The 2021 iBEST Symposium was held on November 19, 2021.
Innovations in health care – from the application of predictive artificial intelligence and decoding the SARS-CoV-2 virus to strengthening research excellence through equity, diversity and inclusion – were a critical theme of the 11th annual symposium hosted virtually by the Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST) in November.
iBEST is a collaborative partnership between Ryerson University and St. Michael’s Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto, where clinicians, scientists and trainees work together to advance health care innovations. This year’s symposium covered topics such as strengthening research excellence through equity, diversity and inclusion, health applications of artificial intelligence and COVID-19. The event also included a collaboration forum led by iBEST trainees, who shared their inter-institutional research projects.
“What is happening here at iBEST speaks to the new and innovative health care system and given our new reality, its mission is more important than ever,” said Dr. Steven N. Liss, Ryerson’s vice-president, research and innovation, during his opening remarks. He highlighted collaborative projects between members as well as the training opportunities offered to graduate students.
Dr. Ori Rotstein, vice-president, research and innovation of Unity Health Toronto and one of the individuals who helped found iBEST, said he was proud of the work being done and noted iBEST’s growth into a “powerhouse of innovation, connection and knowledge,” as well as strides being made towards prioritizing principles around equity, diversity and inclusion. “In order for research to have impact, it needs to be inclusive,” he said.
Keynote presentations
Imagine a future where doctors can use a digital twin of a patient – a virtual version of a person that recreates how their body functions – to make earlier diagnoses and plan treatment. Dr. Rebecca Fahrig, head of innovation for the business area advanced therapies at Siemens Healthcare GmbH and a professor at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität in Germany, delivered the morning keynote address on innovating in image-guided therapy. She shared insights and examples of using artificial intelligence in health care at Siemens, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as discussing the process of turning a prototype into a product.
“It really allows us to interact with the patient and with the imaging system and the lab environment in a different way, and hopefully get to streamlined interventions,” said Dr. professor Fahrig about applying digital twinning technology to imaging guidance.
The early days and months of isolating, identifying and decoding the SARS-CoV-2 virus and variants of concern were explored in the afternoon keynote address by Dr. Samira Mubareka, a scientist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. From genome sequencing to the spillover of the virus into wildlife, Dr. Mubareka presented research projects into the virus that has caused the COVID-19 pandemic, including aerosols, surface and air contamination, and which cells could be infected by the virus.
“SARS-CoV-2 is a highly adaptable pathogen, we underestimate it at our peril,” said Dr. Mubareka.
Panel session
Following the morning keynote, Ryerson professor Dr. Imogen Coe moderated a panel discussion on strengthening research excellence through equity, diversity and inclusion. The panelists were Allison Needham, director of anti-racism, equity and social accountability at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Holly Witteman, Canada Research Chair in Human-Centred Digital Health and a professor at Laval University, and Dr. Mahadeo A. Sukhai, director of research and chief inclusion and accessibility officer at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).
A common thread throughout the discussion was the idea of inclusive design, applying rigorous standards to research projects in order to benefit the widest possible number of stakeholders.
\”The way to make people\’s lives better is to include them in the process,” said Dr. Witteman.
“Inclusive excellence … raises the bar and we get better outputs,” said Dr. Coe.
Inclusive design also means intentionally building research teams with diverse backgrounds and experiences, which could mean rethinking the traditional recruitment process.
“Not everyone is able to volunteer their summer to work in a lab to get on a paper,” said director Needham. “Hire based on potential … not necessarily based on previous opportunities. Because we know that opportunities are not distributed equally.”
Collaboration and trainee poster competition
How do clinicians, scientists and trainees who are part of iBEST manage their collaborations to ensure that teams work together effectively? As part of the symposium, trainees were tapped to share their experiences and tips, as well as information on their projects. iBEST theme lead researchers also joined the collaboration forum.
“The data is clear. Collaborations are becoming more and more common in science,” said Dr. Eno Hysi of Unity Health Toronto, iBEST trainee lead, a postdoctoral fellow and Ryerson alum.
More than 20 iBEST trainees participated in a research poster competition held as part of the symposium. The winners were:
- First place: Rajiv Sanwal
Poster title: Ultrasound-Microbubble Mediated Targeting of the Injured Lung
- Second place: Neha Nasir
Poster title: Sex differences in airway metrics and COPD
- Third place: Araniy Santhireswaran
Poster title: Application of metal-enhanced fluorescence for imaging of biological systems
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