Dr. Andrew Pinto, who leads Upstream Lab at MAP, spoke with CBC News about the need for trauma prevention, adequate housing and income security in the conversation around government funded addiction rehabilitation.
“Recovery is crucial and it needs to be sustained over time, over many years, otherwise there’s a really significant risk that people relapse into substance use again,” said Dr. Pinto.
On May 21, MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions announced the winners of the 2026 MAP Awards: Shajitha Rasiah, Nancy Tahmo and Monica Rudd. These annual awards recognize outstanding MAP staff, students or volunteers who have excelled in their roles and demonstrate a passion and commitment to applying MAP’s values in their work.
Shajitha Rasiah (she/her), Research Coordinator on Dr. Pat O’Campo’s team, is the winner of the MAP Values in Practice Award, an award to recognize an individual who exemplifies and advocates for MAP values in their work and interactions. From Shajitha’s nomination: “Her approach to interactions is grounded in equity and inclusion — it has never been an after-thought to her, which is highly evident when working with her. Shajitha truly believes in the importance of making research spaces safe and accessible.”
Nancy Tahmo (she/her), PhD Candidate on Dr. Sharmistha Mishra’s team, is the winner of the MAP Community Partnerships Award, an award to recognize an individual who consistently models exemplary community partnership practices and integration of the perspectives of community and people with lived expertise into their research. From Nancy’s nomination: “Nancy creates space for community voices to be heard, valued, and meaningfully included in the research process. As someone working closely with communities, I have deeply appreciated Nancy’s mentorship, humility, and commitment to participatory research.”
Monica Rudd (she/her), Data Analyst on Dr. Darrell Tan’s team, is the winner of the MAP Peer Mentor Award, an award to recognize an individual who works hard to help colleagues learn, feel valued and do well at work. From Monica’s nomination: “Monica is a compassionate mentor who takes great care to ensuring every trainee feels respected as an equal. She takes the time to check in frequently, empowering students to explore without fear of failure and pushing them to be critical thinkers.”
Congratulations to all of our 2026 MAP Awards winners and nominees!
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:
How to Participate
Staples customers across Canada can support Even the Odds in three ways:
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.
