¶ Canadian Immunization Research Network
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The Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN) is an academic clinical research institution based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It operates out of the Canadian Center for Vaccinology at the IWK Health Centre.[1]
¶ History
The program operated as the PHAC/CIHR Influenza Research Network (PCIRN) from 2009-2014. It then relaunched as CIRN from June 2014–May 2017 with a three-year grant of $6.6 million from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). A directed CIRN renewal grant application was submitted in February 2017. In April 2017, the network was notified that it was fully funded for $10,083,334 over the next 55 months, 2017-2022.[2]
¶ COVID-19
CIRN has led a number of studies related to COVID-19 vaccines since 2020.
¶ CANVAS-COVID
The CIRN is running the CANVAS-COVID trial through the Canadian National Vaccine Safety Network, which is a national platform that monitors vaccine safety after vaccines are approved for use.[3]
¶ MOSAIC
COVID-19 injection programs started in Canada in December 2020 with products from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca becoming available over the winter and into spring of 2021. In Canada, a strategy to deliver as many first doses as possible resulted in mixed brands (giving a different second COVID-19 dose to the first dose) and schedules (length of time between doses) being used in many parts of the country. This was in spite of no prior testing for safety or efficacy of mixing products.
The first mix-and-match study, called MOSAIC-1, began in June 2021 and is still ongoing at 7 clinical sites in Canada. 195 participants were enrolled and received either two doses or the second authorized COVID-19 dose. Assessment is ongoing.[4]
The second iteration of the study, MOSAIC-2, began in December 2021 to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immune response of a third dose of a COVID-19 product authorized in Canada (either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA products) in people who had two doses of COVID-19 injections at least six months prior. The study is led by CIRN's Clinical Trials Network and funded by the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force. It is led by Joanne Langley and Manish Sadarangani.[5]
¶ Organization
Researchers associated with CIRN include:[6]
CIRN Nominated Principal Investigator
- Scott Halperin, Dalhousie University and IWK Health Centre
Clinical Trials Network
- Joanne Langley, Dalhousie University and IWK Health Centre (Principal Investigator)
- Joenel Alcantara, University of Calgary
- Houreratou Barry, Centre Muraz
- Julie Bettinger, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, University of British Columbia
- Kristin Burnett, Lakehead University
- Bill Cameron, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and University of Ottawa
- Nicolas Chomont, Centre Hospitalier de L’Université de Montréal (CHUM)
- Brenda Coleman, Mount Sinai Hospital
- Jeannette Comeau, Dalhousie University
- Curtis Cooper, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
- Mark Dionne, Laval University
- Joanne Embree, University of Winnipeg
- Soren Gantt, University of British Columbia
- Scott Halperin, Dalhousie University
- Jia Hu, Alberta Health Services
- Jennifer Isenor, Dalhousie University
- Jim Kellner, University of Calgary
- Tobias Kollmann, British Columbia Children’s Hospital
- Mark Loeb, McMaster University
- Judy MacDonald, University of Calgary
- Souleymane Mboup, Institut de Recherche en Santé, de Surveillance Epidémiologique et de Formations (IRESSEF)
- Janet McElhaney, Health Sciences North
- Allison McGeer, Mount Sinai Hospital
- Shelly McNeil, Dalhousie University
- Monika Naus, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control
- Jeff Pernica, McMaster University
- Birahim Pierre Ndiaye, Institut de Recherche en Santé, de Surveillance Epidémiologique et de Formations (IRESSEF)
- Guillaume Poliquin, Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
- Caroline Quach-Thanh, McGill University
- Earl Rubin, McGill University
- Chris Sanders, Lakehead University
- David Scheifele, University of British Columbia
- Manish Sadarangani, University of British Columbia
- Mayank Singal, Alberta Health Services
- Kathryn Slayter, Dalhousie University
- Cecile Tremblay, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal
- Innocent Valea, Centre Muraz
- Otto Vanderkooi, University of Calgary
