Leading research

Created through a $100-million anonymous gift, CAMH’s Discovery Fund is supporting the next generation of leading scientists, driving discovery, and investing in the data platforms, infrastructure and analytics needed to leverage research findings and translate them into practice. We’re embedding research into virtually everything we do, empowering all staff and patients to participate in our leading-edge studies. The Discovery Fund is helping us improve engagement, capacity and alignment to maximize our impact.

We’re showing promise in reversing the cognitive problems linked to depression and aging with new therapeutic molecules developed at CAMH, ultimately setting the stage for targeting these symptoms in depression for the first time and potentially delaying the onset of such illnesses as Alzheimer’s disease.

“The aged cells regrew to appear the same as young brain cells, showing that our novel molecules can modify the brain in addition to improving symptoms,” says Dr. Etienne Sibille, Deputy Director of CAMH’s Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute.

Photo: Drs. Yani Hamdani and Meng-Chuan Lai are studying girls and women with autism.

Working with CAMH’s Wallace and Margaret McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health and the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Drs. Yani Hamdani and Meng-Chuan Lai are examining the health care experiences of girls and women with autism to improve their diagnosis and treatment.

Modern “big data” and artificial intelligence techniques have the potential to truly transform mental health. The BrainHealth Databank initiative is working collaboratively with teams across CAMH to ensure high-quality, standardized research and clinical data are integrated and accessible to drive life-changing research at CAMH and beyond.

This searchable knowledge base of integrated data will enable the application of modern large-scale data analytics, visualization and machine learning techniques with the potential for major impacts on mental health care, research, education and policy.

“The BrainHealth Databank empowers interdisciplinary teamwork, which engages patients, clinicians, data engineers, neuroinformaticians, analysts, privacy, ethics and researchers to accelerate discovery and innovation, transform care, clinical practice, and ultimately, improve mental health outcomes,” says Dr. Sean Hill, Director of the Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics.

Photo: Dr. Neil Vasdev, Director of the Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry

We’re developing innovative natural dietary supplements to prevent post-partum depression by targeting specific brain cells.

“We believe ours is the first study to show such a strong, beneficial effect in reducing the baby blues at a time when postpartum sadness peaks,” says Dr. Jeffrey Meyer, who holds a Canada Research Chair in the Neurochemistry of Major Depression.