Author: Samira Prasad

New limited-edition, made-in-Canada treat available at Staples Canada raises funds for MAP, Canada’s largest health equity research centre.

RICHMOND HILL, ON – Staples Canada today launched the “Even the Odds Care Cookie,” a limited-edition treat available in stores across Canada, with proceeds supporting health equity programs in local communities. The Care Cookie is the latest expression of Staples Canada’s multi-year Even the Odds partnership with MAP (St. Michael’s Hospital), Canada’s largest health equity research centre, offering Canadians a simple and meaningful way to make a difference.

Since launching Even the Odds in 2021, Staples Canada has raised more than $9 million for MAP’s evidence-based health programs, helping to fund research and community initiatives that address the root causes of health inequity. The “Care Cookie” builds on that momentum, creating a new, tangible way for Canadians to give back every time they visit a Staples store.

“Health inequity touches far too many people across Canada, and through Even the Odds, Staples and our customers are helping to change that,” said Adrian Lang, Chief People and Legal Officer, Staples Canada. “The Care Cookie turns a simple, everyday purchase into real impact–because when our customers choose to support this initiative, they’re directly funding programs that improve lives and are making a meaningful difference in their communities.”

A Cookie with a Cause
Baked in partnership with Cookie It Up, a Canadian bakery based in Aurora, Ontario, the Care Cookie was developed specifically to serve as a national fundraising vehicle for Even the Odds. Proceeds from every cookie sold support MAP’s full suite of health equity programs — including APPLE Schools, Navigator, Our Healthbox, and the Food Prescription Program — which together serve tens of thousands of Canadians facing barriers to good health.

“We are so proud and grateful to partner with Staples Canada on this national program,” said Dr. Stephen Hwang, MAP’s director and the Canada Research Chair in Homelessness, Housing and Health. “Thanks to Even the Odds, MAP has been able to scale our evidence-backed programs to reach communities from coast to coast. This kind of impact never would have been possible without the incredible support of Staples associates, vendors and customers across the country.”

MAP’s programs are designed to address the conditions that make health inequity possible in the first place: food insecurity, lack of access to care, and under-resourced communities. Staples Canada’s sustained investment in MAP through Even the Odds has helped fund the expansion of these programs to new provinces and communities. These equity-building initiatives include:

• Navigator, an innovative solution to help people who are unhoused have a better recovery after hospitalization.
• APPLE Schools, an award-winning health promotion initiative to support a healthy start for children in underserved communities.
• Healthy Food Prescription, a landmark research trial to test a promising approach to food insecurity and chronic disease inequities: grocery store vouchers prescribed by physicians to low-income patients with diabetes.
• Our Healthbox, ‘smart’ vending machines that dispense free health supplies, HIV self-tests and essentials, such as warm socks and hygiene products, to people experiencing major barriers to healthcare.

How to Participate
Staples customers across Canada can support Even the Odds in three ways:

• Buy a Care Cookie in-store at any Staples Canada location for $4.99, or online at staples.ca
• Make a donation at checkout at your local Staples store or online at staples.ca.
• Become an ongoing supporter by donating directly online at staples.ca/eventheodds

The “Care Cookie” is available in stores while supplies last. Customers can make a direct donation in-store from May 3 through June 14.  Staples Canada encourages customers to visit their local store to learn more about the Even the Odds campaign and MAP’s impact across Canada, and/or through visiting staples.ca/eventheodds.

About MAP
MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions is Canada’s largest research centre focused on health equity and the social determinants of health. Internationally recognized for groundbreaking science and innovation, MAP develops and implements real-world, evidence-driven program and policy solutions that disrupt cycles of socioeconomic exclusion and poor health. For more than 25 years, MAP has partnered with communities and policy makers across the country to take on complex issues such as homelessness, unequal access to health care and medicine, and the lifelong effects of childhood poverty. MAP is based at St. Michael’s Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto. For more information, visit maphealth.ca.

About Staples Canada
Staples Canada is a Canadian company headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario, committed to helping parents, teachers, businesses, and entrepreneurs work smarter, learn more and grow every day. We deliver EASY, solution-focused experiences through a curated product offering, knowledgeable in-store associates, and seamless services. Our network includes close to 300 stores across Canada and staples.ca, printing and shipping services at Staples Print, and Staples Studio co-working spaces. We also have a group of dedicated B2B brands that support businesses of all sizes, including Staples Preferred, Staples Professional, Supreme Office Supplies and Furniture, Denis Office Supplies, and Monarch Office Supply Inc. We are committed to the communities we serve and are a proud partner of MAP through Even the Odds, a fundraising initiative that aims to eliminate critical gaps in health equity. For more information, visit staples.ca or engage with @StaplesCanada on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The results of two clinical trials – led by the Upstream Lab at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and Oxford University, published in the New England Journal of Medicine – provide new evidence to consider when funding, prescribing, or taking Paxlovid to treat COVID-19.

