Dr. Danny Puente Proaño is an MD from the Universidad Central del Ecuador, he has several years of clinical experience in the Ecuadorian health system linking his work to tertiary care Hospitals. In addition to his professional practice, he has carried out ethnobotanical and phytopharmacological research, based on millenary ancestral knowledge, thus rediscovering the therapeutic potential of multiple medicinal plants endemic to the Andean highlands and the Ecuadorian jungle with a special focus on the Cannabis plant and multiple active principles present in diverse entheogenic plants.

Mouzhan is currently an MHsc candidate in the Translational Research Program at the University of Toronto and a recent graduate from the Life Sciences program at The University of Toronto.

Farah Farhat is currently an MHsc candidate in the Translational Research Program at the University of Toronto and a recent graduate from the Health Sciences and Life Sciences programs at The University of Ottawa.

Orianna Min is a fourth-year mechanical engineering student at the University of Waterloo. She is passionate about researching and learning, particularly in the areas of biomechanics, biochemistry, thermodynamics, and material science.

Danniel Hu is a fourth-year mechanical engineering student from University of Waterloo. A student delegates effort in the biomechanics and mechanical design field, having self-designed 2 wearable assistive devices for people living with various disabilities and created own venture in the capacity of CTO and CEO. Daniel’s academic interests focus on human interface engineering, human-centered design, and various biomechatronic assistive devices.

Alex is a connector and an innovator who is naturally drawn to people and problems. A strong proponent of design thinking and human-centred design, Alex has experience with fintech, science, communication, user experience design, and operational streamlining.

Sami is a clinical researcher and health & science policy enthusiast. He is one of the directors for the Medical Equipment Redistribution Collaborative Initiative (MERCI) NPO and a member of the Ottawa Science Policy Network. Sami’s clinical research involves working with innovative leaders who have shaped the field of thoracic surgery in Canada, from assessing surgical approaches and innovation to workforce needs and health services research. His work has been presented nationally at the Canadian Surgery Forum and internationally at the esteemed annual meetings of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery.

Christina is a MHSc candidate in the Translational Research Program at the University of Toronto, and a recent graduate from the Pathobiology and Global Health programs at U of T. Prior to joining the Ideation Clinic™, she pursued research aimed at improving screening procedures for Candida auris in the clinical laboratory, embedding sustainability in higher education institutions, and investigating neurophysiological mechanisms in C. elegans. She has also been involved with projects applying human-centred design principles in community health settings, and the implementation of QI initiatives.

Derek is an avid biotech market enthusiast, with a keen interest in methods to commercialize drugs and therapies and unique platform based technologies. Coming out of his Honors Bachelors of Science degree, Derek is looking forward to continuing his journey working in the incubator space, and making a difference through healthcare.

Leslie is both a medical and technical writer that has worked in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Leslie has worked in quality control, and in all roles, cares passionately about process and data integrity. She also serves as the Chief Science Officer for The Green Link, where she performs technology scouting research for clients seeking environmental solutions. Leslie didn’t plan for a career that included ideation, but ideation insisted on finding her anyway. And now, well, the heart wants what the heart wants.

Chengye Yang is a creative individual with a MSc in physiology from UofT, and food industry experience. In her spare time, she enjoys making music, gardening, and sports.

Arani is MHSc Candidate in the translational research program at the University of Toronto and a recent graduate from Health Studies program at York University. She has keen interests in health systems abroads, social determinants of health and inequities in healthcare systems.

Sumegha is currently a first year student at TRP, University of Toronto and prior to this she graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree from India. Over the past five years, She had the opportunity to gain varied experience as a clinician and in the public health field. She had the joy of organizing and participating in multiple health, dental checkup and treatment camps as well as in formulating policies for companies to reduce occupational hazards and uphold safety standards. She is committed to educating people from all societal strata about the environment, health and allied sciences.

Jaspreet Randhawa is a graduate student at the University of Toronto studying in the Translational Research Program (TRP). With a background in health sciences and applied computing, Jaspreet is highly interested in the fields of translational research to bring innovative solutions to implementation in healthcare, especially in the fields of pediatrics, cardiovascular & reproductive health.

Ateeya Manzoor began working in the incubator space in 2008, before incubators exist as we know them today. She strongly believes that all ideas have value and has worked throughout her career to champion health innovation in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

In 2008, Ms. Manzoor founded her own health incubator, which exists today as Cognosco Noor Ltd., with offices in London and Toronto. She has shared a stage with Apple’s Co-Founder Steve Wozniak and US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice. In addition, she has been a speaker at Sunnybrook Hospital, the University Health Network, Schulich School of Business, Ted Rogers School of Management, and helped shape curriculum for Ideation, Leadership Studies, DBT-informed mental health courses. 

Dr. Joseph Ferenbok has an eclectic background that includes aspects of entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, design, english literature, philosophy, engineering, computer science, humanities, biology, art history, surgery, and psychiatry.

He is the founding Director of the Translational Research Program (TRP), Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. The TRP is a graduate program focused on training interdisciplinary trainees to systematically apply scientific knowledge to improve medicine, health & care.