ICAIR Conference 2024

Home page Description: 
Inspiring innovation in healthcare for aging, disability, and illness.
Posted On: June 06, 2024
Image Caption: 
Photos by Tim Fraser.

In May, UHN’s KITE Research Institute hosted its annual International Conference on Aging, Innovation & Rehabilitation (ICAIR) alongside the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute (RSI) at the University of Toronto.  

This event aims to inspire healthcare innovators to develop solutions that improve the lives of people living with the effects of aging, disability, and illness. This year, the conference welcomed over 800 attendees from various professional disciplines, including healthcare, rehabilitation, engineering, and age-technology.  

Keynote speakers included Andre Picard, health reporter and columnist for The Globe and Mail; Elise Roy, a hearing-impaired, human-centred designer, former lawyer, and motivational speaker; and Dr. Stanisa Raspopovic, an Assistant Professor of Neuroengineering in the Department of Health Sciences and Technology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland.  

Some other highlights include a Dragon’s Den-style Power Play Pitch Competition, a Three Minute Talk (3MT) Competition, an ICAIR Scientific Spotlight Series, and RSI Best Poster Awards in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. These competitions showcased innovative ideas, products and concepts, as well as research papers and presentations on helping older adults and those living with disability and illnesses. Learn more about the competitions and their winners here