Geunyong Kim听is in the final year of his PhD in the Biological and Biomedical Engineering (BBME) Program and was awarded听the听Hakim Family Innovation Prize听for his and his team鈥檚 innovation, Ubiqui-Dx.听听
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From听the听CLIC Website:听Ubiqui-Dx:听Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is treated by surgical resection, guided by intraoperative PTH (io-PTH) monitoring. However, current lab-based assays require 20鈥�30 minutes per result, delaying decisions and limiting use in ambulatory settings. We propose a cartridge-based io-PTH test delivering quantitative whole-blood results in under five minutes. Built on Microfluidic Sieve and Detector (MFSD) technology, it enables rapid analyte capture and signal amplification without centralized labs.听
Geunyong Kim, PhD Candidate, Biomedical Engineering, 91黑料网 - Scientific cofounder;听
Antti Virtanen, Research Assistant, Biomedical Engineering, 91黑料网 - Ultra-Sensitive IA development;听
Paul Chapman, President,听BioHighway听Advisors Canada Inc. - Cofounder, CEO;听
David Juncker, Professor, Biomedical Engineering, 91黑料网 - Scientific cofounder, CSO听
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Q:听Congratulations on winning the Hakim Family Innovation Prize for听Ubiqui-Dx!听To start, could you tell us about your academic and research journey, and how听Ubiqui-Dx first came about?听
I completed my Bachelor鈥檚 and听Master鈥檚 degrees in Mechanical Engineering听in Korea,听before pursuing a PhD in Biomedical Engineering in 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because I was initially unable to come to Canada, due to travel restrictions, I听didn鈥檛听begin working on what would eventually become听Ubiqui-Dx until March 2021. Like many research projects, the听early stages听involved a great deal of trial and error, and progress was not always straightforward.听
Things began to come together in 2023 when we successfully听demonstrated听a proof of concept听for this project. At that point, the core design of the platform took shape, allowing me to focus on further characterization and optimization. Following these advances, we filed patent applications for听the technology.听
In 2025, we received a听Best Paper Award at听microTAS,听an听international conference, which was incredibly encouraging. Having听the technology听recognized and听validated听by others in the field gave us confidence in its potential for commercialization.听
Following that momentum, we assembled a team and incorporated听Ubiqui-Dx. As I prepare to graduate,听I鈥檓听now focused on advancing both the commercialization and Research & Development (R&D) efforts surrounding the assay platform.听
This project has been the central focus of my PhD and will form a major part of my dissertation. It also builds directly on my听previous听training in microfluidics from my Master鈥檚, where I focused more on mechanical fluidics. In this work,听I鈥檝e听expanded that foundation by integrating the assay听component.听
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Q: How did you form the听Ubiqui-Dx team?听听
After we filed the provisional patent, we started looking for someone to help take on the business side of things听within our team. David and I were primarily focused on听the science, and we wanted to bring in someone with strong business and commercialization experience.听That鈥檚听when we听connected with听Paul Chapman. He was previously CEO of a successful digital assay company, and we discussed the opportunity with him, which led to him joining the team.听We also brought in Antti Virtanen, who has over 18 years of experience in immunoassay development at Abbott. His听expertise听has been a huge addition to the team.听Overall, David and I provide the scientific foundation through our work in the lab, and we鈥檝e since built a team that complements that with strong听expertise听in commercialization, industry, and business development.听
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Q:听What challenge were you hoping to solve听with this project, and what makes your technology innovative?听
A听long-standing听goal听in diagnostics is听to develop assays听that听provide听speed,听low听cost,听simplicity,听and听high听sensitivity. Existing technologies often require trade-offs: for example, lateral flow assays are fast and inexpensive but may lack sensitivity, while听polymerase chain reaction (PCR)听offers high sensitivity but is typically slower, more complex, and more costly.听听
With our platform, we wanted to address that gap. The most innovative aspect of the technology is an听isoporous听membrane听containing听approximately 500,000 microchannels, each measuring 8 碌m in diameter. While each pore carries only a small flow rate, together they create听a very high听overall flow rate. As a sample passes through the membrane, analytes repeatedly collide with the engineered capture surface, allowing them to be captured efficiently and rapidly.听
To me, this is the most exciting and powerful part of听the technology. By accelerating analyte capture in this way, we can significantly reduce assay time while听maintaining听strong performance. The total assay time is听roughly five听minutes, compared with around 15 minutes for many lateral flow assays. If successful, reducing diagnostic turnaround听times in this way听could have a meaningful impact听in听clinical settings, although further validation is still needed.听
Importantly, the platform is also听highly sensitive. In our studies, we听observed听sensitivity levels comparable to PCR, which is encouraging because it suggests we may be able to bring both speed and sensitivity to the point of care through a compact, cartridge-based testing system.听
At the moment, our work has focused on buffer-based samples in the laboratory.听However, we are actively working toward testing blood samples, particularly for intraoperative parathyroid hormone (io-PTH) monitoring. Our goal is to evaluate the technology using blood samples collected in the operating room, and we are currently taking the steps needed to reach that stage.听
For those interested in the technical details, you can read more about the platform in our preprint:听听听
