The Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) will be using the funding, provided by the Campbell family, on interdisciplinary research to deliver early detection methods, effective new treatments, and better systems of care for people struggling with mental illness or addiction.
“Propelled by the generosity and vision of the Campbell family, research that sheds light on the brain biology of mental illness is our most promising pathway to progress,” Dr. Catherine Zahn, president and CEO of CAMH, said in a statement.
“If we can identify how brain cells and circuits are disrupted at an early stage in childhood or youth, we can find new ways to preempt the development of debilitating conditions and change the lives of millions of people in generations to come.”
According to CAMH, one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime, and people with mental illness live 20 years less than the national average. Mental illness costs the Canadian economy $51 billion annually.
The donation was provided by the daughters of the late philanthropist Audrey Campbell and their families.
CAMH says the new institute made possible by the donation will allow the organization to attract global talent, purchase state-of-the-art technology for brain science, and invest in emerging fields in diagnostics, treatments, and prevention strategies.
