SickKids Centre for Brain and Mental Health

More children are surviving life-threatening illnesses. We’re aiming higher: ensure more children thrive.

Over the next two decades, brain disorders will be the leading cause of death and disability in Canada, costing society more than $22.7 billion annually. And brain health is not only a concern in cases of neurological and psychiatric diseases, but for virtually every area of paediatric medicine from congenital heart disease to cancer. Every parent of a child facing a major health issue worries about what will happen to their child’s intellectual, emotional, and social development.

The Centre for Brain & Mental Health strives to support all children in reaching their full potential. Because many mental health and neurological disorders begin in childhood, studying them in a world-leading children’s hospital allows researchers to develop innovative therapies to promote better outcomes over the lifespan. By integrating research, education and clinical care across a range of disciplines and by leveraging SickKids large, diverse patient population, the Centre’s experts are able to accelerate discovery and inform best practices across SickKids, the province and the country.