Category: News

Read what the media has been reporting on Atlantic PATH and the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project.

CanPath Access Office Hours

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Join CanPath for an informative session on accessing CanPath data and biosamples for your research projects! Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or new to the process, our Access Office experts are here to provide insider tips on ensuring your application is successful. 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. Members of the Access Office will be available to answer questions and demonstrate how to navigate the Portal and online application. Additional details and registration: https://canpath.ca/2024/03/access-office-hours-insider-tips-for-effective-health-data-applications/

Upcoming CanPath Webinar on Ultra-processed food consumption, depression, and diabetes

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Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a widespread chronic condition with severe consequences, including complications affecting blood vessels and organs, disability, and premature death. Research indicates that depression can significantly raise the risk of developing T2D, potentially through lifestyle and biological factors. Additionally, our modern diet presents a challenge with the increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF), which have been linked to a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. In this webinar, Dr. Norbert Schmitz and Dr. Akankasha Sen will share the synergistic effects of depression and UPF consumption on T2D risk and the risk of developing diabetes-specific complications for those with type 2 diabetes. Using longitudinal data from the CARTaGENE cohort, Dr. Schmitz and colleagues demonstrate whether the combination of these factors exacerbates the likelihood of developing T2D beyond their individual effects and whether other mechanisms affect the association, like smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity. Additional Details and Registration: https://canpath.ca/2024/03/webinar-ultra-processed-food-consumption-depression-diabetes/

Rural communities face higher risk of lung cancer from radon

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Research conducted using CanPath data, including Atlantic PATH found that at least one in five lung cancer cases diagnosed are found in people who have never smoked. Our colleague, Dr. Aaron Goodarzi has written a new article on the risks of lung cancer that rural communities face as a result of exposure to radon. Full article: https://troymedia.com/health/cancer-risk-from-radon-gas-is-higher-in-rural-communities/

New Publication – Psychosocial factors, health behaviors and risk of cancer incidence

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We are pleased to share that a new publication from the Psychosocial Factors and Cancer Incidence (PSY-CA) consortium have been published in Cancer Epidemiology. Led from the Netherlands by Dr. Lonneke van Tuijl and Dr. Joost Dekker, this study includes 18 cohorts with more than 300,000 participants including Atlantic PATH, the Ontario Health Study and CARTaGENE from CanPath. Our local team members include Mr. Yunsong Cui (Atlantic PATH) who completed all local analyses, Dr. Ellen Sweeney (Atlantic PATH) and Dr. Melanie Keats (Dalhousie University). Depression, anxiety and other psychosocial factors are hypothesized to be involved in cancer development. In this first large study to systematically examine potential interaction and effect modification, we found no evidence for psychosocial factors to interact with or modify health behaviors in relation to cancer incidence. The behavioral risk profile for cancer incidence is similar in people with and without psychosocial stress. Link to article: http://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.34852

Upcoming @CanPath Trainee Webinar on the built environment, metabolites and cancer risk

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How does our environment (ex. green spaces, walkability, light at night, air pollution) impact our risk of breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers? And, could the information in our blood, combined with details about our health and lifestyle, help predict the risk of developing breast cancer in the future? ?? Join us on Monday, January 22, at noon EST, to get inspired by two trainees’ studies and learn more about how you can leverage CanPath data for your research! ? Atul Aravindakshan is a PhD Candidate at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health under the supervision of Drs. Trevor Dummer and Parveen Bhatti. ? Ly Trinh is a Master of Science student at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health under the supervision of Dr. Parveen Bhatti. Details and registration info: https://bit.ly/3tUA7JS

Dr. John Lewis at #CCRC2023

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Dr. John Lewis is a Professor in the Department of Oncology at the University of Alberta and the Bird Dogs Chair in Translational Oncology. Dr. Lewis’ research interests include translational prostate cancer research, and the Lewis Lab utilizes real-time intravital imaging of the tumour microenvironment to learn about the critical steps of cancer progression, including the growth of new blood vessels and the gain of tumour cell motility that leads to metastasis. Using CanPath data, Dr. Lewis created predictive models for diseases using a standardized data analysis platform. These models offer insights into the factors that increase the risk of developing a particular disease. The platform, which has demonstrated superior accuracy in predicting prostate cancer compared to existing models, can now be applied efficiently to predict a range of diseases like cancer, heart conditions, lung diseases, diabetes, and neurological disorders using CanPath questionnaire data. Learn more about how the Lewis Lab uses CanPath data: https://canpath.ca/2022/10/webinar-november-2022/. Dr. Lewis will be presenting at the conference plenary on AI Across the Research Spectrum on Sunday, November 12, at 4:10 pm AST. Dr. Lewis will be speaking on the development and commercialization of machine learning models to predict disease.

Dr. Trevor Dummer and Mohadeseh Ahmadi at #CCRC2023

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Dr. Trevor Dummer will be attending the Canadian Cancer Research Conference. Dr. Dummer is the co-Scientific Director for CanPath, an Associate Professor at the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia, the Canadian Cancer Society Chair in Primary Prevention, and Affiliated Scientist, BC Cancer. Dr. Dummer’s research interests include how the environment, communities and neighbourhoods influence health outcomes, including cancer.  Dr. Dummer will be in attendance at the Canadian Cancer Research Conference along with his student, Mohadeseh Ahmadi. Mohadeseh is a MSc student in the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. They will be presenting on the association between traffic-related air pollution and breast cancer risk in post-menopausal women in Alberta’s Tomorrow Project in a lightning session on Tuesday, November 14th at 10:40am AST.    

