Introduction to Health Innovation at NOVA Medical School
In late September, NOVA Medical School hosted the “Introduction to Health Innovation” event, bringing together participants from NOVA Medical School, NOVA School of Business and Economics (NOVA SBE), and various HealthTech companies. This event introduced the Health Innovation specialization within the Master’s in Impact Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Nova SBE and aimed to advance knowledge in developing innovative health solutions.
The event kicked off with a keynote by Leonie Kellner, an entrepreneurship education specialist from Denmark’s BioInnovation Institute, who highlighted the critical role business students can play in transforming healthcare through innovation. This was followed by Lúcia Domingues, researcher and coordinator at NOVA CRU, who offered key insights into the clinical validation process for health innovations, focusing on regulatory challenges and the need for reliability in health solutions.
A lively roundtable discussion then featured insights from Helena Canhão (Dean of NOVA Medical School), Maria João Jacinto (NOVA SBE), and medical students Afonso Talha and Ricardo Mata from NOWACE, moderated by Ana Rodrigues (NOVA Medical School). The panel discussed opportunities and challenges in health innovation, sparking engaging discussions with the audience.
The event also showcased impactful projects during live presentations of health innovation solutions. Highlights included:
- Virtuleap, presented by Bebiana Moura, demonstrated VR solutions for cognitive training;
- Healthy Bone EpiDoC Unit, presented by researcher Alexandre Moniz, introduced a digital platform aimed at reducing fragility fractures;
- ToxOmics, presented by João Conde, showcased advancements in nanobiotechnology for cancer treatment.
After the presentations, participants had the chance to explore these health innovation solutions firsthand, experiencing the latest technologies addressing key healthcare challenges.
