Letter from the Vice-President, Research: Research Annual Report 2002

Commitment to research excellence has never been stronger at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The breadth and excellence of our research is reflected in the many innovative new projects and partnerships, increased funding, and a variety of other opportunities that have been realized by our researchers and scientists over the past year.

Our work with various funding agencies -- including Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Foundation for Innovation and Ontario Innovation Trust -- is stronger than ever and will continue to grow in the future. Our scientists and researchers have been very active in communicating and sharing their new findings, at over 640 conferences in 146 cities in 28 different countries, in the past year. This dedication and renewed commitment to collaborating on and promoting research allows CAMH to play a leadership role locally, nationally and internationally.

This last year also marked the beginning of the planning process for our new site redevelopment. Through this process, our research staff were involved in planning the expansion of the research program and relocation to a new state-of-the-art research facility. This exciting new proposed facility would house CAMH researchers and create an environment aimed at fostering research collaboration and integration between our various departments and programs.

Through various extramural funding successes we have been able to continue to develop the our research infrastructure. Examples of this success include the establishment of a new confocal microscopy facility that will enable researchers to view intracellular structures and processes with extremely high resolution. Another example is the new state-of-the-art three-dimensional positron emission tomography (PET) camera. This new pet camera will allow researchers to examine neurochemical activity of the living human brain, with unprecedented precision and specificity. These tools will be key to the future as we continue to uncover the neurobiological underpinnings of mental illness and addiction, while also strengthening our understanding of the full human, social and community dimensions of these health problems.

The following pages provide an overview of CAMH research, as well as highlights of key research activities over the past year.

Franco J. Vaccarino, PhD

Vice-President, Research
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology
University of Toronto

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