Endowed Research Chair in Mental Health and Addictions

Sixty-five per cent of Nova Scotians live with mental health and addictions challenges, a number that spiked during the pandemic.

That's why together, the Province of Nova Scotia, the QEII Foundation, and St. Francis Xavier University are embarking upon an ambitious partnership that will serve as a nation-leading model for the investigation and treatment of mental health and addictions.

Endowed Research Chair in Mental Health and Addictions

The $5-million Endowed Research Chair in Mental Health and Addictions, based at StFX, will coordinate a partnership that links together research, care, health policy and system change for those who need it most. QEII Foundation donors committed $1 million towards establishing this endowed chair.

Nova Scotia is a leader in this country, as the only province in Canada that records 100 per cent of data related to mental health and addictions care. Using this comprehensive data, the Chair will investigate the related determinants of health in Nova Scotia.

Being recognized as national leaders is nice but the real impact is for the patients and families counting on care.

The Endowed Research Chair in Mental Health and Addictions will be a health systems scientist who leads collaborative research and knowledge translation efforts to inform innovative health promotion efforts, clinical interventions, and policy changes to improve mental health and addictions outcomes for all Nova Scotians.

We know this province has a growing need for mental health and addictions support, in particular for timely access and equal opportunity for care, despite where you live.

With the right level of dedicated support and innovative thinking, we believe we can create systemwide change for mental health and addictions care that will put us on the national stage.

In August 2024, Dr. Jill Murphy was appointed as Chair

An Endowed Chair is a special position that protects the time and talent of a leader, allowing them to really dig in and focus on a particular area and potential solutions.

A key objective of the Endowed Research Chair in Mental Health and Addictions is to support applied research and clinical interventions, resulting in an overall reduction of mental health and addiction system pressures. This approach gives the added benefit of delivering in-community mental health and addictions prevention and treatment options, improving overall health system access.

The QEII is the largest adult, academic health centre in this province. Its leadership in patient care and research extends to every community in this province, as the QEII is every Nova Scotian’s hospital.

Projects, like this Endowed Research Chair, are important projects that drive the transformative care on our horizon.

Dr. Jill Murphy - Endowed Research Chair in Mental Health and Addictions