Health care innovation steps into the spotlight at Shark Tank-style CHEO event

CTV’s Kimberley Johnson reports on a competition hosted by the CHEO Research Institute highlighting innovations in health care.

Cutting edge medical technology took centre stage at the CHEO Research Institute’s Bear’s Den on Friday, a ‘Shark Tank’ style competition with a $25,000 prize.

The event brought together four Canadian companies looking to improve health care in a wide variety of fields. Each company pitched their health care technology to a panel of judges for a chance to earn the grand prize.

Erika Poupart, co-founder of Neuralign, made a pitch for her work aimed at improving reading and learning for those living with dyslexia.

Poupart says supporting those living with dyslexia, is personal for her.

“My daughter is dyslexic,” she said. “My mother is dyslexic. My sister is. My husband is dyslexic. So, we understand the struggles and the mental health aspect that comes with it.”

Poupart says the goal is to help students learn more efficient ways of reading, by using the latest technology and research.

“Children with dyslexia use a different part of their brain to read than typical readers,” she said. “What we’re doing is we’re stimulating the same parts of the brain that typically readers use to make a neural network that dyslexic readers can use for better reading.”

CEO and scientific director at the CHEO Institute and VP of Research at CHEO Jason Berman says the competition is meant to connect people in business, health care and research, and to push innovation, technology and identify gaps in the system.

“Right now, we’re facing a health care crisis in this province and in this country. People, and particularly children, are waiting way too long to get the health care services they need,” Berman said.

“So, we need to find new ways of doing things, ways of doing things better. And that’s going to require technology and innovation to improve things.”

Ultimately, the prize went to Hyivy Health, a company focused on innovation in pelvic pain technology.

Hyivy Health CEO Rachel Bartholomew says it’s important to have so many voices in the same room, because it can be difficult for some businesses to reach those directly involved in health care and government.

“It’s really awesome to be a part of a pitch competition that’s not only just about the innovation, but also has the health care providers and the hospital involved in the process,” Bartholomew said. “So, it’s unique and different. It’s really exciting.”

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