Most CanPath study participants had infection-acquired antibodies but few suspected COVID-19

Posted on May 31, 2023 by pathwp

Dr. Victoria Kirsh presented at a CanPath webinar this week to present results from the SUPPORT-Canada study, funded by the federal COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF). Data and blood spot samples were used from 22,300 participants from Atlantic PATH, CARTaGENE, the Ontario Health Study, Manitoba Tomorrow Project, Alberta’s Tomorrow Project, and BC Generations. Key findings include: 62% of participants had a COVID-19 infection based on anti-N measured antibody levels. Among those, 86% did not suspect they had ever had COVID-19. 95% of the COVID-19 infections were observed during the Omicron period. Risk of infection was increased among younger individuals, males, essential workers, and those who travelled. Participants with a reported COVID-19 infection reported symptoms from mild to severe, but few required hospitalization. The effectiveness of full or booster vaccination in preventing COVID-19 Omicron infection is short-term, only lasting 4 months. Time since last dose is a more important determinant of protection against infection than the number of doses. Antibody levels are correlates of vaccine-induced protection. Prior COVID-19 infection protects against reinfection for 8 months. The CanPath SUPPORT-Canada study has provided important findings related to the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines and infections. With only 4 months of protection, these findings suggest that booster campaigns could be strategically used to rapidly boost immunity before upcoming waves of infection. Further, the longitudinal nature of CanPath participants ensures that we have a nationally representative population that can be followed for years to come (e.g., impact of Long COVID, future vaccinations, etc.). Link to recorded webinar: To come Link to webinar slide deck: https://www.covid19immunitytaskforce.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/canpath-webinar-may-2023.pdf Link to CITF’s post: https://www.covid19immunitytaskforce.ca/most-canpath-study-participants-had-infection-acquired-antibodies-but-few-suspected-covid-19/

CIHR Funding Opportunity — Data Analysis using Existing Databases and Cohorts

Posted on May 26, 2023May 26, 2023 by pathwp

CIHR has announced an Operating Grant competition, Data Analysis Using Existing Databases and Cohorts sponsored by the CIHR Healthy Cities Research Initiative. “This HCRI funding opportunity will support research that leverages existing data to improve the health, wellness and health equity of urban populations. CIHR and other funding agencies have invested heavily in the establishment of cohorts, databases, and data platforms. As a result, many high-quality data sets exist that contain a wealth of information and have the potential to answer research questions that go beyond those for which the data were originally collected or for which the data has been used to date. Examples of such resources include but are not limited to data available through Statistics Canada’s Research Data Centres, the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project (CanPath) and the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), as well as administrative datasets, surveys, large data linkage projects and cohort catalogues that bring together datasets from multiple sources such as the Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE).“* *Please note that CANUE data has been linked to all CanPath participants and is held by the regional cohorts, and other linkages already exist and/or are possible. Funds Available “The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $700,000, enough to fund approximately seven (7) one (1) year grants of up to $100,000 each. This amount may increase if additional funding partners participate.” Deadline: November 8, 2023 Anticipated Notice of Decision: February 28, 2024 Funding Start Date: March 1, 2024 Additional Details: https://www.researchnet-recherchenet.ca/rnr16/vwOpprtntyDtls.do?all=1&masterList=true&next=1&org=CIHR&prog=3891&resultCount=25&sort=program&type=EXACT&view=currentOpps&language=E

Mitacs Outstanding Entrepreneur Award

Posted on May 19, 2023November 28, 2023 by pathwp

Congratulations to our colleague, Dr. Rafaela Andrade, co-founder and CEO of Halifax-based company Myomar Molecular on their Mitacs Outstanding Entrepreneur Award!! Dr. Andrade has used Atlantic PATH data and biosamples in their project, Clinical Study and Identification of Muscle Atrophy Biomarkers. Dr. Andrade and Myomar Molecular’s work have developed the world’s first urine strip test for measuring muscle loss. Ultimately, this work will allow for early monitoring of indicators of muscle loss and early interventions and improved quality of life.

CanPath transforming data access to unlock its full potential to improve health

Posted on May 11, 2023 by pathwp

“New funding from Genome Canada will help CanPath build a cloud-based platform to equip researchers to understand the drivers of health and disease in Canada. Inside an unprecedented collection of health data from more than 330,000 Canadians are clues to understanding why people develop disease and how to prevent it. And a new project to improve how researchers access that data could lead to a future where Canadians get better, more personalized treatments for diseases like cancer.” CanPath is the “country’s largest population health study. Bringing together data from seven regional cohorts across 10 provinces, CanPath is a tremendous scientific resource of health, genomic and other data from about one in 100 Canadians. Now, CanPath is set to transform how it shares this data with researchers. Thanks to a $6.2 million grant from Genome Canada, CanPath is building a ‘trusted research environment,’ a secure cloud-based platform where researchers can access and analyze data all in one place.” ““This has the potential to be a game changer, both for CanPath’s long-term sustainability and the future of health research and healthcare in Canada,” says Dr. John McLaughlin, CanPath’s Executive Director and Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Toronto.” Full press release from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research: https://oicr.on.ca/canpath-transforming-data-access-to-unlock-its-full-potential-to-improve-health/

ISBER Awards

Posted on May 4, 2023 by pathwp

Congratulations to our colleague, Dr. Peter Watson on the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Biobanking from the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories!! We’re fortunate to work with Dr. Watson in his role with CanPath. Dr. Watson is the Director of Biobanking and Biospecimen Research Services, staff pathologist and senior scientist with BC Cancer. He is also a Professor of Pathology at the University of British Columbia and adjunct professor at the University of Victoria. Read more: https://www.isber.org/news/638153/ISBER-is-pleased-to-announce-the-2023-Award-Winners.htm

