Welcome to the Master of Biomedical Innovation program!
The MBI program is designed to provide you with a unique educational experience that integrates biomedical innovation and entrepreneurship in the fields of health sciences, business and engineering. Our program stands out for its experiential and project-based approach.
Throughout the program, you will be supported by supervisors, mentors and instructors who have experience in health-care entrepreneurship.
Dr. Alan Neville,
MBI Program Director
Jonathan Stokes, PhD, HBSc
BIOMEDIN 704: New Value Creation | Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Foundations & Applications
Dr. Stokes is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, carrying a prestigious Banting Fellowship from 2018-2020.
Stokes established his laboratory back at McMaster in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences in August 2021. The Stokes lab leverages a balance of experimental and computational approaches to discover the next generation of life-saving antibiotics with novel structures and functions that expand the capabilities of these medicines beyond the current state of the art.
One of the lab’s primary interests, quite broadly, is in the application of deep learning approaches to help predict the antibacterial properties of structurally novel small molecules. Stokes also co-founded a non-profit organization, Phare Bio, which aims to de-risk promising antibiotic candidates and position these molecules for more rapid advancement through the clinical trial process.
Jesse Mastrangelo, MA, HBSc
BIOMEDIN 705: From Market Assessment to Value Proposition
Jesse Mastrangelo is a scientist, entrepreneur, and investor with skills and expertise in innovation design, business strategy, venture capital investment, and accelerator management. He is passionate about innovation and value creation, with specific interest in health systems and the longevity sector.
Currently the Program Manager, Investments and Venture Services at the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, Mastrangelo is also a founding member of the Hamilton Health Sciences Patient Advisory Council.
Amy Hector, PhD, MBA(c)
BIOMEDIN 706: Intellectual Property
Dr. Hector is a Business Development Manager at McMaster Industry Liaison Office. In this role, she supports academia-to-industry technology transfer by evaluating technologies for intellectual property and commercial potential, managing patent applications, connecting with industry partners, and licensing. She also supports start-ups and the preparation of funding applications to Proof-of-Principle programs.
Ing Goping, P.Eng
BIOMEDIN 707: Business Model Development
Ing Goping is an Expert Advisor at Innovation Factory and a business mentor at McMaster University’s The Forge. Ing’s professional journey started 34+ years ago when he graduated as an Electrical Engineer at Waterloo University and commenced his career with a start-up medical device idea that turned into a very successful global business today. After completing two significant exits, Ing devotes some of his spare time mentoring young start ups in the Life Science and Technology fields. As a consultant, Ing established “IngVentions Ltd” as a vehicle to help others in “Turning IDEAS into ACTION” because the results matter as much as the process of getting there. He has a wealth of experience in the technology of medical devices, product development, regulatory affairs, process mapping, real-time software development, business unit management, and mergers and acquisitions.
Steven Remilli
BIOMEDIN 707: Business Model Development
Bringing a wealth of expertise in design, manufacturing, process engineering, and project management to his position at McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI), Steven Remilli spearheads intricate industry projects with a dedication to delivering top-notch quality, timely results, and exceptional value to Industry Partners within the local manufacturing and innovation landscape. Before joining MMRI, Remilli gained extensive experience across diverse technical domains. He has contributed to manufacturing in military aerospace, managed capital projects for one of Canada’s largest food manufacturing firms, and delved into the design of automated handling systems for automotive OEMs, shaping his versatile skill set.
Fran Lasowski, PhD, BEng BioSciences
BIOMEDIN 708: Regulation & Reimbursement
Dr. Lasowksi is a Chemical Engineer with expertise in biomaterials and drug delivery and training in commercialization. As Executive Director of the C20/20 Innovation Hub, she has an extensive network of ophthalmic contacts. A former Vanier scholar, Lasowski completed her PhD at McMaster University within the NSERC 20/20 Network and has been involved in the ophthalmic space for over 12 years.
Lasowski has entrepreneurial experience with the commercialization of the micelles for ocular applications. As a co-founder and CEO of 20|20 OptimEyes Technologies, she brings an entrepreneurial understanding to the team. Lasowski is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology and an Innovation Coach in The Clinic health innovation hub at McMaster University.
