VISION
In the coming years, tens of millions of human genomes will be sequenced, largely in the healthcare setting. This clinical data is an extremely valuable and ever-growing resource. To date, however, most clinical data has been inaccessible to research scientists. The Canadian Genomic Data Commons (CGDC), is a digital infrastructure whose goal is to employ innovative methods to facilitate transfer of genomic data from the healthcare setting to a high-performance computing infrastructure that will support a national data-sharing research ecosystem, while ensuring privacy and security. The need for more open and inclusive research collaboration is particularly urgent in the field of rare diseases (RDs) and cancer, which together afflict millions of Canadians.
GOALS OF THE CGDC
Providing standardized variant interpretations and frequency estimates to deepen insights into gene-disease relationships through robust databases and tools
Fostering broad participation in genetic research, including underrepresented Canadian populations, while strengthening international partnerships and data-sharing initiatives through collaborative projects
Expanding high-performance computing capacity, optimize existing research cohorts, and establish Canada as a global leader in gene discovery and biomedical research
Facilitating data-sharing between clinical and research settings to accelerate discoveries and enhance patient care through precision medicine
