Month: April 2023

Join us in Halifax — CCRA Call for Abstracts

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The Canadian Cancer Research Conference provides an excellent opportunity to present research to the cancer community. Abstract submissions from the entire spectrum of research topics are welcome. Abstract submission for the 2023 Canadian Cancer Research Conference is now open.  Abstract submission deadline: Friday, June 9, 2023 at 11:59 PM (midnight) EDT Abstract submissions from the entire spectrum of cancer research topics are welcome. The online abstract submission process is bilingual. Abstract submissions will be accepted in both English and French. Abstracts will appear in the language of submission, and posters may be prepared and presented orally in the presenter’s language of choice. Please note all lightning and oral presenters must present in person at the 2023 CCRC in Halifax. Additional details: https://www.ccra-acrc.ca/conference/abstracts/  

Keynote Lecture

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Atlantic PATH Scientific Director, Dr. Robin Urquhart was the key note speaker at the 8th annual Charbonneau Research Symposium. The Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute is based at the University of Calgary and brings together scientists and physicians to integrate research and care across disciplines – from understanding and preventing cancer, to transforming its detection and treatment, to improving life with and after cancer. The Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute Annual Research Symposium is a one day series of short lectures from principal investigators from across our different research streams. Dr. Urquhart presented on “Accelerating Change in the Cancer System: Dispatches from the Frontlines of Research and Practice.”

CIHR Environments and Health Signature Initiative Research Summit 2023

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CanPath Executive Director, Dr. John McLaughlin and co-National Scientific Director, Dr. Philip Awadalla at the Environments & Health Research Summit in a participatory panel on Strengthening Canada’s Environments & Health Research Profile. Dr. Awadalla presented on the impact of genes and environment on metabolic disease from Day 1. Check out the recording: https://bit.ly/40omRr3 Background: “The CIHR Environments and Health Signature Initiative Research Summit is a two-day event that will take stock of knowledge that has been produced and shared through CIHR’s Environments and Health Signature Initiative, and will provide research teams with hands-on coaching to improve the communication, translation and exchange of that knowledge. It will also facilitate a dialogue between researchers, policy makers, and knowledge users with the goal of outlining pathways for environments and health research to move in the future to strengthen Canada’s position as an international leader in interdisciplinary environments and health research.”

Funding Announcement — Enabling Personalized Genomics in Health with the CanPath Data Safe Haven

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Congratulations to CanPath as one of the new Genome Canada supported projects! “The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced $18.1 million in federal support through Genome Canada for 13 late-stage research and development projects tackling major challenges in health, environment and agriculture through genomics. The projects announced today—deployed through diverse research partnerships with industry, healthcare organizations, as well as provincial and other federal partners—will harness cutting-edge genomics science to deliver real world impacts for healthier, more sustainable and prosperous communities across Canada. These public-private partnerships will generate solutions for: Health, by delivering life-saving precision health, new treatment and diagnosis options, and public health innovation for pathogen surveillance. Environmental sustainability, by driving environmental protection in mining and development of new tools to ensure ecosystem health. Resilient agriculture, by enabling nature-based solutions for pest management.” Additional Details: https://genomecanada.ca/genome-canada-investments-drive-cutting-edge-rd-in-health-environmental-sustainability-and-agricultural-resilience/ CanPath, in partnership with Ontario Genomics, will focus on Enabling Personalized Genomics in Health with the CanPath Data Safe Haven. Led by Dr. Philip Awadalla (co-Scientific Director, CanPath), Dr. John McLaughlin (Executive Director, CanPath) and Dr. Trevor Dummer (co-Scientific Director, CanPath). “Personalized healthcare programs require the collection and integration of high-quality data and biosamples from a vast number of individuals to capture the complex factors that can shape an individual’s health over the course of their lifetime. To enable discovery, evidence generation and policy change, the data must be accessible to both researchers, as well as public and commercial health decision makers. In Canada, the sharing and combining of data across jurisdictions, rather than collecting the data itself, is a major barrier to progress in precision medicine. The promise of personalized medicine is within reach through the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health project (CanPath): Canada’s largest population health cohort. CanPath has made major strides towards integrating clinical, environmental, and population-level health data across all provinces and providing a national access point to deeply characterized and longitudinal health and lifestyle information, more so than any other entity in Canada. Here, the team will build upon CanPath’s existing national infrastructure to democratize access to the CanPath platform to better enable Canadian-led innovation and discovery. They will develop and pilot a data safe haven (DSH), a secure environment within which researchers, clinicians and industry in Canada can access deeply characterized population health and biobank data. In partnership with Adela, they will generate genomic data that will be hosted alongside clinical and population data of consented CanPath participants from across Canada within this secure digital framework. The DSH holds the potential to launch Canada to the forefront of genomic medicine globally. It will also support the development of Canada’s biotechnology sector and industry research as well as creating the ability to harmonize with leading precision medicine programs. The ultimate result will be earlier diagnosis of disease, advances in medical interventions, and improved health system performance for Canadians.” https://bit.ly/43JPW3q

