January 8, 2018 (Toronto, ON) – Two Israeli companies will have an opportunity to test their innovative aging and brain health solutions at two Canadian senior’s care organizations, after being selected for a joint partnership program operated by the Baycrest Health Sciences-led Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) and the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA).
The Canada-Israel Collaboration Program provides up to $250,000 (CAD) from CABHI and additional funding from the Israel Innovation Authority that can be leveraged by commercial organizations in Israel to test their aging and brain health innovations at Ontario senior’s care organizations. This program supports Israeli companies in deriving international scientific evidence to accelerate their innovations. In turn, Canadian organizations will have the opportunity to test cutting edge solutions addressing key challenges in seniors’care. Moreover, the program contributes to Canada’s innovation economy, building on our strengths to turn ideas into action.
This collaboration is the result of an Ontario economic mission to Israel in 2016, led by Premier Kathleen Wynne and attended by the Honourable Reza Moridi, Minister of Research, Innovation & Science. During the mission, the government of Ontario signed several Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with Israeli institutions, making it easier for experts in research and innovation to collaborate on new projects that will impact the quality of life of older adults both locally and globally.
CABHI and IIA are pleased to announce the following recipients of the 2017 program:
Heartbeat Technologies
HeartBeat Technologies (HBT) has developed proprietary software that enables doctors, nurses and individuals to remotely monitor heart related parameters and provide non-invasive care management. HBT’s solution combines off-the-shelf wearable sensors with powerful proprietary cloud-based software to form a comprehensive patient monitoring system. Monitored parameters include heart rate, oxygen levels, continuous blood pressure, cardiac output, hydration and more. The system aims to prevent hospitalization and re-admissions using smart, affordable remote patient monitoring. This technology will be trialed at Saint Elizabeth Health Care and supported by their Intelligent Care Platform design to drive end user engagement, adoption, guidance and support. Saint Elizabeth has 110 years of experience as a national home care and health innovation leader; with over 9000 staff, Saint Elizabeth has conducted over 50 million home visits in the past decade alone.
Brainsway
Brainsway has developed a new brain disorder treatment called Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or “Deep TMS” therapy, which uses a non-invasive approach to generate brief magnetic field pulses that activate deep brain structures. A widely tested treatment, Brainsway’s unique technology reaches areas of the brain associated with depression and other brain disorders and has been utilized in over 60 clinical trials worldwide. It is based on patents registered by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the company. Thousands of patients worldwide have benefited from Brainsway Deep TMS therapy. In this trial, Brainsway will be collaborating with clinical researchers at Baycrest Health Sciences in Toronto to test the effectiveness of Deep TMS on patients with the dual diagnosis of depression and Alzheimer’s disease.
“Innovation knows no borders. We are delighted to work with the Israel Innovation Authority, which has helped us identify Israeli firms with world-leading solutions that address the pressing challenges of our aging population,” said Ron Riesenbach, Vice-President Innovation & Chief Technology Officer at Baycrest Health Sciences & CABHI.
Mr. Aharon Aharon CEO, Israel Innovation Authority, commented, “Canada is one of Israel’s major partners for innovation. We are proud that our collaboration with the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) resulted in ground-breaking technological innovations offered by two Israeli recipients of the funding. We are confident their innovative solutions to address brain health and care needs will prove vital for an ever-increasing elder population worldwide. We are also calling on additional companies to submit their innovations for this program and be instrumental in finding the solutions that will provide better quality of life and medical treatment to the older adult population.”
The 2018 Canada-Israel Collaboration Program is now accepting Calls for Innovation from eligible Israeli companies. Through this program, successful applicants will be partnered with one or more seniors care organizations and pilot projects will receive up-to $250,000 CAD in matching-fund support from CABHI. Successful applicants could also receive additional funding from the IIA. Projects must last between 12-15 months and commence by September 2018. Applicants must have a matured product or service that they would like to test with older adults at a Canadian trial partner site. View the 2018 Call for Innovations at http://www.cabhi.com/canada-israel-2018. Expressions of Interest are due by 5 p.m. on February 23, 2018.
The Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) is a solution accelerator for the aging and brain health sector, providing support to innovators for the development, testing, and dissemination of new ideas and technologies that address unmet brain health and seniors’ care needs. Established in 2015, it is the result of the largest investment in brain health and aging in Canadian history. Led by Baycrest Health Sciences, CABHI is a unique collaboration of health care, science, industry, not-for-profit and government partners whose aim is to help improve quality of life for the world’s aging population, allowing older adults to age safely in the setting of their choice while maintaining their cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being. For more information on CABHI, please visit: www.cabhi.com.
Baycrest Health Sciences is a global leader in geriatric residential living, healthcare, research, innovation and education, with a special focus on brain health and aging. Fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest provides excellent care for older adults combined with an extensive clinical training program for the next generation of healthcare professionals and one of the world’s top research institutes in cognitive neuroscience, the Rotman Research Institute. Baycrest is home to the federally and provincially-funded Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, a solution accelerator focused on driving innovation in the aging and brain health sector, and is the developer of Cogniciti — a free online memory assessment for Canadians 40+ who are concerned about their memory. Through its dedicated centres, the organization offers unmatched global knowledge exchange and commercialization capacity. Founded in 1918 as the Jewish Home for Aged, Baycrest continues to embrace the long-standing tradition of all great Jewish healthcare institutions to improve the well-being of people in their local communities and around the globe. For more information please visit: www.baycrest.org.
The Israel Innovation Authority responsible for the country’s innovation policy, is an independent and impartial public entity that operates for the benefit of the Israeli innovation ecosystem and Israeli economy as a whole.
Its role is to nurture and develop Israeli innovation resources, while creating and strengthening the infrastructure and framework needed to support the entire knowledge industry.
As such, the Israel Innovation Authority advises the government and Parliament (“Knesset”) committees regarding innovation policy in Israel and furthermore monitors and analyzes the dynamic changes taking place throughout the innovation environments in Israel and abroad. The Authority creates cooperation with counterpart agencies to promote technological innovation in the Israeli industry and economy.
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Media Contact:
Arielle Zomer
Senior Communications Specialist
CABHI
416-937-5741
azomer@cabhi.com
Jonathan MacIndoe
Senior Communications Specialist
Baycrest Health Sciences
416-785-2500, ext. 6579
jmacindoe@baycrest.org
Hagit Sela-Lidor
International Marketing Manager
Marketing & Communications Branch
Israel Innovation Authority
+972-3-7157908
Hagit.Sela-Lidor@innovationisrael.org.il
