About 

The Canadian Bioinformatics Hub is Canada’s platform for Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Data Science skills and community development. The platform is built on the two foundational pillars of Training and Community, both governed by an overarching Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Framework. Training and community resources are regionally distributed by six centers across the country, supporting capacity growth in talent according to local needs. Together, we are accelerating the growth of a vibrant health and life sciences sector in Canada by scaling up Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Data Science capacity.

Expansion of bioinformatics.ca into the Canadian Bioinformatics Hub is supported by a 2024 Health Research Training Platform (HRTP) Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Genome Canada.

On This Page:

Platform structure and resources

The Canadian Bioinformatics Hub is composed of a Central Leadership Team, six Regional Nodes, and five Advisory Committees. The Central Leadership Team operates from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) in Toronto, while the Regional Nodes are hosted by partner institutions in strategic regions: Atlantic, Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, the Prairies, and British Columbia. Our Advisory Committees are composed of subject matter experts who generously volunteer their time, knowledge and expertise to provide guidance to this platform.

Our resources are structured around the platform’s two main pillars: training and community. The Training Portal will serve as a central hub for all partner-led bioinformatics and professional development training programs aligned with competency-based learning paths. It will also host our training awards program. The Community portal will extend the trainee experience with valuable resources and activities, including career recognition awards, mentorship opportunities, networking events, a national conference, and regional bioinformatics user groups.

Mission and Vision

Vision

Accelerate the growth of a dynamic health and life sciences sector in Canada by building Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Data Science capacity.

Mission

A global leader in transformative skill development ecosystems in bioinformatics, championing inclusive training, nurturing supportive professional networks, and advocating for essential resources to uplift communities across Canada.

History 

Bioinformatics.ca and the Canadian Bioinformatics Workshops (CBW) were established in 1999 by Francis Ouellette, Christopher Hogue, François Major, Christoph Sensen and David Wishart to address the need for a skilled computational science workforce in Canada. Since then, Bioinformatics.ca has become an integral component of the national bioinformatics and computational biology community, with CBW being recognized as an international leader in bioinformatics skills dissemination. Under a mission to accelerate the use of bioinformatics as a tool in health and life sciences through education, networking and outreach, CBW has trained 5500+ scientists (1999-2023) in basic and advanced bioinformatic topics over 200+ workshops.

In 2024, we were awarded a Health Research Training Platform (HRTP) Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Genome Canada to scale our operations across the country. Thanks to this award, we have expanded into the Canadian Bioinformatics Hub – Canada’s platform for Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Data Science training and community activities.

Training 

The Training Portal will serve as a comprehensive resource, allowing trainees to easily navigate and select learning paths aligned with their career goals. It will provide seamless access to both technical and professional development training opportunities offered by our partners. All partner-led events will be directly linked to the competencies required to advance along their chosen learning path. Training events from across Canada, including those from Canadian Bioinformatics Workshops (CBW), the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (DRAC), the Carpentries, and Mitacs, will be consolidated into a single calendar. Users will be able to discover relevant local training opportunities through the portal, which will then redirect them to our partner’s website for further details and registration. In the training portal, users will also be able to apply for our National Training Awards program to attend any qualifying event of their choice.

In summary, the Training portfolio will include:

  • Competency-based learning paths
  • Partner-led training resources for:
    • Bioinformatics
    • Computational Biology
    • Data Science
    • Professional development
  • National Training Awards program

Community 

The Community portal will serve as a vibrant and collaborative environment, designed to enrich the trainee experience through a wealth of valuable resources and specialized programs. It will create a dynamic space where scientists from diverse personal and professional backgrounds can connect with peers in their regions, fostering both regional and national networks. Our goal with the Community portal is to provide researchers with personalized support that addresses their distinct learning needs and career aspirations, empowering them to excel and thrive in their professional journeys within the health and life sciences sectors.

In summary, the Community portfolio will encompass a diverse array of initiatives including:

  • Local communities activities and events
  • A yearly national conference
  • IDEA-centric Mentorship Program
  • Career Recognition Awards

Funding sources 

The Canadian Bioinformatics Hub is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This work was funded by the Government of Canada through Genome Canada and Ontario Genomics (OGI-244). We are also supported by in-kind sponsorship from our host institution, the Ontario Institute of Cancer Research, whose funding is provided by the Government of Ontario. In addition, we receive matching funds and in-kind support from: Simon Fraser University, University of Alberta, University of Manitoba, University Health Network, Dalhousie University, Université de Montréal and Genome Québec; as well as BioNet Alberta, eCampus Ontario, Calcul Québec, Université de Laval, University of Ottawa, Consortium Sante Numerique, Université de Sherbrooke, University of Guelph, Université de Québec à Montréal, IVADO and IDEA-STEM.

Partners

In addition, we receive extensive in-kind sponsorships from contributing institutions that facilitate the logistics and operation of our events.
(See the full list here).

Contact

For general inquiries about CBH, contact our central leadership unit at info@bioinformatics.ca. For region-specific questions contact a member of the Leadership unit in your area.

Michelle D. Brazas, PhD
Scientific Director
Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
director@bioinformatics.ca

Larisa M. Soto, MSc
Platform Manager
Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
pm@bioinformatics.ca

Nia Hughes, MSc
Platform Training Manager
Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
training@bioinformatics.ca

Pratima Shrivastava, PhD
Platform Community Manager
Simon Fraser University
community@bioinformatics.ca

Ben Fisher, MSc
Regional Coordinator for the Atlantic Node
Dalhousie University
atlantic@bioinformatics.ca

Neha Ratti, BBA
Regional Coordinator for the Ontario Node
University Health Network
ontario@bioinformatics.ca

Audrey Noël, MSc
Regional Coordinator for the Quebec Node
Universite de Montreal
quebec@bioinformatics.ca

Eric Merzetti, PhD
Regional Coordinator for the Prairies Node
University of Winnipeg
prairies@bioinformatics.ca

Mark Berjanskii, PhD
Regional Coordinator for the Alberta Node
University of Alberta
alberta@bioinformatics.ca

Pratima Shrivastava, PhD
Regional Coordinator for the British Columbia Node
Simon Fraser University
bc@bioinformatics.ca