The Mach-Gaensslen Foundation is pleased to announce the first winners of a postdoctoral research fellowship in mental health, addictions and cognitive health. The fellowship is funded by the foundation and delivered through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
“This marks the first partnership between the foundation and Canada’s federal funding agency for medical research, CIHR,” said Dr. Christopher Carruthers, the chair of the Mach-Gaensslen Foundations’ board of directors. “The foundation has previously said that Canada needs more research in mental health and allied areas. Now we’re putting our money where our mouth is. We are working with CIHR to improve its capacity to fund this vital research.”
The funding provides $60,000 annually for two-year fellowships for two researchers, for a total of $240,000.
The inaugural fellowships address challenging issues in mental health. This year’s winners are:
Helena K. Kim, a postdoctoral researcher and resident in psychiatry at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. Her project will create “decision trees” — aids in helping clinicians decide on treatment for older adults with depression. Building on her own and others’ research, Kim’s project will look at three scenarios in which patients’ depression poses a challenge for treatment.
Laura E. Labonté, a postdoctoral researcher and resident in psychiatry at The University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Her project aims to better understand psychosis induced by substance use among marginalized populations. It draws on data from the “Hotel Study” — a longitudinal study of community residents in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside who suffer from severe poverty, addictions and physical or mental illness.
Congratulations to the winners!
If you’re a researcher interested in this fellowship opportunity, learn more from the CIHR website.
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