SPHERE
Strategies for Precision Health in Breast Cancer
Who We Are
Approximately 1 in 8 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. In 2024, an estimated 3,320 Albertans were diagnosed with breast cancer with around 515 Albertans dying from the disease. Strategies for Precision Health in Breast Cancer (SPHERE) is a multidisciplinary team of health services researchers focused on advancing care and overcoming barriers in breast cancer research. SPHERE is working to transform how breast cancer is understood, diagnosed, and treated in Alberta and beyond.
Our Research
Best practices for patient-centered care
SPHERE is driven by a commitment to patient-centred care, uniting clinicians and researchers from across oncology specialties to improve breast cancer care. Through collaborative research and clinical trials, we focus on developing strategies that make treatment more effective, more personalized to individual patient needs, and aligned with improving outcomes and quality of life for those living with and beyond breast cancer.
Precision medicine and big data
Routinely-collected administrative health data is one of the keys to improving the prevention, prediction and treatment of breast cancer. Our research leverages large Albertan health data sets on projects that will assist health care providers to precisely assess prognosis, response to potential treatments and outcomes in their patients.
Treatment outcomes for special populations
Women under 40 face unique challenges that impact the quality of their care and outcomes, yet young women with breast cancer are often underrepresented in breast cancer research. We aim to improve knowledge around this unique group, and with data-driven research, improve prognoses and outcomes for these women through our work with the Reducing the Burden of Breast Cancer in Young Women (RUBY) study.
Supported By
Our Researchers
Academic Staff
Dr. May Lynn Quan
MD, BSc, MSc, FRCSC
Professor of Surgery & Oncology
Medical Director, Calgary Breast Health Program
Scientific Director of SPHERE
Core Staff
Dr. Susan Isherwood
PhD
Program Manager
Rabia Raheel
IMG, CCRP
Research Coordinator
Flora Yang
MDSA, MEng
Data Quality Analyst
Dr. Tamer Jarada
PhD
Data Analyst
Janelle Cobb
BCom
Information Design Assistant