Webinar: Advancing Equity and EDIA Through Health Services and Population Health Research

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An upcoming webinar presented by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Canadian Association for Heath Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR). Advancing Equity and EDIA through Health Services and Population Health Research Presentations from Dr. Katie Aubrecht and Dr. Andrew Pinto. April 24th, 1-230pm (AST) Registration: https://events.eply.com/2023HSPRTalksApril24 “Improving equity in health care and health outcomes is a goal held by many and one that is increasingly prioritized by a range of stakeholders. Health services and policy research (HSPR) and population and public health research (PPHR) have important roles to play in advancing health equity goals. To maximize their contribution to improving health equity, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) within these fields must also advance. This webinar will present the concepts and histories of these two distinct but interrelated concepts (health equity and EDIA), offer possible strategies and actions for the HSPR and PPHR communities to incorporate equity and EDIA in their work, and foster discussion among people interested in improving their contribution to a more equitable society. The session will draw upon two recent papers, available for reading prior to the session here and here, and reflects a partnership between CAHSPR and CIHR’s Institutes of Health Services and Policy Research (IHSPR) and Population and Public Health (IPPH).” Additional info: https://s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/eply-client-files/191/AccountFiles/Documents/HSPR/HSPR%20Talks%20Advancing%20Equity%20and%20EDIA.pdf    

Changing the narrative of lung cancer to improve prevention for non-smokers

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Congratulations to Dr. Robin Urquhart and team on their successful funding from the Canadian Cancer Society to examine the effects of environmental exposures in non-smokers to detect lung cancer earlier. Lung cancer is most often linked to smoking, but can also occur in people who have never smoked because of exposure to arsenic, radon gas and air pollution. Yet, in several provinces in Canada where screening programs are being implemented for people at high-risk of lung cancer, only a person’s age and smoking history are currently considered in the risk assessment. With funding from the Canadian Cancer Society, this research team is working to make sure environmental factors are considered when assessing a person’s risk of lung cancer. The results of this research will provide actionable information around environmental exposures to improve personalized lung cancer risk assessment, inform screening criteria and programs and improve lung cancer early detection efforts across Canada. For additional details: https://cancer.ca/en/research/for-researchers/funding-results/breakthrough-team-grants/changing-the-narrative-of-lung-cancer-to-improve-prevention-for-non-smokers Dr. Urquhart was interviewed by CBC Radio to discuss this work project: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2189846083866 CBC Interview in Print: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/dalhousie-environmental-risk-lung-cancer-screening-nova-scotia-1.6805468

CanPath Researcher Feature – Ace Chan

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Check out CanPath’s Researcher Feature of University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health’s PhD student, Ace Chan.  Ace’s research interests include sexual and gender minority (SGM) health, creating inclusive and accessible healthcare spaces for SGM folks, and they strive towards providing scientific evidence to achieve health equity in marginalized populations. Ace’s research will use CanPath data to explore the rates of alcohol consumption, tobacco use, cancer risk factors, and cancer diagnoses in gender minority people compared to non-gender minority people. Researcher Feature Interview: https://canpath.ca/2023/03/researcher-feature-ace-chan/ Approved Project – Primary Prevention of Cancer-Causing Substance Use in Gender Minority People in Canada: https://canpath.ca/project/dummer-chan-2022/