Anonymous $100m donation boosts mental health research

The quest for more research into how biological, psychological and social factors impact mental health has been boosted by a huge charitable donation to Canada's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

An anonymous gift of $100m to Canada's largest mental health academic health science centre has been motivated by a desire to save lives and create social change.

"I have seen the devastating impact of mental illness on individuals and their families," said the donor.

"I want to provide support to the next generation of researchers and scientists to pursue the research that will directly transform care."

"In order to enable quantum leaps forward, this gift will also support high-risk, high-reward research."

Reaction

Darrell Louise Gregersen, President & CEO of the Centre, expressed understandable delight at the news.

"We are eternally grateful to this donor, for investing $100 million in our capacity to generate world-leading clinical discovery," said Gregersen. 

"[We will] invest in some of the high-risk, high-reward research that usually doesn't get top funding priority."