Prairies Hub brings stroke research to Lab2Market Summit

Right before she walked on stage in Edmonton, Dr. Saba M. Kolahdouz had one thing on her mind. 

“I was thinking less about delivering a perfect pitch and more about clearly communicating why this problem matters and why I believe the research has the potential to make a difference in people’s lives,” she said. 

SynapPlay is a rehabilitation technology for people recovering from stroke. It lets patients practise their rehabilitation in a structured way between supervised therapy sessions and helps clinicians follow their progress. 

The idea came out of years of research. Turning it into a venture meant learning to see it differently. 

That shift is what Lab2Market is built around. Researchers in the program talk with potential customers and test their assumptions before deciding whether their work has a future outside the lab. 

This year, the Lab2Market Summit ran September 23 to 25, hosted by the University of Alberta. Researchers and investors from across the country spent three days on one question: “how do you turn research into real-world impact?” 

PKMI connects UM researchers with partners in industry, government and the community, and supports them in turning discoveries into real-world solutions. Through Lab2Market Prairies, the office also brings researchers from post-secondary institutions across Manitoba and Saskatchewan into the national Lab2Market network. 

“As the institution leading the Lab2Market Prairies Hub, the University of Manitoba plays an active role in Canada’s national research commercialization network,” said Dr. Loren Oschipok, Director of PKMI. “We bring the perspectives, strengths and opportunities of Manitoba and Saskatchewan post-secondary institutions to the national conversation, while building relationships and sharing expertise with our partners across the country.” 

For Dr. Oschipok, Dr. Kolahdouz’s pitch showed what the region’s researchers can do. 

The goal, he added, is equal footing with researchers in the rest of Canada. 

“Ultimately, we want researchers on the Prairies to have access to the same opportunities, networks and support as researchers anywhere else in the country, while ensuring the Prairies are actively contributing to Canada’s innovation economy,” he said. 

Dr. Kolahdouz returned with new connections, valuable feedback and a clearer sense of the questions she still needs to answer. 

“Most importantly, the Summit reinforced that commercialization is not simply about having a strong technology, it is about deeply understanding the people and systems around it and building something that can realistically be adopted and create impact,” she said. 

For the Lab2Market Prairies team, the trip confirmed where to focus next. 

“The Summit reinforced something important: we go further when we build together,” said Demetre Balaktsis, regional program manager for Lab2Market Prairies. “Our focus at Lab2Market Prairies is to strengthen partnerships across the innovation ecosystem so researchers and founders have a clearer path from promising ideas to meaningful impact.” 

Demetre Balaktsis has a message for UM researchers and students who wonder whether their work could go further. 

“You don’t need to have all the answers or a business plan to get started. If you’re curious about how your research could solve a real-world problem, Lab2Market is an opportunity to explore that potential, connect with the right people, and discover what’s possible,” he said. “You bring the idea and the expertise. We’ll help you build the connections to take it further.” 

Next year, the Summit moves to Halifax.