Tag: CanPath

Participant Town Hall

Posted on by pathwp

Join us for the upcoming Atlantic PATH and CanPath Participant Town Hall! On Monday, November 17th, you can learn about how we are “Preventing Cancer, Together: How your Data is Driving Discoveries.” The Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath) is the largest population health study in Canada with more than 330,000 participants in seven regional cohorts, including Atlantic PATH, BC Generations Project, Alberta’s Tomorrow Project, Healthy Future Sask, Manitoba Tomorrow Project, Ontario Health Study, and CARTaGENE (Quebec). The data and biological samples provided by our participants are used to study cancer and chronic disease and support exciting scientific discoveries. Join us at the Town Hall to When: Monday, November 17, 2025 1-230pm Atlantic Time Where: Online Zoom Meeting Register here and submit your questions to be answered during our panel discussion. Please note, the webinar will be recorded and shared afterwards on YouTube.

World Mental Health Day

Posted on by pathwp

Join us in recognizing World Mental Health Day. CanPath is Canada’s largest population health study and includes approximately 34,000 participants who were diagnosed with depression and more than 27,000 participants with anxiety. Data and biosamples provided by our participants are being used in critical mental health research. Alexandra Del Favero is a PhD student in the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University. Along with her supervisor, Dr. Kelvin Fong and using questionnaire data, toenail and saliva samples from Atlantic PATH, Alex is examining the effect of environmental factors on mental health in Nova Scotia. CanPath is one of 23 cohorts with 2.8 million participants included in the COVID Global Mental Health Consortium (CGMHC). Led by Dr. Jordan Smoller (Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital), this work is investigating pandemic-related mental health outcomes using individual-level harmonized longitudinal data. Data collected from CanPath COVID-19 questionnaires completed by participants from all regional cohorts are being used. Atlantic PATH are proud to lead this work on behalf of CanPath. Dr. Ashlyn Swift-Gallant (Department of Psychology, Memorial University) used data from Atlantic PATH to conduct research that found ovarian hormones contribute to the sex disparity in post-traumatic stress disorder. Drs. Gabriela Ilie, Rob Rutledge and Ellen Sweeney (Dalhousie University and Nova Scotia Health) used data from Atlantic PATH to investigate the association between prostate cancer diagnosis and mental health outcomes. Their work found increased rates of anxiety and depression among males with a history of prostate cancer; higher odds of depression among prostate cancer survivors who were treated with surgery; and higher rates of depression among prostate cancer survivors with a low household income compared to other forms of cancer and a high household income. These findings highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary effort to prioritize and deliver comprehensive mental health support to prostate cancer survivors. This work has helped to inform the groundbreaking Prostate Cancer Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP) and CancerPEP led by Drs. Ilie and Rutledge that have been implemented around the world. Atlantic PATH is one of the 18 cohort studies in the PSYchosocial factors and CAncer (PSY-CA) Consortium. Led by Dr. Joost Dekker from the Amsterdam University Medical Centre, this study investigated whether psychosocial factors, such as depression can predict the incidence of cancer. Multiple publications that include Atlantic PATH data can be found here. To find out about the most up-to-date mental health research and learn about data access, please visit our website.

Message from the Minister of Health – Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Posted on by pathwp

From: Public Health Agency of Canada Statement from the Minister of Health, The Honourable Marjorie Michel P.C., M.P. October 8, 2025  | Ottawa, Ontario | Public Health Agency of Canada “Breast cancer remains one of the most common forms of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women in Canada. One in eight women will receive a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime.  That’s why the Government of Canada works closely with partners and stakeholders to promote breast cancer awareness, prevention and screening for early detection. Empowering women to make informed decisions about their health can save lives. …Important work is happening to help us better understand breast cancer trends and risks to better respond to the diverse needs of women across Canada. For example, we have partnered with the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health and Statistics Canada to accelerate breast cancer data analysis based on factors such as age, race and ethnicity. As well, experts are enhancing the OncoSim-Breast model that was developed by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and Statistics Canada, by including data on breast density and exploring the inclusion of race-based data to better predict breast cancer outcomes and inform decision making. Breast cancer touches the lives of so many every day. Nobody should have to face this disease alone. If you or a loved one is coping with a cancer diagnosis, there are many ways you can seek support. Visit the Canadian Cancer Society’s community services locator, which helps cancer patients, caregivers and health care providers find the services they need.”