Manitoba Representation at #CCRC2023 (Hrubeniuk, Briek, Katyal)

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The Manitoba Tomorrow Project will be well represented at the Canadian Cancer Research Conference. Dr. Sachin Katyal is an Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba, Senior Scientist at CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, and Director of the Manitoba Tumour Bank. Dr. Katyal is the Manitoba Tomorrow Project representative on the CanPath National Strategic Advisory Council. Dr. Katyal’s research interests include using advanced molecular, biochemical and genetic techniques to gain insight into the biology of mammalian DNA strand break repair pathways.  Dr. Katyal will be chairing a session on Clinical Innovations in the Real World with Patient Partner Ruth Ackerman on Monday, November 13th at 2:40pm AST. Speakers include   Dr. Tony Reiman (Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Dalhousie University, University of New Brunswick) speaking about multiple myeloma and patient partners  Dr. Sheila Singh (Cancer Research Centre, McMaster University) speaking about clonal evolution in recurrent medulloblastoma  Dr. June Carroll (Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Granovsky Gluskin Family Medicine Centre, Sinai Health) speaking about primary care strategies for hereditary cancer risk  Dr. Travis Hrubeniuk is the Project Lead at the Manitoba Tomorrow Project and an Assistant Professor at the Max Rady College of Medicine, Community Health Services, University of Manitoba. Dr. Hrubeniuk’s research interests focus on the relationships between, and the impact of various levels of physical activity, exercise, and sedentary behaviour on cancer and chronic disease throughout the lifespan and the subsequent influences on public health policy.  Dr. Hrubeniuk will be presenting a poster on the Manitoba Tomorrow Project as a cohort built for cancer research. Posters will be up for the duration of the conference and during viewing sessions on Sunday, November 12th from 12-1:30pm AST and Monday, November 13th from 1:10-2:40pm AST.  Noor Briek is a PhD candidate in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba with an interest in population health and a primary focus on cancer epidemiology and pharmacoepidemiology. Noor is also a Research Assistant with the Manitoba Tomorrow Project and has rich practical experience as an international pharmacist since 2003 and a registered pharmacist (RPh) in Manitoba since 2010.  Noor will be presenting a virtual poster on their dissertation work linking drug data from the Manitoba Tomorrow Project Cohort and Administrative Health Databases: Advancing a Long-Term Health Research Platform for Cancer Research. Virtual posters will be accessible via the conference platform to all registered delegates via the virtual poster hall.  

Dr. Jennifer Vena and Dr. Rachel Murphy at #CCRC2023

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Dr. Jennifer Vena and Dr. Rachel Murphy will be attending the Canadian Cancer Research Conference from Alberta and British Columbia. Dr. Vena is the Scientific Director of Alberta’s Tomorrow Project and a Research Scientist at CancerControl Alberta with Alberta Health Services. Dr. Vena’s research interests focus on lifestyle behaviours and prevention of cancer and chronic diseases, as well as population cohort science, and involves scientific, strategic, and operational elements. Dr. Vena will be presenting a poster on the dietary screener that was developed to assess adherence to Canada’s Food Guide and how it could be used for cancer prevention research. Posters will be up for the duration of the conference and during viewing sessions on Sunday, November 12th from 12-1:30pm AST and Monday, November 13th from 1:10-2:40pm AST.  Dr. Murphy is a Senior Scientist at BC Cancer and an Associate Professor at the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Murphy’s research interests include reducing the risk of cancer through modifiable lifestyle factors, with a focus on healthy eating and body weight. Additional interests include older adults and other populations with increased risk of cancer, knowledge translation of nutrition evidence, and metabolomics; the study of small molecules in biological systems that may provide insight on pathways linking lifestyle factors and disease.   Dr. Murphy will be presenting at and chairing a session with Patient Partner, Rachelle Bould on Reducing Your Risk of Cancer on Tuesday, November 14th at 9:00am AST. The presenters include:  Dr. Rachel Murphy (University of British Columbia, BC Cancer) speaking about diet, geographies and risk for cancer  Dr. Laura Struik (University of British Columbia) speaking about factors influencing youth vaping uptake  Dr. Paul Demers (Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health) speaking about the etiology of rare cancers in a large occupational cohort  Umaima Abbas (University of Western Ontario) speaking about the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of population level policies to reduce alcohol use   

Ethan Ring & Dr. Cindy Feng at #CCRC2023

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Ethan Ring is a third year Masters student in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University. His research interests include environmental carcinogens and their role in cancer development.   Ethan will be presenting a poster at the Canadian Cancer Research Conference from his graduate work on the association between potential asbestos exposure and breast cancer risk in Atlantic Canada. This work utilized baseline and follow-up data from 8,160 female Atlantic PATH participants and is part of a larger study led by Dr. Cindy Feng on Predictive Modeling and Geographical Analysis of Cancer Incidence in the Atlantic Region.  Ethan’s Master’s supervisor is Dr. Cindy Feng, Associate Professor, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Affiliate Scientist (Research), Nova Scotia Health, and Affiliate Scientist, Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute. Additional committee members include Dr. Leah Cahill, Dr. Nathalie St-Jacques, Dr. Ellen Sweeney, and Dr. Robin Urquhart.   Posters will be up for the duration of the conference and during viewing sessions on Sunday, November 12th from 12-1:30pm AST and Monday, November 13th from 1:10-2:40pm AST.