Listen to the people who do business in Ontario

Baylis Medical Company
Infants with faulty heart valves used to require open heart surgery days after birth, and many of these "blue babies" didn't survive the risky operation. But, an innovation by Baylis Medical Company helped change that. More...

Roche Canada
The stakes are huge in the global drug discovery race and Hoffman-LaRoche has just upped its chances of winning big with the establishment of a new Global Pharmaceutical Development site in Mississauga. More...

Miami Mice Research
Its name is a play on the title of the 1980s TV show Miami Vice and just like the characters in that series, Miami Mice Research Inc. is tracking down a killer – cancer. More...

Theralase: Moving at the speed of light
Roger Dumoulin-White, President

"We got into LLLT (Low Level Laser Therapy) in its infancy. The Ontario Centres of Excellence has been instrumental in our rapid growth, by sharing our vision and supporting us with research funding and business expertise. OCE also facilitated other important partnerships, including one with Princess Margaret Hospital."

The context: Low Level laser Therapy (LLLT), once considered nothing more than a light show, is now a proven technology – and Toronto-based Theralase is an established leader in the field. The company's lasers, which are FDA, Health Canada and CE (Conformité Européenne) approved, are used for pain management and wound healing. They can also be used to destroy cancer cells and are undergoing preclinical trials at Princess Margaret Hospital, one of the world's top cancer research centres.

The University of Toronto: A hotbed for biomedical research and commercialization
Dr. Brian Wilson, Professor, Department of Medical Biophysics

"We're swamped with requests from physicians and scientists who want to work with us. Ontario is a magnet for biomedical researchers because it's a leader in innovation. There's so much activity going on here and it's tremendously collaborative which accelerates discovery. We also have the Ontario Centres of Excellence which works with researchers and companies to speed the commercialization of discoveries into products that improve people's health."

The context: The University of Toronto's Dr. Brian Wilson is an expert in biophotonics. He and his team have developed leading-edge fluorescence technology that detects cancer at the earliest stage and can be used to guide treatments such as surgery and radiation therapy of the GI tract, head, neck, breast and prostate. It's technology that has attracted the attention of companies and researchers worldwide.

Ontario Brain Institute: Mobilizing Ontario's excellence in brain research
Dr. Donald Stuss, Interim President and Scientific Director

"Our neuroscientists are the best of the best. They've been responsible for significant research accomplishments in many areas of the global neuroscience arena. This new institute will help us build on these achievements by turning health-care discoveries made in the lab into products and services to help people who are affected by brain diseases and disorders."

The context: Already a world leader in brain research, Ontario aims to keep its pre-eminent role. In November 2010 the government announced the creation of the Ontario Brain Institute and provided $15 million in start-up funding. It's a virtual research centre that brings together the province's top brain researchers and life sciences companies that know how to commercialize good ideas. The institute is also establishing international partnerships, the first with Israel.

Mihealth: Empowering patients
Dr. Wendy Graham, Founder and President

"This made in Ontario app couldn't have been possible without Diversinet's communications expertise. The government's Ontario Network of Excellence has also been essential by helping me access critical funding and commercialization expertise."

The context: North Bay physician Dr. Wendy Graham is poised to revolutionize the practice of medicine in Canada and across North America with a personal health record application called Mihealth. The app can run on any smartphone or personal computer and gives patients and their care-givers instant, secure access to key health information. It also allows physicians to notify patients about upcoming appointments and tests, as well as share test and lab results with them, and it can be updated as often as necessary. Mihealth was developed in partnership with Diversinet, a Toronto-based security provider specializing in applications for the health-care sector.