation has supported U of T's Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies, have been named Members&nbsp;for&nbsp;“their contributions to real estate development in Toronto &nbsp;and for their generosity in support of community initiatives, health care and education.” The businessmen and Holocaust survivors' foundation founded a program at U of T that lets students take&nbsp;“interdisciplinary and innovative courses” in Jewish studies over the summer, the centre’s director&nbsp;<strong>Anna Shternshis</strong>&nbsp;said. “Over the years, hundreds of undergraduate students have benefited from the Lebovic Summer Program and gone on to pursue Jewish Studies,” she added.</p> <p>The late <strong>Bernard Sherman</strong>, an entrepreneur, philanthropist and U of T graduate,&nbsp;has been named a Member for his impact in the pharmaceutical industry and “unwavering support and commitment to education and charitable causes.” Sherman enrolled in the engineering science program at U of T at just 16 and founded Apotex, the largest generic drug manufacturer in the country. Sherman and his wife Honey donated more than $12 million to medicine and pharmacy education and research at U of T.</p> <p>Jurist <strong>Thomas Cromwell&nbsp;</strong>has been named a Companion, the highest of the Order's three levels. He taught at U of T and Dalhousie, acted as executive legal officer to&nbsp;former Chief Justice Antonio Lamer and served on the Supreme Court for eight years.</p> <p><strong>Louis LeBel</strong>, another former Supreme Court justice, has been named a Companion. He received a master's in law at U of T in 1966 and served on Canada's highest court for 14 years.</p> <p>Dr. <strong>Paul Armstrong</strong>, who did post-graduate training and taught at U of T before moving to the University of Alberta, has been made an Officer for his impact in cardiology, particularly his&nbsp;“pioneering research in acute cardiac care and leadership in health care institutions.”</p> <p>Journalist and filmmaker <strong>Sally Armstrong</strong>, who received a master&nbsp;of science from U of T in 2001, has been named an Officer for&nbsp;“highlighting human rights and the struggles of women in the world's conflict zones.”</p> <p><strong>Michael Church</strong>, who acquired a bachelor's degree&nbsp;at U of T, has been named Officer for his important contributions in geomorphology, which has improved our understanding of rivers and river processes.</p> <p>Dr. <strong>May Cohen</strong> graduated at the top of her class in U of T's medical school in 1955, when fewer than seven per cent of medical students in Canada were women. She has been&nbsp;named an Officer for advancing the field of women's health in Canada.</p> <p><strong>Carol Hopkins</strong>, who has a master's of social work from U of T,&nbsp;is cited for her work in addiction and mental health, and as an advocate for culturally based treatment services. She has been named an Officer.</p> <p><strong>Rose Patten</strong>&nbsp;has been named an Officer “for her financial acumen as a senior banking executive,” her community involvement and&nbsp;advancement of women in leadership roles. A leader in the banking industry, <a href="/news/rose-patten-joins-u-ts-rotman-school-management">she joined U of T's Rotman School of Management in 2013</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Brian Robertson</strong>, a longtime president of the Canadian Recording Industry Association who taught entertainment law at U of T, has been&nbsp;made an Officer for showing leadership in promoting Canadian talent on air, the screen and the stage.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Mary Pat Armstrong</strong>, a U of T alumna, has been&nbsp;named a Member for her four decades of community engagement, particularly for her work with people with disabilities. She helped establish the first Ronald McDonald House in Canada and, in 1982, founded Camp Oochigeas for children with cancer. Inspired by her daughter, Armstrong also helped create a program with Community Living Toronto to allow people with intellectual challenges live more independently.</p> <p>An award-winning children’s author and editor, <strong>Marilyn Baillie </strong>has been recognized as a Member for her contributions to Canadian literature, education and the arts. Baillie is a Trinity College alumna and donor whose fondness for nature and the outdoors is highlighted by the environmental themes in her books.</p> <p>Having studied English and comparative literature at U of T, <strong>Helen Burstyn </strong>has been named a Member for her leadership at a range of non-profit organizations that promote everything from arts and culture to health and the environment. She’s also a visiting professor at Ryerson University.</p> <p><strong>Jocelyn Downie, </strong>a U of T alumna and current law professor at Dalhousie University, has been recognized as a Member for her contributions to Canadian health law and policy, including challenging issues related to end of life law and policy like voluntary euthanasia, assisted suicide, terminal sedation and the withholding of potentially life-sustaining treatments.</p> <p><strong>John Hilborn</strong>, a reactor physicist<b><i>,&nbsp;</i></b><i></i>has been named a Member for his&nbsp;“innovative contributions as a physicist&nbsp;in the development of Canada's nuclear industry.” He acquired a bachelor's degree from Trinity College in 1949.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Dale Lastman</strong>,&nbsp;director of Maple Leaf Sports &amp; Entertainment, chair of Goodmans LLP and son of former Toronto mayor Mel Lastman, has been named a Member. He is recognized for “his contributions to the growth of the Canadian sports industry and for his volunteer work in support of health initiatives and LGBTQ2 communities.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="Joseph Lebovic" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7223 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Lebovic.