The CanTreatCOVID study in Canada and the PANORAMIC study in the UK involved a total of over 4,200 people and found that Paxlovid does not reduce hospital admissions or deaths in vaccinated adults at higher risk of severe COVID-19, but it does help people recover a few days faster.

“In terms of the use of Paxlovid, guidelines across Canada have evolved from its initial approval through the CanTreatCOVID study to today. They have progressively narrowed and I think that this evidence will further refine them,” said Dr. Andrew Pinto, who led the Canadian trial. He is the Director of the Upstream Lab, based at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, part of St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto). Upstream Lab Scientist Dr. Benita Hosseini was a Co-Principal Investigator of the CanTreatCOVID study.

In Ontario, the guidelines suggest that Paxlovid can be prescribed to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in patients who are: 65 years of age and older, 18 years of age or older who are immunocompromised, or 18 to 64 years of age with at least one risk factor associated with more severe COVID-19 outcomes. For those not covered under the Ontario Public Drug Programs or private insurance, the cost could be about $1,400 out of pocket.

In January 2022, Health Canada authorized Paxlovid after initial study results revealed a reduced risk of hospitalization and death by nearly 90 per cent in unvaccinated high-risk patients. In contrast, the PANORAMIC trial and the CanTreatCOVID trial studied vaccinated patients.

“In today’s highly vaccinated populations, the benefits of Paxlovid have fundamentally changed,” said Oxford University’s Dr. Christopher Butler, who led the UK trial. “While people feel better sooner, we found no reduction in the already low rate of hospitalizations or deaths. This provides essential high-quality evidence for optimal, cost-effective targeting of this treatment.”

Paxlovid speeds recovery time in vaccinated patients

Both trials recruited vaccinated adults aged 50 and over, or younger adults with certain health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or a weakened immune system. All participants tested positive for COVID and had symptoms for five days or less. Almost everyone (about 98 per cent) had already received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine.

Interestingly, the studies revealed  that Paxlovid did not reduce the chance of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 in those who were already vaccinated, but patients reported feeling better sooner and were more likely to stay recovered. In PANORAMIC, median recovery time was 14 days with Paxlovid compared to 21 days with usual care. CanTreatCOVID found recovery at 6 days versus 9 days.

TreatResp and PREPARED continue research to prepare for a future pandemic

CanTreatCOVID was one of the largest outpatient trials in Canada and has laid the groundwork for future research studies to be conducted in the community. It has been adapted into Upstream Lab’s new clinical trial called TreatResp, which launched in April 2026. TreatResp is designed to study treatments for respiratory infections, such as seasonal flu, and rapidly respond in the event of a future pandemic.

“For policymakers and funders, CanTreatCOVID demonstrates the value of having this type of research infrastructure ready to go so that we can study treatments for infections as they’re happening. In a new pandemic caused by a novel respiratory infection, our hope is TreatResp is fully up and running, and that it can be used to study treatments very quickly, both in terms of their efficacy and their cost-effectiveness,” said Dr. Pinto.

CanTreatCOVID was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Health Canada, and supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada. CanTreatCOVID involved researchers from across Canada, including University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Calgary, University of Manitoba, and Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Patients will be referred to TreatResp from another Upstream Lab research project called PREPARED, which is aimed at helping Canada prepare for future pandemics. Researchers are monitoring which viruses are circulating in our communities, by distributing free at-home test kits for COVID-19 and influenza to eligible patients in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Newfoundland.

PREPARED is funded by the Canada Biomedical Research Fund. To learn more or to see if you’re eligible for a free at-home test kit, visit preparedcanada.org.

To read the full article:

Butler, C.C., Pinto A.D., et al. Oral nirmatrelvir-ritonavir for COVID-19 in higher risk outpatients. N Engl J Med 2026;394:1583-94. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2502457

People in Canada have a new, less invasive way to test for HIV at home, following Health Canada’s approval of an oral self-test. Dr. Sean Rourke, whose research helped obtain the approval, spoke with the CBC about how these tests have the potential to reach thousands who experience barriers to traditional testing.

Research by Dr. Tara Gomes is cited in a letter to the provincial government from former Toronto mayors to the provincial government asking for the reconsideration of the closures of safe consumption sites. The research points to a rise in opioid-related overdoses following the April 2025 closures of some sites.

The U of T President’s Impact Awards recognize research that has led to a significant impact beyond academia. This year, two MAP scientists, Dr. Sean B. Rourke and Dr. Tara Gomes are among the recipients. Laureates are designated as members of the President’s Impact Academy, and receive a monetary award of $10,000 per year for five years to be used toward their research.