- Brian Ward, McGill University
- Duncan Webster, Saint John Regional Hospital
Canadian National Vaccine Safety Network
- Julie Bettinger, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, University of British Columbia (Principal Investigator)
- Brenda Coleman, Mount Sinai Hospital
- Gaston De Serres, Laval University
- Jennifer Isenor, Dalhousie University
- Jim Kellner, University of Calgary
- Anne McCarthy, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
- Shelly McNeil, Dalhousie University
- Karina Top, Dalhousie University
- Louis Valiquette, University of Sherbrooke
- Otto Vanderkooi, University of Calgary
Provincial Collaborative Network
- Jeff Kwong, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), University of Toronto (Principal Investigator)
- Shannon MacDonald, University of Alberta (Principal Investigator)
- Shelly Bolotin, Public Health Ontario
- Marc Brisson, Laval University
- Paula Brna, Dalhousie University
- Elizabeth Brodkin, Fraser Health Authority
- Sarah Buchan, University of Toronto
- Ann Burchell, St. Michael’s Hospital
- Aaron Campigotto, London Health Sciences Center
- Michael Campitelli, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES)
- Cynthia Chen, Public Health Ontario
- Hannah Chung, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences
- Joe Cox, McGill University Health Centre (MUHC)
- Francois Coutlée, Laboratoire de Virologie Moléculaire, CRCHUM
- Natasha Crowcroft, Public Health Ontario
- Meena Dawar, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority/University of British Columbia
- Alexandra de Pokomandy, McGill University Health Centre
- Shelley Deeks, Public Health Ontario
- Marc Dionne, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval
- Jelena Djordjevic, McGill University
- Simon Dobson, University of British Columbia
- Steve Drews, Provincial Laboratory for Public Health (ProvLab)
- Eduardo Franco, McGill University Health Centre
- Sandra Gardner, University of Toronto
- Vladimir Gilca, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Institut national de santé publique du Québec
- Troy Grennan, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control
- Ramandip Grewal, St. Michael’s Hospital
- Dane Griffiths, Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance (Toronto)
- Jonathan Gubbay, Public Health Ontario
- Trevor Hart, Ryerson University
- Steven Hawken, University of Ottawa/Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences
- Ashley Holly, Alberta Ministry of Health
- Wanrudee Isaranuwatchai, St. Michael’s Hospital
- Frances Jamieson, Public Health Ontario
- Caitlin Johnson, Public Health Ontario
- Jody Jollimore, Health Initiative for Men
- Tim Karnauchow, University of Ottawa
- Kevin Katz, North York General Hospital
- James Kellner, University of Calgary
- Erich Kliewer, British Columbia Cancer Agency
- Mel Krajden, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control
- Gilles Lambert, Ryerson University
- Lennon Li, Public Health Ontario
- Mark Loeb, McMaster University
- Salah Mahmud, University of Manitoba
- Alex Marchand-Austin, Public Health Ontario
- Marie-Helene Mayrand, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM)
- Allison McGeer, Sinai Health System and University Health Network
- Dayre McNally, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
- Shelly McNeil, Dalhousie University
- Dianne Miller, British Columbia Cancer Agency
- Deborah Money, University of British Columbia
- David Moore, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
- James Murray, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care
- Monika Naus, University of British Columbia, British Columbia Center for Disease Control
- Gina Ogilvie, University of British Columbia, British Columbia Center for Disease Control
- Susan Richardson, SickKids
- David Richardson, William Osler Health System
- Margaret Russell, University of Calgary
- Chantal Sauvageau, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Institut national de santé publique du Québec
- Kimberley Simmonds, Alberta Ministry of Health
- Andrew Simor, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
- Joel Singer, University of British Columbia
- Marek Smieja, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
- Bruce Smith, Dalhousie University
- Larry Svenson, Alberta Ministry of Health
- Mark Thompson, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Len Tooley, St. Michael’s Hospital
- Karina Top, Dalhousie University
- Dirk van Niekerk, British Columbia Cancer Agency
