Principal Investigators: Dr. Muhammad Morshed, Dr. Inna Sekirov, Dr. Sofia Bartlett

Funders: Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research COVID-19 Research Response Fund | $150,000

ASSESS DBS not only allowed us to better understand the impact of COVID-19 in under-served and hardly reached populations, such as people who experience incarceration, but acted as a catalyst to the ability of the Provincial Laboratory to use dried blood spots as a serology sample type. This will have lasting impacts on our ability to offer comprehensive and accessible testing to multiple remote and disenfranchised populations, improving public health equity in BC.

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Principal Investigator: Dr. Danuta Skowronski

Funder: MSHRBC | $98,348

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Principal Investigator: Dr. Danuta Skowronski

Funder: Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research

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Principal Investigator: Dr. Agatha Jassem

Funders: Genome BC, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, BCCDC Foundation Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Research Initiative | $200,000

SMILES provided reliable assessments based on modelling and genomic sequencing data of how vaccination status can impact SARS-CoV-2 infectivity as well lead to breakthrough infection. 

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Principal Investigators: BCCDC, Dr. David Patrick

Partners: Michael Smith Health Research BC, Fraser Health, UBC Faculty of Medicine, Reach BC, Vancouver Coastal Health, Genome British Columbia

The COVID-19 Consent to Contact Registry Database (CCRD) contributes to improving care for COVID-19 patients in British Columbia by providing a single platform through which researchers can contact COVID-19 survivors for future COVID-19 studies.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Mel Krajden

Funder: Canadian Foundation for Innovation | $630,000

This study allows researchers to apply viral genomics to track viral transmission in real time in order to understand how the virus enters the community and causes outbreaks. 

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Principal Investigator: Dr. Naveed Janjua

Funder: Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research COVID-19 Research Response fund | $150,000

This study monitored contact patterns, which informed changes in contact behaviors over time. The study also has contributed to modelling efforts in monitoring COVID-19 transmission and outcomes, which has informed public health response.

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Principal Investigator: Dr. Agatha Jassem

Funder: PHACA | $384,529

This study provided real-world evidence on COVID vaccine immunogenicity in older, community dwelling adults relative to mixed vaccine doses and the interval between the first and second dose.

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Principal Investigator: Dr. Inna Sekirov

Funders: Genome BC rapid response funding for COVID-19 Research and Innovation Projects, BCCDC | $40,000

PACEiiR study has allowed us to better understand the contribution of upper respiratory tract ACE2 receptor to the progression of SARS-CoV-2 infection, making a significant contribution to the overall body of knowledge on this pathogen.

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Principal Investigators: Dr. Natalie Prystajecky, Dr. Mel Krajden, Dr Richard Harrigan 

Funders: Genome BC strategic fund | $150,000; Canadian COVID-19 Rapid Response Funding Opportunity | $1,000,000

This work laid the foundation for establishing whole genome sequencing, one of the critical laboratory tools in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sequencing was proven to generate data to inform understanding of the transmission of the virus, tracking variants of concern and understanding vaccine breakthrough.

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Principal Investigator: Dr. Hind Sbihi

Funder: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) | $451,188

This research program has provided evidence on how clinical severity of COVID-19 differs based on SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) for different socio-economic groups, which informed population-level public health response to circulating variant strains.

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