Message from the Chief of Research

At CAMH we are home to the largest mental health and substance use research facility in Canada. This year our scientists accumulated almost $38 million in funding—a record—and shared their findings with colleagues and the community at home and around the world.

But while research at CAMH goes from success to success, we also know that the scientific world is changing. We realized that if we want to remain competitive and keep up the momentum that our recent history has generated, we need a strategy to guide our scientific efforts.

As a result, the research program undertook an extensive strategic planning exercise this year. We gathered input and feedback from our scientists and other research staff, as well as from private consultants and external international scientific experts. This process enabled us to develop a plan that will guide the future of CAMH research, and will be integrated with the ongoing renewal of the CAMH Strategic Plan.

The renewed vision for research at CAMH is centred on excellence in science, focus in our efforts, relevance to CAMH mission, and integration across the scientific domains.

It is this element of integration that will bring us our greatest success in the coming years. Within the research program, we are committed to working together so that our scientists conduct collaborative research across disciplines that catalyses change in how people receive care.

And in relation to CAMH as a whole, our extensive planning process will enable the research program to integrate smoothly with CAMH’s new vision for mental health and substance use. As we transform our Queen Street site, we will create facilities that support clients’ dignity, recovery and transition back into the community, while integrating the best in research, clinical care, teaching, health promotion and policy at one site.

This highly integrated urban village is allowing us to create a new model of research that will generate a cauldron of spontaneous interaction amongst researchers, clients, and other CAMH programs and departments.  This exciting environment will greatly increase our opportunities to work together to generate timely, relevant research.  We will also be in a better position to translate these scientific discoveries into improved clinical care, prevention and intervention initiatives, and public policy.

CAMH will be a unique and welcoming hospital for the 21st century, providing a healthy environment to promote healing, reduce stigma and generate groundbreaking discoveries in mental health and substance use.

As I noted above, 2005–2006 was also a year of significant scientific achievement. Through both the profiles that follow, and a listing of some of our discoveries, highlights, awards and appointments, you will get a snapshot of the highly relevant work our scientists produced.

None of this could happen without the dedication of our scientists, research staff, students, post-doctoral fellows and volunteers. I am grateful for their countless hours of hard work and determination, which make everything we do here possible.

I thank you for taking the time to read this report.

Best wishes for 2006–2007.

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