The preprint is easy to听understand听and should provide a better听understanding听of how this platform works!听听
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Q:听What was your experience听participating听in the Clinical Innovation Competition, and how did you prepare for it?听听
I听wasn鈥檛听sure I felt completely ready for the competition. I wanted everything to be perfect and to feel fully prepared beforehand. But听I听don鈥檛听think anyone ever feels entirely ready, and听that鈥檚听a normal part of the experience.听
The competition was valuable because it involved not only the pitch competition itself, but also coaching beforehand, including one-on-one mentorship sessions. Through that process, we refined our pitch and learned how to communicate our innovation more effectively. During the competition, I also had the opportunity to see how other teams presented their ideas, which was inspiring and gave me new perspectives on how to听demonstrate听the value of an innovation to judges and stakeholders.听
Looking back, I felt there were aspects of my pitch that I could have improved.听It was the first time we had pitched this particular project, and my previous experience had been primarily with scientific presentations rather than business pitches.听As a result, it was a significant learning experience. I gained a much better understanding of how innovation and entrepreneurship pitches differ from academic presentations, and I now feel much more prepared for similar opportunities in the future.听
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Q:听What do you think helped听Ubiqui-Dx stand out to the judges?听
I think what听helped听Ubiqui-Dx stand out was the technology itself and the value it brings to the diagnostics field. One of the key innovations is its ability to address the traditional trade-off between speed and sensitivity.听Our approach challenges what has typically been considered possible and offers a new way of thinking about the diagnostic process.听
I believe the judges听recognized the significance of that advancement. In fact, one judge commented that the technology almost seemed too good to be true. However, we were able to support our claims with strong theoretical and analytical validation, as well as experimental evidence. Having that foundation helped听demonstrate听that听the innovation听is not just an interesting idea, but one that is backed by promising results.听
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Q:听How do you plan to use the Hakim Family Innovation Prize to further advance the development of听Ubiqui-Dx?听
This will听primarily support the optimization of PTH measurements within our platform. To date, our work has focused on model targets in the lab, and this funding will allow us to expand the assay development toward clinically relevant PTH detection.听
We are also interested in exploring the feasibility of cartridge-based听test听development. The longer-term goal is to translate this assay platform into a cartridge format that could make the technology more accessible, enabling broader use beyond laboratory settings.听
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Q:听How has this experience influenced your future research听or career goals?听
I鈥檓听very excited听about continuing to work on听Ubiqui-Dx moving forward. Receiving recognition from both the scientific and business communities has been particularly meaningful, and it reinforces the potential of what we are building.听With strong validation already in place, there are many opportunities ahead to further develop and translate the technology.听
I鈥檓听working toward completing my PhD this year and am currently in the thesis-writing stage. Balancing this alongside company-related work has been quite demanding, so听I鈥檓听looking forward to having more capacity听for this company听once my PhD is completed.听
This experience has helped me see a clearer path toward integrating scientific research with translational and听innovation-focused work.听I鈥檓听excited by the opportunity to shift from primarily academic research into a space that combines both scientific and entrepreneurial development.听
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Q:听What advice would you give to students and trainees who are interested in translating their research into real-world innovation and听participating听in competitions like this?听
I just did it. It听wasn鈥檛听easy, but when I start something, I听don鈥檛听usually do heavy investigation into exactly what it will entail.听I find that if I over-analyze听it upfront, I can become a bit detached from what I actually want to do.听For me,听it鈥檚听more about diving in and learning along the way.听
At the beginning, I honestly听didn鈥檛听know where it would all go. But I learned as I went, and I was fortunate to have听strong team听members with experience who helped a lot, both in terms of teaching me and bringing me up to speed on the business and broader innovation side.听
I听didn鈥檛听have听business听experience beforehand. In our team, others were the main drivers of that side of things, and听I鈥檝e听mainly served听as a scientific co-founder focused on the technology and the R&D.听Working alongside colleagues with diverse expertise gave me valuable exposure to areas beyond my scientific training and helped me develop a much broader perspective on innovation and听entrepreneurship.听
For students who are mostly science-focused and听don鈥檛听have much exposure to the business side of innovation, I would say this is still a very听feasible听path.听You听don鈥檛听need to have it all figured out in advance... you learn it by听doing.听
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Q:听Do you have any听general advice听for听your fellow听students?听
At the start, it may feel like nothing in your project is working, but I would say听don鈥檛听give up. Keep working to find solutions and stay self-critical in a constructive way.听Keep trying different approaches, because when you look back, you鈥檒l realize you鈥檝e actually accomplished a lot over the course of your project and program.听
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Congratulations听Geunyong, and best of luck to you and your team with the future of听Ubiqui-Dx!听