POPCORN News


September 10, 2024

We’re so proud of Dr. Nadia Roumeliotis and the Indirect Consequences team for their recently published articles on hospitalization rates related to mental health conditions during pandemic periods and the relationship between stringency measures and eating disorder admissions.  A special thank you to the youth and parent partners recruited from across Canada to provide insights on eating disorder-related hospitalizations during the COVID-19 pandemic and help interpret the results. The shared experiential knowledge supported the research and helped inform a Free to Be Safe call to action in support of Canada's proposed Online Harms Act (Bill C-63).  Stay tuned for a commentary written by the youth partners on the data from the published studies and recommendations for policymakers, researchers, and clinicians to support youth with eating disorders in Canada.

August 7, 2024

We are thrilled to see the impact and uptake of the recent Indirect Consequences team publications in national and international news channels. You can find all the media coverage below:

Hausse des hospitalisations liées aux troubles de la conduite alimentaire - 98.5FM
Études du CHU Sainte-Justine : un portrait plus nuancé de l’impact de la pandémie sur la santé mentale des jeunes - La Presse
Nouveau portrait de la santé mentale des jeunes pendant la pandémie - Noovo Info
Nouveau portrait de la santé mentale des jeunes pendant la pandémie - L’Actualité
Rattrapage du mercredi 10 juillet 2024 - Bonjour la côte, Radio-Canada
How did pandemic restrictions impact youth mental health? - Daybreak Montreal, CBC Radio
Les rigueurs sanitaires sévères liées à la hausse des troubles alimentaires - Tout un matin, Radio-Canada
Épisode jeudi 11 juillet - «De l’inédit!»
Rattrapage du jeudi 11 juillet 2024 - Vivement le retour, Radio-Canada
Entrevue avec la Dre Nadia Roumeliotis : COVID et impact sur la santé mentale des jeunes - Panorama, Radio-Canada
The Pandemic Caused an Increase in Eating Disorders Among Teens, Study Shows - Parents.com
Can Canada Protect Mental Health During the Next Pandemic? - Medscape
Rattrapage du mardi 6 août 2024 - Panorama, Radio-Canada en Colombie-Britannique et au Yukon

There were also a few media stories which we do not have the recordings for: Dr. Roumeliotis on Radio-Canada Moncton, Regina and Sherbrooke, and Dr. Quach-Thanh on KYK FM.

Congratulations again to the Indirect Consequences team for their recent publications, and thank you to Dr. Roumeliotis and Dr. Quach-Thanh for their time completing media interviews.

July 8, 2024

May 24, 2024

We are pleased to announce that the second annual POPCORN Platform Conference, held on May 7-8, 2024, was another success! It was wonderful seeing everyone across the platform come together to share and learn. Thank you to everyone who attended in person and virtually. We hope to see you all again next year!

You can find some candid photos from this latest conference here and at the bottom of our Leadership page.

A reminder that we are always open to discussing new projects within POPCORN. You can submit a new project request here.

Please contact us at POPCORN@micyrn.ca if you have any questions or feedback you would like to share.

May 6, 2024

We are happy to announce that our next phase, POPCORN 2.0, has been funded! This second phase will be led by Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh and the team at CHU Ste. Justine, and was made possible with $16 million in new funding from the Canadian government, through the Canada Biomedical Research Fund

You can read the full article here.

March 22, 2024

We are excited to announce that our second annual conference will take place on May 7 & 8 in Toronto. We will also have a virtual option for those who cannot make it in person. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

January 12, 2024

You can now watch recordings of the “Understanding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Promoting Health Equity Among Children, Adolescents, and Families in Canada and the United States” webinar that was held on October 25, 2023. This training session highlights research that has identified what worked well to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children, adolescents and families, while also recognizing the serious and negative consequences of the pandemic.

You can find the full recording here.

June 2, 2023

We are happy to announce that the first annual POPCORN Platform Conference on May 3-4, 2023, was a success! Thank you to everyone who attended in person and virtually. We hope to see you all again next year! A copy of the slides can be found here.

A reminder that we are always open to discussing new projects within POPCORN. You can submit a new project request here.

Please contact us at 
POPCORN@micyrn.ca if you have any questions or feedback you would like to share.

February 1, 2023

We are thrilled to announce that COVID-19 seroepidemiology in children Using Retrieved POPCORN site Leftover Samples (CURNLS) project launched on Feb 1, 2023!

January 25, 2023

Researchers, clinicians, and patient and family partners come together to form a new pan-Canadian pediatric research platform. While created in response to COVID-19, the network will provide the infrastructure to answer important research questions in child health well beyond the pandemic.

January 18, 2023

We are excited to announce that the POPCORN COVID-19 Platform Prospective Cohort Study was officially launched on January 18, 2023!

January 11, 2023

To POPCORN collaborators: Interested in using the POPCORN platform for future studies? Please send a one-page new study submission to POPCORN@micyrn.ca. They will be discussed at the upcoming platform conference on May 3-4. 

January 9, 2023

The first POPCORN Annual Conference has been scheduled for May 3-4 in Toronto. This will be an opportunity for POPCORN collaborators to discuss the progress to date and the future of POPCORN. For more information about the conference, please contact POPCORN@micyrn.ca

October 2022

In Canada, the vast majority of COVID-19 cases in the 0 to 18 age group have been mild or asymptomatic. This fact, combined with the reduction in routine COVID-19 laboratory testing across most of the country, means that the infection rates in children and adolescents are largely unknown. What’s more, since levels of transmission, vaccination and immunity are continually changing, ongoing surveillance is necessary to help guide public health policy.

Read all the coverage at:
The Suburban
Le Devoir
COVID-19 Immunity Task Force
UDEM Nouvelles
CHU Sainte-Justine

April/May 2022

Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos was in Montreal on April 26 to announce a new investment of 6.7 million dollars by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The investment will create a Canada-wide research platform to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people. Minister Duclos said the platform will allow researchers in pediatric centres across the country to monitor COVID-19 infections, vaccination, and the social impact of the disease on children and youth. 

Read the full news story at:
McGill - Department of Pediatrics
McGill University Health Centre

April 26, 2022

BC Children’s Hospital is part of a new cross-Canada network to ensure a coordinated research response to COVID-19. Supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the platform will enhance collaboration and information-sharing between research teams to fully understand the impacts of COVID-19 and improve the health and well-being of children and youth.

April 25, 2022

The federal government is investing $6.7 million on a Canada-wide research platform to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on children.

Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told reporters today in Montreal the platform will involve researchers at 16 Canadian institutions.

Read the full news story at:
City News
Global News

April 25, 2022

Pediatric health researchers from 16 institutions across Canada are joining forces to better understand COVID-19. They are united by the research network coordination platform POPCORN (Pediatric Outcome ImProvement through Coordination Of Research Networks) led by Dr. Caroline Quach, pediatric infectious diseases specialist and medical microbiologist at CHU Sainte-Justine and Professor at Université de Montréal. They will study the impacts of COVID-19 disease, vaccination and public health measures on the health and well-being of children and young people.

April 25, 2022

Since March 2020, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) have invested more than $320 million in research to support the Government of Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes funding for research aimed at examining and mitigating the impacts of the pandemic on children, youth and families.


Illustrated Image of people discussing/sharing ideas, reading, and announcing

Illustrated Image of people discussing/sharing ideas, reading, and announcing