Nurturing homegrown talent in the field of medical technology

South Osborne

In a modest and unassuming office in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, a small but talented team of scientists and engineers are quietly working at the cutting-edge of medical technology.

Their roots in Winnipeg run deep, and they have every intention on keeping them firmly planted in the city they credit for their personal, academic, and professional growth.

Founded by the late Dr. John Saunders and colleagues, Taumedis is a medical technology company developing next generation intraoperative imaging systems. Their goal is to develop imaging systems that support surgeons and improve patient outcomes.

“We founded the company based on a novel approach to intraoperative MRI (iMRI) that can reduce the traditional barriers of entry for medical facilities,” Dr. Mike Lang, co-founder and chief technology officer, explained. “We have progressed to developing multiple imaging technologies from the ground up.”

Pioneered by Saunders in collaboration with Winnipeg-born neurosurgeon Garnette Sutherland at the National Research Council (NRC) in Winnipeg, moving-magnet iMRI revolutionized the way neurosurgeries are conducted. Saunders founded IMRIS to bring his vision to life.

Lang, who received his PhD in physics from the University of Manitoba, first started working with the NRC in 2007. It was his first exposure to the research environment, and it immediately stole his interest. In 2011, Lang was honoured with a research award and began working at IMRIS.

“I loved IMRIS,” he says. “I thought it was the greatest place in the world. The people, the space, the energy … they were doing cool, ground-breaking stuff, right here in Winnipeg.”

One of those people was fellow Taumedis co-founder and chief engineer Gordon Klimenko — also a life-long Winnipegger — who switched to the medical sector after spending 12 years working in the defense sector.

“I immediately saw the value of iMRI and its benefits to patient outcomes,” Klimenko says.

IMRIS ended up moving south of the border, but those who stayed in Winnipeg continue to bring that same energy to their innovative work.

While Taumedis was founded based on an innovative approach to iMRI, it is already looking well beyond its flagship platform. Working alongside researchers at the University of Manitoba and University of Winnipeg, Taumedis is developing two technologies that have the potential to transform how diseases are diagnosed and treated.

In collaboration with the University of Manitoba’s department of electrical and computer engineering, Taumedis is developing a new technique initially intended to support breast cancer screening and diagnosis. It aims to provide clinicians with information that could improve early detection and ongoing treatment monitoring.

Taumedis has also partnered with the University of Winnipeg’s department of physics and department of applied computer science to develop an innovative technology designed to provide surgeons with real-time visualization of residual traces of cancer during surgery, aiding tumour resection while preserving healthy tissue.

Together, these projects reflect Taumedis’ vision of positioning Manitoba at the forefront of the sector, developing technologies with the potential to improve patient outcomes while leading Canadian medical imaging innovation.

There is a common misconception that Winnipeg’s brightest minds would rather work elsewhere. Lang says a major barrier to keeping home grown talent in Winnipeg is funding.

For him it would ideally come from local sources so that Taumedis can grow and flourish where it was founded, providing future opportunities for economic development and retaining Winnipeg’s intellectual talent in Winnipeg.

For more information, visit www.taumedis.com