Dr. Shana Kelley, co-founder of Xagenic Inc. and a professor of biochemistry at the University of Toronto, has been named to the Globe and Mail’s Top 12 Canadian Innovators list.

The contest solicited nominations from across Canada that were assessed by a panel of judges. According to the Globe, the contest “recognizes talented Canadians who not only have great ideas, but also turn them into reality.”

Here’s an excerpt:

Another innovator who is taking on the traditional way of doing things is Ms. Kelley, a winner in the Health category. Ms. Kelley, a University of Toronto professor and founder of Xagenic, developed a lab-free molecular diagnostic platform that can test for cancer and infectious diseases in the field, with results that are available in 20 minutes.

It’s a product, says Mr. [Dan] Debow, [senior vice-president of emerging technologies at Salesforce] that is in line with a bigger trend that’s happening in health care: the decentralization and democratization of diagnostics.

“We’re seeing people wanting to take control and understand their own data,” Mr. Debow says. “From a consumer perspective, that’s a large part of driving the adoption of wearables like the Apple watch. I want to know how I’m doing and share that and control that data in a way that adds value. So I think that [Shana’s] innovation is well positioned for the future.”

You can read about the other 11 nominees on the Globe‘s website. Dr. Kelley’s award was also referenced in this Globe article on entrepreneurship’s common ingredients.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, director of marketing and communications.