- Bryna Warshawsky, Public Health Ontario
- Krista Wilkinson, University of Manitoba
- Kumanan Wilson, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute/Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences
- Sarah Wilson, Public Health Ontario
- George Zahariadis, Newfoundland & Labrador Public Health Laboratory
Serious Outcomes Surveillance Network
- Shelly McNeil, Dalhousie University (Principal Investigator)
- Melissa Andrew, Dalhousie University (Principal Investigator)
- Guy Boivin, Laval University
- Brenda Coleman, Mount Sinai Hospital
- May ElSherif, Dalhousie University
- Karen Green, Mount Sinai Hospital
- Scott Halperin, Dalhousie University
- Todd Hatchette, Dalhousie University
- Kevin Katz, University of Toronto
- Joanne Langley, Dalhousie University
- Jason Leblanc, Dalhousie University
- Mark Loeb, McMaster University
- Anne McCarthy, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
- Allison McGeer, Mt. Sinai Hospital
- Janet McElhaney, Advanced Medical Research Institute of Canada (AMRIC)
- Jeff Powis, Toronto East General Hospital
- David Richardson, University of Toronto
- Daniel Smyth, Moncton Regional Hospital
- Sylvie Trottier, Laval University
- Louis Valiquette, University of Sherbrooke
- Duncan Webster, St. John Regional Hospital
Special Immunization Clinics Network
- Karina Top, Dalhousie University (Principal Investigator)
- Zainab Abdurrahman, McMaster’s Children’s Hospital
- Adelle Atkinson, SickKids
- Francois Boucher, Laval University
- Catherine Burton, University of Alberta
- Rupesh Chawla, University of Calgary
- Cora Constantinescu, University of Calgary
- Shelley Deeks, Public Health Ontario
- Gaston de Serres, Laval University
- Anne Des Roches, CHU Sainte-Justine
- Jean Philippe Drolet, CHU Laval
- Scott Halperin, Dalhousie University
- Kyla Hildebrand, BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital
- Simon Hotte, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
- Gina Lacuesta, IWK Health Center
- Sasson Lavi, SickKids
- Athena McConnell, University of Saskatchewan
- Shelly McNeil, Dalhousie University
- Shaun Morris, SickKids
- Francisco Noya, McGill University
- Taj Jadavji, University of Calgary
- Jeffrey Pernica, McMaster University
- Anne Pham-Huy, University of Ottawa
- Marie-Noëlle Primeau, Montreal Children’s Hospital
- Earl Rubin, McGill University
- Soren Gantt, University of British Columbia
- Manish Sadarangani, University of British Columbia
- Bruce Tapiéro, CHU Sainte-Justine
- Wendy Vaudry, University of Alberta
- Yarden Yanishevsky, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy
Reference Laboratory Network
- Brian Ward, McGill University (Principal Investigator)
- Shelly Bolotin, Public Health Ontario (Principal Investigator)
- Guy Boivin, Laval University
- Marc Brisson, Laval University
- Brenda Coleman, Mount Sinai Hospital
- Natasha Crowcroft, Public Health Ontario
- Shelley Deeks, Public Health Ontario
- May Elsherif, Dalhousie University
- Ian Gemmill, Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health
- Jonathan Gubbay, Public Health Ontario
- Scott Halperin, Dalhousie University
- Todd Hatchette, Dalhousie University
- Tobias Kollmann, University of British Columbia
- Jason Leblanc, Dalhousie University
- Tony Mazzulli, Mount Sinai Hospital
- Elizabeth McLaughlin, National Microbiology Laboratory (NML)
- Bouchra Serhir, l’Institut national de santé publique du Québec
- Alberto Severini, University of Manitoba
- Susan Squires, Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
- Cecile Tremblay, University of Montréal
- Tania Watts, University of Toronto
- Sarah Wilson, Public Health Ontario
Social Sciences and Humanities Network
- Eve Dubé, Laval University (Principal Investigator)
- Julie Bettinger, University of British Columbia
- Nicholas Brousseau, Institut national du santé publique du Québec
- Andrea Bunt, University of Manitoba
- Eliana Castillo, University of Calgary
- Jeannette Comeau, Dalhousie University
- Kim Corace, University of Ottawa
- Natasha Crowcroft, Public Health Ontario
- Liz Darling, McMaster University
- Shelley Deeks, Public Health Ontario
- Michelle Driedger, University of Manitoba
- Vinita Dubey, Toronto Public Health
- William Fisher, University of Western Ontario
- Arnaud Gagneur, University of Sherbrooke
- Janice Graham, Dalhousie University
- Joshua Greenberg, Carleton University
- Devon Greyson, University of British Columbia
- Maryse Guay, University of Sherbrooke
- Juliet Guichon, University of Calgary
