CoVaRR-Net Mandate
CoVaRR-Net, or Coronavirus Variants Rapid Response Network, is a network of interdisciplinary researchers from institutions across the country created to assist in the Government of Canada’s overall strategy to address the potential threat of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Our mandate is to coordinate, facilitate, support and accelerate rapid response research throughout Canada.
We aim to create infrastructures, such as a national biobank, a secure data sharing platform, and material sharing agreements, to make it easier and faster for researchers to access the resources they need to study variants in Canada.
The goal: rapidly answer critical and immediate questions regarding variants, such as their increased transmissibility, likelihood to cause severe cases of COVID-19, and resistance to vaccines. The findings from the experts in our network and their teams will provide decision makers in Canada, but also abroad, with guidance regarding drug therapy, vaccine effectiveness, and other public health strategies.
We aim to create infrastructures, such as a national biobank, a secure data sharing platform, and material sharing agreements, to make it easier and faster for researchers to access the resources they need to study variants in Canada.
The goal: rapidly answer critical and immediate questions regarding variants, such as their increased transmissibility, likelihood to cause severe cases of COVID-19, and resistance to vaccines. The findings from the experts in our network and their teams will provide decision makers in Canada, but also abroad, with guidance regarding drug therapy, vaccine effectiveness, and other public health strategies.
CoVaRR-Net Biobank
Dr. Crawley will work with Associate Director Dr. Donald Vinh to establish a biobank team by, in partnership with CoVaRR-Net’s Data Management Team, inviting a vast array of existing SARS-CoV-2 biobanks across Canada to become members of CoVaRR-Net’s biobank. In addition, she will lead CoVaRR-Net initiatives to build capacity in their assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern across the country and foster and facilitate collaboration within the biobank memberships with CoVaRR-Net. The CoVaRR-Net Biobank activities will proceed in partnership with the ethics and EDI directors.
CoVaRR-Net Staff - Crawley Lab
Dr. Angela Crawley, PhD
Biobank Director, CoVaRR-Net
September 2020 - Present
Biobank Director, CoVaRR-Net
September 2020 - Present
Dr. Agatha Vranjkovic, PhD
Research Ethics and Access Officer, CoVaRR-Net
September 2020 - Present
Research Ethics and Access Officer, CoVaRR-Net
September 2020 - Present
Laura Tamblyn, MSc
Biobank Coordinator, CoVaRR-Net
June 2021 - Present
Biobank Coordinator, CoVaRR-Net
June 2021 - Present
Leah Wood
Jr. Research Technician, CoVaRR-Net
November 2021 - Present
Jr. Research Technician, CoVaRR-Net
November 2021 - Present
Salman (Mostafa) Bagheri, MSc
Research Technician, CoVaRR-Net
October 2021 - Present
Research Technician, CoVaRR-Net
October 2021 - Present
