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 Centre for Addictionand Mental Health |
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Research
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CAMH Science: Centred on DiscoveryScience Synopsis from the Research Program From the Desk of Shitij Kapur, Chief of Research As the old order changth yielding place to new … Dear Colleagues: It is with a heavy heart that I pen this piece, as this is my last opportunity to talk to you as Chief of Research. On August 1, I will pass this role into the competent hands of Dr. Louis Gliksman – and you could not be in better hands. I took on this position in 2003, with some ambivalence, as I was afraid it would draw me away from “real science”, and with some trepidation, as I had never before done anything this big or important. It has been a most exciting and gratifying four years. From a scientific perspective, CAMH has grown from strength to strength. Our overall grants income increased from about $28M to nearly $39M in 2006-2007, including a significant CFI grant to acquire a new cyclotron. Our bench strength has grown, thanks to notable international recruitments and the addition of two new Canada Research Chairs. We have been able to institute a formal system of performance review for scientists, which will lead to a more competitive and transparent organization. Clinical Research is more closely integrated with ‘basic’ research and we now also have an array of support services for clinical researchers. We have more formal recognition for research training initiatives, and increased integration with and impact upon the community. And our Library services are rapidly evolving to serve an increasingly virtual world. Finally, the Research Program itself is much more closely aligned with overall mission and the priorities of the hospital. All of this would not have been possible without a wonderful team. The most important lesson I learned in my role as Chief is that the only ‘power’ one has is to surround oneself with a great team, to support their ideas and cheer them on. In this regard, I have been most fortunate to have a creative team of Research Directors (Louis Gliksman, James Kennedy, Michael Bagby, Sylvain Houle) who led the charge to make change happen and Syd Jones who developed the Library. I have been most fortunate to have with me Darryl Yates and his Research Operations team, who provided all the support needed to implement changes (including, among the other innovations, the e-newsletter that you are reading). Yet, change is constant, as we live in an ever-evolving system. There is a major Research Hospital Fund competition in the cards and the Queen Street Redevelopment project continues. The Ontario government is developing a new health research strategy and there is talk of a series of Ontario Health Research Institutes – with ours being one. However, one thing shall remain constant: the hope that the new ideas and opportunities we discover will lead to less pain and suffering of those who suffer from mental illness and addictions. And since we can’t solve all those problems in this generation - we will leave behind a generation of better-trained scientists and researchers to carry on the flame. In This Issue News and Events Subscribe To subscribe to CAMH Science: Centred on Discovery e-mail research_newsletter-on@lists.camh.net. To unsubscribe e-mail research_newsletter-off@lists.camh.net. Talk Back Got a story idea you'd like to share? Contact the editor at leah_young@camh.net. All suggestions and comments are welcome.
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Last updated: Jun 28, 2007 10:27 AM Published: Nov 13, 2009 6:29 PM ID#P31148 |