Author: pathwp

2024/25 Scotia Scholars Undergraduate and Summer Research Awards

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From Research Nova Scotia: The Scotia Scholars Award provides financial support to students with exceptional potential who are, or wish to be, engaged in a health research project at participating institutions. Applications for the undergraduate awards are now open to students at Cape Breton University, Université Sainte-Anne, and University of King’s College, and applications for the summer research awards are now open to students at Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC). This award supports the growth and retention of highly skilled individuals who are advancing and translating knowledge in one or more of RNS’s health mission areas: disease detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, strengthening our health care delivery system, caring for vulnerable populations, preventing negative impacts to health and wellbeing. Applications are due January 30, 2025 at 1:00pm (AST). Additional details: https://researchns.ca/ssa      

New environmental exposure data added to CanPath: Greenness, air quality, and accessibility

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CanPath is excited to continue collaborating with the CIHR-funded Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE) by linking a third round of environmental exposure data to the national harmonized CanPath datasets. Since 2016, CANUE has gathered and standardized environmental exposure data on air and noise pollution, land use, community amenities, green spaces, climate, and socioeconomic conditions. This data is then linked to Canadian cohort studies and health databases. CANUE and CanPath conducted their first linkage activity in May 2019, followed by a second round of linkage in June 2021. The CANUE environmental exposure data was merged with CanPath’s national harmonized datasets using participants’ 6-digit residential postal codes and are available to researchers. This year, 17 new datasets were added to the existing 27 environmental exposure datasets, providing additional measures of greenness, air quality, accessibility, and socioeconomic factors. “The key strength of CanPath’s collaboration with CANUE is the wide-ranging environmental exposures captured, allowing for diverse analyses beyond disease prevention, including developing healthier environments,” says Sheraz Cheema, CanPath Data Manager. “This longitudinal data is invaluable for researchers assessing prolonged exposure impacts on health. CanPath aims to continue collecting data for 20-30 years, increasing its value over time.” Green spaces and vegetation CANUE develops data on neighbourhood greenness from two main sources. First, the MODIS satellite program has provided a consistent measure of greenness across Canada from 2000 to 2023, using a single sensor to ensure data reliability at a 250-meter resolution. Greenness is measured using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) scale to characterize an area’s vegetation density. Secondly, the Landsat-based Vegetative Greenness Fractions dataset offers a finer 30-meter resolution and measures greenness. This dataset can even detect roads and buildings beneath tree canopies, offering a more detailed view. “This could be an excellent opportunity to study those vertical layers,” says Joey Syer, CANUE Data Director, “as opposed to just the horizontal layer of greenness.” New datasets linked to CanPath include: Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) (2000-2013) Landsat – Greenest Pixel (2000-2017) Landsat – Growing Season (2000-2019) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) – Annual Max (2000-2023) MODIS – Annual Mean (2000-2023) MODIS – Growing Season Max (2000-2023) MODIS – Growing Season Mean (2000-2023) Air quality One of the relatively new datasets in CANUE’s data holdings is the Canadian Optimized Statistical Smoke Model (CanOSSEM), which Naman Paul and colleagues developed at the BC Centre for Disease Control. This dataset estimates fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and is optimized for wildfire smoke. CANUE has data from 2010 to 2022 at daily, monthly, and annual scales, and it comes on a 5 km by 5 km grid. “The variation within those five kilometres is probably not much,” says Joey, “but the fact that this data covers all of Canada makes this an unparalleled resource in terms of space and time attributes. It’s really deserving of usage and study.” New datasets include: Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5 v4) (2000-2020) Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5 v5) (2000-2021) Smoke Exposure (PM2.5 v2) (2010-2022) Accessibility and transportation The CanPath data assets have also been updated with many new datasets in the ‘neighbourhoods’ domain. These include the Canadian Bikeway Comfort and Safety Classification System (Can-BICS) metrics, which measure the quantity and quality of cycling infrastructure in Canadian communities, and several spatial accessibility indicators, which provide information on access to different services and amenities. “By linking these and other CANUE datasets to CanPath data, we can explore how the built environment affects chronic health conditions like never before,” says Dr. Dany Doiron, CANUE Managing Director. New datasets include: Spatial Accessibility Measures (2021) Public Transportation (2019) Canadian Bikeway Safety Metrics (Can-BICS) (2021) Street Connectivity (2019) Other socioeconomic factors Many other socioeconomic factors can provide valuable insights into how the built environment and access to healthy food impact chronic diseases, including cancer risk and prevention. Dr. Trevor Dummer, CanPath National Scientific Co-Director, spoke about his role as a health geographer: “My interest in cancer prevention is understanding how the built environment and natural environment influences our cancer risk. This includes how our behaviours, such as physical activity or access to healthy food, are impacted by our geography. CanPath, as a longitudinal cohort linked to CANUE geospatial information and cancer registry data, has vast potential for epidemiological analysis to identify cancer risk factors and support prevention.” New datasets include: Building Density (2019) Dwellings Needing Repair (2016-2021) Canadian Food Environment Dataset (Can-FED) (2018)

