Health Innovation Roundup
Nov. 4, 2026
Edify's Top 40 Under 40 has tested positive for a wealth of health professionals this year. Physicians, researchers, philanthropists, and people working across the spectrum of health take up roughly half of the 40 slots. Perhaps the most poignant recognition was for Sean Arceta, who died on Sept. 23. Arceta was remembered and celebrated for his social work with iHuman Youth Society, his artistry as B-Boy Pharush, and especially for where his passions intersected. "My goal is to change what it means to be a social worker," he told Edify. "It's not just helping people through their issues, it's painting pathways for them that will let them do the things they enjoy, and provide them hope."
Other Top 40 honorees are also rethinking traditional roles in health. Andrew Karesa of blueBell Village and The Dementia Collective podcast regularly questions thinking around dementia care delivery and the people who give it. His company's blueBell Connect tool harmonizes communication across dementia care. Other such trailblazers are Alyshah Nurani, who works at the systems level at the Stollery Children's Hospital; Alim Somji, who is changing the conversation about facial differences with AboutFace; Andrew Noh, a pharmacist at Radius Community Health & Healing, which is one of Alberta's few remaining health centres with supervised consumption services; and Brooke Rose, whose many endeavours include using humour to draw attention to overlooked women's health issues.
Edify's list also recognizes practicing physicians. Caitlin Earle treats patients with compounding neurological and psychiatric conditions at the Adult Community Neuropsychiatry Clinic; Egiroh Omene is a neuro-oncologist working on a novel study at the Cross Cancer Institute; Eniola Salami is a family doctor who founded the Black health program at the University of Alberta; Jeremy Weleff is working a new way to treat methamphetamine use disorder while working at the U of A and for the Opioid Dependency Program at the 106th Street Clinic; and the list goes on. Beyond Edify's full list, the U of A has shared a video with more details on the many alumni selected for this year's Top 40.
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Headlines
- MagnetaMR, which makes MRI scanning cheaper and more accessible, is among six companies that will pitch for investment at Startup TNT's fall investment summit finale on Nov. 12. The others are Aqtiva, RECON Intelligence, Rosette Robotics, Sentir Technologies, and Zylotex.
- Health startups can apply before Nov. 10 to pitch at the Patients in Transition Summit on Nov. 18. The University of Alberta's Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory will host the event at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute and Edmonton Unlimited. Selected companies will have five minutes to pitch to clinicians, health-system leaders, researchers, and investors.
- Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation began site acceptance testing of a sterile fill-and-finish system for injectable medicines at its Critical Medicines Production Centre. The non-profit plans to be the first Canadian manufacturer of generic GLP-1 drugs.
- Ginger Bitzer of Grounded Consulting Services and Nana's Navigator has joined the Health Innovation Network of Canada's member advisory committee. She thanked Health Cities for helping to establish the network, which connects clinicians, health leaders, and community partners.
- University of Alberta pharmacology researcher Peter Light discussed WaveSense, a needle-free glucose monitor using radio frequencies and AI, on the Science at the Fifty-Third Degree podcast. It's made by MedWatch Technologies (known as Advanced Sensor Research Inc. in Canada), whose co-founder Bruce Matichuk will speak on Nov. 5 during DAMA Edmonton's annual conference at NAIT.
- Invisible Imagination will have its Edmonton premiere on Nov. 14 at the Broad View International Film Festival. The documentary follows co-director Sarah Taylor's discovery that she has aphantasia, or no visual imagination. Taylor and co-director Anna Cooley will join a Q&A after the screening.
- MacEwan University researchers are studying whether interacting with a virtual dog can reduce stress. Former student Stefan Cvijovic told CBC's Edmonton AM how he developed the program, which lets users pet and play with a lifelike dog in virtual reality.
- Sleep is the New Sex, a podcast from the University of Alberta's Cressida J. Heyes and Joshua Ayer, explored how biology and culture shape sleep with three scientists.
- Aurinia Pharmaceuticals reported 14% year-over-year revenue growth in its third quarter. It also began PRESERVE, a Phase 4 study testing Lupkynis alongside one of three biologic therapies for lupus nephritis.
- CassaVantage partnered with the East Central Regional Innovation Network through last year's Get to Know Day, a recap from Alberta Innovates noted.
- The University of Alberta recapped its Regenerative Medicine Hub launch in photos. The hub brings together specialists in biomedical science, clinical care, economics, and policy to help move tissue-repair treatments from research into practice.
Social innovation and accessibility
- Enoch Cree Nation has begun construction on 166 affordable single-family homes for its members, aiming to address a housing waiting list of about 350 families. The development west of Edmonton is backed by a $30-million loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank, its largest investment in an Indigenous housing project to date. Construction of 110 homes is expected to be completed by summer, with another 50 lots scheduled for completion in early 2028.
- Five new short films explore racism's effects on mental health. Shivani Saini of Creatives Empowered and filmmaker Adetola Tamunokubie discussed the series and the power of anti-racism storytelling on CBC's Radio Active.
- Alberta Blue Cross awarded $1,000 grants to 75 community organizations through its Community Wellbeing program. The many recipients include Parkland County Library Board, for mental-wellness programming, and the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts for an expansion of its dance program for adults with developmental disabilities.
