Congratulations to the Graham Seed Fund recipients

This fall, the University of Waterloo’s Health Initiatives team launched the Graham Seed Fund (GSF) and invited researchers to submit their proposals for innovative health-care solutions. The GSF strengthens the University’s health system partnerships by providing resources for collaborating directly with a full range of health providers and clinicians.

“Waterloo researchers are transforming health-care, particularly in health technology. Collaborating with industry partners enables our researchers to innovate with purpose and bring solutions to the market for real-world impact,” says Dr. Catherine Burns, associate vice-president of Health Initiatives.

Ten research proposals have been selected from the 34 that were received. The recipient researchers span across five Waterloo faculties and the partnerships range from local hospitals and provincial health-care providers to industry partners and international universities and organizations.

Here are the ten recipient projects:

Acceptance and usability of the GuardIO, a mobile application to support care partners of persons living with dementia

• Lili Liu, Faculty of Health (Researcher)
• Alzheimer Society of Ontario, CareLective, Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (Partners)

AI for identifying and addressing inequities in the health systems to improve patient outcomes

• Alexander Wong, Faulty of Engineering (Researcher)
• Grand River Hospital (Partner)

A new transdermal patch to continuously and without pain track and treat diabetes

• Mahla Poudineh, Faculty of Engineering (Researcher)
• Grand River Hospital, McMaster University, Google (Partners)

Clinical risk assessment tool for diabetic kidney disease in youth with type 2 diabetes

• Anita Layton, Faculty of Mathematics (Researcher)
• University of Toronto, University of Colorado, NorthShore University Health System (Partners)

Design of novel glaucoma stent

• Mihaela Vlasea, Faculty of Engineering (Researcher)
• St. Mary’s General Hospital, Grand River Hospital (Partners)

Development of a website for TB care linkages between the public and private sector providers in Nigeria

• Charity Oga-Omenka, Faculty of Health (Researcher)
• TB Public-Private Mix Learning Network, Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (Partners)

Electronic-free, closed-loop soft robotic regenerative system for assisting people living with knee osteoarthritis

• Monica Maly, Faculty of Health (Researcher)
• Arthritis Society Canada (Partner)

Enhancing adherence to amblyopia treatment using social robotics

• Ben Thompson, Faculty of Science (Researcher)
• University of Waterloo Optometry Clinic (Partner)

Microrobotic chemolytic kidney stone removal

• Veronika Magdanz, Faculty of Engineering (Researcher)
• University Hospital Barcelona, University of Balearic Islands, Devicare (Partners)

Virtual psychotherapy for university students enhanced by natural language processing: A randomized pilot study of AI using the Get A-Head® software

• Dillon Browne, Faculty of Arts (Researcher)
• Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre, Family Psychology Centre Toronto, Children and Youth Planning Table Region of Waterloo (Partners)

The GSF is made possible by the J.W. Graham Trust Endowment Fund. Visit the Transformative Health Technologies website to learn more about the fund.