The Innovation, Hammer and Nails program connects IBBME students with clinicians, nurses, staff and fellows at the Hospital for Sick Children to design solutions for challenges identified by experts at Canada’s largest paediatric health-care institution.
This initiative is available to undergraduate and graduate students through a range of courses and degree programs.
Download the PDF version of the Innovation, Hammers & Nails terms of reference.
Undergraduate
This project-based capstone design course provides final year students in the Engineering Science—Biomedical Systems Engineering major with an opportunity to integrate and apply their technical knowledge and communications skills to solve real-world design challenges.
Students work in small groups on projects that evolve from clinical partners, biomedical / clinical research, teaching labs and commercial partners.
At the end of the term, students present their work during the Biodesign Fair and submit a final report for evaluation.
Course Dates
BME 489 is normally run during the fall term (September to December) of the academic year.
Course Coordinators
- Jan Andrysek, Assistant Professor & Scientist, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
- Chris Bouwmeester, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream
Client Expectations
This course requires stakeholders who can provide problems and necessary expertise in their area of work. Students work for the client to create a prototype of the device to solve a medical need.
IBBME Funding
$500–700 per student group
IBBME Facilities & Resources
This project-based design course exposes teams of final year students from across the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering enrolled in the Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Minor to identify, invent, design and implement solutions for clinical challenges.
Students will learn about medical technology development through lectures, guest talks delivered by experts, practicums and a student-led design project that will involve the creation of a prototype.
Course Dates
BME 498 runs throughout the entire academic year, starting in September or October until April.
Course Coordinators
- Jan Andrysek, Assistant Professor & Scientist, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
- Chris Bouwmeester, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream
Client Expectations
This course requires stakeholders who can provide problems and expertise in their area of work. Students in this course benefit from clinical observation to create better needs assessment. When they identify a problem, the clinician acts as a mentor to provide expertise in their field.
IBBME Funding
$500–700 per student group
IBBME Facilities & Resources
This course provides final year students from across the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering enrolled in the Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Minor with the opportunity to gain hands-on exposure and experience in dynamic biomedical research environments.
Students are required to perform two modules, one in each semester (fall and winter), where each module will provide a minimum of 90 hours of hands-on activity.
Students will select opportunities with faculty members in laboratories classified within two of the four different IBBME research themes.
Activities will provide exposure to experimental design, use of analytical equipment and assessment of relevant literature (scientific, patent and regulatory) related to the research topic identified by the faculty member.
Course Dates
BME 499 runs the entire duration of the academic year, with the first module in the fall term (September to December) and the second module in the winter term (January to April).
Course Coordinators
- Dawn Kilkenny, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream & Associate Director, Undergraduate Programs
- Christopher Yip, Professor
Client Expectations
Clinicians would act as co-supervisor to students, providing the area of concentration for and practical application of their research.
IBBME Funding
None
IBBME Facilities & Resources
IBBME Co-Supervisor
The IBBME Undergraduate Summer Research Program is a 16 week program (May to mid-August) that presents an opportunity for students to work in a research environment and to participate in a variety of biomedical engineering workshops, career talks, and events.
The experience culminates with a mini-symposium where students present their research to their fellow students and faculty.
This program is open to qualified undergraduate students enrolled in dentistry, engineering, medicine and science from across Canada.
It is expected that students are to be paid a $4,800 minimum stipend for their work.
Program Dates
Sixteen weeks between May to August.
Program Coordinators
- Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng, Assistant Professor
- Dawn Kilkenny, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream & Associate Director, Undergraduate Programs
Client Expectations
Clinicians would act as co-supervisor to students, providing the area of concentration for and practical application of their research. This experience could also be a specific project that the student would complete over the summer months.
IBBME Funding
Please note that the above funds are available but not guaranteed.
IBBME Facilities & Resources
IBBME Co-Supervisor
These courses provide an opportunity for students to conduct, document and experience independent engineering research under the supervision of a faculty member.
Course Dates
Thesis research is typically conducted throughout the final year of an engineering undergraduate program (September to April).
Course Coordinators
Dependant on department / division.
Client Expectations
Clinicians would act as co-supervisor to students, providing the area of concentration for and practical application of their research.
IBBME Funding
None
IBBME Facilities & Resources
IBBME Co-Supervisor
Graduate
The Master of Health Science (MHSc) in Clinical Engineering educates students on how to apply and implement medical technologies to optimize modern healthcare delivery.
