Our Mission
The Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, directed by Dr. Yona Lunsky, is the first centre of its kind in Canada and was created through a visionary $10.4-million gift from the Azrieli Foundation. The Centre’s efforts are organized around four pillars – research excellence, clinical innovation, education and training, and knowledge exchange. Scientists work in partnership with both clinicians and people with lived experience to share valuable knowledge, resources and expertise across CAMH, throughout the province, and nationally so no one is left behind. Recognizing the mental health issues experienced by adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families, our centre is committed to building capacity and transforming how mental health services are provided to this underserved and often marginalized group. By investing in scientists and fellows who are early in their careers, we are driving discovery, building greater capacity, and training the experts of tomorrow.
Clinical Innovation: Working closely with CAMH's Adult Neurodevelopmental Services (ANS), scientists and fellows train within a rich, clinical setting, exploring new ways to adapt treatments to meet the needs of adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families.
Research Excellence: Our centre’s scientists, fellows, and graduate trainees work together across disciplines and research areas, including psychology, psychiatry, nursing, social work, rehabilitative sciences, applied disability studies, and health services research.
Education and Training: Graduate trainees, fellows, and scientists work closely with CAMH Education and Professional Practice to integrate teaching about this population into broader mental health care curriculum, clinical training opportunities, and patient and family education, including Project ECHO Mental Health and the Patient and Family Learning Space.
Knowledge Exchange: To maximize the reach of discovery and educational efforts, the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre is committed to changing how information and resources for this population are developed and shared with care providers, patients, their families and the CAMH community.
