The Government of Canada has invested in a research platform to track the next pandemic, study the effects of climate change on health, and help explain rising cancer rates in young people.
The Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath) will receive $3m, awarded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Pandemic Research Platforms Interim Funding opportunity to support CanPath’s ability to generate fast, meaningful insights during public health emergencies.
CanPath is Canada’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.
The grant is co-led by Philip Awadalla, Professor of Molecular Genetics at Oxford Population Health, and National Scientific Co-Director at CanPath, Dr Jennifer Brooks, CanPath’s Executive Director and supported by a national operations team and an international advisory board.
Professor Awadalla said ‘CanPath is known as a research resource, but now in its prime, it’s built for resilience. We’re proud to continue this work with our partners and support Canada’s preparedness for emerging diseases in a changing world.’
Through this grant, CanPath will continue to implement population-based pandemic research on pandemic preparedness; build interdisciplinary, equity-focused research capacity across jurisdictions; generate and share timely evidence to inform health system response; and collaborate with Canadian and international teams to coordinate research and response.
In future public health emergencies, CanPath will be ready to launch web-based surveys to gather data in real time; conduct serological studies to assess exposure and immunity; link participant data with provincial health records for deeper insights, and enable research supporting the most at-risk communities.
‘This award 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.’
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.
‘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.’
CanPath is one of seven research platforms to receive funding. Read more on the Government of Canada website.