CanPath Round Up: Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

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

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 HĂ©bert, President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research Quick facts

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

Read the original news release from the Government of Canada Toronto, Canada, September 23, 2025 â€“ 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

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

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

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/

Mental Health Week & Research

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

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/

CanPath data sheds light on air pollution’s hidden role in rheumatic disease

Air pollution isn’t just a lung issue. It has far-reaching effects on immune function and autoimmune diseases. CanPath’s vast dataset offers researchers a unique opportunity to explore these connections and advance air pollution and autoimmune disease research. Air pollution is often associated with respiratory conditions, but emerging research reveals its impact extends beyond the lungs, influencing immune system function and contributing to autoimmune and rheumatic diseases. Understanding these connections is critical for disease prevention, treatment, and public health strategies. Dr. Sasha Bernatsky, a rheumatologist and epidemiologist, has been at the forefront of this research. Her work highlights how air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5), may act as an environmental trigger for immune dysfunction. CanPath, Canada’s largest population health study, provides researchers with the data needed to examine these links in depth. How air pollution affects the immune system and autoimmune disease Air pollutants include PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone, and other entities. PM2.5 can enter the bloodstream, triggering systemic inflammation and immune dysregulation. While air pollution’s effects on respiratory conditions like asthma and lung cancer are well documented, its role in autoimmune diseases is a newer area of investigation. “One of the really cool things about these kinds of analyses was that it provided one of the first indications that air pollution may affect the immune system,” said Dr. Bernatsky. “Prior to these kinds of analyses, we had good data on what happens when you are exposed to PM2.5 in terms of asthma risk or lung cancer. That makes sense because you breathe in the air, and there’s a local effect. But this was one of the first analyses looking at a totally different kind of disease. It convinced people at Health Canada’s air health effects assessment division that, indeed, you can have health effects far beyond just the lung.” This growing body of research underscores the need for large-scale, longitudinal data to better understand the full spectrum of air pollution’s impact on immune-mediated conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus. CanPath’s role in advancing rheumatic disease research Arthritis data resources in CanPath: Biosamples, genotyping, and self-reported diagnoses for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other forms CanPath’s large-scale, longitudinal dataset is an invaluable resource for researchers undertaking air pollution and autoimmune disease research. By linking environmental exposure data to genetic, lifestyle, and health information, CanPath enables scientists to explore how air pollution contributes to immune-mediated diseases over time. “CanPath serum samples and data were extremely helpful,” Dr. Bernatsky emphasized. “In fact, I just don’t see any way we could have done what we did without CanPath.”  Dr. Trevor Dummer, an expert in environmental health, reflected on the study’s evolution and its potential for continued discoveries: “It’s nice to see some of those results because I can think back to many, many years ago. You know, CanPath has been going for 15 years. Now it’s a considerable amount of time. I recall the early collaboration, so it’s great to see the fruits of all of those labours.” This extensive dataset allows researchers to track patterns over time, assessing how long-term exposure to air pollution affects disease development and progression. Implications for future research and public health The insights gained from CanPath’s data have the potential to: Inform air quality policies and environmental regulations Improve public health strategies for reducing autoimmune disease risks Enlighten scientific, patient and physician groups regarding immune-mediated disease etiology As air pollution remains a global concern, leveraging large-scale datasets will be key to understanding and mitigating its impact. Researchers can utilize CanPath data linked with environmental exposure data from the Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE) to investigate immune-mediated diseases and the environment. Explore available datasets and application processes on the CanPath Portal By continuing to explore how pollution influences immune-mediated disease, researchers can also help shape policies and interventions that protect both individual and population health. For those looking to advance this work, CanPath data is invaluable for uncovering new insights in environmental and autoimmune disease research.