What happens when you put a radiation researcher and an architect in the same room? You get bold, imaginative collaborations that lead to global breakthroughs.

This kind of cross-disciplinary teamwork lies at the heart of Canada’s research ecosystems and industry partnerships—connecting fields far beyond traditional life sciences.

A prime example is Dr. Aaron Goodarzi, Professor at the University of Calgary, whose work on radon gas exposure could prevent tens of thousands of potentially deadly cancers over the next decade.

Radon, a radioactive gas that arises naturally underground, was discovered in 1899 at McGill University in Montréal and is a leading cause of lung cancer.

As Scientific Director of the Evict Radon National Study, Goodarzi leads a multifaceted team investigating how people are exposed to radon—and how to prevent radon-induced cancers.

Dr. Aaron Goodarzi speaking to media in the Transdisciplinary Cancer Research Hub (Photo Credit: Joshua Rice, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute)

Breaking down academic barriers to save lives

Goodarzi’s research reveals that radon accumulates in homes based on a combination of geology, building design and human behaviour—calling for wide-ranging collaboration.

“You really have to break down the silos that traditionally exist in places like universities, research institutions and governments,” says Goodarzi. “Canada's really good at this.”

Calgary’s Radiation and Air Pollution Induced Disease (RAPID) Prevention meetings embody this, gathering international experts, advocates, regulators, clinicians and patients.

“Put them all in the same rooms for a couple of days and then make the magic happen.”

Goodarzi believes Canada is at the forefront of this kind of collaboration due in part to its newer, more nimble institutions. A robust research funding system reinforces this adaptability.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) all support interdisciplinary projects.

Private donors also play a key role. For instance, Calgary businessperson Dave Robson donated $10 million to establish the Robson DNA Science Centre, which is advancing knowledge of DNA stability, repair and cancer prevention, currently under Goodarzi’s directorship.

“How people approach problems in private business is quite different to those of us in the academic space,” says Goodarzi.

“What works in one world, doesn't always work in the other, but there are absolutely lessons that—collectively understood—can really help advance goals.”

Dr. Dustin Pearson (Left) and Dr. Aaron Goodarzi (Right) in the Transdisciplinary Cancer Research Hub (Photo Credit: Allie Miller, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute)

Mobilizing Canadians as citizen scientists

Beyond formal funding, Canadians themselves actively support research by participating in radon testing alongside professional scientists, making them great citizen scientists, according to Goodarzi.

The Evict Radon National Study capitalizes on this interest by enabling people in Canada to obtain at-cost radon testing kits. The outcomes are helpful to both the person testing their house and cancer researchers compiling all data gathered to build a picture of radon exposure in homes across Canada.

Tens of thousands of Canadians have responded so far, enabling the team to understand how radon levels differ by region, community and building type, and, very importantly, to track how people’s lifestyles impact radon exposure levels.

“It's only through the power of citizen science that we’ve really been able to do that,” says Goodarzi.

Goodarzi has also empowered tens of thousands of real estate professionals to boost science communication, working with the Real Estate Council of Alberta to include radon awareness in licensing.

“Now all real estate professionals in Alberta, to be licensed, have to build good, robust knowledge on this, which has really helped change the narrative,” he says.

As Lead of Science Communication and Public Outreach for the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Goodarzi also believes strong scientific knowledge translation is one of the best ways that a researcher can make a difference to society.

“[We need] more people…going out, talking to the people where they are… in a way that is clear and understood. You have to go talk to the people where they are,” he says.

An Evict Radon National Study Citizen Scientist Radon Test Kit

Business events inspire new research questions

Business events, such as the annual Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (CARST) Conference, serve as catalysts for fresh collaborations.

“Hearing the experiences of people working in this sector to reduce radon in houses really helps us develop new projects of interest,” says Goodarzi.

One such project is investigating radon exposures amongst professionals whose work takes them into other people’s homes—such as real estate professionals, home inspectors, HVAC technicians and radon mitigation professionals.

“They can't control the radon in other people’s houses, and sometimes, if their job is a radon mitigator, their job is to actually go into the highest [exposure] houses,” says Goodarzi. “We are now asking: how does that have an impact on their health?”

To explore such questions, Goodarzi’s team has built a specialized metallomics laboratory, which houses a mass spectrometer and metal-free clean room at the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute.

“Once [radon] is in our body, it relatively quickly becomes solid radioactive lead, a metal, which, like all lead, is absorbed by the body and retained for very long periods,” says Goodarzi.

“We can see evidence of this radioactive lead buildup in tissue such as hair, toenails, bone.”

Purpose-built rooms in the facility are entirely metal free to prevent background interference by metal contaminants, and allow the team to test toenail clipping samples for radioactive lead, revealing a person’s radon exposure over time.

A major leap in cancer prevention

The Goodarzi team’s discoveries are also helping to influence policy.

Building codes across Canada are poised to mandate that pro-active radon reduction systems are installed in new residential constructions, which, if successful, has the potential to reduce radon by 40 per cent across the board and as much as 90 per cent in high-exposure homes.

“Doing this could be one of the single greatest lung cancer prevention things that has happened since tobacco smoking reduction,” says Goodarzi.

Looking ahead, Goodarzi wants to translate these insights into meaningful public health gains by the 2030s, supported by his international team of collaborators.

“No one lab, no one human, is ever going to be able to do this kind of stuff,” he says.

Goodarzi acknowledges the world is changing quickly, but he is optimistic that there is a positive future ahead for the good that science can do for society, with an opportunity for Canada to attract the best and brightest researchers.

“Canada is well positioned to perhaps be the steady hand on the tiller of the ship,” concludes Goodarzi.

Destination Canada will be highlighting Canada’s life sciences sector and economic strengths for business events with global decision makers at Innovate Canada in Calgary, this May.

To learn more about hosting your next life sciences meeting in Canada, visit businessevents.destinationcanada.com/en-ca