Health

Fusion genes, created when two genes combine, play a major role in fueling cancer growth and are important targets for diagnosis and treatment. Detecting these genes is critical, especially for cancers like sarcomas and pediatric tumors, and has led to life-saving drugs like ALK inhibitors for certain lung cancers and NTRK inhibitors for tumors with […]

This project aims to address the urgent need for the early detection of lung cancer (LC). Nearly 50% of Canadian LC cases are diagnosed at Stage IV, leading to very low survival rates. This project focuses on two key objectives: 1) developing and validating a blood plasma-based, laboratory-developed test (LDT) for early-stage LC detection and

Heart muscle disorders are a common cause of heart failure: a life-threatening condition that can cause dangerous abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia) and a buildup of fluid in the body (edema). In British Columbia (BC) and Alberta, patients with heart failure are cared for in specialized Heart Function Clinics (HFC). Providers in these clinics rapidly diagnose

This sequencing project will help accelerate rare-disease diagnosis and discovery with the goal of ending the costly and burdensome diagnostic odyssey for thousands of Canadian families. Care4Rare EXPAND is a four-year collaborative research project to build a rare disease (RD) dataset. We will generate a diverse genomic asset of 17,650 datasets from 7,150 families with

This sequencing project will develop new, more effective stroke prevention, risk assessment and precision diagnostic strategies for Canadians. More than 62,000 Canadians have a stroke each year. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability. Survivors often face long-term challenges such as physical disabilities, cognitive impairments and emotional distress.

This sequencing project will enable improvements to drug safety and effectiveness in children by making genomic data on their responses and adverse reactions to various medications more widely accessible to researchers and health regulatory agencies. This project will leverage the existing resources of the Canadian Pharmacogenomics Network for Drug Safety (CPNDS) to bring a pediatric

Why is this research important to Alberta? Mental health disorders (MHDs) affect 1 in 5 children and youth (1.6 million Canadians). MHDs typically begin early in life (75% before the age of 25) and persist/worsen if not effectively treated. MHD diagnosis relies heavily on clinical observations rather than defined biomarkers, contributing to diagnostic and treatment