There's something magical about bringing together a group of innovators and scientists who are really, really passionate about what they do. Perhaps you can call it an "innovation hub". And no, it's not just a buzz word—at least at the Health & Technology District in Surrey, British Columbia, it is where idea meets impact, wonder meets investigation, and people meet robotic limbs (literally).
Health and Technology District, immediately adjacent to Surrey Memorial Hospital!
It has been a little while since I concluded my time here, and I thought I would sit down and formally document my experience (and to hype up the amazing work that they are doing)! This experience has fundamentally changed the way I think, act, and view the world—and I hope that as you follow me along this journey, you're able to gain a little bit of insight and inspiration, too! Let's begin.
Near the end of the second semester of grade 11, I came across this opportunity called SCORE and applied on a whim. It's a summer research experience program for graduate, undergraduate, and high school students who are interested in health technology.
A few months later, I got accepted! I was paired with a supervisor, Dr. Ryan D'Arcy, who is a leading neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and professor at Simon Fraser University (yes, he has three jobs). He also helped start the District and is still a huge mentor & role model in my life today. We had a chat about our research interests and I was incredibly drawn towards Ryan's work in leveraging technology to improve brain health. I knew I was in the right place. Exciting!
On the first day of program, Ryan introduced me to his team at HealthTech Connex Inc., the brain technology company that he founded and where I ended up working at for the entire summer. I was immediately showered with warm welcomes and they were eager to show me all the mind-blowing things they were working on. I met my second supervisor/mentor, Sonia Brodie, an amazing boss woman who leads HTC's Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic. She helped me set up a couple of shadowing sessions with different people around the District, so that I could learn more about the technologies being used and developed there. And boy, these were probably the best few days I've had in my life.
HealthTech Connex - Centre for Neurological Studies
Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic - home of the PoNS Treatment technology!
First stop: the clinical side of things. The Surrey Neuroplasticity Clinic opened its doors in February 2019 to be the first in the world to offer the PoNS treatment, newly approved by Health Canada. It's a pretty lifechanging device that uses electrical stimulation to promote neuroplasticity, and in turn help those with chronic balance and gait deficits—as a result of a neurological condition—learn how to walk again. (P.S. I ended up focusing on this technology for my research project, so more on it later)!
I know, sounds pretty sci-fi, huh? But it's even more stunning to see it in action. I shadowed Alex, Juliet, and Marie-Jose—three rockstar physiotherapists/kinesiologists in their client sessions. They guided their clients with multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and Parkinson's through a series of walking exercises with the PoNS ****device. It was amazing to see their progress over the course of the 14 week program!
PoNS - Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator.
What if you could wake up everyday knowing how you're brain is doing? Enter brain vital signs. NeuroCatch is HTC's flagship product, a platform that aims to objectively measure brain health. It's much simpler and accessible than a high-density clinical EEG, and it also provides an automated, easy-to-read report of your brain metrics. To have a device like this in every health care clinic would mean being able to detect early signs of cognitive decline, which can lead to better diagnose and treatment measures. The team here also did a study using NeuroCatch to measure concussion-related impairments in ice hockey players!
NeuroCatch hardware + software platform.
Something very unique about the District is it's ability to intersect people from the tech, research, and clinical sectors. As NeuroCatch continues to be developed and improved by the tech development team, it's also being used and translated to impact real people through the clinic. And then they're able to use the data collected at the clinic to formulate research studies!
I spent a day volunteering at NeuroMotion, helping people go from being stuck in a wheelchair to being fully mobile. Forget walking—there is so much that goes into taking one single step that I had not realized until I watched others struggle to lift their foot off of the ground. Aside from the physical mechanism, you also need to ensure good posture, weight distribution, balance, and honestly, also confidence.
Lokomat in helping with gait training!
Thankfully, there's an amazing technology—Lokomat—that helps with this process! Clients are strapped onto a lower body robotic exoskeleton that helps support and regulate their gait cycle while on a treadmill. There's even a game you can play while on the treadmill to motivate clients to be more mindful of their movements. Over time, your muscles and brain re-learns the mechanics of walking. And there has been really impressive results!