By connecting science and entrepreneurship, McMaster University students are turning biomedical ideas into real-world solutions through the Entrepreneurship in Biomedical Innovation: Bench to Market course. The program combines biology, clinical insight, and business
principles, giving students the chance to create projects that are both scientifically sound and market-ready.
The first-year Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences (iBioMed) students work in teams to develop prototypes and models to tackle health challenges, such as devices for tracking multiple sclerosis, predictive tools for neurodegenerative diseases, and new therapies for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Students pitch their solutions to faculty and industry experts and have the opportunity to showcase top projects at the annual iBioMed Showcase, giving them real-world practice in communicating value, assessing risk, and refining their ideas.
Through hands-on labs, research, and collaboration, and by embedding this kind of work-integrated learning from year one, the course is cultivating a new generation of life sciences talent – students who understand not just the science, but how to translate discoveries into products and services that benefit patients and communities.
For more information, visit McMaster University.