New Article – Investigating Skin Cancer Risk and Sun Safety Practices Among LGBTQ+ Communities in Canada

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Congratulations to Dr. François Lagacé, Dr. Ivan Litvinov and team on their new article, “Investigating Skin Cancer Risk and Sun Safety Practices Among LGBTQ+ Communities in Canada.” Participants from Atlantic PATH and the Manitoba Tomorrow Project were invited to participate in the SunFit study led by Dr. Litvinov at McGill University. Skin cancer prevention requires effective sun safety practices. Previous studies have shown that LGBTQ+ individuals exhibit lower sunscreen use and higher tanning bed usage compared to their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts. This SunFit study is the first to assess skin cancer risk factors, sun-protective behaviors, and skin cancer concerns among LGBTQ+ participants across Canada.

Investigating Skin Cancer Risk and Sun Safety Practices Among LGBTQ+ Communities in Canada

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Authors: François Lagacé, Farhan Mahmood, Santina Conte, Lorena Mija, Amina Moustaquim-Barrette, Jonathan LeBeau, Alyson McKenna, Mahan Maazi, Johnny Hanna, Alexandra Kelly, Raquel Lazarowitz, Elham Rahme, Travis Hrubeniuk, Ellen Sweeney, Ivan Litvinov. Journal: Current Oncology Background: Skin cancer prevention relies on effective sun safety practices. Previous studies have shown that LGBTQ+ individuals exhibit lower sunscreen use and higher tanning bed usage compared to their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts. This study is the first to assess skin cancer risk factors, sun-protective behaviors, and skin cancer concerns among LGBTQ+ individuals across Canada. Methods: A national survey study was conducted between July 2020 and March 2024 and included LGBTQ+ respondents aged ≥ 16 years who had completed the survey. Responses were summarized using frequency counts/percentages for categorical variables and means/standard deviations for continuous variables. Logistic regression models were used to calculate age- and gender-adjusted odds ratios for subgroup analyses. Results: Of the 700 LGBTQ+ participants included (59.3% women; median age 38 years), the majority had a Fitzpatrick skin phototype (FSP) I–III (76.4%). Concerningly, 60% reported >10 lifetime sunburns, 58% reported ≥1 blistering sunburn, 34% had used a tanning bed ≥1 time in their lifetime, and 69% reported having a tan in the last 12 months. Sunscreen was worn regularly by only half of the respondents, and half of the participants agreed or strongly agreed with “I look better and/or healthier with a tan”. Additional comparisons are presented based on gender, FSP, education, and income. Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the need for public health campaigns tailored to the LGBTQ+ community, emphasizing culturally sensitive sun safety education, particularly for LGBTQ+ men, individuals with FSP IV–VI, and those with lower education levels, to help reduce future skin cancer risk. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol31120593  