CanPath Round Up: Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Posted on by pathwp

What could you uncover with data from over 3,500 participants with prostate cancer? 🤔💭 With close to 3,000 prevalent cases of prostate cancer within our participant population, CanPath remains committed to continuing to support participants and researchers in uncovering new breakthroughs in prostate cancer prevention, detection and treatment. By collecting biological, genetic and health data from our participants, we can keep track of new and existing cases of prostate cancer to provide researchers with access to invaluable health information to support the next generation of cancer research. 🔗 Get inspired by the latest prostate cancer publications using CanPath data: http://bit.ly/46VMeqJ

Government of Canada invests in research to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response

Posted on by pathwp

Read how CanPath, Canada’s largest health research study is ready to respond News release September 23, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Canadian Institutes of Health Research “As we begin respiratory infectious diseases season, the Government of Canada is investing in critical research infrastructure to ensure that public health and immunization programs are as effective as they can be in protecting the health of Canadians and that Canada is ready for future pandemics and public health emergencies. Today, the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, announced an investment of nearly $20 million through the CIHR Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies and partners to support seven research platforms that unite researchers from all across the country to maintain Canada’s pandemic readiness, improve surveillance systems, and support evidence-based decision-making. These platforms will strengthen Canada’s capacity to detect, monitor, and respond to emerging infectious diseases, while addressing the social, behavioural, and health system challenges that arise during pandemics and other health emergencies. Broadly, the research teams will: These investments support the Government of Canada’s ongoing efforts to strengthen pandemic preparedness and protect the health of Canadians and the international community.” Quotes “The COVID-19 pandemic taught us the importance of being ready for the unexpected. These research investments will strengthen innovative science and collaboration across the country—helping Canada be better equipped to respond quickly and effectively to future public health emergencies.” —The Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health “These initiatives reflect the best of Canadian research, with a focus on real-world impact. Our scientists continue to provide the important evidence and maintain the research infrastructure that all Canadians rely on to prevent, prepare for, and respond to future health emergencies.” — Dr. Paul Hébert, President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research Quick facts

