New Canadian Genomic Data-Sharing Program

Genome Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) today announced a $3.3 million investment in Can-SHARE – a pan-Canadian program that will enable innovation in the use of genomic data for health care for patients in Canada and worldwide. This program will create the policies and tools for Canadian clinicians and researchers to share genomic and clinical datasets across Canada and with international partners.

Can-SHARE is led by McGill University Professor Dr. Bartha Maria Knoppers, Chair of the Public Population Project in Genomics and Society (P3G), an international consortium dedicated to the development and management of multi-disciplinary research infrastructures around the world. Can-SHARE is co-led by Dr. Michael Brudno of The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and Dr. Jan Friedman of the University of British Columbia. Other team members include some of Canada’s most renowned clinicians and researchers in genomics and related areas of life science.

The program will strengthen Canada’s ability to help rapidly advance the objectives of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH), which is looking to create a common strategy using interoperable approaches and initiatives to enable the responsible, secure and effective sharing of genomic and clinical data for the benefit of patients worldwide.