A hand holding a glowing holographic rocket launching upward against a futuristic digital background.

Discovery to Innovation (D2i) 2026

Global Entrepreneurship week
November 12, 2026 | 5 to 7:30 p.m.

STEM Complex
150 Louis-Pasteur Private, Room 117
University of Ottawa

Beyond the lab

D2i participant talking with judge after the event.

Meet the researchers and entrepreneurs behind emerging technologies, explore partnership opportunities, and connect with the people turning breakthrough science into impact beyond the lab. 

Register now

About the event

Discovery to Innovation (D2i) by Dentons is where scientific discoveries are brought to life. Hosted by the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Science during Global Entrepreneurship Week, this event showcases promising research-driven ideas to investors, industry partners, and Ottawa’s innovation community.

Hear from uOttawa researchers and founders developing technologies shaping the future of health, biotechnology, photonics, quantum technologies, and more. 

Whether you're looking for investment opportunities, potential collaborators, or a glimpse into what’s next in science and tech, D2i is the place to be.  

Agenda

5:00–5:10 PM | Welcome & opening remarks

5:10–6:10 PM | Pitches and Q&A

6:10–6:30 PM | Keynote: Professor Robert Ben

6:30–7:30 PM | Networking reception

Presenters

Odette Laneuville

Health sciences and rehabilitation medicine

Odette Laneuville
Associate Professor and Director, Biomedical Sciences Program, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa

Overview

Using data from astronauts recovering from time in orbit, Professor Laneuville developed a system that predicts how patients will respond to rehabilitation. By removing the guesswork from treatment planning, her innovation helps deliver the right care at the right time, improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. 

Francesco Gentile, Jeffrey Leyton and Hazem Mslati.

Antibody-drug conjugates and AI drug development

Francesco Gentile
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, and Principal Investigator, Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology

Jeffrey Leyton
Associate Professor, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa

Hazem Mslati
PhD Student, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiobiology, University of Ottawa

Overview

Precision cancer therapies exist, but getting the right treatment to the right patient is still slow, and every delay costs time patients don't have. The team built an AI-powered pipeline that matches a tumor's biology to the right antibody-drug conjugate design, speeding up how these treatments get from concept to patient.

Jan Veizer and Niepukolie Nipu

Biotechnology and lab instrumentation

Jan Mennigen, 
Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa

Niepukolie Nipu
PhD Candidate, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa

Overview

Zebrafish are used in drug discovery and toxicity testing, but the tools used to study their behaviour can be costly, inconsistent, and often require handling that may influence results. This team has developed a system that makes behavioural measurement more reliable, scalable, and cost-effective, improving the quality of research data and testing outcomes. 

Raphael St-Gelais

Photonics and sensing

Raphael St-Gelais
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ottawa

Overview

Infrared spectroscopy helps identify and study materials based on how they absorb infrared light. Existing systems require cryogenic cooling, adding significant cost and complexity. Professor St-Gelais and his team have developed an instrument that delivers high-performance measurements at higher temperatures, reducing costs without sacrificing accuracy. 

Jennifer Ogilvie

Photonics and sensing

Jennifer Ogilvie
Professor, Department of Physics, University of Ottawa

Overview

Professor Ogilvie has developed a way to watch energy and electrons in action inside materials on timescales previously impossible to capture. This breakthrough opens the door to next-generation imaging tools and deeper insights into the materials that will power advances in clean energy, advanced electronics, and quantum technologies.

Julien Martin

Ecology and research funding innovation

Julien Martin
Full Professor, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa

Overview

When funding cuts threatened one of the world's longest-running wildlife studies, Professor Martin and his international collaborators took an unconventional approach. Through merchandise, community fundraising, and global media attention, they have raised significant support to sustain more than six decades of continuous research, offering a compelling case study in scientific entrepreneurship and creative approaches to securing research funding. 

Close up on sample of bacteria.

Microbiology / Antimicrobial resistance

Francois-Xavier Campbell-Valois, 
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa

France Ourida Manigat
PhD Candidate, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa

Overview

Decades of antibiotic use in people is driving the evolution of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria globally, creating an urgent need for new approaches to managing infectious bacteria. This team is developing antibiotic alternatives that disable infectious bacteria without killing them, providing a means to manage disease without creating antimicrobial resistance in their targets.

Keynote speaker

Robert Ben

Professor Robert (Rob) Ben

Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, PanTHERA CryoSolutions; Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa

Rob Ben transformed a university research breakthrough into a company with global impact. In this keynote, he will share the story behind PanTHERA CryoSolutions and the lessons learned while turning a scientific discovery into a venture-backed commercial success.

For researchers and founders, his journey offers practical insights into commercialization, company building, and technology transfer. For investors and industry leaders, it provides a firsthand look at the factors that helped make PanTHERA's ground-breaking cryopreservation technology attractive to major players in the cell and gene therapy sector. 

Official sponsor

Dentons logo

D2i is proudly presented by Dentons, the world's largest law firm and a longstanding partner to Canada's startup and technology community. Dentons has supported venture-backed companies and investors through corporate and venture tech lawyers based right here in Ottawa, and its Venture Technology and Emerging Growth Companies practice works directly with founders navigating the real challenges of building a tech business, from accessing capital to protecting intellectual property. Their support of D2i reflects a shared belief: that Ottawa's next generation of scientific entrepreneurs deserves the guidance and community it takes to go from lab to market 

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