Author: pathwp

Dr. Raza Abidi appointed Digital Health Canada Representative to IMIA

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Join us in congratulating our colleague, Dr. Raza Abidi on being appointed Digital Health Canada Representative to the International Medical Informatics Association! Please see details below for the announcement. Dr. Abidi works alongside Dr. Jong Sung Kim and Dr. Ellen Sweeney on a longstanding research stream on environmental exposures and cancer using data and biological samples (toenails!) from Atlantic PATH. ***** Digital Health Canada’s Board of Directors is pleased to appoint Dr. Raza Abidi to the position of Digital Health Canada Representative to IMIA (the International Medical Informatics Association). Digital Health Canada has been the Canadian Representative since IMIA’s inception in 1980 and is a Charter member. Dr. Abidi is a tenured Professor at the Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, and holds a cross-appointment as Professor in the Dalhousie Department of Medicine. He is the founding director and lead scientist at the NICHE (kNowledge Intensive Computing in Healthcare Enterprises) research group that conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of digital health, artificial intelligence (AI) for healthcare, and digital transformation. Dr. Abidi served on the Digital Health Canada Board of Directors for six years and has a sound understanding of the mission and activities of the association. He is keenly aware of the need to bring the Canadian digital health community and its achievements to the world stage by enabling active participation in IMIA conferences, events, and working groups. Dr. Abidi is an internationally recognized healthcare researcher and leader with multiple international and national awards and recognitions. His primary research focus is Artificial Intelligence (AI) for healthcare and digital health, and he has extensive experience of (a) health data analytics using state-of-the-art AI methods to derive data-driven health intelligence, (b) health knowledge management by applying semantics-driven AI methods to derive knowledge-driven health intelligence by computerizing and operationalizing clinical practice guidelines/workflows, and (c) implementing research outputs as digital health solutions. His collaborative research activities have successfully led to (a) development of innovative point-of-care digital health solutions, (b) digital transformation of clinical workflows as decision support systems, (c) strategic planning and conception of new research themes and projects, (d) acquisition of multiple competitive research grants from various agencies and industry sponsors, (e) health data analysis and visualization, (f) health system evaluation and optimization studies, (g) publication of research articles at top-tier venues and invited talks, and (h) mentoring of junior researchers and talent development. I am confident that I can showcase the full potential of Canada in digital health research, innovation and entrepreneurship, and engage the broader Digital Health Canada community in IMIA activities so that Canada is regarded as a hub of digital health innovation and transformation. – Dr. Raza Abidi, Digital Health Canada Representative to the International Medical Informatics Association About IMIA IMIA provides leadership and expertise to the interdisciplinary health informatics community around the world. IMIA aims to enable the transformation of healthcare using information technology and plays a key role in promoting and furthering the application of digital technologies in healthcare. IMIA brings together leading scientists, researchers, vendors, developers, and consultants in a global context. Every two years, IMIA holds the preeminent international health informatics conference—World Congress on Medical and Health Informatics: MedInfo—where researchers and practitioners from around the world present their latest work in digital health. About this role As the new Digital Health Canada IMIA representative, Dr. Abidi will act as a liaison between Digital Health Canada and IMIA and will represent Canada on the world stage, connecting Digital Health Canada with representatives from corresponding national organizations and focusing on advances in digital health from other countries. Dr. Abidi will exercise voting rights on behalf of Digital Health Canada at the annual IMIA General Assembly, and will serve a two-year term on the IMIA Board as the Vice President North America.

About Atlantic PATH

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Welcome To Atlantic PATH The Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health Study, or Atlantic PATH as we usually call ourselves, is part of the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath), the largest study of its kind ever undertaken in Canada. What we Do Our national study is investigating how genetics, the environment, lifestyle, and behavior contribute to the development of chronic diseases. CanPath is following the health of 330,000 people for 30 years in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and in Atlantic Canada. Here on the East Coast, Atlantic PATH has recruited over 34,000 participants from all four Atlantic Provinces.  The information provided by participants will will help to find new ways of preventing chronic diseases and to diagnose these diseases earlier, when they can be easier to treat. Why our work matters This work is particularly important for Atlantic Canada, which has the highest rates of cancer in the country. Every year, more than 13,400 Atlantic Canadians are diagnosed with cancer and 47% die as a result. The disease truly does touch everyone living in this region, either personally or through family and friends. Our participants Participants 0 + Provinces 0 Toenails Collected 0 + Over 34,000 participants from all four Atlantic Provinces have completed surveys and provided biological samples. The samples and information that participants  have given will help researchers find out why some people develop certain chronic diseases and others don’t Get Involved Whether you’re a researcher, participant, or community partner, there are many ways to engage with Atlantic PATH. Join us in advancing health research across Atlantic Canada.

CanPath Access Office Hours

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Join us for the CanPath Access Office Hours to learn more about how you can leverage CanPath data for your research. Members of the Access Office will be available to answer your questions, including Atlantic PATH Executive Director, Jason Hicks and our CanPath colleagues, Nouar Elkhair and Sheraz Cheema. The “Access Office Hours” virtual series provides researchers with an opportunity every quarter to ask questions they may have about CanPath data and biosamples, the access process or the CanPath Portal.

