Conducts research to understand, prevent and treat cancer, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders affecting women.
CODE-W brings together expertise in women’s cardiovascular and metabolic health, oncology, exercise physiology and nutrition. The research team applies advanced assessment techniques to study cardiac and vascular function, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, blood biomarkers and metabolism in women who have, or are at risk for, cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The team evaluates exercise and nutrition interventions tailored to women’s health needs and conducts experimental studies of disease mechanisms, randomized controlled trials of lifestyle interventions, and community-based research to assess the effectiveness of interventions in real-world settings.
CODE-W offers research services across five areas:
- Exercise and resting metabolism assessment
- Portable cardiometabolic health assessment
- Nutrition and exercise interventions
- Tissue storage and molecular biology
- Imaging acquisition and analysis
- Education
- Healthcare and social services
- Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
Specialized labs and equipment
- Portable physiological assessment: Assess cardiovascular health, body composition, blood biomarkers, physical activity and vital signs in clinical, community and field settings using portable ultrasound, bioelectrical impedance analysis, point-of-care blood testing and wearable monitoring technologies [GE HealthCare Vivid iQ portable cardiovascular ultrasound system, Seca 525 body composition analyzer, Cholestech LDX point-of-care blood chemistry analyzer, ActiGraph wearable physical activity and sleep monitor (research-grade accelerometer)].
- Exercise and resting metabolism assessment: Measure resting and exercise metabolism, cardiovascular function, blood pressure responses, muscle oxygenation and body composition during controlled physiological testing using metabolic carts, exercise ergometers, treadmills and non-invasive monitoring systems (Parvo Medics metabolic assessment system, Finapres NOVA continuous blood pressure and hemodynamic monitor).
- Nutrition and exercise interventions: Deliver and evaluate nutrition and physical activity interventions using a metabolic research kitchen, supervised exercise equipment and physiological monitoring systems.
- Tissue storage and molecular analysis: Collect, process, store and analyze biological samples using cryogenic storage, muscle biopsy, tissue preparation and molecular biology infrastructure (MP Biomedicals FastPrep‑24 sample homogenizer and tissue disruption system, Leica CM1860 frozen tissue sectioning system).
- Medical imaging and image analysis: Acquire and analyze high-resolution cardiac and body composition images using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound imaging and specialized image analysis software (Siemens MAGNETOM Prisma, GE HealthCare Vivid iQ).
Private and public sector research partners
- Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (University Health Network)
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
- Women’s College Hospital
- Mount Sinai Hospital
- St. Michael’s Hospital
- University of Alberta
- York University