Purpose, Vision & Mission

CanPath is working in partnership to prevent disease and provide a platform for scientists to conduct innovative research.

About CanPath

CanPath – the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health – is studying the biology and behaviours of Canadians to learn more about the causes of chronic disease and cancer for the good of our country and people around the world.

We’re expecting – and beginning to see – real, tangible results and outcomes and we’re focused on a not too distant future in which the actions we take today improve and save lives tomorrow.

• Purpose

  Enhance and accelerate research for a healthier Canada.

• Vision

  Working together for a world without chronic disease and cancer.

• Mission

  To provide a national platform for population-level health research in Canada and globally.

Core Values

Collaboration

Collaboration allows us to leverage diverse expertise and resources. By working together with the regional cohorts, partners, and scientific directors from coast to coast, CanPath can achieve greater insights into population health. Our commitment to this value is reflected in our ongoing efforts to build and nurture partnerships that enhance the scope and impact of our research.

Integrity

Integrity ensures the trustworthiness and reliability of findings using CanPath data, which is paramount in advancing public health. CanPath upholds this value by ensuring that any research studies are in conformity with its Guiding Principles and the informed consents signed by the participants. In line with OCAP principles, CanPath respects the data sovereignty of First Nations, ensuring their ownership, control, access, and possession of their data is recognized and upheld.

Innovation

Innovation drives CanPath’s pursuit of new solutions to complex health challenges. This value is held to stay at the forefront of scientific discovery and to continually improve research approaches. CanPath encourages researchers using its data to publish in high-impact journals, apply to relevant grant opportunities, and present at CanPath webinars.

Equity

Equity is essential to conducting research that is representative of the diversity of the Canadian population. By prioritizing equity, CanPath ensures that every individual has their health experiences reflected in studies utilizing CanPath data. CanPath actively encourages researchers to include diverse populations in its research and works to make its findings accessible and actionable for all communities.

Empowerment

Empowerment enables all individuals involved at CanPath to be active contributors in health research and equips them with knowledge, tools, and autonomy to make meaningful contributions and decisions. CanPath lives up to this value by sharing research findings – via plain language videos, presentations, policy briefs, and more – with key audiences, implementing events to foster an engaged and connected community, and supporting researchers with the resources they need to innovate and drive forward meaningful health discoveries.

Guiding Principles

In alignment with its Mission and Values, CanPath seeks to share its resource with both national and international scientific communities by:

• Promoting the common good by maximizing collaborative research for the benefit of all;
• Ensuring the generation of high-quality research;
• Making CanPath Data and Biosamples available to the research community to advance scientific knowledge;
• Respecting the legal rights and legitimate interests of all stakeholders involved (e.g., families, populations, researchers, and funders);
• Protecting the privacy of the Participants and the confidentiality of their data;
• Promoting transparency, responsibility, interoperability and fairness;
• Ensuring accountability and oversight;
• Enriching the content of the CanPath database, including through the return of quality derived data by researchers;
• Managing access to CanPath Biosamples to balance current and future needs.