Hypertension Awareness Month

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It’s Hypertension Awareness Month, and population health research is helping to advance how we predict, manage, and understand high blood pressure ? Recent studies using CARTaGENE and Alberta’s Tomorrow Project data have uncovered insights on: ? Suboptimal antihypertensive prescribing patterns in Quebec ? Why we should discard the first BP reading in clinical practice ❤️‍? How a hidden hormonal condition may drive heart damage ? The (surprising) effectiveness of traditional vs. ML models ? The impact of statins on diet quality in adults with metabolic syndrome CanPath and its regional cohorts offer the depth and scale to explore hypertension from every angle, from meds to models to metabolic risk. ? Explore the data: https://portal.canpath.ca/

Canadian Cancer Society – Data Saves Lives

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“Data save lives. It’s as simple as that.” ? Thank you to the Canadian Cancer Society for having CanPath at the Cancer Data Community of Practice Workshop in Toronto this March. We were honoured to join this important conversation about improving Canada’s cancer data ecosystem because better data means better outcomes for all Canadians. Dr. Robin Urquhart, Atlantic PATH Scientific Director, says, “Data save lives. It’s as simple as that … How are we going to improve if we don’t know how we’re doing or if we don’t know where we have to improve, right? And data allows us to do that.” Dr. Donna Turner, Manitoba Tomorrow Project Scientific Director, says, “We really can’t manage what we don’t measure … We know that cancer data are actually relatively strong compared to other diseases, but we have so far to go.” A video from the Canadian Cancer Society of seven cancer stakeholders is available on LinkedIn.    

Mental Health Week & Research

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Unmasking mental health means asking deeper questions, and CanPath data is helping researchers find the answers. This Mental Health Week, we’re recognizing how interconnected mental health is with every part of life. Researchers are using Atlantic PATH data to explore: ? Mental health and shift work (Sweeney et al., 2021) ? Depression, anxiety and the risk of cancer incidence (van Tuijl et al., 2023) ? Socioeconomic status, depression and prostate cancer survivorship (Ilie et al., 2021) ? Post-treatment adverse health correlates among prostate cancer survivors (Ilie et al., 2021) ? Anxiety and depression in prostate cancer survivors (Ilie et al., 2020) Researchers are using CanPath data to explore: ? COVID-19 and mental health in 23 international cohorts (In progress) ? Depression, diet, and diabetes (Schmitz & Sen, 2024) ? System costs of effective mental healthcare coverage (Vasiliadis et al., 2024) ? And more, like how our environments and chronic diseases like cancer intersect with mental health When we look beyond the surface, we see the whole person, and more possibilities for care, policy, and prevention. ? Watch the webinar on depression, diet, and diabetes >> https://lnkd.in/eHNm97YM ? Read the latest publications addressing mental health using CanPath data >> https://lnkd.in/ecQkdGQR  

National Volunteer Week and Thank You Thursday

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Happy National Volunteer Week and Thank You Thursday from CanPath and Atlantic PATH! Atlantic PATH participants are critical partners in advancing health research. For more than fifteen years, their voluntary contributions have enabled discoveries shaping the future of disease prevention, diagnosis, and care. Atlantic PATH participants’ commitment reminds us that every data point represents a person, and every discovery represents hope for healthier communities. Thank you to all our participants for making population health research possible. Learn more about participants’ impact, including Atlantic PATH participant, Barbara Campbell! https://canpath.ca/meet-canpath-participants/

Cancer Research Society Funding Opportunity

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RISE: Research Impact in Survivorship and Engagement  The Cancer Research Society (CRS) and Ovarian Cancer Canada are proud to launch the RISE grant competition. Through this partnership, a total of $200,000 will be awarded to support two innovative projects focused on ovarian cancer survivorship, based on priorities identified by patients and caregivers. Key Dates • Letter of Intent: May 13, 2025 at 11:59 PM (ET) • Full Application (by invitation): July 25, 2025 at 11:59 PM (ET)   Competition Details  Eligible projects may focus on one or more of the following aspects of ovarian cancer survivorship: Physical well-being and health Psychosocial and emotional well-being Health disparities and inequities Treatment advances to extend survival, reduce side effects and improve quality of life Healthy lifestyle interventions  

The Association of Sleep Trouble and Physical Inactivity with Breast Cancer Risk in Nova Scotia: Evidence from the Atlantic PATH Cohort

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Authors: Cindy Feng, Ellen Sweeney Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Abstract: Breast cancer is a major public health concern, and modifiable health behaviors such as sleep quality and physical activity may influence risk. This study examined the associations between self-reported sleep trouble, sleep duration, and physical activity with breast cancer incidence in a prospective longitudinal cohort of 10,305 females from Nova Scotia. Breast cancer cases were identified through record linkage to the Nova Scotia Cancer Registry. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), accounting for sociodemographic factors, reproductive history, comorbidities, and other health behaviors. Frequent sleep trouble (“all of the time”) was significantly associated with increased odds of breast cancer (AOR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.09–5.34, p = 0.03), while no significant associations were observed between sleep duration and breast cancer risk. High physical activity was significantly associated with a lower risk of breast cancer (AOR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.39–0.86, p < 0.01). These findings suggest that frequent sleep disturbances may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, while high physical activity appears to be linked to a lower risk of breast cancer. Further research is needed to explore these relationships and their underlying mechanisms. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22040471