The Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath) is celebrating an impressive milestone this year, marking 15 years of groundbreaking health research. Thanks to rich data from over 330,000 Canadian participants, CanPath – Canada’s largest population health study – is solving some of the biggest challenges related to chronic disease and cancer.

Dr. Jennifer Brooks, CanPath’s Executive Director, reflects on its journey: “This milestone is a testament to the dedication of CanPath participants, scientific leaders across Canada and the foresight of our founding funder, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. With the support of regional funders, the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, we’ve established a national data platform poised to tackle Canada’s most pressing health challenges, including climate change, aging, pandemic response, and precision health.”

Charting the path

CanPath’s journey started with an ambitious goal: to create a comprehensive health database that could serve as a resource for generations of researchers. Over the past decade and a half, this goal has been realized through the participation of over 330,000 participants, the collection of over 170,000 biosamples, and the gathering of over 1 billion data points.

Recent accomplishments

The past few years have seen CanPath reach new heights:

• The 2023-2027 Strategic Plan has charted a course for future research initiatives.
• Numerous studies have used CanPath’s extensive database, resulting in over 300 publications that investigate how environmental and genetic factors affect health.
• The study’s influence and scope have been amplified via collaborations with health institutions and partner population health cohorts.

Looking ahead

As CanPath celebrates this milestone, the focus remains on the future. The study’s commitment to understanding the many factors influencing health continues to drive its success, promising new insights that will benefit Canadians for years to come.

Dr. Philip Awadalla, CanPath’s National Scientific Director, shares his vision: “The next 15 years hold immense potential for CanPath, particularly in developing aggressive tools for cancer detection and management. Our goal is to set a global benchmark for disease risk understanding and prevention. Reaching this 15-year mark is exhilarating, and I am eager to witness the advancements the next decade and a half will bring.”

Celebrate with us

To learn more about the study’s history and its plans for the future, please visit the CanPath website or view the latest video reflections from the CanPath team on YouTube.