Alberta is a well-suited jurisdiction for this work because it has "one of the world's most comprehensive cancer datasets to better understand the patient journey," Alberta Innovates posted after its participation was announced at BioAlberta's policy forum on March 5.
Indeed, the cancer foundation notes that more than 300 million patients have submitted data since 2014. The project partners are leveraging the artificial intelligence and machine learning prowess of GovLab.ai and AltaML on a "digital roadmap" of the patient experience with cancer.
BioAlberta's policy forum discussed a number of other health innovations, including Lung Health Check, an initiative funded by the province, the Alberta Cancer Foundation, and AstraZeneca, and coordinated by Praxus Health and Aceso Medical. The program, which is the first of its kind in Canada, brings breathing tests to rural, remote, and Indigenous communities, with plans to include lung cancer screening this year.
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AB for Abortion, the organization behind the pro-choice billboard on the main highway between Edmonton and Calgary, has launched a Patreon account to allow supporters to make recurring donations, as founder Erica Posteraro works to build abortion advocacy into a sustained movement across the province. "I wanted to change the narrative a little bit away from Alberta just being this regressive, conservative province," she told Taproot. "If this project has taught me one thing, it's that we're not, really."
The Community Safety and Wellness Accelerator is wrapping up after six cohorts supporting 110 companies worldwide in building safer, healthier communities. "While this program concludes, the movement does not," the organization posted. "The work continues through each founder, each venture, and each supporter who believes that community safety and wellness deserve bold solutions."
The Network for Applied Technology is hosting natIgnite 2026 at the University of Alberta to challenge students and recent graduates to design, build, and pitch accessibility solutions, with $10,000 in seed funding available for winning teams. Registration is open until April 17.
Aurora Cannabis has exited the adult-use cannabis market to focus entirely on highly regulated international medical markets such as Germany, Australia, and Poland, MarketBeat reported. The Edmonton-headquartered company sees higher margins and greater alignment with pharmaceutical-style regulation, chief financial officer Simona King said at the TD Cowen Health Care Conference in Boston.
Nanostics is seeking a vice-president of technology to lead its AI-driven medical diagnostics platform through FDA review and scale deployment across laboratories in North America and internationally.
Medical education is "really struggling to keep up" with the pace of AI development in healthcare, University of Alberta neurology resident Liam McCoy noted in a piece by University Affairs.
University of Alberta researchers have developed a vaccine that trains the immune system to attack the misfolded proteins behind neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, extending survival in mice by up to 42%.
Pharmacy Brands Canada has partnered with Horizon Healthcare to open a pharmacy inside the new Covenant Community Health Centre in south Edmonton, integrating prescription and dispensing services in real time alongside an on-site medical clinic, infusion services, and home healthcare.
Kickstand Edmonton, operated by YMCA of Northern Alberta, is marking one year of offering free mental health counselling, primary healthcare, Indigenous wellness, and life skills programming to young people aged 11 to 25 at West Edmonton Mall.
Homelessness in Edmonton requires a social innovation approach, wrote Murtaza Haider of the University of Alberta's School of Business and Cities Institute. "Homelessness is rarely a housing issue; it encompasses housing, trauma, addiction, mental illness, precarious employment, and institutional and familial failure. Addressing it as a single-variable problem ensures failure," he said in an op-ed. "This is where social innovation enters the discussion. Not as a buzzword, but as a framework."
YWCA Edmonton has named its 2026 Women of Distinction, recognizing six leaders for their contributions to the community. The honorees include Edmonton Public Library CEO Pilar Martinez; Shiza Wasi of YEG Muslim Vote; NorQuest College CEO Carolyn Campbell; curator and philanthropist Maggie Mitchell; and Holly Hallborg of REACH Edmonton. Educator Rosalind Smith posthumously received the Bellamy Award for lasting contributions to the community. They will be recognized at the Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon on May 7 at the Royal Glenora Club.
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Domestic violence remains widespread in Alberta despite progress, according to the Alberta Council of Women's Shelters. The federal government announced nearly $631,000 in funding to expand support tools for survivors of gender-based violence. The Edmonton Police Service laid 1,561 domestic violence charges in 2024 and responded to nearly 10,000 calls. Advocates say inflation and a shortage of affordable housing are making it harder for survivors to leave abusive partners.
A shortage of estrogen patches is leaving some Alberta women scrambling for alternative menopause treatments. Diane Reid told CBC that such patches were the only salve for her menopause symptoms. "What do I do? Do I just literally live with this? For a lot of us it's not an option, because the symptoms are so bad you just can't function," Reid said.
Alberta's provincial budget includes $13.8 billion for hospital and surgical systems — a $1.7-billion increase over last year — but no construction funding for planned bed towers in Edmonton and Calgary, meaning new capacity remains years away.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith defended her government's plan to tighten eligibility for seniors benefits after the province projected a $9.4-billion deficit in the provincial budget. Beginning July 1, the income threshold for the Alberta Seniors Benefit will drop by about 9%, a move expected to save the province $23 million in 2026-27. The government says the lowest-income seniors will not be affected.
Happenings
Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:
SPARK Alberta, powered by the University of Calgary's Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, is accepting spring 2026 applications until March 29 from faculty, researchers, and graduate students at Alberta post-secondary institutions with digital health innovations.
The Council of Canadian Innovators has released a report recommending that Canadian governments overhaul health procurement and data management to support domestic healthtech companies, including applying Buy Canadian policies to healthcare and adopting national standards for data sharing to unlock an estimated $2.4 billion in annual efficiency gains.
This roundup was sponsored by Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation.
API is one of Canada's largest not-for-profit life sciences commercialization organizations. We catalyze growth in the life sciences sector by addressing key challenges that hold companies and innovators back.