- Donna Halperin, St. Francis Xavier University
- Scott Halperin, Dalhousie University
- Jane Heffernan, York University
- Cindy Jardine, University of Alberta
- Kevin Katz, North York General Hospital
- Noni MacDonald, Dalhousie University
- Shannon MacDonald, University of Alberta
- Heather MacDougall, University of Waterloo
- Samantha Meyer, University of Waterloo
- Laurence Monnais, University of Montreal
- Gina Ogilvie, University of British Columbia
- Monika Naus, British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)
- Jennifer Potter, University of Manitoba
- Vineet Saini, University of Calgary
- Chantal Sauvageau, Laval University
- Karina Top, Dalhousie University
- Dat Tran, University of Toronto
- Jordan Tustin, Ryerson University
- Nancy Waite, University of Waterloo
- Kumanan Wilson, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
- Holly Witteman, Laval University
- Sarah Wilson, Public Health Ontario
- Mark Yudin, University of Toronto
Collaborators
- Cora Constantinescu, University of Calgary
- Mary Wiktorowicz, York University
- Michelle Wyndham West, York University
Modeling and Economics Research (ModERN) Network
- Marc Brisson, Laval University (Principal Investigator)
- Michel Alary, Laval University
- Philippe Beutels, University of Anterwerp
- Marie Claude Boily, Imperial College London
- Shelly Bolotin, Public Health Ontario
- Guillaume Béraud, University of Lille
- Natasha Crowcroft, Public Health Ontario
- Shelley Deeks, Public Health Ontario
- Benoit Dervaux, University of Lille
- Gaston De Serres, Laval University
- Eve Dubé, Laval University
- David Fisman, University of Toronto
- Jane Heffernan, York University
- Karsten Hempel, University of Alberta
- Niel Hens, University of Hasselt
- Erin Kirwin, Alberta Ministry of Health
- Philippe Lemieux-Mellouki, Laval University
- Salah Mahmud, University of Manitoba
- Gina Ogilvie, University of British Columbia
- Nathaniel Osgood, University of Saskatchewan
- Beate Sander, Public Health Ontario
- Chantal Sauvageau, Laval University
- Larry Svenson, Alberta Ministry of Health
- Jordan Tustin, Ryerson University
- Jianhong Wu, York University
¶ Funding
CIRN is partnered with and/or funded by:[7][8][9][10][11]
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- CANImmunize[12]
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Novartis
- Pfizer
- Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
- Sanofi Pasteur
- VBI Vaccines
¶ External links
Contact Us. Canadian Immunization Research Network. Retrieved May 30, 2023, from https://web.archive.org/web/20230530144626/https://cirnetwork.ca/about-us/contact-us/ ↩︎
About Us. CIRN | Canadian Immunization Research Network. Retrieved December 22, 2021 from http://archive.today/2021.12.22-184322/https://cirnetwork.ca/about-us/ ↩︎
CANVAS-COVID Study Enrolment. CANVAS-COVID. Retrieved August 21, 2022, from http://archive.today/2022.08.21-040624/https://canvas-covid.ca/ ↩︎
MOSAIC. CIRN | Canadian Immunization Research Network. Retrieved December 23, 2021 from http://archive.today/2021.12.23-094150/https://cirnetwork.ca/mosaic/ ↩︎
MOSAIC. CIRN | Canadian Immunization Research Network. Retrieved December 23, 2021, from http://archive.today/2021.12.23-094808/https://cirnetwork.ca/research-study/mosaic/ ↩︎
Researchers. CIRN | Canadian Immunization Research Network. Retrieved April 22, 2022, from http://archive.today/2022.04.22-083152/https://cirnetwork.ca/about-us/researchers/ ↩︎
Partners. Canadian Immunization Research Network. Retrieved November 26, 2021, from http://archive.today/2021.11.26-051324/https://cirnetwork.ca/about-us/partners/ ↩︎
Annual Report 2019-2020. (2021, August). Canadian Immunization Research Network. https://web.archive.org/web/20230328075033/https://cirnetwork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AR.2019-20.Final_.pdf ↩︎
Annual Report 2015. Canadian Immunization Research Network. Retrieved December 22, 2021, from https://cirnetwork.ca/annual-reports/2015/mobile/index.html#p=24 ↩︎
Annual Report 2014. Canadian Immunization Research Network. Retrieved December 22, 2021, from https://cirnetwork.ca/annual-reports/2014/mobile/index.html#p=1 ↩︎
2013 Annual Report. PHAC/CIHR Influenza Research Network. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://web.archive.org/web/20230720161922/https://www.campfire.wiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=pcirn-annual-reportfinal-2013.pdf ↩︎
Partners. CANImmunize. Retrieved May 28, 2021, from http://archive.today/2021.05.28-193833/https://www.canimmunize.ca/en/partners ↩︎