Got Your Toe(nails)! Guinness World Record Revisited

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The Guinness World Records team is once again reflecting on the record held by the Atlantic PATH cohort. In a new article, “Got your toe(nails)! Scientific study holds largest collection of toenail clippings,” Katherine Gross revisits the collection of toenail samples from Atlantic PATH participants. In 2013, Atlantic PATH received a Guinness Book of World Records for 24,999 toenail samples. Recruitment continued until 2015 and the total number of participants who donated toenails was 30,418!! Atlantic PATH represents participants across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, a region with the highest rates of cancer and chronic disease in the country. “Toenails are an important part of our research….What we’re particularly interested in, in this context, is the extent to which environmental exposure affects our risk of disease.” Atlantic PATH has used data and biological samples to develop an established environmental and occupational health research stream. Stay tuned for more toenail research that is currently in progress, and you can find recent publications here: Hood, K., Sweeney, E., Ilie, G., Keltie, E., Kim, J.S. (2023), Toenail Arsenic Species and Metallome Profiles Associated with Breast, Cervical, Prostate, and Skin Cancer Prevalence in the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health Cohort. Frontiers in Public Health: Environmental health and Exposome, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1148283 Smith, N.K., Keltie, E., Sweeney, E., Weerasinghe, S., MacPherson, K., Kim, J.S. (2022). “Investigating the Association between Arsenic Exposure and Chronic Disease Using Toenail Speciation Biomarkers: A Feasibility Study.” Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety.   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113269 Keltie, E.; Cui, Y.; Hood, K.; Sweeney, E.; Ilie, G.; Adisesh, A.; Dummer, T.; Kim, J.S. (2022). “The Association of Prostate Cancer with the Profiles of Arsenic Species and Metallome: An Analysis from the Atlantic PATH Cohort Study.” Frontiers in Public Health, Environmental Health and Exposome.   https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.818069 Majouni, S., Kim, J.S., Sweeney, E., Keltie, E., Abidi, S. (2022). Applying Machine Learning to Arsenic Species and Metallomics Profiles of Toenails to Evaluate Associations of Environmental Arsenic with Incident Cancer Cases. Medical Informatics Europe Conference (MIE) Conference Proceedings. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics. Fleming, D., Crook, S., Evans, C., Nader, M., Atia, M., Hicks, J., Sweeney, E., McFarlane, C., Kim, J.S., Keltie, E., Adisesh, A. (2020). “Assessing arsenic in human toenail clippings using portable X-ray fluorescence.” Applied Radiation and Isotopes. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109491 Fleming, D., Crook, S., Evans, C., Nader, M., Atia, M., Hicks, J., Sweeney, E., McFarlane, C., Kim, J.S., Keltie, E., Adisesh, A. (2020). “Portable X-ray Fluorescence of Zinc Applied to Human Toenail Clippings.” Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemb.2020.126603 Dummer, T., Yu, Z.M., Nauta, L., Murimboh, J., Parker, L. (2015). “Geostatistical modelling of arsenic in drinking water wells and related toenail arsenic concentrations across Nova Scotia, Canada.” Science of the Total Environment, 505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.02.055 Yu, Z.M., Dummer, T., Adams, A., Murimboh, J., Parker, L. (2014). “Relationship between drinking water and toenail arsenic concentration among a cohort of Nova Scotians.” Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 24. https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2013.88 Yu, Z.M, Fung, B., Murimboh, J., Parker, L., Dummer, T. (2014). “What is the role of obesity in the aetiology of arsenic-related disease?” Environment International, 66.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2014.01.028  

Upcoming Webinar – CanPath Trainees Study Pollution and Disease

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Hybrid event: From air to ailment: trainees study pollution’s role in disease onset December 10, 2024 @ 1pmAST/12pmEST Registration: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/from-air-to-ailment-trainees-study-pollutions-role-in-disease-onset-tickets-1080426387409 Are you curious about how environmental factors like air pollution affect our health? Join us for an engaging event where four MPH in Epidemiology students from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) share their cutting-edge research conducted during their summer practicum at CanPath. Discover how Fatima investigates the link between air pollution and endometriosis, Natalie explores its impact on inflammatory bowel diseases, Emilia examines connections to cardiometabolic conditions, and Taryn studies the association with early-onset type II diabetes mellitus. Their findings provide new insights into the complex relationship between air quality and chronic diseases, highlighting the importance of environmental health research. This event is a must-attend for trainees and early-career researchers interested in epidemiology, public health, and environmental sciences. Gain valuable knowledge, network with peers, and get inspired by the innovative work of your fellow researchers.