CanPath awarded $3M to study crises in a changing world

Posted on by pathwp

Read the original news release from the Government of Canada Toronto, Canada, September 23, 2025 – What if Canada had a research platform ready to track the next pandemic, study the effects of climate change on health, and help explain rising cancer rates in young people? With a $3 million grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), CanPath is that platform. Awarded through CIHR’s Pandemic Research Platforms Interim Funding opportunity, this two-year operating grant supports CanPath’s unique ability to generate fast, meaningful insights during public health emergencies. This work goes far beyond pandemics: it also aims to tackle broader crises like climate-related health risks and early-onset cancer. “This grant strengthens CanPath’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to future public health emergencies,” said Dr. Jennifer Brooks, CanPath’s Executive Director. “Our platform is built for this kind of work, with hundreds of thousands of Canadians already engaged, linked health records, and long-term follow-up in place.” The grant is led by Dr. Brooks and Dr. Philip Awadalla, CanPath’s National Scientific Co-Director, with a national team of co-investigators. The funding is held at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. “CanPath is known as a research resource, but now in its prime, it’s built for resilience,” said Dr. Awadalla. “We’re proud to continue this work with our partners and support Canada’s preparedness for emerging diseases in a changing world.” Canada’s largest health study is ready to respond CanPath, the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health, is the country’s largest population health cohort, with more than 330,000 participants recruited from all 10 provinces. Participants have consented to long-term follow-up, data linkage, and future contact, providing a uniquely flexible and future-ready research platform. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CanPath rapidly deployed a national antibody study, linked testing data to participant records, and surveyed participants in real time. Results were shared widely with researchers, policymakers, and the public and featured by Global News, National Post, and The Globe and Mail. “CanPath’s COVID-19 response showed how powerful our model can be,” said Dr. Victoria Kirsh, CanPath National Scientific Coordinator. “We were able to launch surveys, test for antibodies, and communicate directly with participants in record time. This grant ensures we can build on that success, strengthen our partnerships, and stay ready to support evidence-based action when it matters most.” What this funding supports Through this grant, CanPath will continue to: This work builds on CanPath’s strategic partnerships with: Together, these partnerships strengthen CanPath’s role as a responsive, data-rich platform that serves researchers, funders, policymakers, and communities alike. Ready for the next challenge This grant builds on CanPath’s proven ability to act fast, scale up, and generate real-world impact. In future public health emergencies, CanPath is ready to: CanPath’s national team of investigators—including Drs. Trevor Dummer, Simon Gravel, Vikki Ho, Victoria Kirsh, Guillaume Lettre, Grace Shen-Tu, Jared Simpson, Ellen Sweeney, Megan Vanstone, Donna Turner, and Robin Urquhart—brings deep expertise across research fields and geographies. “This isn’t just about the next pandemic,” said Brooks. “It’s about being prepared for the full range of health challenges we’re facing, from chronic diseases—including cancer—to environmental change. This grant helps us keep Canada at the forefront of evidence-based, equitable research.” Pandemics don’t wait, and thanks to this investment, neither will CanPath. For more information, please contact:Megan FlemingCommunications & Knowledge Translation OfficerCanadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath)info@canpath.ca

Webinar: Who gets counted? Examining representativeness in Canadian COVID-19 serosurveillance studies

Posted on by pathwp

Date: September 10, 2025Time: 2-3pmASTLocation:us02web.zoom.us Register for the webinar About the webinar During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers used a range of creative recruitment strategies to carry out serological surveillance, but how representative were these study populations, and what can we learn from them? In this webinar, Dr. W. Alton Russell, Matthew Knight, and Dr. Yuan Yu will present findings from their recent BMC Public Health study comparing the sociodemographic characteristics of six SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance studies in Canada, including one using CanPath data. They’ll explore how study design influenced representation across age, sex, urban/rural location, material deprivation, and racialized groups, and why understanding these patterns is essential for equity-informed public health research beyond COVID-19. This webinar is ideal for public health researchers, epidemiologists, data scientists, and others interested in study design, health equity, and population-based surveillance. About the presenters W. Alton Russell, PhD, directs the data-driven decision modelling lab, which aims to enable the efficient, effective, and equitable use of finite healthcare resources using data science and decison modelling methods, in the McGill School of Population and Global Health. As Scientific Advisor to the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force until 2024, Dr. Russell led projects to understand and correct for bias in studies of SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunity related to representativeness, sample collection method, and assay performance. Matthew Knight, MSc, is the Data Manager of the Canadian Co-infection Cohort study at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, where he works alongside team members to maintain study databases, implement and document data harmonization initiatives, and support investigators with study analyses. He recently completed his Master’s degree in Epidemiology in the data-driven decision modelling lab, where he analyzed the sociodemographic representativeness of six Canadian serosurveillance studies under the supervision of Dr. Russell. Yuan Yu, PhD, is a statistician previously joined Alton’s decision modeling lab at McGill for serosurveillance study collaborating with Canadian Blood Services. With a background in Bayesian statistics and survey sampling, she has a broad interest in Bayesian application fields utilizing healthcare data resources.

CanPath Access Office Hours

Posted on by pathwp

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

Posted on by pathwp

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/