PhD grad Stephanie Buryk-Iggers blends sport, science and innovation to improve lives through research and entrepreneurship.
When Stephanie Buryk-Iggers walked onto the rugby pitch as an undergraduate student at McMaster University, she had no idea that one day she would be launching a health tech startup and designing clinical rehabilitation programs from inside one of Canada’s top hospitals. But for the 2024-25 doctoral graduate from the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) at the University of Toronto, sport has always been more than physical competition—it has been a way to connect, to lead, and ultimately, to change lives.
“My path started in sport,” says Buryk-Iggers. “As a varsity and provincial rugby player, I experienced the power of teamwork, discipline, and health firsthand. That evolved into a desire to work in service of others—and to build a career focused on improving lives.”
After completing her undergraduate degree, Buryk-Iggers joined the international development organization Right to Play, drawn by its mission to use sport and play as tools for social change. But a deeply personal tragedy would soon steer her career in a new direction.
“Shortly after I started at Right to Play, my father suffered a stroke and died just five days later. It was so sudden—there were no warning signs. That experience changed the course of my life. I realized how prevalent cardiovascular disease is, and how much work there is still to do in prevention and access.”
In the years that followed, Buryk-Iggers found herself increasingly drawn to public health, particularly while working in remote Indigenous communities in northern Canada. That led her back to graduate school—first to Toronto Metropolitan University, where she began as a biomedical engineering student working in a lab focused on microfluidics, the same technology behind at-home COVID-19 tests.
While the technical training was world-class, Buryk-Iggers longed for clinical application.
“The research was brilliant, but it wasn’t embedded in patient care. That connection to impact—that’s what I needed,” she says.
She found that connection in the PhD program at U of T’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, where she worked under the supervision of associate professor Daniel Santa Mina and collaborated closely with clinicians at the University Health Network (UHN). Her doctoral research focused on a little-known and historically underserved population: people living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS), a group of hereditary connective tissue disorders characterized by chronic pain, joint hypermobility and a host of other complex symptoms.
At the time, Toronto General Hospital was in the process of opening the GoodHope EDS Clinic, the first of its kind in North America and led by Dr. Hance Clarke, the director of pain services. Buryk-Iggers became the first student to complete her PhD with the clinic, where she co-developed and evaluated its exercise rehabilitation program—the first of its kind in North America for EDS patients, created in collaboration with the community it was meant to serve.
“Historically, this group hadn’t been well studied or well supported in the health care system,” says Buryk-Iggers. “Many are diagnosed in their twenties after years of being misunderstood or ignored. Chronic pain is their number one complaint, and there was no established rehab protocol for them.”
This emerging program was built from the ground up, informed by early research on EDS and on overlapping conditions like fibromyalgia, POTS and osteoarthritis. Buryk-Iggers conducted a literature review, led a community needs assessment, and rigorously evaluated clinical outcomes to determine what worked—and what didn’t.
That patient-first applied approach continues to define her work.
Today, Buryk-Iggers is a postdoctoral researcher in the Translational Pain Service at Toronto General Hospital, where she’s expanding her focus into AI-driven health tools and innovation research. But she’s also a startup founder, blending science and entrepreneurship to tackle the same cardiovascular inequities that shaped her early career.
Her company, SPARKED, is developing a portable, saliva-based screening device for early detection of cardiovascular disease. The device aims to make screening fast, affordable, and accessible—especially for people in remote or underserved communities.
The idea was born during her first year as a PhD student, at a U of T FemStem event where she asked a panel of founders what to do with “just an idea—no money, no team, no clue where to start.” That question led her to Paul Santerre, co-founder of U of T’s Health Innovation Hub (H2i), who encouraged her to pursue the idea. She did—methodically building a team, securing funding, and conducting early validation testing.
In 2025, SPARKED was selected to join UTM’s SpinUp, the university's first wet lab incubator, designed to provide lab space and mentorship to emerging health startups.
“We were one of ten companies selected this year,” she says. “SpinUp fills a critical gap—it gives companies like ours the space and infrastructure to grow.”
Back at the St. George campus, Buryk-Iggers brought her real-world experience into the classroom, developing and teaching a new KPE course in healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship. The course was offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and quickly revealed an emerging theme among students.
“Across the board, I saw students motivated by a desire to build ventures that improve lives,” she says. “Some of them went on to U of T’s social-impact incubator, ICUBE, to pursue their ideas. That focus on social good—it reflects the spirit of this faculty.” That spirit is something she saw not only in the students but also in her colleagues.
“Whether it’s physical activity, injury recovery or mental health—this is work that helps people live healthier, more fulfilling lives.”
With her PhD complete, a postdoc underway, and a startup gaining traction, Stephanie Buryk-Iggers embodies that mission. From sport to science to startup, her story is a testament to what’s possible when innovation meets empathy—and when research is built to serve.