2026 EPIQ Conference / Annual CNN-CPTBN Meeting

2026 EPIQ Conference / Annual CNN–CPTBN Meeting

January 31 – February 3 | Advancing evidence, data, and collaboration in neonatal care

I am attending the 2026 EPIQ Conference / Annual CNN–CPTBN Meeting from January 31 to February 3, a cornerstone national meeting that brings together clinicians, researchers, and health system leaders committed to improving outcomes for newborn infants through evidence-based practice and high-quality data.

The meeting is grounded in Evidence-based Practice for Improving Quality (EPIQ) and convenes alongside the Canadian Neonatal Network (CNN) and the Canadian Preterm Birth Network (CPTBN)—three national platforms that together shape neonatal quality improvement and collaborative research in Canada.

Key themes for myself: data, quality, and national collaboration

This year’s program focuses on how robust data infrastructure and coordinated research can directly inform and improve bedside care. Core meetings and sessions include:

• CLIPP (Canadian platform for electronic data transfer)Strengthening national electronic data transfer to assess meaningful short- and long-term outcomes in newborn infants across Canada.

• CER (Cooperative Effectiveness Research)A pan-Canadian effectiveness study evaluating non-invasive respiratory support strategies after extubation across all CNN sites—an important step toward harmonizing practice and improving respiratory outcomes.

In addition, the meeting features state-of-the-art presentations and updates on current neonatal trials, as well as discussions on priorities and proposals for future multicenter studies.

Presentations and future directions

During the meeting, I am presenting on physiological cord-based clamping, highlighting emerging evidence and its implications for stabilizing newborns at birth. I am also providing updates on ongoing large-scale neonatal trials, including SURV1VE and HiLo, and engaging in discussions around their progress, challenges, and next steps.

Importantly, the meeting also serves as a platform to propose and discuss several new trial concepts, leveraging the national CNN and CPTBN infrastructure to address clinically important questions that require coordinated, multicenter collaboration.

Why this meeting matters

What makes the EPIQ / CNN–CPTBN meeting unique is its integration of quality improvement, real-world national data, and rigorous clinical research. By aligning bedside practice with shared datasets and collaborative trials, the meeting helps translate evidence into practice at scale.

Over these four days, the focus is firmly on learning from each other, refining ongoing work, and shaping the next generation of neonatal research and quality improvement efforts in Canada.