Background

The loss of our founder, Brandon Truaxe, was a heartbreaking moment for all of us at DECIEM. In that grief, we were reminded how deeply mental health touches every life, including our own. It inspired us to learn, to listen, and to take action in a meaningful way. That’s what brought us to Canada's largest mental health teaching hospital and one of the world's leading research centres in its field, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH): a place where science, care, and hope come together to change lives. We’re proud to support work that challenges stigma, advances understanding, and creates a future where mental health is a priority for everyone.

In 2024, DECIEM made its largest donation commitment to date, donating $1 million CAD and pledging an additional $1 million by 2029 to CAMH in support of the world’s largest fundraising campaign for hospital-based mental health care research, No One Left Behind. With Belonging as DECIEM’s North Star, we are building growth to power good - a world of belonging where anyone can show up as they are without fear or judgement.

The world is facing a global mental health crisis. While mental health research and care have historically lagged behind other medical fields, the past 50 years have seen unprecedented progress. Advances in brain mapping now allow for an extraordinary level of precision, down to the cellular level, leading to groundbreaking discoveries, improved outcomes, and renewed hope for those living with mental illness.

This cutting-edge neuroscience depends on investment—supporting world-class experts with bold ideas, working in state-of-the-art facilities. Unlocking the complexities of the brain could lead to groundbreaking discoveries about the causes and potential treatments for mental illness. Advancing brain research is essential to transforming mental health care for generations to come. At DECIEM, we’ve believed in the power of access to fuel change from day one. So we’ve asked ourselves, who needs access to what, to create a world of Belonging where everyone can feel seen, heard and valued? What resources, stories, community goods, are gatekept - accessible to some and not others? Losing our founder was a profound and devastating moment for DECIEM. It opened our eyes to the urgent need for greater understanding, compassion, and progress in mental health and addiction. Most importantly, it inspired us to take action to create hope.

CAMH is dedicated to advancing the understanding of brain health and mental well-being through cutting-edge imaging technologies. With a commitment to innovative research, exceptional patient care, and collaboration within the scientific and medical communities, CAMH strives to drive progress in the field.

The CAMH Brain Health Imaging Centre  is recognized globally as a leader in brain health research, encompassing psychiatric disorders, addictions, neurological diseases, traumatic brain injuries, and their mental health implications. Its research spans radiochemistry, preclinical neuroscience, imaging methodology, and clinical PET and MRI studies. The centre brings together a dynamic and international team of scientists and researchers, all working to make a meaningful impact through advanced brain imaging.

In the words of the Brain Health Imaging Centre’s Scientific Director, Dr. Neil Vasdev, “Mental health is brain health—and to truly understand the brain, we need new ways to see it. With advanced imaging techniques, scientists can now look deeper, exploring how brain cells function, connect, and communicate. The support of DECIEM helps open the door to uncovering the origins of mental illness and testing innovative treatments in real time, bringing us closer to breakthroughs that change lives.”