2021 Winners:
Dr. Ian Maxwell, Zack Kilburn
and Dr. Darren B. Ferguson
MEDICAL INNOVATORS’ CHALLENGE
Medical Innovators’ Challenge
April 23, 2025
Marco Polo Cruise Terminal
Your front-row seat to cutting-edge medical advancements.
The Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation is thrilled to present the fourth Medical Innovators’ Challenge on April 23, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for a pre-event reception.
Hosted by award-winning comedian James Mullinger, this premier event promises an electrifying blend of innovation, inspiration and impact.
This year, you have the power to make a difference by voting on the winners of the Innovation and Community Impact Awards. Your voice will help propel groundbreaking ideas and initiatives that enhance healthcare in our community. Be a part of the excitement and help shape the future of medical innovation!
2021 Winners:
Dr. Ian Maxwell, Zack Kilburn
and Dr. Darren B. Ferguson
MORE ON THE MEDICAL INNOVATORS’ CHALLENGE:
Health Care Innovation Award
Transformative generosity. Game-changing medical innovation.
In a high-stakes showdown, three finalist teams will pitch their game-changing medical solutions to revolutionize local healthcare.
This year, you have the power to vote for the winner of the Healthcare Innovation Award, helping to shape the future of medical advancements in our community.
The prize: $500,000
Community Impact Award
Real impact in the heart of our community.
New this year, two teams will vie for a $100,000 Community Impact Award to accelerate access to care beyond our hospital walls — advancing sustainable health care system solutions in our community and province.
The prize: $100,000
Trailblazing Health Care Innovation since 2017
Since launching our first medical competition in 2017, our generous donors have helped us invest over $2.5 million into New Brunswick’s health care system—fuelling 10 groundbreaking projects that are transforming care, saving lives and shaping the future of medicine.
major investors
granted
funded projects
2021
Atlantic Canada’s first 3-D Imaging Center and the first in Canada to adopt Subtle Medical’s AI solutions, reducing scan times and improving patient comfort
2018
First-in-Canada Nobel Prize winning super-resolution microscope to ensure new medicines will have the desired effect on specific patients, contributing to decreased hospital stays and reduced pressure on hospitals
2017
An extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) device, also known as cardiac bypass in a box, launching a study to show improved survival rates for cardiac arrest patients in the Emergency Department
Being part of the [Medical Innovators’ Challenge] was one of the most exciting and enjoyable things I’ve done so far in my career.
Taking part in something like this was initially outside of my comfort zone, and certainly different than my typical day-to-day tasks. The Foundation made it easy though to jump in with both feet! We were immensely pleased and proud of the final pitch video.
It was a great opportunity to highlight the need for better laboratory testing for those with substance use disorder and allowed us to bring awareness of this need to a far greater audience than we could have reached on our own.
—Dr. Jennifer Shea, 2021 Finalist
I am thrilled to share the remarkable progress and success of the Imaging Enhancement Centre (IEC) in Medical Imaging at the SJRH, which has witnessed an unprecedented response from health care professionals, patients and stakeholders since its recent rollout.
Our visionary initiative to integrate cutting-edge technologies like 3D printing, artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) applications has proven to be a game-changer, elevating the standards of patient care and revolutionizing the field of medical imaging and pre-surgical planning.
—Zack Kilburn, 2021 Finalist
This instrument is helping grow the biotechnology sector in the province, improving the health of people and the environment. We can now see inside cells and visualize organelles, like mitochondria or lysosomes, that make a cell work. We have observed nanomedicines trafficking inside cancer cells and fats depositing in heart cells with uncontrolled diabetes. Anyone in the province can collaborate with us to use this instrument.
—Keith Brunt, 2018 Finalist
Let’s fuel the future of health care, together.
Witness cutting-edge ideas come to life and connect with the brightest minds in the field.