Health Futures

During COP28, as I traversed the intricate maze of the event, my mind grappled with the multifaceted nature of my role as an observer. Initially, I contemplated whether my primary duty lay in monitoring negotiations and ensuring accountability or engaging with diverse stakeholders to explore collaborative opportunities, a realization gradually took hold.

Global and individual health care is experiencing disruption through a variety of technologies. Building disruptive technologies is at the core of what we do, and since our inception, the University of Waterloo has also been disrupting the boundaries of health.

Explore just some of the health-tech innovations springing up from the University’s ecosystem that we will be keeping an eye on this year.

Dr. John Hirdes, a professor in the School of Public Health Sciences, has been appointed a member of the Order of Canada

Navigating the world safely can be a major challenge for people with vision impairments. One award-winning new invention aims to change that, while another aims to diagnose a common eye disease earlier, potentially preventing vision loss in the first place. 

The year 2023 has unfolded with a dynamic blend of challenges and opportunities, offering us a fresh page to write the story of our University of Waterloo community.

As we embark towards 2024, we can reflect with pride on the continued dedication and achievements of our students, alumni, researchers and staff — all of whom have played an integral role in shaping on-campus initiatives, global events and cutting-edge education and research.

These trending stories highlight just some of the community’s profound impact on our collective future.

Practical and scalable quantum computers are still in the early stages of development, and many technical challenges need to be overcome before they can be widely used for various applications. Researchers and companies globally, as well as right here at the University of Waterloo, are diligently pushing the boundaries of quantum computing technology, driving forward innovations in this emerging field.

A shared interest in sports inspired a University of Waterloo professor and undergraduate student to design a new spinal implant that could help improve neck mobility and mitigate surgical complications.

Detecting a deadly tumor as early as possible is vital to stopping its spread. However, creating the solution doesn’t necessarily solve the problem — it needs to be widely adopted by medical professionals. That’s why standards like the new IEC 62220-2-1: 2023 Medical electrical equipment – Characteristics of digital X-ray imaging devices are so important.  

Waterloo School of Public Health students won an international evaluation case competition with a plan that focused on a Clean Start Africa program called Circles of Healing

People are less likely to adopt new health policies if they don't have faith in their government, and a new tool from University of Waterloo researchers aims to fix that.

The tool – designed by a team based in Waterloo's School of Public Health Sciences – aids lawmakers in how trustworthy they may appear to the public and could help improve the uptake of public health policies by informing their design and communication.