CALL FOR APPLICATIONS! - STAGE has been awarded an NSERC CREATE grant. The six-year program begins this September and will support master’s and doctoral students, as well as postdoctoral fellows, through STAGE Fellowships. Information about the funding support, regional nodes, and application process is now available on the updated website. The application portal is open, with a deadline of October 30.

NSERC awards multi-year funding for national training initiative in genomic data science: Intracranial aneurysm — a ballooning of a blood vessel in the brain — can be life-threatening if it ruptures. Predicting when intracranial aneurysm will occur and when they will rupture is vital information. How can data science and AI tools be used to improve risk prediction and support earlier, more targeted intervention? How can the integration of electronic medical records (EMRs) and biobank data with -omics provide the real -world clinical context that can translate molecular data into actionable insights? These are the types of research projects that will be undertaken by trainees in the newly awarded Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) for the national Strategic Training for Advanced Genetic Epidemiology (STAGE) program. These projects will leverage AI and machine learning (ML) technologies to provide new insight into complex systems, improve data quality, generate novel outcomes and derive predictions. Genomic data science is an interdisciplinary field that combines biology, computer, statistics and population health sciences to interpret large -omic datasets — genomics, proteomics, metabolomics — to understand biological systems and disease and to develop treatments. The rapid growth of these vast, complex datasets opens the door to ground-breaking discoveries. But to realize the full potential of these tools, data science tools must keep pace and a highly skilled workforce, equipped to develop and implement genomic data science tools, is needed. The six-year grant, supported through Canada’s Genomics Strategy, represents a collaboration between the Canadian Statistical Sciences Institute (CANSSI), the University of Toronto Data Sciences Institute (DSI), and CGEn, Canada’s national platform for genome sequencing and analysis. Professor Lisa Strug, Director, Data Sciences Institute and CANSSI Ontario, says “We are incredibly excited for STAGE, which will accelerate AI in genomics, methods and analysis of new -omic technologies, and methods and analysis for electronic medical record, integration with -omics. These training and research areas will be central to future breakthroughs in biomedical science.” Dr. Meredith McLaren, CEO of CGEn, says “STAGE aligns directly with CGEn’s mission to provide state-of-the-art genomics support to world-leading research projects that address important biological questions. By combining the strengths of our national sequencing and informatics infrastructure with CANSSI and the DSI’s expertise in data science and AI, the CREATE program will cultivate a highly skilled, interdisciplinary workforce prepared to drive innovation in genomics and related fields.” The grant will support the national expansion of STAGE. Established in 2009 at the University of Toronto, this internationally recognized training program currently has nodes in British Columbia, the Prairies, Québec, and Atlantic Canada. Through this expansion, the NSERC grant will help strengthen Canada’s leadership in one of the fastest-evolving areas of biomedical research. Professor Erica Di Ruggiero is Associate Dean, Research and Innovation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at U of T, where STAGE was first launched. She says “We are very proud to see a DLSPH-grown initiative grow to a national program. We are very excited for the critical mass of trainees that this this new growth, funded by NSERC and spearheaded by DLSPH faculty, will support and attract.” STAGE will deliberately cultivate a combined profile that employers across health, industry, and government are seeking. The talented individuals who come through this program will have domain-specific expertise in genomics as well as fluency in data engineering, computational and analytic tool development and application, and AI/ML methods. Crucially, this will all be grounded in ethical data stewardship. Investment in data science and AI tools and talent is essential for sustaining Canada’s leadership in innovation, as the global genomics market surges to $94.86 billion USD by 2030 and the demand for interdisciplinary talent in genomics and data science is rapidly increasing. “The national scope of this program is particularly exciting. It will prepare the next generation of Canadian scientists with the technical and professional skills needed to lead in an increasingly data-driven world and will foster a sense of community in the Canadian genomics and statistics research areas,” says Professor Joanna Mills Flemming, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dalhousie University. Stephen Wright, Dean, Faculty of Arts & Science, University of Toronto, says “We are delighted to see a University of Toronto-founded training program grow into a national initiative. STAGE exemplifies the collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that is essential for advancing discovery and preparing future leaders in research and innovation. The Data Sciences Institute and CANSSI play vital roles in Arts & Science’s research community and across the university to advance excellence in data science, AI, and statistics. This investment will help strengthen Canada’s leadership in genomic data science while training the next generation of research talent.” We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), [funding reference number 607352-2026]

2026 Distinguished Lecture Series in Statistical Sciences: Daniela Witten - Free Hybrid Event (Virtual/In person) | Registration Required Join us for this year’s Distinguished Lecture Series in Statistical Sciences with: Daniela Witten Professor of Statistics & Biostatistics Dorothy Gilford Endowed Chair of Mathematical Statistics University of Washington Speaker Profile Daniela Witten is a professor of Statistics and Biostatistics at University of Washington, and the Dorothy Gilford Endowed Chair in Mathematical Statistics. She develops statistical machine learning methods for high-dimensional data, with a focus on unsupervised learning. She has received a number of awards for her research in statistical machine learning: most notably the Spiegelman Award from the American Public Health Association for a (bio)statistician under age 40, and the Presidents’ Award from the Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies for a statistician under age 41. Daniela is a co-author of the textbook “Introduction to Statistical Learning”, and has served as Joint Editor of Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series B.

We’re excited to launch the Myers Hutchings Fisheries Centre (MHFC) at Dalhousie University. The MHFC brings together researchers, students, and partners from across disciplines to advance fisheries science and support practical, evidence-informed solutions to the challenges facing marine ecosystems and fisheries. Through collaboration across academia, government, Indigenous communities and organizations, industry, NGOs, and other sectors, the Centre connects expertise, data, and perspectives to address complex fisheries challenges. As the MHFC grows, this News page will be a place to share new research, collaborations, events, publications, student achievements, and other updates from our community. We look forward to sharing the work of our Centre and the people and partnerships that make it possible. Welcome to the MHFC!