Dr. Sean Rourke, MAP scientist and professor of psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, is being recognized for outstanding leadership in advancing HIV/STI testing accessibility and care for underserved populations, including influential work reshaping Canada’s approach to prevention, diagnosis and equitable healthcare.

The Ontario Drug Policy Research Network at Unity Health Toronto and the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy – led by MAP scientist Dr. Tara Gomes and U of T Associate Professor Dr. Mina Tadrous – are being recognized for transforming real-world evidence into drug policy that improves medication access, safety, and system sustainability, shaping public decisions and health outcomes across Canada and internationally.

“The University of Toronto is immensely proud of these researchers, who are advancing knowledge in critical areas,” said Barbara Fallon, U of T’s associate vice-president, research. “From accessible HIV testing and equitable drug policy to sustainable manufacturing technologies and improved care for patients with autoimmune disease, these scholars are making contributions that transcend academia and are having an impact on lives and societies.”

The Slaight Family Foundation’s recent gift will fund a partnership between MAP and the United Way Greater Toronto to launch the Slaight Family Housing Lab. The lab will use an evidence-based approach to move people off the streets and into supportive housing. Dr. Stephen Hwang, MAP director and scientist, spoke with The Canadian Press about the launch.

This article was also published in The Globe and Mail, CBC, CTV Toronto and CityNews Toronto.

In this Globe and Mail article, MAP director Dr. Stephen Hwang and United Way Greater Toronto CEO Heather McDonald discuss the impact of a generous $25-million gift from the Slaight Family Foundation. The gift will fund MAP and United Way Greater Toronto’s partnership on the Slaight Family Housing Lab. The lab will respond to urgent health and housing crises facing people living on the street today, and tackle the root causes of chronic homelessness by helping people move into permanent housing.

For World Health Day the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) spoke with MAP scientist Dr. Sean B. Rourke – 2025 RSC Eric Jackman Prize inaugural recipient – about his life-saving work expanding access to healthcare across Canada.  

The Ontario government says its plan to connect people with primary care is right on track. The government has said it will clear the provincial wait-list by spring 2026. And in this year’s budget, it’s dedicating another 325 million dollars — making the total investment 3.4 billion dollars over four years. The goal is to connect everyone with primary care by 2029. Is that achievable? We discuss the progress that’s been made and what else needs to be done with Dr. Tara Kiran, a family doctor and MAP scientist and national lead of the OurCare initiative; and Deepy Sur, the CEO of the Ontario College of Family Physicians.

From U of T News, by Aideen Teeling

Darrell Tan remembers diagnosing the first-ever case of mpox in Ontario in May 2022. Based on reports of growing mpox epidemics in Europe and the United States, his mind went straight to an outbreak scenario in Canada.  

“My head was spinning with questions: how is it going to manifest?” he says. 

Tan is an infectious disease physician and clinician-scientist at Unity Health Toronto and co-led the Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium’s mpox rapid research response along with Sharmistha Mishra, a fellow infectious disease physician and mathematical modeler at Unity Health Toronto.  

Launched in July 2022, the funding program provided over $1.13 million to 5 research projects involving 15 scientists — from the University of Toronto and hospital partners Sunnybrook Research Institute, Unity Health Toronto and the University Health Network — to support  the rapid establishment of an interdisciplinary research platform grounded in a clinical cohort and community engagement.  The outcomes of these projects shaped our understanding of mpox and steered the clinical and public health response in Ontario and beyond. Collectively, this work has uncovered new insights into how the viral infection and transmission, including via environmental surfaces, vaccine effectiveness and distribution strategies. 

Mpox (previously known as monkeypox) is a viral infection that spreads through close contact and is characterized by flu-like illness and painful rashes typically found on the hands, feet, face and anogenital region. As of March 2026, 2,345 cases of mpox have been recorded in Canada, with over half of cases found in Ontario. Earlier this month, two cases of a different strain of the mpox virus were reported in Toronto.  

When mpox first emerged in Canada in 2022, there were many questions about how it would impact a population that had little to no pre-existing immunity against the virus.

To answer these questions, Tan established the Mpox Observational Cohort Study (MPOCS), which has since enrolled over 100 participants. By following the participants over time, the researchers generated a more complete picture of the symptoms, duration and treatment strategies for mpox, and provided a wealth of information to guide physicians in diagnosing and treating a suspected case of mpox. The participants also shared information about the timing and types of exposures, their concerns about isolation, and helped researchers understand environmental transmission of the virus. 

The day after diagnosing his first mpox case, Tan reached out to the Gay Men Sexual Health Alliance (GMSH) discuss with its leaders about how to engage with gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM), which reports indicated were the communities most affected by mpox.  

