CaNCaM-Preg
The Canadian Network of Networks to Reduce Cardiovascular Mortality and Morbidity in Pregnancy
When heart complications threaten lives during pregnancy, coordination is not a choice – it is a necessity.
CaNCaM-Preg is a pan-Canadian initiative creating the systems, data, and partnerships needed to prevent avoidable cardiovascular events in pregnancy. We are not here to study the problem. We are here to dismantle it.
Who we are
Cardiovascular disease is now one of the leading causes of death during and after pregnancy in Canada. These are not isolated incidents. They are preventable outcomes made possible by disconnected care and outdated systems.
Early warning signs are missed. Follow-up is inconsistent. Care for heart disease is rarely designed with pregnancy in mind. And those most at risk – especially in underserved communities – are often left to navigate this alone.
This is not a failure of science. It is a failure of structure.
CaNCaM-Preg is building what has been missing: a national, coordinated response to maternal cardiovascular risk – one rooted in evidence, driven by equity, and designed to endure.
Our team
Principal Investigator
Rohan D’Souza
McMaster University
Principal Investigator
Isabelle Malhamé
McGill University
Principal Investigator
Jasmine Grewal
University of British Columbia
Principal Investigator
Candice Silversides
University of Toronto
Principal Investigator
Samuel Siu
Western University
Program Manager
Josie Chundamala
McMaster University
News
What we do
CaNCaM-Preg (Canadian Network for Cardiovascular Maternal Health) is a national, interdisciplinary initiative led by Dr. Rohan D’Souza, designed to address gaps in cardio-obstetrics research by establishing two interconnected, pan-Canadian networks focused on reducing pregnancy-related cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. These networks will be grounded in the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), and will prioritize culturally safe, sex- and gender-appropriate care.
The two networks are:
Canadian Cardio-Obstetrics Network (CanCOB): a network of cardio-obstetrics centres across Canada focused on research, education and improving clinical care for pregnant women with congenital and acquired heart disease.
CaNCaM-Preg is building the infrastructure needed to make maternal cardiovascular care reliable, responsive, and real.
Align clinical, policy, and community stakeholders nationwide
Design scalable interventions based on rigorous evidence
Embed equity and lived experience into every phase of our work
Build tools and care pathways that outlast any single project
This is not innovation for its own sake. It is long-overdue system reform.
CaNCaM-Preg is a five-year, $5 million network funded by the Research Networks of Excellence in Heart and Brain Health. Our funders include:
Heart & Stroke Foundation
Brain Canada
CIHR – Institute of Gender and Health
Led by Dr. Rohan D’Souza, Canada Research Chair in Maternal Health, our network connects cardiologists, obstetricians, social scientists, economists, and people with lived experience. Together, we are closing the gap between what is known and what is done.
Patient network
Learning from what went wrong
We investigate cases of severe cardiovascular harm during pregnancy and postpartum to uncover where systems failed – and to ensure those failures are not repeated.
Following through after childbirth
We design and implement postpartum pathways that keep people connected to cardiac care long after delivery – because recovery is not the end of risk.
Expanding access to specialist care
We create scalable models for high-risk care that reach people with known heart conditions – especially in regions where access has long been out of reach.
Support CaNCaM-Preg
The solutions are clear. The cost of inaction is devastating. What is needed now is collective will.
Philanthropic partners, public funders, and health system leaders have a central role in this transformation. By supporting CaNCaM-Preg, you are investing in a future where no one’s life is cut short because of a missed risk or a delayed response.
This is not about more research. It is about ensuring the evidence works – in practice, in policy, and in time.