Patient partners, clinicians, and researchers from coast to coast gathered for the first Canadian Conference on Circulating Biomarkers
SOURCE: Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute)
June 26, 2026
The Circulating Biomarkers of Health and Disease Network at The Institute, led by Julia Burnier, PhD, Scientist in the Cancer Research Program (CRP) at The Institute, convened the inaugural Canadian Conference on Circulating Biomarkers (CCCB) in June 2026.
The conference brought together clinicians, scientists, trainees, and patient partners from across Canada to advance the development and clinical translation of liquid biopsy technologies — spanning disease areas from oncology and transplantation to prenatal health and infectious disease.
A conference built around collaboration
The scientific program featured seven thematic sessions covering circulating tumour DNA, extracellular vesicles, cell-free DNA technologies, and clinical translation, among other topics. A defining feature of the program was the co-chairing of each session by a patient partner, ensuring that scientific discussions remained grounded in lived experience and real-world impact. Trevor Pugh (Ontario Institute for Cancer Research; Princess Margaret Cancer Centre) and Alexander Wyatt (University of British Columbia; BC Cancer) delivered keynote lectures. The conference also featured over 40 poster presentations, with awards recognizing standout work from researchers at The Institute and Polytechnique Montréal.
A dedicated Young Investigator Career Development Session highlighted diverse career paths across academia, industry, and patient-oriented research — reflecting the network's commitment to training the next generation of circulating biomarker scientists.
Key Takeaways
"What began as an idea for a small institutional research day grew into a national effort, bringing together expertise from across Canada in the field of circulating biomarkers," said Kyle Dickinson, PhD, Research Associate and coordinator of the Circulating Biomarkers of Health and Disease Network. Patient partnership was foundational throughout. "What stood out most at CCCB was the presence of patient partners and the way they enriched every discussion. Their voices added meaning and context to the science, and helped keep the focus on what truly matters."
About the Circulating Biomarkers of Health and Disease Network
The network brings together researchers across disciplines — spanning precision oncology, cardiovascular health, transplantation, autoimmunity, nutrition, and more — to develop shared infrastructure and collaborative pathways for liquid biopsy research. "The Circulating Biomarkers Network brings together researchers across disease areas and disciplines to accelerate the development, translation and impact of liquid biopsy approaches," says Prof. Burnier. "By building shared infrastructure, common language and collaborative pathways, the network enables discoveries in one field to inform progress across many others."
The CCCB was supported by over 15 industry and charitable sponsors and funded by The Institute following the network's successful selection in the inaugural Networks Competition.
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