Toronto – November 21, 2023 – The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital and a leading research centre, has joined the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (CNIC).
CAMH is a global leader in brain imaging. As one of few brain imaging centres in the world that is fully dedicated to researching mental illnesses, the CAMH Brain Health Imaging Centre conducts ground-breaking research for medical imaging with positron emission tomography (PET), MRI and neuroscience while advancing innovative treatment strategies.
With two cyclotrons, two PET scanners, and one MRI scanner on site, in addition to two fully equipped radiochemistry laboratories, a pre-clinical imaging laboratory, and a PET data analysis laboratory, CAMH is an essential part of Canada’s isotope industry and nuclear medicine community. At CAMH’s Brain Health Imaging Centre, the radiochemistry laboratories allow for GMP production of short-lived PET radiotracers for human use, and houses 17 hot cells equipped with commercial and custom-built automated synthesis units. CAMH’s on-site capabilities enable the production of over 40 PET radiopharmaceuticals for neuroimaging, of which nearly half were translated for first-in-human studies, and over 100 labelled compounds for preclinical testing.
Using its nuclear medicine capabilities, CAMH can more accurately calculate medication doses, develop targets for treatments of illnesses such as postpartum depression, explore risk markers for Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, autism spectrum disorder, traumatic brain injuries and other mental health conditions such as addictions and mood disorders, and enables academic centres and pharmaceutical companies to conduct more effective drug development. CAMH aspires to help patients, families, and the community by discovering new strategies to diagnose and treat a spectrum of mental illnesses using revolutionary brain imaging tools and world-class technology and research expertise.
As a new member of the CNIC, CAMH is joining a growing membership of organizations that are committed to securing the continued availability of isotopes for Canadian patients and pioneering research across the country.
“Isotopes are foundational to advancing research for improved drug discovery and production, and will allow our healthcare professionals to understand more about diagnosing and treating mental illnesses that impact Canadians every day,” said James Scongack, Chair of the CNIC. “Through CNIC’s growing network of healthcare and research partners, we are working to keep Canada at the forefront of radiopharmaceutical research and development. We are pleased to welcome CAMH to collaborate on future advocacy initiatives and to raise awareness for the important work being done at Canada’s leading hospitals and research institutions like CAMH.”
“We are delighted to become a member of the CNIC,” added Dr. Neil Vasdev, Director of the Brain Health Imaging Centre and the Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry at CAMH. “We will continue to carry out transformative radiochemistry research with 11C and 18F, for widespread use. We will also ensure that new radiopharmaceuticals developed at CAMH will be disseminated to researchers and patients across Canada and worldwide for all facets of brain health.”
To learn more about CAMH, visit https://www.camh.ca/
About the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council
The CNIC is a coalition of science, healthcare and nuclear-sector organizations to ensure Canada remains a world leader in the production of life-saving isotopes by bringing awareness and supporting long-term policies at the domestic and international level that will save countless lives and support health-care innovation for decades to come.
To learn more about the CNIC, visit www.CanadianIsotopes.ca and follow us on, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
For more information, please contact:
Melody Greaves
Policy, Government, and Stakeholder Relations Specialist
Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council
melody.greaves@canadianisotopes.ca