This two-year, full-time professional degree program consists of academic courses, a research thesis and provides students with real-world exposure through an internship with a private sector company, a hospital or a research facility.
Students are paid a stipend of $11,965 during the first year and $10,465 in their second year for their work.
Program Dates
The MHSc research thesis can be started at the beginning of the program (September) but is typically more concentrated in the second year.
Program Coordinator
- Jan Andrysek, Assistant Professor & Scientist, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Client Expectations
Surgeons who have a University of Toronto appointment can act as a co-supervisor for a MHSc student (alongside an appointed IBBME faculty member). As a co-supervisor, they would act as the guide for students to complete the MHSc thesis.
IBBME Funding
$3,000
IBBME Facilities & Resources
IBBME Co-Supervisor
One of the most unique and exciting components of the MHSc Clinical Engineering Program is the opportunity to acquire practice experience and knowledge through a series of internship placements.
Students in the program are required to complete a minimum of 1,225 internship hours comprising of three placements. Up to two internships can be serviced with the same employer (just over 800 hours).
Interns are paid around $15 per hour, although other arrangements negotiated between the student and employer are possible.
Placements range from opportunities in local medical device industries and hospitals to international placements with the World Health Organization and leading health-care technology manufacturers around the globe.
Internship Dates
Variable—full-time (four months) or part-time (eight to 24 months)
Program Coordinator
- Jan Andrysek, Assistant Professor & Scientist, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Client Expectations
The Hospital for Sick Children would employ the student as an intern to complete the desired project. The internship is a required part of the MHSc program and the employer will be asked to complete an evaluation of the student upon completion of the work term.
IBBME Funding
None
IBBME Facilities & Resources
Administrative assistance through the IBBME Student Programs Office.
The Master of Engineering (MEng) in Biomedical Engineering program is an accelerated, one year full-time program with a focus on biomedical device development, specifically in biomedical sciences, engineering design and entrepreneurship.
Students in this program will have the opportunity to take on applied design challenges and meet the growing demands of this industry through a four-month internship.
It is expected that students will cover four aspects of biomedical device development during their internship:
- Clinical, medical or health needs assessment (needs of health-care providers and patients)
- Concept development (literature and patent searches; input from experts)
- Design and prototyping
- Development of business models
Internship Dates
Summer, May to August—four months, full time. Students are required to develop their project proposal approximately eight months prior to the beginning of their internship.
Program Coordinator
- Julie Audet, Associate Professor
Client Expectations
The Hospital for Sick Children would employ the student as an intern to complete the desired project. The internship is a required part of the MHSc program and the employer will be asked to complete an evaluation of the student upon completion of the work term.
IBBME Funding
None
IBBME Facilities & Resources
Administrative assistance through the IBBME Student Programs Office.
Projects & Pairing
The Hammers & Nails steering committee will determine which projects and IBBME opportunities are best matched. The committee will meet two to three times per year to determine the pairings. Meetings typically take place in late-July/early August, November and March.
Expectations of Students & Tracking
The expectations of students are clearly defined within each course, degree and program and will vary between students/student groups depending on their program of affiliation with Hammers & Nails.
University of Toronto instructors, administrative staff and academic coordinators are in charge of ensuring that students abide by the expectations laid out to them as part of their course, degree or program.
Clinicians working with students may be asked to provide specific feedback with regards to the student’s performance as part of the generation of a review or mark for the student’s course requirements. This expectation will be clearly outlined to the clinician prior to the start of their working relationship with the students.
IBBME will provide general tracking of number of students and projects that have been associated with Hammers & Nails which will then be forwarded to the steering committee once per year.
Program Steering Committee
- Dr. Christopher Caldarone, Chief of Perioperative Services, Hospital for Sick Children
- Dr. Vito Forte, Hospital for Sick Children
- Dr. Jason Maynes, Hospital for Sick Children
- Dawn Kilkenny, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream & Associate Director, Undergraduate Programs, IBBME
- Christopher Yip, Professor, IBBME
Contacts
Dr. Vito Forte, Professor & Program Liaison Officer
vito.forte@sickkids.ca (email)
Lead Coordinator
Christopher Bouwmeester, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream
chris.bouwmeester@utoronto.ca
Undergraduate Programs
+1 416 978-7209 (office)
undergrad.ibbme@utoronto.ca (email)
Graduate Programs
+1 416 978-6102 (office)
mhsc.ibbme@utoronto.ca (MHSc, email)
meng.ibbme@utoronto.ca (MEng, email)