Internal Funding Opportunity

Technology Advancement Program

Internal Funding Opportunity

Technology Advancement Program

The SickKids Technology Advancement Program (TAP) advances late-stage pre-clinical health care innovations through project funding, structured advice, project governance, and strategic networking opportunities.

Bring your innovation to the next level.

The SickKids Technology Advancement Program (TAP) is an initiative led by the Industry Partnerships & Commercialization (IP&C) office to advance late-stage pre-clinical health care innovations through project funding, structured advice, project governance, and strategic networking opportunities. TAP strengthens IP&C’s ability to develop and de-risk SickKids innovations beyond basic proof-of-principle.

This initiative is supported by the SickKids Commercialization Advisory Board (CAB), a panel of experienced commercialization and investment professionals who provide tailored feedback and guidance to help refine each project’s pathway to impact. The CAB selects projects to receive up to $350,000 in funding to facilitate proposed de-risking and commercialization activities.

2025 Technology Advancement Program

The inaugural SickKids Technology Advancement Program (TAP) ran from March to August 2025, supporting three promising projects with IP&C-led guidance and input from leaders in investment and industry. Projects selected to participate in the program addressed clearly defined clinical needs, demonstrated strong intellectual property positioning, and were at a stage where funding and mentorship could drive meaningful progress toward commercialization.

The program culminated on August 20, 2025, with final pitch presentations during which lead investigators showcased the scientific merit, market opportunity, and advancement potential of their innovations. Following thoughtful discussion and deliberation, the SickKids Commercialization Advisory Board (CAB) selected Dr. Roman Melnyk as the 2025 TAP funding recipient for his project aimed at mitigating Clostridioides difficile infections. His work will receive $350,000 in development funding along with continued mentorship to support future commercialization activities.

2025 TAP Funding Recipient: Roman Melnyk
Participating Projects:

Millions of people suffer from chronic lung diseases like COPD, asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis, yet current treatments only manage symptoms without addressing the root cause—an underlying dysfunction in the lung’s immune response.

To tackle this gap, the Post lab has developed engineered human alveolar-like macrophages (ALMs) from stem cells using their patent-protected, scalable protocol. These ALMs can be delivered directly into the lungs and engineered to restore immune balance, repair damaged tissue, fight infection, or even target cancer. In preclinical models, ALMs have shown the ability to clear bacterial and viral infections, reverse lung damage in emphysema, and target tumor cells.

This platform offers a highly versatile, disease-modifying approach that could reshape treatment for a broad range of lung conditions currently unresponsive to standard care.

IP&C Business Development Representative: Stephanie Tammam

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Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is a dangerous, spore-forming bacterium that causes severe diarrhea and colon inflammation. The current standard of care relies on antibiotics, but this approach is inadequate as it further disrupts the gut microbiota and fails to directly target the harmful toxin, ultimately contributing to persistent and recurring infections.

Researchers at SickKids synthesized novel bile acid variants that resist early absorption in the gut, allowing them to bind to and neutralize toxins released by C. difficile without harming beneficial gut bacteria. In lab and animal studies, these orally administered treatments were safe, highly potent, and prevented infection relapse.

This innovation represents a significant step forward in treating and preventing recurrent C. difficile infections, offering a safer, more accessible alternative to current therapies.

IP&C Business Development Representative: Kamran Rezai

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Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive brain cancer. The current standard of care, a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, lacks tumor selectivity, leading to toxic side effects, poor response rates, and nearly universal recurrence.

Huang’s team discovered a tumor-specific potassium channel complex essential for GBM growth and developed a designer peptide that selectively disrupts it. In preclinical models, the peptide eliminated both chemotherapy-sensitive and -resistant GBM cells, significantly extended survival, and showed no off-target toxicity. Notably, it also activated the tumor’s immune microenvironment, opening the door to synergistic combination with immunotherapies for durable remission.

This promising approach could provide a targeted, effective treatment option for GBM, overcoming resistance, sparing healthy tissue, and enhancing immune response.

IP&C Business Development Representative: Konrad Powell-Jones

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IP&C Executive Director, Ihor Boszko, presents an award certificate to TAP funding recipient, Roman Melnyk