The Lise and Giuseppe Racanelli Foundation supports the Douglas Brain Bank and the creation of the Douglas Centre for Integrative Multi-Scale Neuroscience with a $2 million donation

MONTREAL, April 1, 2025 /CNW/ - The Douglas Foundation is proud to announce a major $2 million donation from the Lise and Giuseppe Racanelli Foundation to support the Douglas Brain Bank and the creation of the Douglas Centre for Integrative Multi-Scale Neuroscience. This support will help ensure the sustainability of operations for both platforms and help to advance research on brain disorders and mental illnesses.

A commitment to mental health innovation

Véronique Racanelli, President of the Lise and Giuseppe Racanelli Foundation, expresses the organization's commitment through this donation: "We have always believed in the importance of giving back and have chosen to prioritize health, both physical and mental, particularly its accessibility. The Douglas Foundation, with its essential work in mental health research, is an inspiring example of what can be accomplished through innovation and collaboration. We hope our contribution will support the mission of the Douglas Brain Bank and encourage researchers to make decisive advances in understanding the brain and psychiatric disorders."

Key support for brain research

The Douglas Brain Bank is one of the country's most important mental health research infrastructures. It collects, preserves, and makes brain tissue samples available internationally to support research on mental illness and neurodegenerative diseases. Each year, more than 1,000 brain samples are meticulously prepared and distributed to researchers worldwide. These samples have played a crucial role in many scientific breakthroughs in key areas such as research on suicide and Alzheimer's disease.

The Douglas Brain Bank is driven by an unwavering commitment to provide the scientific community with impeccably preserved brain samples, fostering advances in the understanding of mental illnesses. This donation is vital to strengthen the capabilities of this resource bank, ensuring its sustainability and its leading role in mental health research in Canada.

This funding will also support the new Douglas Centre for Integrative Multi-Scale Neuroscience, a groundbreaking initiative designed to advance research and care in mental health. It brings together several state-of-the-art facilities, including the Brain Imaging Center, the Douglas Neuroinformatics Platform, and the Computational Brain Anatomy Lab (CoBrA), led by Dr. Mallar Chakravarty. This platform is at the forefront of developing predictive algorithms and innovative treatments for mental disorders using advanced technologies and multidisciplinary approaches.

Laura Fish, President and CEO of the Douglas Foundation, highlights the importance of this support: "We are deeply grateful for the commitment of the Lise and Giuseppe Racanelli Foundation. Their donation will not only strengthen the operations of the Douglas Brain Bank and the Douglas Centre for Integrative Multi-Scale Neuroscience but will also propel crucial discoveries that will change the lives of millions of people. Thanks to this support, we can continue to dream of a world where healing is possible and build hope for all those whose lives have been affected by mental illness."

Promoting research excellence for the future

The contribution of the Lise and Giuseppe Racanelli Foundation ensures essential continuity in the development of new knowledge about mental health. By supporting innovative initiatives like the Douglas Brain Bank and the Douglas Centre for Integrative Multi-Scale Neuroscience, this donation strengthens Canada's position at the forefront of neuroscience and mental health research.

A new space of recognition has also been created at the entrance to the Douglas Brain Bank to highlight the contribution of the Lise and Giuseppe Racanelli Foundation. A ceremony was held to celebrate their generosity with ambassadors and major donors of the Douglas Foundation.

About the Douglas Foundation

The Douglas Foundation's mission is to unite great minds and build resources to improve the mental health of all, today and tomorrow. Founded in 1972, its mission is to fund the development of the Douglas Institute: patient care and their environment, research in neuroscience and mental health, as well as education and training.

SOURCE Foundation Douglas

For more information: Michel Jean, Senior Advisor, Annual Giving and Communications, [email protected], [phone]