- Voting is open until Nov. 20 for Field Law's Community Fund Program, which will award up to $80,000 to Alberta and Northwest Territories organizations. One nominee is Layer By Layer, which made and donated more than 100 assistive devices across 35 designs this year, Folio reported. University of Alberta occupational therapy student Vianna Aiello founded the club to create affordable, custom 3D-printed tools for everyday accessibility challenges.
- Next Layer, which makes 3D-printed goods aimed at neurodivergent clients, will exhibit at Farmfair International.
- Bean Gill of ReYu Paralysis Recovery Centre and CBC's Push described how mentorship can build confidence among people with disabilities on the Executive Wins podcast. She said the centre is preparing a paper with University of Alberta researchers on its neurorecovery work.
- Brad Bartko, co-founder of disabilityABD, spoke to CBC Edmonton's Radio Active about training for 18 months in para boxing.
- The City of Edmonton added accessibility to its snow and ice control policy, while keeping service levels unchanged. Its winter operations also include multilingual messaging and more outreach to community groups. The city said vehicles left on the street during parking bans could receive a $250 fine.
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CFB Wainwright disaster
- Nine burn-care specialists from Hamilton Health Sciences travelled to Edmonton to help treat soldiers injured in the CFB Wainwright fire. The effort faces challenges such as a short supply of donated skin, and burn survivor Spencer Beach said recovery will be a long journey.
- Wainwright Health Centre opened a simulation lab for nursing students, physicians, and healthcare teams. About $250,000 from the Wainwright and District Health Foundation paid for a trailer and its conversion into a space for practising clinical procedures and emergencies.
- Patricia Street Deli and Delavoye Chocolate Maker are among businesses supporting victims and their families affected by the CFB Wainwright fire. Patricia Street Deli owners Wendy and Glen Leitch told CBC's Edmonton AM about providing sandwiches for the families of soldiers. Delavoye's Antoine Lavoie, a veteran who served for 14 years, pledged to match donations up to $5,000 for the CFB Wainwright Support Fund through Support Our Troops. He's tracking donations at the shop on 124 Street NW and through a custom link.
More health news
- University of Alberta physicians now hold joint rheumatology and ophthalmology clinics every two weeks, seeing up to 55 uveitis patients a day. The clinic began service five years ago and serves patients from Alberta, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories. Uveitis is an eye inflammation that can cause blindness.
- Alberta has expanded qualified optometrists' scope to include certain in-office minor surgical and laser procedures, which Sophie Leung of the Alberta Association of Optometrists discussed on CBC's Edmonton AM.
- A Canadian Medical Association Journal study by University of Alberta researchers identified barriers to diagnosing and treating iron-deficiency anemia in reproductive-aged women. Researchers interviewed 13 Alberta healthcare professionals, mostly in the Edmonton area, who cited fragmented care, resource constraints, and sexism.
- The Alberta government said construction was complete on the Enoch maskêkosihk Recovery Community, with an opening expected in December. The 75-bed addiction treatment centre, owned by Enoch Cree Nation, will offer Indigenous and non-Indigenous clients up to a year of treatment at no cost. The province contributed $35 million to construction and will provide operating funding.
- Acute Care Alberta laid off eight senior managers in a leadership restructuring.
- Alberta needs clearer evidence its health restructuring is improving care, argued former Alberta Health Services surgery leader Stacey Litvinchuk. She called for public accountability on wait times, staffing, and spending. "Albertans deserve answers that go beyond another organizational chart," she wrote in a piece for Postmedia.
- CBC Edmonton's Radio Active explored various aspects of death during the week leading up to Halloween, speaking to a woman who came back to life, a death educator about organ donation, an end-of-life doula about rituals, a physician about death in space, and a debunker about life-extension claims.
Happenings
Here are some events coming up soon:
- Nov. 4: Inclusion in the Heartland: "The Value of Difference" Conference starting at 9am at Dow Centennial Centre
- Nov. 4: Bioeconomy Guild Night - Bridging the Scale-Up Gap in Cultivated Meat starting at 5pm at MKT Fresh Food | Beer Market
- Nov. 4: Tech Wednesdays starting at 5:30pm at The Pint Public House
- Nov. 4-7: DAMA Edmonton Conference: Powering Digital Health & AI Through Trusted Data at NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre
- Nov. 5: Selling to the City starting at 9am online
- Nov. 5: Get Your First Customers starting at 12pm online
- Nov. 5: Startup TNT Thursday Night Tradition starting at 4:30pm at Fawkes Café & Bakery
- Nov. 6: 37th Annual ASTech Awards Gala and Innovation Showcase starting at 5pm at Westin Edmonton
- Nov. 6: Boxing For More Good Days starting at 5:45pm at West Edmonton Mall
And here are more to keep in mind:
- Nov. 13: The Hummingbird Awards Gala at Fort Edmonton Park
- Nov. 17: Connections Conversations online
- Nov. 25: YWCA Rose Campaign Launch at Edmonton City Hall
Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.
This roundup was sponsored by Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation.
API is one of Canada's largest not-for-profit life sciences commercialization organizations. We catalyze growth in the life sciences sector by addressing key challenges that hold companies and innovators back.