Grant: Health System Impact Fellowships - PostDoc Western Canada 2-year

This project aims to find out how a publicly-funded HPV vaccination program-and the number of doses people receive-is making a difference in the rates of cervical and oropharyngeal cancer, as well as early warning signs (precursors) of these diseases. Our study focuses on people in Alberta who were eligible for the HPV vaccine between 2006 and 2024, a time when vaccine eligibility, available vaccine types, and recommended dose schedules changed significantly. To do this, we will combine health data from across the province, including vaccination records, cancer registries, and cervical screening results. This will help us track trends in vaccine uptake and cancer rates among different age groups, regions, and backgrounds. Because cervical cancer has become much less common in younger people-thanks to both vaccination and screening-we will also look closely at high-grade precancerous changes, which can signal early benefits from the vaccine. A major part of our work is to compare how well the vaccine works for people who received one, two, or three doses, and to see whether fewer doses offer comparable protection against these cancers and their precursors. To achieve these goals, we will use advanced statistical methods-such as joinpoint regression, interrupted time series analysis, age-period-cohort modeling, time-dependent Cox models, and dose-response modeling. We'll also apply geospatial and machine learning techniques to look for patterns across regions and different groups. These powerful tools will help us spot trends, measure the vaccine program's impact over time, and determine if fewer doses can still provide adequate protection. The insights from this research will help shape future vaccine recommendations and policies. Ultimately, we hope our findings will support efforts to boost vaccine coverage, close gaps in health equity, and help prevent HPV-related cancers for everyone in Alberta.