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Joseph Lebovic talks to U of T student Olivia Oliveros and Emily Springgay about a project completed for a course on the history of the Holocaust (photo courtesy of Anna Shternshis)</em></p> <p><strong>Karen Mock</strong>, a former director with B’nai Brith Canada and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, earned a PhD at U of T. She has been named a Member for “the promotion of human rights, notably through her work on cultural integration and strengthening of Jewish-Muslim relations in Canada.”</p> <p><strong>Barbara Neis</strong>, a sociology professor at Memorial University who received her PhD from U of T, has been named a Member and is cited for “her innovation research on the interactions between work, environment and health” in Newfoundland and Labrador. Her professional biography says she has researched many aspects of Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries, from fishing vessel safety to occupational asthma.</p> <p><strong>Stephen Otto</strong>, a historian and advocate for heritage conservation, has been appointed a Member for his passionate support for preserving Ontario's historical buildings and architecture. Otto obtained a bachelor's degree&nbsp;from Trinity College and is one of the founders of Friends of Fort York, a non-profit dedicated to maintaining Fort York and the Garrison Common.</p> <p><strong>Beverly Salmon</strong> studied nursing at U of T, where she also met her future husband Douglas. The first Black female city councillor in Toronto, she has been named a Member. She and her family established an award in Douglas’s name for Black medical students at U of T. Beverly is cited for her service to the city, “notably as an advocate for the educational and social well-being of Black communities.”</p> <p><strong>Jay Switzer</strong>, who graduated from U of T with a bachelor’s in commerce, was named a Member&nbsp;“for his exemplary leadership in the Canadian broadcasting community and for his mentorship of emerging Canadian artists and filmmakers.” He was president and CEO of CHUM from 2002 to 2007, when the company was acquired by CTVglobemedia.</p> <p><strong>Barbara Jean Weihs</strong>, a U of T alumna, librarian and teacher, was appointed a Member for “her national and international contributions to library sciences,” particularly the standardization of the non-book cataloguing system. She has written 19 books and received many national and international awards.&nbsp;</p> <p>Created in 1967, the Order is one of Canada's highest civilian honours and recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to one's community and service to the nation. These are many of the alumni and U of T-affiliated individuals&nbsp;named to this year's Order. Please let us know about other U of T-connected appointees at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:UofTnews@utoronto.ca">uoftnews@utoronto.ca</a>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 05 Jan 2018 16:02:38 +0000 geoff.vendeville 126544 at Molly Shoichet named Ontario’s first Chief Scientist /news/molly-shoichet-named-ontario-s-first-chief-scientist <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Molly Shoichet named Ontario’s first Chief Scientist</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-11-17-shoichet.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fbor1KPC 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-11-17-shoichet.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=dWPJUC5N 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-11-17-shoichet.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=yOK-lK-5 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-11-17-shoichet.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fbor1KPC" alt="Photo of Molly Shoichet"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-11-17T14:17:29-05:00" title="Friday, November 17, 2017 - 14:17" class="datetime">Fri, 11/17/2017 - 14:17</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">University Professor Molly Shoichet, a world-leading researcher in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, has been appointed the first Chief Scientist of Ontario (photo by Roberta Baker)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/tyler-irving" hreflang="en">Tyler Irving</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molly-shoichet" hreflang="en">Molly Shoichet</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">New position will advise government on science-based policy and champion high quality science in government and education</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a href="http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards/uprofessors.htm">University Professor</a> <strong>Molly Shoichet</strong>&nbsp;has been appointed Ontario’s first-ever <a href="https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2017/11/ontario-names-molly-shoichet-the-provinces-first-chief-scientist.html">Chief Scientist</a>.</p> <p>Her responsibilities will include working with research hospitals, universities and research institutes to champion high quality science in government and education, help the government make decisions on science-based policy issues and advise the government on how to support future research and innovation projects.</p> <p>She will also lay the groundwork for the next generation of research and innovation jobs&nbsp;in Ontario by helping to develop&nbsp;the province's science strategy.</p> <p>Shoichet&nbsp;is a&nbsp;professor in the&nbsp;Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering's department of chemical engineering &amp; applied chemistry and the Institute for Biomaterials &amp; Biomedical Engineering (IBBME). She&nbsp;holds the Canada Research Chair in Tissue Engineering and is a leading researcher in stem cell transplantation and regenerative medicine. Her lab is known for its use of materials called hydrogels that surround and protect stem cells when they are injected in the body. These hydrogels help stem cells survive and integrate into tissues, including nervous tissue damaged by stroke, macular degeneration or other diseases.