Government of Canada invests in breast cancer research at CanPath

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Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers and the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women* in Canada, with one in eight women expected to be diagnosed in their lifetime. Early detection through screening can make treatment easier and improve survival rates. In April 2024, the US recommended starting breast cancer screening for women in their forties. However, Canada’s guidelines, updated in May 2024, did not fully adopt this change, highlighting the need for more research. To address these evidence gaps, the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health for the Government of Canada, announced $295,000 in funding for CanPath to advance research for breast cancer screening. Minister Holland announced this funding at an in-person event at the Canadian Cancer Society, which also received funding for breast cancer public awareness. “When we think of breast cancer screening, data gaps, and the solutions research can deploy, it’s exceptionally important,” said the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, “so the partnership between the federal government and CanPath is very exciting.” CanPath will use existing Canadian cohort and administrative data to address three main objectives: Study differences in screening participation, treatments, and outcomes by race and ethnicity; Understand breast cancer risk factors and how they vary by race and ethnicity; and Analyze screening results, such as recall and biopsy rates, by race and ethnicity. This research aims to create better screening guidelines that consider the diverse needs of all Canadian women. “Anytime we can announce good news and talk about how we can advance research together is an exciting day. It’s so great to get to celebrate these wins together,” says Dr. Jennifer Brooks, Executive Director at CanPath. *Cisgendered women and other adults assigned female at birth, such as transgender men and nonbinary people. About CanPath The Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath) is Canada’s largest population health cohort and a national platform for health research. Comprised of more than 330,000 volunteer participants across seven regional cohorts, including Atlantic PATH, CanPath is a unique platform that allows scientists to explore how genetics, environment, lifestyle, and behaviour interact and contribute to the development of chronic disease and cancer.  

Notice of Upcoming Funding Opportunity: Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention Team Grants

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Notice of Upcoming Funding Opportunity: Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention Team Grants Webinar: Winter 2025 Launch: Fall 2024 / Winter 2025 Registration Deadline: Winter 2025 Application Deadline: Summer 2025 Funding Start Date: Fall 2025 *Atlantic PATH and CanPath – Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health are always happy to support access to data and biological samples, including funding applications and writing letters of support* The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of the Team Grants: Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention. This funding opportunity is led by the CIHR Institute of Cancer Research (CIHR-ICR) in collaboration with the CIHR Institutes of: Aging (CIHR-IA), Gender and Health (CIHR-IGH), Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (CIHR-INMD), Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH), and in partnership with the BioCanRx, Cancer Research Society (CRS), Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) – Adopting Sustainable Partnerships for Innovative Research Ecosystem (ASPIRE), and other external partners. The Team Grants: Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention aims to unite interdisciplinary research teams to advance the biological and mechanistic understanding of cancer etiology, genesis, and risk, linked with host, lifestyle, environmental, social, and other factors, to identify new targets and approaches for cancer prevention, risk reduction, and early detection. Collaborations between traditional cancer prevention researchers (e.g., population and public health researchers, epidemiologists, social scientists) and those from other disciplines (e.g., biologists, immunologists, geneticists, drug developers) or who are new to the field are strongly encouraged. Collectively, these research teams will develop and disseminate evidence-based solutions to enable improvements in cancer prevention, risk reduction, and early detection at the individual and/or population-level. At the time of this announcement, the total amount available for this funding opportunity is up to $32,000,000 CAD to fund up to approximately sixteen (16) grants. This amount may increase if additional funding partners participate. Additional details: https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/54112.html

