While training as a neuroscientist, Roberto Felipe Salamanca-Giron (pictured above) worked with Emma, a young girl with cerebral palsy whose fierce spirit left a lasting impression.
“She used to tell me, ‘What I really crave is independence,’” he said. “The best way to give that was by helping her get out of the confinement of a wheelchair.”
That moment became the spark for PhantasiAI, an AI-powered tool designed to eradicate children’s paralysis caused by cerebral palsy, stroke or spinal cord injuries.
Salamanca-Giron’s start-up is one of seven companies that won prizes at the McGill Clinical Innovation Competition (CLIC) this spring.
Inspired by founding donor, McGill medical alumnus Raymond M. Hakim, MDCM’76, and hosted by the McGill Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences’ Steinberg Centre for Simulation and Interactive Learning, CLIC is an annual event that supports members of its community in turning promising health care ideas into real-world solutions, offering funding, mentorship and clinical access.
AI-driven neurorehabilitation for kids
PhantasiAI’s prototype uses neurostimulation to rewire the nervous system without surgery or implants.
“What’s really new here is the adoption of AI,” said Salamanca-Giron, a postdoctoral entrepreneur at Mila—Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute.
Because every child’s condition and objectives are different, stimulation needs to be tailored, he added.
“The best analogy is music. Some people tune to hard rock or classical music, because these are completely different in terms of tempo, intensity and rhythm. It’s the same with stimulation. We use AI algorithms to determine the best way to orchestrate stimulation for each person in real time.”
As a winner of the Pediatrics Clinical Innovation Prize, he received $4,000 with the chance to unlock up to $16,000 in matching funds. He is piloting a feasibility study at Sainte-Justine Pediatric Hospital this fall and setting a clinical collaboration with Marie-Hélène Boudrias, an associate professor in the McGill School of Physical and Occupational Therapy.
Tackling pain in women’s health
For fellow CLIC winners Claire Phan and Julie Bertucceli, winners of the Smart & Biggar Innovation Prize: Clinical Innovation with the Most Promising Commercial Value Proposition, first-hand experience with a painful procedure sparked a drive to improve women’s health care.
They co-founded MiniGyn to redesign one of gynecology’s oldest tools and make intrauterine device (IUD) insertion—a common method of long-term birth control—less painful.
“During an IUD insertion, a clamp is used to stabilize the cervix,” said Phan. “The current tool often causes bleeding and trauma. We want to create a version that still stabilizes the cervix but is far less traumatic.”
The two met while working on an engineering master’s project. Claire was enrolled in Surgical Innovation, a joint program run by McGill, École de technologie supérieure and Concordia University, while Julie completed her degree at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi.
“This is about empowering women,” added Bertucceli. “When we asked women about their IUD experience, they often had no idea what tools were used or what was done. If our project gets people talking, it can help women better understand their care and advocate for better treatment.”
MiniGyn received $5,000. Phan and Bertucceli are preparing to file a patent and further develop the prototype with support from the CLIC prize.
Looking to the future
This year’s edition of the competition was made special thanks to the announcement of a transformative philanthropic gift by the Gloria Baylis Foundation.
Dedicated to advancing innovation in health care, this contribution will support the next generation of clinical innovators and help them bring their creative ideas from the classroom or the lab, to the marketplace, and ultimately to communities in Canada and around the world.
“Our family has a 60-year-long relationship with McGill University,” says Frank Baylis, President of the Gloria Baylis Foundation. “We are proud to support the great work being done at McGill and to continue to play a part in furthering the institution’s mission.”
For the full list of 2025 winners and more information about the competition, visit the CLIC website.
With files from FMHS Focus.