Kristina Rinker

Dr. Kristina Rinker is a biomedical engineer and the founder and Chief Science Officer of Syantra, a company focused on developing advanced diagnostics and therapeutics in cancer and cardiovascular disease. She has over 20 years of experience investigating how the dynamic nature of the body affects the functioning of cells in health and disease and her team has developed a highly accurate blood test that can detect the presence of breast cancer in less than a teaspoon of blood. Dr. Rinker has also developed a patented drug testing device, which received patents in the US, China, and Europe, and is pending in Canada. She is also the Lead of the Early Cancer Detection Initiative (ECDI), a partnership between the Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Schulich School of Engineering, and the Tom Baker Cancer Centre. In 2021, Dr. Rinker won the A100 One to Watch Award from the Start Alberta Tech Awards.