Upcoming Webinar: Environmental Exposure Datasets with CanPath and CANUE

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Enhancing health research with new environmental exposure datasets from CANUE and CanPath November 18, 2024, 1-2pmEST/2-3pmAST Register: https://canpath.ca/2024/10/enhancing-health-research-with-new-environmental-exposure-datasets-from-canue-and-canpath/ CanPath is expanding its collaboration with the Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE) by adding 17 new environmental exposure datasets to its existing data resources. CANUE provides standardized, area-level data on air and noise pollution, green spaces, climate change, and socioeconomic factors, linked to health cohort studies using participant residential postal codes. This webinar will introduce researchers to these new datasets, which include comprehensive measures of green spaces and vegetation (e.g., NDVI, Landsat, MODIS), air quality (PM2.5, smoke exposure), accessibility and transportation, and socioeconomic conditions. These data will be integrated with CanPath’s national harmonized dataset, providing researchers with a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of environmental exposures and health outcomes. The session will highlight practical examples of how these datasets can be utilized in studies focused on chronic diseases, cancer, and environmental health, offering researchers powerful tools to examine the spatial dimensions of health determinants. Additionally, we are pleased to share the upcoming release of Understanding Cancer Prevention through Geospatial Science: Putting Cancer in its Place, edited by one of our presenters, Dr. Trevor Dummer. The book discusses how geospatial science can support cancer prevention, featuring CanPath and CANUE in one of its chapters. Who should attend? Health and environmental researchers Epidemiologists Data scientists Public health professionals This webinar is an essential opportunity for researchers looking to expand their toolkit for investigating the impact of environmental exposures on health, utilizing rich, nationally harmonized cohort data. About the presenters Dr. Trevor Dummer Dr. Trevor Dummer, a health geographer with a PhD in Environmental Epidemiology from Newcastle University, has made significant contributions to cancer research and prevention. He joined CanPath in 2008 as the Research Director and later Co-Principal Investigator of Atlantic PATH. He was the Co-Scientific Director of the BC Generations Project (2015-2021). He has been the National Scientific Co-Director of CanPath since 2018. Holding the Canadian Cancer Society Chair in Cancer Primary Prevention, Dr. Dummer also serves as a Professor at the School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia (UBC). His research delves into the impact of environmental, community, and neighbourhood factors on health, specifically focusing on cancer prevention through community knowledge translation and studying the links between cancer and environmental exposures like radon and arsenic, as well as obesity and the built environment. Sheraz Cheema Sheraz Cheema has been CanPath’s Data Manager and part of the CanPath Access Office since January 2023. He supports data requests from national and international researchers, manages CanPath research data, generates datasets for approved projects, develops and maintains components of data auditing programs for quality assurance purposes, and provides consultative advice on data requirements. Prior to CanPath, Sheraz worked as a Research Analyst at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAHM). He holds degrees in neuroscience and health informatics. Dany Doiron Dany Doiron has been the Managing Director of CANUE since March 2022. Prior to this, he acted as Data Linkage Lead and Special Projects Manager (June 2016 – March 2022). Under his leadership, CANUE data have been integrated with all of Canada’s large cohorts and many provincial administrative health data organizations, providing one-stop research approvals. Dany is also a Research Associate at the Respiratory Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit of the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, Canada, and acts as the Chief Operating Officer of the Canadian Cohort of Obstructive Lung Disease (CanCOLD), a large population-based cohort dedicated to better understanding Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Dany holds a PhD in Epidemiology and focuses his research on the respiratory health impacts of ambient air pollution exposure. Joey Syer Joey Syer has been the CANUE Data Director since November 2022. He oversees the development of CANUE datasets and projects dedicated to their improvement in epidemiological research. Joey is also a part-time course instructor at the University of Victoria in Population Health and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Spatial Epidemiology and Outbreak Detection. Prior to CANUE, he spent 10 years (2012-2022) as a geomatics specialist at Hemmera, an Ausenco Company. Joey holds degrees in GIS and Epidemiology. He has a strong interest in environmental epidemiology, using GIS, remote sensing, and machine learning to improve environmental exposure data quality, and a wide range of health outcomes.

Data Services in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia

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Our team was glad to attend the Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit (MSSU) webinar today to hear about the data services available in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Atlantic PATH data is linked to administrative data with the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT) and Health Data Nova Scotia (HDNS). Please feel free to reach out to any of our teams for more information!