On October 11, 2023, Dr. Kristina Rinker of Syantra was recognized with the Leader of the Year Award as part of the 2023 Start Alberta Tech Awards. The Leader of the Year is awarded to an executive-level individual who has not only had a significant impact on the success of their organization but also serves as an inspiration to their colleagues, team, customers and community.
Dr. Kristina Rinker serves as the Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Syantra while also holding the position of a Biomedical Engineering professor at the University of Calgary. She led the team in developing an innovative diagnostic platform that analyzes RNA biomarkers in small blood samples. This breakthrough led to the formation of Syantra and its first application, the Syantra DX™ Breast Cancer blood screening test, which helps women around the world detect breast cancer at its most treatable and survivable stages.
Additionally, Dr. Rinker is a Co-Founder of Biohubx, a non-profit organization facilitating space and contract research services for growing life science companies. She sits on the board of directors and provides mentorship to Biohubx-affiliated companies and innovators.
“We can really make an impact on people’s lives by starting these companies, advancing these companies and taking them to the next level,” explains Dr. Rinker. “Syantra continues to expand its intellectual property in this area as well. We’re advancing into the US market and into the European markets. Great things are ahead for Syantra.”
In recognition of her contributions to Calgary’s innovation ecosystem and her ongoing advocacy for women in STEM and women’s health innovation, Dr. Rinker received the City of Calgary’s International Achievement Award earlier this year.
“It really means a lot to be nominated for and to win the Leader of the Year Award. It means that all of us who are working to build this ecosystem to advance the health and biotech industry and the technology innovations in this province are being recognized,” she added.
Keep track of Dr. Kristina Rinker and Syantra in the Start Alberta database.
The Leader of the Year award is generously sponsored by Edmonton Unlimited, the municipal innovation authority for the City of Edmonton dedicated to championing innovation and community building by providing programs, tools and support for Edmonton’s innovators, big thinkers and problem solvers to turn ideas into solutions.
Start Alberta is committed to helping the businesses and communities within our province’s tech sector thrive and grow. Since 2018, the Start Alberta Tech Awards have recognized individuals and organizations for their contributions to Alberta’s innovation ecosystem and those significantly impacting the province’s tech sector. The Start Alberta Platform connects our province’s innovation and tech ecosystem with data to help investors, entrepreneurs and policymakers with the insights needed to make their next, big move.
View the full list of 2023 Tech Award winners.
