Reasons for Hope: Advancing Mental Health Research at U of T

We recently partnered with the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine to produce a short impact film for Reasons for Hope, an initiative that empowers innovative mental health research through donor-supported grants.

Over two days on campus, our team built a studio space where researchers came to share their insights, experiences, and hopes for the future of mental health care. We then distilled hours of conversation into a five-minute film that aims to highlight the impact of their work and the generosity that makes it possible.

The video, screened at the Reasons for Hope annual fundraising event, features Dr. Saadia Sediqzadah, Dr. Mark Sinyor, Dr. Margaret Hahn, Dr. Venkat Bhat, and project lead Dr. Simone Vigod. Together, they reveal how early-stage support can spark discoveries and accelerate progress in areas that traditional funding often overlooks.

As Dr. Sediqzadah explains, “It’s super exciting to have this opportunity - and I’m so grateful. It really is a big confidence booster as an early-career researcher to be able to win this grant and see the project through.” Her work focuses on developing patient decision aids that bring together psychiatrists, families, and people with lived experience - helping to make treatment choices more collaborative and inclusive.

For Dr. Hahn, the support enables new approaches to understanding psychosis: “We’re using a novel imaging technique that can look at blood-brain barrier leakage in real time. It’s exciting because we may be able to identify early risk markers and develop non-invasive biomarkers for treatment.”

Dr. Bhat’s project explores how data and wearable technology can help predict relapse in treatment-resistant depression. “We wanted to move from reactive medicine to proactive medicine—understanding who may be more likely to relapse and intervening early on,” he says.

And as Dr. Sinyor reflects, “The best kind of suicide prevention happens way upstream—where you teach people coping strategies so they can have hope, survive, and thrive. It aligns perfectly with the words ‘Reasons for Hope.’”

Each story stands as a testament to what’s possible when we invest in the people pushing the boundaries of mental health research.

Learn more and donate to Reasons for Hope at reasonsforhope.ca.