Drs. Jason Andrade and Andrew Krahn from The Institute for Heart + Lung Health at St. Paul’s, were among six researchers who have received two and three-year strategic research grants totaling over $2.4 million from the Canadian Arrhythmia Network Cardiac Arrhythmia Network of Canada (CANet). Dr. Jason Andrade received $450,062 (with $1,667,000 matching funds) for his study “Early Invasive vs. Delayed Intervention for Atrial Fibrillation,” which aims to determine whether early intervention with cryothermal ablation is associated with significant (i.e. >20%) reduction in atrial fibrillation arrhythmia burden, symptoms, and healthcare utilization. This project is an international, multi-center Canadian-led randomized controlled trial comparing early (“first-line”) catheter-based pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using cryothermal energy to first-line anti-arrhythmic drug therapy on the clinical outcomes of arrhythmia recurrence, arrhythmia related symptoms and quality of life, and hospitalisations. IMPACT: The study has the potential to fundamentally change the way in which we approach atrial fibrillation. For example, on a patient perspective, early ablation may result in a reduction in AF recurrences, with improvement in arrhythmia related symptoms, quality of life, exercise tolerance and functional capacity, mental health, and work performance. On a system/societal perspective, this may reduce health system burden by reduced emergency room visits and hospitalisations, reducing health care...

CANet’s Scientific Director, Dr. Anthony Tang, appeared on CTV Atlantic’s Our Housecall. “In the future, we’re going to devise technology to help individuals monitor their own arrhythmic health. And this will come from our network.” -Dr. Anthony Tang

Government of Canada invests in national health-focused research networks Five research networks have been named to conduct groundbreaking research that focuses on addressing various major health and life sciences issues. The following networks have been selected as Networks of Centres of Excellence: Aging Gracefully across Environments using Technology to Support Wellness, Engagement, and Long Life – AGE-WELL (Toronto, Ontario) Biotherapeutics for Cancer Treatment – BioCanRx (Ottawa, Ontario) Canadian Glycomics Network – GlycoNet (Edmonton, Alberta) Canadian Arrhythmia Network – CANet (London, Ontario) NeuroDevNet (Vancouver, British Columbia) – renewed The competition resulted in four new networks receiving funding and one existing network being renewed for a second five-year term. NCEs mobilize a critical mass of expertise from across the country, bringing together health, natural and social scientists, as well as engineers. Partners from industry, government and the not-for-profit sector contribute additional expertise and support. Minister of State Wong announces new research network to help Canadian seniors live independently and safely AGE-WELL is receiving $36.6 million over five years to help seniors live independently and safely at home. AGE-WELL will identify the needs of aging adults and find ways to reduce the burden on their caregivers. The network will use advanced technology to...

Arrhythmias — disturbances of the heart’s normal rhythm—affect more than 1.5 million Canadians and can impact a person’s health and well-being in a variety of ways. Sudden cardiac death caused by an arrhythmia kills 40,000 people every year. An estimated 350,000 Canadians are living with atrial fibrillation, the most common type of arrhythmia and a major risk factor for stroke. At some point in their lives, millions of others will experience syncope: sporadic loss of consciousness for which there are few effective treatments. To jump-start the development of new technologies to improve the diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias, the new Canadian Arrhythmia Network Cardiac Arrhythmia Network of Canada (CANet) has received a five-year grant in the amount of $26.3 million. CANet is one of only 49 prestigious Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) grants in any field of study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. With matching funds from Industry Canada, Genome Canada and other partners, CANet has launched with more than $60 million devoted to substantially reducing morbidity and mortality from heart rhythm irregularities. “CANet gives us the opportunity to guide arrhythmia research...

The new Canadian Arrhythmia Network Cardiac Arrhythmia Network of Canada (CANet), announced Dec. 15 with $26.3 million in federal government funds, will find a home at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry According to a news release from Western, the network will connect more than 100 investigators from across the country aiming to bring “efficiency, accessibility and sustainability to arrhythmia health through innovation,” making London the national centre for research into the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disturbances. The network will include clinicians, researchers, engineers, patients, industry and government partners. Dr. Anthony Tang, professor in the Department of Medicine at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, will serve as the network’s scientific director and CEO. “We want to find innovative solutions to allow arrhythmia patients to have the best possible care,” said Tang, who is also a cardiologist focusing on heart rhythm disorders at London Health Sciences Centre, in a release. “The information and innovations that come out of this network will be applicable to individuals across the country and around the globe.” London has a history of arrhythmia care and research, according to Western University president Amit Chakma. “London is home to Canada’s first arrhythmia...

Thanks to funding from the federal government, Western will be the home of the newly established Canadian Arrhythmia Network Cardiac Arrhythmia Network of Canada (CANet), part of the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE). The government of Canada announced $26.3 million in funding to establish CANet on Monday, positioning Western – and London – as the national centre for research into the effective diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disturbances, also known as arrhythmias. Arrhythmias include syncope, atrial fibrillation and sudden cardiac death. Sudden cardiac events lead to approximately 40,000 deaths in Canada each year. A network of more than 100 researchers across Canada will join together to form CANet at Western. The network will consist of clinicians, researchers, engineers, patients, as well as industry and government partners. This interdisciplinary team of renowned experts sets CANet apart in the field of arrhythmia research and innovation. “We want to find innovative solutions to be able to allow arrhythmia patients to have the best possible care,” said Dr. Anthony Tang, a professor in the Department of Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. Tang, a Lawson Health Research Institute scientist and a cardiologist focusing on heart rhythm disorders at London...

Researchers at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry have been awarded $26.3 million in funding from the Government of Canada to host and establish the Canadian Arrhythmia Network Cardiac Arrhythmia Network of Canada (CANet) as a Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE). This funding will be used to help reduce the burden of health conditions related to arrhythmia — otherwise known as heart rhythm disturbances — such as syncope, atrial fibrillation and sudden cardiac death. The goal is to improve the health of millions of patients across Canada suffering from heart rhythm disturbances by developing, implementing and evaluating new technologies and health strategies. Dr. Anthony Tang, a professor in Schulich Medicine & Dentistry’s Department of Medicine’s cardiology division and scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute, will be leading the network as its Scientific Director and CEO. “In Canada, there are a lot of people dying prematurely from sudden cardiac death,” Dr. Tang explained. “Even though we have some ways of dealing with it, it’s still the number one cause of people dying — even more so than cancers.” He added that CANet will generate benefits to Canada through the creation and use of new technological innovation to advance...