Alberta’s Tomorrow Project (ATP) - year 20 of a 50 year study
A provincial asset of longitudinal data and biosamples on 55,000 Albertans
A description of the ATP research platform and how this asset can and is being used to support health research
Date: June 24, 2022
Time: 12 - 1 p.m.
Place: G500, Health Sciences Centre, Foothills Campus & online via Zoom
Alberta’s Tomorrow Project (ATP) is a prospective cohort, which functions as a platform to support high-quality research into cancer and chronic disease. Since 2000, ATP has collected health and lifestyle information from 55,000 Albertans, and blood/urine samples from 30,000 Albertans. In this presentation, we will give a brief overview of the history of ATP, the types of data and samples we collect from our participants, and additional data that is available for research through linkage. We will also be describing how researchers can gain access to ATP data for their research projects. To provide examples of how ATP has already been used to answer key health research questions, Dr. Gavin McCormack and Dr. Darren Brenner will be presenting highlights from their research work using ATP data.
Learning objectives for this seminar:
Objective 1: To understand the purpose and value of creating and building a longitudinal cohort
Objective 2: To learn what is available through the Alberta’s Tomorrow Project research platform and how ATP is able to support your research
Objective 3: To understand types of research questions ATP data can help answer
Presenters
Dr. Darren Brenner
Dr. Darren Brenner, PhD, is a cancer epidemiologist and Associate Professor in the Departments of Oncology and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. He leads a program of research focused on using big data and precision health analytics to examine cancer risk and outcomes. Darren is leading several studies to examine the intersection of lifestyle, genetics and clinical variables in the prediction of cancer risk and progression. He is also the Director of Research at the Forzani & MacPhail Colorectal Cancer Screening Centre and the Associate Director for the Oncology Outcomes Research Initiative.
Dr. Gavin McCormack
Dr. Gavin McCormack, PhD, holds a faculty appointment as an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine (University of Calgary), and is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (University of Calgary), and the Faculty of Kinesiology (University of Calgary). He is also holds an Honorary Researcher position in the Faculty of Sports Sciences at Waseda University (Japan). Gavin has an MSc in Sports Science (specializing in Exercise Physiology) from Edith Cowan University (Western Australia) and a PhD in Public Health from the University of Western Australia. He leads the Built Environment and Healthy Living Lab, undertaking research investigating the relationships between neighbourhood urban design and health including physical activity and sedentary behaviour among adults and children.
Dr. Grace Shen-Tu
Dr. Grace Shen-Tu’s, PhD, experience lies within public health research, knowledge translation, and evaluation. She is committed to moving research discovery to where it can have the greatest impact. To this end, she’s helped develop and implement programs in university research institutes and public healthcare planning and delivery agencies. Before joining ATP, she led many implementation science, knowledge translation and evaluation projects within Alberta Prevents Cancer in Alberta Health Services. She holds a PhD in Medical Sciences and a Master of Public Health. In her current role as the Acting Scientific Director of ATP, Dr. Shen-Tu works collaboratively with ATP Strategic Director in setting ATP’s strategic and operational direction, oversee the scientific strategy for ATP as a longitudinal cohort study and a research platform that supports health research provincially, nationally, and internationally, and foster strategic relationships with funders, ATP governance committees, and scientific stakeholders.
Job title: Acting Scientific Director, Alberta’s Tomorrow Project, Cancer Care Alberta, Alberta Health Services