Scientists at Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI) are inventing the future of health care by developing innovative tools and devices that aim to solve some of health care’s most complex challenges. By working with trusted partners in both public and private sectors, our scientists can identify, innovate and protect new technologies, and bring discoveries to the medical marketplace so they reach and benefit more patients. From bench to bedside, Sunnybrook inventors are working to trailblaze patient care one idea at a time.
Dr. Hon Leong, scientist in Biological Sciences and the Odette Cancer Research Program at SRI, emphasizes the importance of translating research into clinical practice. Using ideas from his lab, Dr. Leong and Dr. Gobi Thillainadesan, research associate at SRI, co-founded SRI spin-off company, Yex, a sustainable, ethical and cost-effective alternative to currents method used for growing cells needed to make biologic drugs. Yex can also be used in research applications to fuel discoveries in regenerative medicine, antibody production, clinical diagnostics and drug discovery and screening.
What inspired you to become an inventor and create new medical technologies?
There have been lots of leaders in my life that inspired and fostered my passion for research and innovation. My dad is incredible at making things and creating solutions. He was a welder and I grew up watching him and his colleagues do research at a government facility in Northern Alberta, where he successfully developed an alternative to open pit mining for oil extraction. Watching my dad showed me that I really loved using my hands and a creative process to discover things and create solutions. I also think that’s why I loved university, and later grad school, so much; There was a plethora of different disciplines and topics to discover.
I became inspired to research medical technologies when my father had a heart attack and fortunately survived. When learning about how he was saved, I began to see and appreciate how so many different worlds came together to forge medical devices and drugs that would save patients like him.
I also had a previous supervisor who was ambitious and focused on biotech entrepreneurship. He helped me realize that everything we do in the lab has to mean something to patients, and in order to do that, you have to reduce that work into a type of product or service.
What impact can Yex have on patient outcomes?
Yex has the potential to accelerate the development of life-saving medications, making them more affordable and accessible for patients. Yex lowers costs, helping scientists perform more research, leading to more advancements in health care and patient care.
Yex, Dr. Leong’s alternative to fetal bovine serum (FBS) and serum free media (SFM).
What knowledge or skills do you need to become an inventor?
A good first step for becoming an inventor in biotech and medtech is to pursue a Bachelor of Science. The type of material and topics that are taught in these types of courses today is incredible, and scientists around the world have made leaps and bounds just from discussions that have happened in a classroom. Soak up everything you learn in science class because one day one of those lessons may lead you on your own path of discovery.
Public speaking is another important skill to have if you’re interested in becoming an inventor or entrepreneur. I wasn’t very good at it as a student, but one of my colleagues urged me to join a Toastmasters group and it changed my life. I became more confident, was able to truly understand the needs of an audience, and it taught me to better communicate my ideas and solutions.
Lastly, you need to be able to listen. Whether it’s listening to the needs of a patient or a colleague, if you aren’t actively trying to understand their needs, you’ll quickly lose focus and waste a lot of time and resources.
How did Sunnybrook enable you to turn your invention into a reality?
Sunnybrook is a place where world-class talent and expertise are coming together to invent the future of health care and serve the needs of the patient; this includes coming up with new scientific discoveries and commercializing them. I think Sunnybrook has an amazing track record of taking lab-grown ideas all the way to market and my experience so far makes me want to do more of it.
Inventing something that has clinical impact is a gargantuan journey and you need the right kinds of people and relationships to help chip away at the marble. It’s more than just scientists, but a team of experienced professionals that will help guide you and advise you on the path to success.
