The Healthcare Innovation Challenge

In 2022, then IMS students Kayvan Aflaki and Serena Peck wanted to create an enriching, hands-on competitive learning experience to challenge graduate students to solve real-world healthcare problems. So, with seed funding from the Jay Keystone Award for Innovation in Scientific Communication and with the support of faculty advisor Dr. Pascal Tyrrell, they developed the Healthcare Innovation Challenge (HIC). After two successful events, it became an official IMS offering in 2024.

In this unique initiative teams of IMS and other UofT students utilize their creativity and critical thinking skills to solve a real-world healthcare challenge question. In the first stage students compete through a short written proposal and recorded pitch. The top five scoring teams advance to the final round where they pitch their solution to a live audience and panel of expert judges. 

See the 2025 award winners.