TORONTO, Oct. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Join St. Michael's Foundation for its eighth annual Angels Den to watch six leading local scientists compete for Canada's most significant medical research prizes, totaling $500,000. The event will be streaming on November 16, 2022 at angelsden.ca.
The six research projects will be reviewed by a panel of celebrity judges and 60+ jurors in two categories:
a) The Keenan Award for Medical Discovery focuses on transforming scientific discoveries in novel therapies, better diagnostics, vaccines or medical devices that will improve patients' lives.
b) The Odette Award for Health System Innovation aims to improve the healthcare system's effectiveness, efficiency, equitability or sustainability.
"Angels Den has provided the critical funding required to launch several of St. Michael's Hospital's homegrown innovations improving lives around the world," said Dr. Ori Rotstein, Vice President, Research and Innovation, at St. Michael’s Hospital. "Every year, the event gets bigger and better, supporting the best minds in medicine. Angels Den is the catalyst for getting the most important early-stage Canadian research projects off the ground."
Past Angels Den winners have made headlines for showcasing revolutionary discoveries like a 10-second cancer diagnosis, remote robotic brain surgery, and a special vest that helps sick babies breathe more easily.
Angels Den 2022 will be hosted by renowned Canadian broadcast personality and news anchor Reshmi Nair, alongside three celebrity judges and a panel of jurors who will weigh in and award the researchers.
- Samantha Yammine, neuroscientist and popular science communicator, commonly known as Science Sam (@science.sam), is welcomed back for the second year in a row
- Gillian Riley, President & CEO of Tangerine, Canada's leading digital bank
- Dr. Eugenia Addy, Canadian chemist and the CEO of Visions of Science Network for Learning
The six teams competing include:
- Outbreak Alert: Stopping the Next Pandemic: Dr. Stephanie Garies and Dr. Andrew Pinto
- Breathe Easy: The Personalized Ventilator is Here: Dr. Muhammad Mamdani and Dr. Laurent Brochard
- MyEndo: The App that Eases Endometriosis: Dr. Carmen McCaffrey and Dr. Elizabeth Miazga
- Popping Bubbles and Saving Muscles: Dr. Howard Leong-Poi and Dr. Jane Batt
- Suctioning Stones for Clean Kidneys: Dr. Monica Farcas
- COVID-19 and Ketamine: Treating the Mental Health Crisis: Dr. Venkat Bhat and Dr. Karim Ladha
For the third year in a row, Canadians are invited to vote for the team they want to win the Canada Life People's Choice Award, a $100,000 prize for their research project. Immediately following the hour-long virtual event on November 16th from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST, viewers can cast their votes for whom they think should win at AngelsDen.ca. No one goes home empty-handed – teams that don't win top prizes walk away with $25,000.
This event would not be possible without St. Michael's Foundation's generous sponsors:
- Top Prize Award Sponsors: Patrick & Barbara Keenan Foundation and P & L Odette Charitable Foundation
- People's Choice Award Sponsor: Canada Life
- Juror Filming Experience Sponsor: Scotiabank and MD Financial Management
- Registration Sponsor: Woodbourne
- Reception Sponsor: Plus Company and Camp Jefferson
- Team Award Sponsors: Deer Creek Golf & Banquet, Kensington Capital Partners, John Hunkin & Susan Crocker, and Myhal Family Foundation
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About St. Michael's Foundation
St. Michael's Foundation stops at nothing to fund the relentless pursuit of solutions to some of the world's most intractable health challenges. Bolstered by its fierce community of donors and volunteers, the foundation mobilizes people, businesses and foundations to support St. Michael's Hospital and Providence Healthcare's world-leading health teams in designing the best care – when, where and how patients need it. In building state-of-the-art facilities that comfort and heal. In performing research that prevents illness and customizes treatments. In rooting medical education in empathy. In harnessing data and artificial intelligence to make access to health care faster and treatments more precise. And in making health equity even more central to its mission.
More information can be found at angelsden.ca.
Media Inquiries: For interview opportunities with celebrity judges, a St. Michael's scientist, or additional details
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