Mitacs nominee Dr. Sheila Wang receives 2021 Governor General’s Innovation Award

Ottawa, ON – Dr. Sheila Wang has been named a recipient of the sixth annual Governor General’s Innovation Awards for her work in the creation of an artificial intelligence-driven (AI-driven) technology for monitoring wound care patients remotely. Dr. Wang was nominated for the award by Mitacs. 

The Governor General’s Innovation Awards recognize and celebrate exceptional Canadian individuals, teams and organizations for their excellence in innovation and their contributions to helping shape our future and making a positive impact on our quality of life. 

Dr. Wang, who is completing her residency in Dermatology at McGill University, is the co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Swift Medical, a global leader in wound technology today. Their technology is implemented in more than 2,000 healthcare institutions across North America and used to monitor more than 150,000 patients each month – including many in remote and Indigenous communities. This technology helps thousands of wound care patients access immediate, virtual wound care from their own homes, critically important during COVID-19 and beyond. 

The development of this innovative, AI-powered solution was facilitated in part by a Mitacs intern from the research institute of the McGill University Health Centre who examined a cohort of patients to classify wound images and develop algorithms to enhance the capability of Swift’s mobile technology. 

Mitacs warmly congratulates Dr. Wang on her success. 

Quote: 

John Hepburn, CEO and Scientific Director, Mitacs 

“Mitacs is thrilled that Dr. Sheila Wang has been named one of this year’s recipients of the Governor General’s Innovation Awards. With deep scientific and medical knowledge and an infectious ‘can-do’ attitude and ability to energize her team towards a common purpose, Dr. Wang is one of those rare individuals who possesses the ability to imagine what might be possible and works to bring it to fruition. Her work has helped to shine a light on the challenges in existing wound treatment processes, while advocating for patient-centric and data-driven improvements. We have been proud to support her and the team at Swift Medical by funding an experiential learning opportunity for a postdoctoral researcher at the company. We look forward to continuing to follow its growth.” 

About Mitacs: 

• Mitacs is a not-for-profit organization that fosters growth and innovation in Canada by solving business challenges with research solutions from academic institutions.  
• Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada along with the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.  

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