Garima Ghale, PhD
BIOMEDIN 709: From Market Assessment to Value Proposition
Dr. Ghale is passionate about translating scientific innovations into real-world impact. As an Associate Director at OBIO, she supports the scaling and commercialization of health science technologies. She currently spearheads the OBIO Women in Health Initiative — a program dedicated exclusively to supporting women entrepreneurs in health & life sciences sector. Prior to joining OBIO, she was a Venture Manager at the Creative Destruction Lab, Toronto, where she sourced, evaluated innovative technologies, and supported early-stage ventures to grow their value. Her expertise spans diligence on life science start-ups, fundraising strategies, commercialization, stakeholder relationship management, and communications. Dr. Ghale holds a PhD in Chemistry from Germany, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Her research work has led to articles in top-tier peer-reviewed journals such as Science, Nature, and the Journal of the American Chemical Society, with over 1000 citations. She is a recipient of the prestigious DFF-MOBILEX mobility grant from the Danish Council for Independent Research and was selected as one of the young scientists to attend the 59th Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting.
Randy Peterson, PhD, MBA, MSc
BIOMEDIN 710: Funding and Venture Creation
Dr. Peterson’s background includes extensive experience with Life Science/Biotech companies directly involved with therapeutic and technological innovations. He has over 10 years of experience within the pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic sectors primarily focused on commercialization of life science innovations. Peterson brings a depth of hands-on experience which includes expertise of regulatory environments for new therapeutics, to company creation and intellectual property protection.
Renaud Jacquemart, PhD, MBA
BIOMEDIN 711: Business Basics
Dr. Jacquemart is a purpose-driven, visionary leader with a worldwide network and over 20 years of global experience heading multicultural, multi-functional teams in the biopharmaceutical industry. Jacquemart loves dedicating energy to people and projects that create a positive impact on our world. He is the CEO of OMNIUM Global Consulting where he advises executive teams and boards of directors. He represents some of the most innovative, purposeful Biotechs involved in development, manufacturing, and commercialization of vaccines, immunotherapies, and technologies dedicated to protecting Low- and Middle-income Countries against SARS-CoV2 and neglected tropical diseases.
Rebecca Repa, MBA, HBPsych
Elective | Navigating Complexity: Implementing Innovation in Healthcare
Rebecca Repa is the Executive Vice President of Clinical Support and Performance, University Health Network (UHN). Her portfolio includes executive responsibility for Arthritis, Altum Health, Commercial Strategy, FM-PRO (Facilities Management – Planning, Redevelopment & Operations), the Joint Department of Medical Imaging, the Laboratory Medicine Program, Multi-Organ Transplant, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Hospital Performance and Surgical Services.
Prior to joining UHN, Repa has held several senior leadership roles including: Vice President, Clinical Support and Surgery at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) and President of St. Peters and Regional Rehabilitation. Rebecca also led Clinical Support and Capital Redevelopment at St. Joseph’s Healthcare.
She also holds a part-time associate professor appointment within the Department of Medicine at McMaster University.
Sarrah Lal, MBA, MEng, LLM, LLB, BSc (Chemical Biology)
Elective | Navigating Complexity: Implementing Innovation in Healthcare
Sarrah Lal is the Director of Innovation at Waterloo Ventures in the OVPRI, University of Waterloo. Before this role, Lal was the Velocity Incubator Director where she engaged in strategic and operational planning, entrepreneurship ecosystem building, and advising start-ups. At the University of Waterloo, Lal is known for her passion for reducing barriers for entrepreneurship; supporting founders in building resilient companies; data-informed decision-making; and creating resilient networks of organizations and individuals aligned on advancing Canadian innovation. Previously, Lal spent several years at McMaster University as a faculty member in the medical school, developing a community of individuals invested in health entrepreneurship and commercialization as well as several programs in health innovation and entrepreneurship for a range of learners. She actively supported researchers, clinicians, and students in commercializing health technologies. During this time, she also founded a health tech company focused on the diagnosis and management of celiac disease.
Jean-Paul Laurin, MSc Admin, BComm, BEd
Elective | Preparing for Due Diligence
Jean-Paul is a highly entrepreneurial, strategic-minded and effective business development/partnering executive and consultant to the global pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. His extensive experience spans nearly thirty years, and includes licensing, acquiring and divesting companies, products and technologies in major markets throughout the world, including the U.S. and Canada, Europe and Asia. Over the course of his career, Laurin has been involved in securing dozens of strategic agreements, totalling several billion dollars in deal value, and he is highly motivated to help students prepare their innovations for strategic partnering and commercial success.