Canadian Innovation News Spring 2018 THE FACE OF CANADIAN SCIENCE IS CHANGING, AND IT’S STARTING WITH WOMEN AT THE TOP Role Dr. Mona Nemer, Chief Science Advisor, Canada Dr. Julie Payette, Governor General Dr. Molly Shoichet, Chief Scientist, Ontario Models Dr. Kirsty Duncan, Federal Science Minister Matter Canadian Innovation 2 News Spring 2018 What is CIN? Canadian Innovation News reports on Canadian innovation and international collaboration opportunities. Our mission is to provide actionable information, promote engaged communities and facilitate new linkages between the private sector, academia and government within Canada and internationally. We keep our readers up to date on the latest Jeffrey Crelinsten opportunities to collaborate and Publisher develop cutting-edge innovations in today’s rapidly evolving, globally- connected world. 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Give Us a Call! www.researchmoneyinc.comRE$EARCH MONEY | | 215 Spadina @research_money Street, Suite 400 | R$ LinkedIn | Toronto, Group ON | M6J3W7 Rebecca Melville | Chief Operating Officer | [email protected] |416-­‐481-­‐7070 ex2 Canadian Innovation 4 News Spring 2018 Contact Us Canadian Innovation News @ Centre for Social Innovation 215 Spadina Avenue, Suite 400 Toronto ON M5T 2C7 Canada 1-416-481-7070 What is CIN? For advertising inquiries contact: Zubier Abdullah For editorial inquiries contact: Debbie Lawes Canadian Innovation 5 News Spring 2018 Content Partners Fernand Proulx Interim President and CEO Ingenium – Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation Ottawa, Ontario 613-222-1535 [email protected] Katie Kushner Manager, Events and Communications Springboard Atlantic Inc. [email protected] Canadian Innovation 6 News Spring 2018 Contributing Partners Christine Misquitta Vice President, Administration and Communications Centre for the Commercialization of Antibodies and Biologics (CCAB) [email protected] P: 1-647-715-2305 M: 1-647-405-6145 FAX: 1-416-593-0225 Canadian Innovation 7 News Spring 2018 Distribution Partners Julien Abord-Babin Senior Strategic Communications Officer, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Colleges and Institutes Canada [email protected] 1-613-746-2222 ext. 3131 Ontario Ministry of International Trade Canadian Innovation 8 News Spring 2018 Content 10 Message from the Publisher 11 Cover Story: Role Models Matter — Female STEM leaders are rising to the highest levelS of politics and power 21 Canadian Tech at the Leading Age — Teaching computers empathy 25 Company Spotlight — CCAB aims to grow Toronto’s biotech community 27 New Brunswick turns fish and forests into high tech opportunities 30 What makes Atlantic Canada a hotbed for bio and life sciences? 32 Innovator Spotlight — Industry partnerships at core of unique BIOTIC model 34 Innovator Spotlight — Mobilizing Canada’s Bioeconomy to Fight Climate Change Canadian Innovation 9 News Spring 2018 Content 36 Company Spotlight — Fredericton NB’s ecosystem is driving the city forward 38 In The News 42 Trailblazers — Dr. Isabel Pedersen: UOIT expert examines how wearable tech will shape humanity 47 Innovator Spotlight — The New Canada Science and Technology Museum 50 Gender diversity takes centre stage in federal budget 54 Innovator Spotlight — Springboard Atlantic to play cat- alytic role in region’s new growth strategy 57 In The News On cover, top right: Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General and Commander-in-chief of Canada. Photo: Sgt Jo- hanie Maheu, Rideau Hall ©OSGG-BSGG, 2017 Canadian Innovation 10 News Spring 2018 Message from the Publisher Spring comes with new beginnings and this In Canadian Tech at the Leading Edge we edition of Canadian Innovation News is no learn about a new AI platform that reads exception. I’m delighted to announce the human emotions, Canada’s new superclusters, launch of our new CIN website. You can cannabis R&D, a new therapeutics search past issues, enjoy the new edition and spin-off, cybersecurity and big data. comment on the stories. In addition to the website, you can still download an interactive In Trailblazers we meet the leader of Decimal PDF, which you can share with others via Lab, a digital humanities research centre email, or print for easy reading on the plane, studying technology-human interactions. train, bus or wherever you happen to be. You can also read about Quebec’s new anti-radicalization research chair, a new We’ve changed the format as well. In addition Canada-India Accelerator program for to the feature article, we’ve organized the women entrepreneurs, a fellowship program editorial content into two themed booklets: to support women scientists in low- and Canadian Tech at the Leading Edge middle-income countries and De Beers and Trailblazers. We will add two other Canada’s new scholarship for women. themed booklets in the Fall issue: Regional Focus and Investment Opportunities. Canada is sending a powerful message to the world that STEM and innovation are open This Spring we’re celebrating Canadian to everyone. We encourage our colleagues women in science and innovation. Our cover around the globe and across Canada to features Canada’s science minister, Canada’s emulate the innovators featured here and new Governor General, Canada’s new Chief to collaborate with them to make the world Science Advisor and Ontario’s new Chief a better place. Scientist – all highly accomplished women who are stellar role models for younger generations. We explore how the Canadian government and others are working to address the shortage of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. Jeffrey Crelinsten Canadian Innovation 11 News Spring 2018 ROLE MODELS MATTER FEMALE STEM LEADERS ARE RISING TO THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF POLITICS AND POWER Canadian Innovation 12 News Spring 2018 Women are still woefully underrepresented in senior scientific positions around the world but there is a sense that palpable change is finally at hand – driven in part by a self- declared “feminist prime minister” and the senior appointments of some notable female scientists. COVER STORY Canadian Innovation 13 News Spring 2018 Dr. Mona Nemer in a uOttawa lab alongside PhD candidate Jamie Whitcomb. Since being appointed Canada’s Chief Science Advisor, Dr. Nemer still regularly visits students and oversees their research and studies. Photo: Bonnie Findley By Debbie Lawes The face of Canadian science is changing, “When our research community includes and it’s starting with women at the top. people from diverse backgrounds with unique experiences, knowledge and perspectives, Drs. Kirsty Duncan (federal science minister), we are all one step closer to the next Mona Nemer (Canada’s chief science breakthrough idea or discovery. Broad advisor), Molly Shoichet (Ontario’s first perspectives breed great science,” Duncan chief scientist) and former astronaut Julie told delegates attending a conference on Payette (now Governor General) are not science policy in Ottawa last November. only raising the profile of female scientists in Canada, they are also vocal advocates for The social and economic benefits of increasing the ranks of women in science, having more female STEM leaders are technology, engineering and mathematics well documented. Yet, numerous studies (STEM), particularly in academia. have highlighted the slow progress COVER STORY Canadian Innovation 14 News Spring 2018 of women’s participation in STEM “I was told the fields – particularly natural sciences and reason I was engineering – and the chronically low getting paid in number of women in academic leadership. the bottom 10th percentile was The trajectory is changing, albeit slowly. because I was A report