“How are we going to mobilize the community around [mpox]?” says Tan, who is also an associate professor of medicine at U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine. 

A concern raised by a community member led to the creation of an online image atlas showing how lesions can vary in their appearance across different skin tones and parts of the body. Created using photos from the cohort study, the image atlas is an important tool to help physicians diagnose mpox and to reduce stigma around its portrayal in media. 

Beyond diagnosing mpox, Tan says one of the benefits of having a large longitudinal cohort is the ability to ask other important questions. For example, the researchers noticed that people could have lesions for weeks, even after they felt better. This led them to investigate where the virus replicates in the body and how long it remains infectious. 

Tan and Mishra teamed up with Rob Kozak, a clinical microbiologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, to study biological samples donated by MPOCS participants, which are stored in the MPOCS Biobank housed at the Toronto High Containment Facility. 

The researchers showed that mpox skin lesions can shed infectious virus particles for up to three weeks and that virus can be found for up to four weeks in the anogenital region.  

Tan says these results not only informed diagnostic strategies in asymptomatic cases but also framed his conversations with patients about how long the virus remains present and what precautions should be taken to limit viral spread.  

Building on this work, Kozak and Tan published another study showing that the only antiviral available to treat mpox, tecovirimat, failed to reduce the number of infectious viral particles shed by mpox patients. These findings, which were replicated by other studies, have been used to advocate for the development of more effective antiviral drugs against mpox.  

“As we’re figuring out the virus, the virus is figuring us out as well,” says Kozak, who is also an assistant professor in the department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology. 

As a virologist, Kozak was interested in discovering how the virus causes disease and why some people got sicker than others. 

Following reports that mpox tends to cause particularly severe illness in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Kozak and postdoctoral researcher Jacklyn Hurst used dual RNA-sequencing to investigate which viral genes were turned on and induced expression of immune response genes in cells from mpox patients also living with HIV. In people with HIV and mpox, they observed decreased expression of immune response genes and an increase in harmful viral genes, which sheds light on the arms race taking place inside cells that may lead to worse illness. 

Kozak says EPIC funding was critical in enabling his early research that led to larger funding from external agencies. He is now collaborating with the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at the University of Saskatchewan to understand mpox infections in animals, which may reveal new treatment strategies in human cases. 

Mpox shares remarkable genetic similarities with the smallpox virus, which was eradicated in 1980. Canada has maintained a stockpile of smallpox vaccines for emergency use which public health teams were able to access during the mpox outbreak, but supplies were limited. 

For Mishra, one of her early priorities was developing mechanistic and explanatory mathematical models of transmission to help inform an effective and equitable vaccine campaign. The question of early vaccine allocation was posed to Mishra by public health decision makers right at the start of the outbreak. 

Mishra, who holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Mathematical Modeling and Program Science, says that mathematical models can help researchers to see beyond what is being reported clinically. 

“What might be the potential trajectories we might see in the short term, in the medium term, and in the potential long term?” she asks. 

Empowered by EPIC’s mpox rapid response funding, Mishra and then PhD student Jesse Knight published a study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal projecting that distributing vaccines to cities based on the size of gbMSM sexual networks and the characteristics and configuration of networks could prevent a significant number of mpox infections — findings that were used to inform public health vaccination strategies in Ontario. 

Mishra built on her EPIC-funded modelling studies to further investigate the effectiveness of the smallpox vaccine against mpox. In a landmark study published in the British Medical Journal, Mishra, Jeff Kwong, Christine Navarro and colleagues at Public Health Ontario demonstrated that a single dose of vaccine had an estimated effectiveness of 58%.  

As an associate professor of medicine at Temerty Medicine and at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Mishra says robust estimates of vaccine effectiveness not only make modelling data more reliable, but also provide critical thresholds for public health interventions by informing policymakers about how much of the population would need to receive vaccination to prevent ongoing outbreaks. 

Tan, Kozak, and Mishra, alongside the entire rapid response team, have also leveraged their experience from Ontario’s 2022 mpox outbreak to build national and international research partnerships with countries continuing to face growing mpox outbreaks.  

“You don’t do infectious disease research locally,” says Mishra. 

She says connecting with colleagues in Nigeria and Sierra Leone through the Canada-Africa Mpox Partnership (CAMP) network, has allowed her to share the mpox modeling approaches developed through the EPIC rapid response to foster mutual capacity building and will enhance future surveillance for mpox and other emerging pathogens in these regions.  

Almost four years after Canada’s first case of mpox was reported — with a new strain of the virus threatening to cause a resurgence in cases — all three researchers remain vigilant about the possibility of a new outbreak and focused on the questions that remain unanswered. 

“Surveillance is key as well as encouraging vaccination,” says Kozak. “We can’t let our guard down when it comes to mpox.”