</p> <p>Shoichet has published more than 500 papers, patents and abstracts, and given more than 350 lectures worldwide in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and drug delivery. She has won numerous awards and scholarships, including the <a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/molly-shoichet-receives-killam-prize-engineering/">2017 Killam Prize in Engineering</a>, the <a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/u-t-engineer-takes-loreal-unesco-honour-stem-cell-space-suits/">2015 L’OrĂ©al-UNESCO For Women in Science Award for North America</a> and the <a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/professor-shoichet-awarded-queen-elizabeth-ii-diamond-jubilee-medal/">2013 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal</a>. She is the only person to be a fellow of Canada’s three national academies –&nbsp;the Canadian Academy of Sciences of the Royal Society of Canada, Canadian Academy of Engineering, and Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.&nbsp;She is a foreign member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.</p> <p>“She is one of the top biomedical scientists in the country, with in-depth knowledge of Ontario’s research community,” said Ontario’s Minister of Research, Innovation and Science&nbsp;Reza Moridi.&nbsp;“As Chief Scientist, she will help us continue a proud tradition of science and research excellence through evidence-based decision making and will open the world to the incredible innovative talent and technologies Ontario has to offer.”</p> <p>Since 2014, Shoichet has served as U of T President <strong>Meric Gertler</strong>’s<a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/molly-shoichet-lead-u-ts-science-engineering-engagement-activities/"> senior adviser on science and engineering engagement</a>. She is also the co-founder of <a href="https://research2reality.com/">Research 2 Reality</a>, which uses digital media to communicate cutting-edge research in Canada&nbsp;and spark national awareness. In 2015, she received the <a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/molly-shoichet-receives-national-fleming-medal-for-outstanding-scientific-outreach/">Fleming Medal and Citation from the Royal Canadian Institute</a> in recognition of her outstanding contributions to science communication.</p> <p>“Professor Shoichet is internationally renowned for her pioneering research&nbsp;and for her leadership in engaging citizens in engineering, science and innovation,” said <a href="http://www.engineering.utoronto.ca/about/office-of-the-dean/cristina-amon-dean/?_ga=2.27231037.102004995.1510927790-1926331668.1510927790"><strong>Cristina Amon</strong></a>, dean of U of T's Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering&nbsp;and <a href="http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/office/Provostial_Advisors.htm">a provostial adviser on women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)</a>. “On behalf of the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, I congratulate her on a richly deserved appointment.”</p> <p>Shoichet is a longstanding supporter of engineering's pioneering outreach programs. In 2015, she was the keynote speaker at the <a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/young-women-in-engineering-symposium-attracts-top-high-school-science-students/">Young Women in Engineering Symposium (YWIES)</a>, which helps high-school students understand the positive difference they can make as engineers. Each year, U of T engineering engages more than 10,000 pre-university students through programs such as <a href="http://outreach.engineering.utoronto.ca/pre-university-programs/deep-summer-academy/">DEEP Summer Academy</a>, <a href="http://outreach.engineering.utoronto.ca/pre-university-programs/engage/">ENGage</a> and <a href="http://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/go-north-inspires-1200-future-innovators/">Go North</a>.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 17 Nov 2017 19:17:29 +0000 ullahnor 122310 at U of T's Molly Shoichet on getting more women into STEM /news/u-t-s-molly-shoichet-getting-more-women-stem <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T's Molly Shoichet on getting more women into STEM</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-08-18-molly-shoichet-lead%20%281%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=tAAJBIS2 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-08-18-molly-shoichet-lead%20%281%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=dqp6veIw 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-08-18-molly-shoichet-lead%20%281%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=jNOI-F3o 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-08-18-molly-shoichet-lead%20%281%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=tAAJBIS2" alt> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-08-18T16:14:36-04:00" title="Friday, August 18, 2017 - 16:14" class="datetime">Fri, 08/18/2017 - 16:14</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">University Professor Molly Shoichet is recognized for her work in regenerative medicine (photo by Roberta Baker)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/molly-shoichet" hreflang="en">Molly Shoichet</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/regenerative-medicine" hreflang="en">Regenerative Medicine</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>U of T's<strong> Molly Shoichet</strong>&nbsp;discusses how to boost female enrolment in STEM with&nbsp;CTV News.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards/uprofessors/current-professors.htm">university professor</a> in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering is the&nbsp;2017 Killam Prize winner. She is a Canada Research Chair in Tissue Engineering, recognized for her work&nbsp;in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering and drug delivery, for&nbsp;everything from curing blindness to strokes.</p> <h3><a href="/news/molly-shoichet-awarded-2016-till-mcculloch-award">Read more about Shoichet</a></h3> <p>She says more women should be hired in leadership roles and female students should be actively recruited.</p> <h3><a href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/a-killam-prize-winner-s-top-5-ideas-for-getting-more-women-in-stem-1.3547286">Read her five ideas for getting more women in STEM</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 18 Aug 2017 20:14:36 +0000 ullahnor 112899 at