Institute for Mental Health Research

The Institute for Mental Health Research (IMHR) was founded in 2001 with a mission to fund novel, early-stage mental health research. Statistics show that some 57 million Americans are struggling with mental illness of some kind, and these numbers have increased due to the impacts of COVID-19. A gift to IMHR directly funds the discovery process that will ultimately produce groundbreaking treatments for devastating conditions; this research also informs public policy. Every major innovation begins with a research hypothesis and a seed grant. Yet it’s challenging for mental health scientists to secure funding to test new ideas, despite the life-changing impact their research may produce. This is why IMHR continues in its work supporting mental health scientists in Arizona. We have invested more than $2M in seed grants for mental health research projects. Our scientists have leveraged these dollars to attract additional funding with a $10.64-to-$1 return on investment; this represents a total of more than $17M in research dollars invested in Arizona. Over 50 prestigious investigators have been funded at such notable institutions as Barrow Neurological Institute, TGEN, Mayo Clinic, Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, Arizona State University, and University of Arizona. IMHR-funded scientists have studied a broad range of diseases and conditions including pandemic-exacerbated depression, anxiety and addiction; bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, resilience, Alzheimer’s, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and perimenopause. Successful pilot grants have resulted in significant funding from the National Institute of Mental Health and other foundations to continue this important work. Join us. Together we change the world, one good idea at a time.