Kayla Lewis

Our future: Trainee highlights!

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Our future: Trainee highlights!

Editorial in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine written by Peter Calverley highlights CanCOLD’s contribution to COPD research.

In the summer of 2023, we celebrated a significant milestone: the approval of our 100th researcher and trainee-led project utilizing CanCOLD data. Many of these projects have resulted in peer-reviewed publications and graduate student theses, totaling over 80 CanCOLD publications to date. This achievement emphasizes our commitment to sharing CanCOLD data with Canadian investigators, furthering our mission.

 

Leading these research endeavors are our exceptional research trainees, prominently featured on the training opportunities page of our website. Hailing from diverse educational backgrounds and universities across Canada, including McGill University, Toronto Metropolitan University, University of Alberta, and University of Ottawa, these trainees share their experiences with CanCOLD and its invaluable contribution to their research pursuits. Each individual outlines their research interests and contributions, showcasing the breadth of topics explored within the study. While some are investigating the relationship between chronic sleep impairment and exercise capacity in older adults with and without COPD, others are developing innovative methods and predictive models using CT imaging analysis to better classify COPD cases and identify disease progression. 

 

Suurya Krishnan from McGill University remarks, “My work using CanCOLD data has led me to start projects with other cohorts in the USA and UK which help advance understanding of the relationship between COPD and cardiovascular disease.” Through the lens of trainees like Suurya, we recognize the value of CanCOLD and its data in supporting collaborative research endeavers. CanCOLD has fostered networking and collaboration among researchers from diverse Canadian institutions and beyond, facilitating meaningful relationships.

 

In essense, our research trainees embody the future of CanCOLD and COPD research. Their accomplishments, displayed on the CanCOLD website, underscore the significant contributions made by trainees and invite inquiries about training opportunities in COPD research.

 

Learn more here https://cancold.ca/training-opportunities/ 

CanCOLD, a proud World COPD Day partner!

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CanCOLD, a proud World COPD Day partner!

Editorial in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine written by Peter Calverley highlights CanCOLD’s contribution to COPD research.

Worldwide, healthcare professionals and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patient groups come together annually for the World COPD Day, a global initiative meant to raise awareness, share knowledge, and discuss ways to reduce the burden of COPD. Observed on every third Wednesday of November under a new theme every year, the campaign encourages collaboration and represents one of the world’s most important events in the realm of COPD awareness and education. Critical in advocating for better lung health and reducing the global impact of COPD, the Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease (CanCOLD) is proud to be a World COPD Day partner.

 

On November 15, the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), which hosts CanCOLD,  highlighted the study’s objectives, design and discoveries, and reinforced the significance of CanCOLD’s work and its position as leader in the field of COPD research. The MUHC Foundation expressed its support for CanCOLD, underlining  how the study aligns with their mission of “creating meaningful change, delivering excellence in patient care, and fostering a healthier community.” The CanCOLD study

contributes to MUHC’s commitment to supporting innovative research that “[paves] the way towards lifesaving respiratory care for millions of Canadians.” 


Read the full article:

https://muhc.ca/news-and-patient-stories/news/muhc-leader-copd-care-research

CanCOLD celebrates a new milestone: 100th approved substudy!

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CanCOLD celebrates a new milestone:
100th approved substudy!

Editorial in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine written by Peter Calverley highlights CanCOLD’s contribution to COPD research.

100th approved substudy

>70 peer-reviewed publications

The CanCOLD study has made its  data available to Canadian and international investigators and trainees for 15 years. Through researcher-led projects, investigators have the opportunity to evaluate countless scientific hypotheses and translate bench research to the prevention and treatment of COPD. CanCOLD proudly highlights having reached its 100th researcher and trainee-led project using CanCOLD data, with many projects leading to important findings. Research using the study’s data advances clinical practice guidelines and health policies for the benefit of COPD patients. Researcher-led projects have led to peer-reviewed publications and graduate student theses that deepen our understanding of mild-to-moderate COPD.

 

On a yearly basis since 2011, CanCOLD generates a continuous stream of scientific discoveries that garner media attention and have lasting impacts. As of 2023, CanCOLD has produced a total of over 70 publications which include 60 peer-reviewed papers and 10 graduate student theses, all stemming from investigator and trainee-led projects. This remarkable progress reinforces the study’s commitment to disseminate CanCOLD data among researchers and trainees, thus furthering the advancement of COPD knowledge.

 

 

“The data that is collected during the study is the most comprehensive in the world to answer questions related to COPD”, says Dr Jean Bourbeau, CanCOLD principal investigator  at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal.

Indeed the data collected by CanCOLD is assembled in a research platform that offers a rich resource for interdisciplinary collaborations and propels Canadian and international research on COPD to new heights. This incredible milestone was accelerated by the creation of the CanCOLD Data Portal. Via an online metadata catalogue, the platform allows researchers to identify variables of interest for their research projects and seamlessly submit data access requests using a web form. 

Trainees & Senior researchers participate in CanCOLD scientific meeting at the 2022 CRRN conference

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Trainees & senior researchers participate in CanCOLD scientific meeting at the 2022 CRRN conference

Editorial in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine written by Peter Calverley highlights CanCOLD’s contribution to COPD research.

The Canadian Respiratory Research Network (CRRN) is a national network that brings together researchers across disciplines and research themes/pillars to work together in a coordinated fashion in order to improve understanding of the origins and progression of chronic airway diseases in Canada. Among its research platforms, CanCOLD stands out, focusing intently on unraveling the complexities of COPD progression and its impact. This dedicated platform is committed to not only deepening our comprehension of COPD but also advancing its prevention, diagnosis, and management. The platform not only fosters cutting-edge research but also provides invaluable training and career development prospects for the researchers involved.

The latest edition of the CRRN conference was held at the Westin Ottawa Hotel in Fall 2022. During the last day of CRRN’s two-day annual symposium, CanCOLD took center stage to showcase its research accomplishments. Key published manuscripts and works in progress were discussed in a group of over 40 investigators and research trainees from across Canada. Themes ranging from COPD biomarkers, genetics, and epigenetics to physiology, pathophysiology, and imaging were central to the exchange. The symposium also delved into the topic of disease characterization and discussed strategies to promote cohort retention and to sustain the study’s longevity.

During the discussion, CanCOLD reinforced its vision of providing a rich resource and data platform to initiate innovative research on COPD in Canada and abroad. The symposium provided an opportunity for emerging researchers to spotlight their work and engage in insightful conversations with their peers from across Canada.