Healthy Future Sask Recruitment

Posted on May 3, 2023May 2, 2023 by pathwp

Our colleagues at Healthy Future Sask are recruiting participants! Healthy Future Sask creates a platform and resource for fostering research in cancer and chronic disease prevention in Saskatchewan. Healthy Future Sask is looking to engage with more than 7000 Saskatchewan residents between the ages of 30 and 74 to participate in the study. Participants will be asked to complete a health and lifestyle questionnaire, donate a biological sample (for example, blood or saliva), and have physical measurements taken on more than one occasion throughout the study. The information provided by volunteer participants will help researchers find out how lifestyle, genetics, and environment influence the health of future generations to come, helping us understand and potentially change tomorrow’s health together. Additional Information: https://healthyfuturesask.ca/

IWH Speaker Series

Posted on May 2, 2023 by pathwp

Many thanks to the Institute of Work and Health (IWH) for having Atlantic PATH Research Director, Dr. Ellen Sweeney at their Speaker Series today! IWH is a leader in work injury & disability prevention research. An independent, not-for-profit organization, IWH conducts and shares actionable research to promote, protect and improve the health and safety of working people. Dr. Sweeney presented on CanPath and Atlantic PATH data holdings, as well as Atlantic PATH’s shift work research, job title coding by algorithm project, and prostate cancer research. Learn more: Institute of Work and Health www.iwh.on.ca Atlantic PATH: www.atlanticpath.ca CanPath: www.canpath.ca #OccupationalResearch #Work #Health #Cohort

CanPath Webinar: COVID-19 Findings

Posted on May 1, 2023April 28, 2023 by pathwp

CanPath Webinar: Real-World Insights on COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness and Infection Risk Factors from CanPath’s SUPPORT-Canada Study May 30th, 12-1pmEST/1-2pmAST Register: https://canpath.ca/2023/04/hybrid-event-covid-19-vaccine-effectiveness-support-canada-study/ Join us for an in-depth analysis of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness based on real-world data from the SUrveying Prospective Population cOhorts for COVID-19 pRevalence and ouTcomes in Canada’ (SUPPORT-Canada) study. Led by Victoria Kirsh, this webinar will provide an overview of the study population, data collection, and statistical models used to analyze risk factors for infection and vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron variant. You’ll learn about the importance of time since last vaccination as the most critical determinant of protection against infection, more so than the number of vaccinations. Dr. Kirsh will also discuss the benefits and drawbacks of different vaccines and booster shots, including the latest findings on bivalent vs. monovalent boosters. Don’t miss this opportunity to stay up-to-date on the latest research and insights into COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness. About the Presenter: Dr. Victoria Kirsh is the Scientific Associate at the Ontario Health Study, one of CanPath’s regional cohorts. Dr. Kirsh completed a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from Yale University, an M.Sc. in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto and a B.Sc. in Microbiology and Immunology from McGill University. She completed a fellowship at the U.S. National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics. She worked as an Assistant Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, and as a Scientist at Cancer Care Ontario before joining the Ontario Health Study.

Genome BC’s Annual Genomics Forum – May 3, 2023

Posted on May 1, 2023May 1, 2023 by pathwp

CanPath National Scientific Director, Dr. Philip Awadalla and BC Generations Scientific Director, Dr. Parveen Bhatti will be speaking in session 4, “All In: Using Large Population-Based Genomics Studies to Inform Patient Care.” Wednesday, May 3rd: 3:00-4:30pm PST / 6:00-7:30EST / 7:00-8:30pmAST Registration: https://events.genomebc.ca/genomics-forum-2023/ Session Description: “Large population-based studies have taken place in several countries. Examples include All of Us (USA), 100,000 Genomes Project (UK) and Australian Genomics. This session will explore how these countries have made their project successful and how Canada can leverage already existing data and samples to have its own large cohort initiative — one that supports the development of disease screening, diagnostic, prevention and treatment, as well as inform public health policies for our diverse population.” Speakers: Zsuzsanna Hollander (Moderator) – Genome British Columbia Philip Awadalla (Presenter) – CanPath (Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health) Parveen Bhatti (Presenter) – BC Cancer Research Institute Anastasia Wise – All of Us Research Program, National Institutes of Health Tiffany Boughtwood – Australian Genomics About the Event: “Precision health care promises to target the right treatments to the right patients at the right time. And while genomics technologies have been used to effectively treat patients in health research for decades, thereby revolutionizing patient care, there are areas where these transformational technologies have not yet had a major impact. Join Genome BC on May 3, 2023, this year’s Annual Genomics Forum as we discuss the power and hurdles of integrating genomics into patient management and how we can ensure maximum value is derived from samples and patient data. Other countries have been leading the way in translational genomics research through initiatives such as “All of Us”, inviting one million people across the United States to help build one of the most diverse health databases in history. Australia Genomics has established a national collaboration supporting the translation of genomic research into clinical practice. And Genomics England’s initiative to sequence 100,000 genomes of patients affected by rare diseases or cancer is providing groundbreaking insights and continued findings into the role genomics can play in health care. Though efforts such as these have yet to materialize in Canada, can we leverage already existing biobanks and health data administration systems to make gains and fulfil the promise of precision health for Canadians? Let us learn how we can individually and collectively contribute to filling this gap while ensuring that research and health care advances are equitable to all.” https://events.genomebc.ca/genomics-forum-2023/