Monash University in Australia has announced a gift of AU$30 million ($20.8 million) from the David Winston Turner Endowment Fund to accelerate research by the university’s Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health. 

The gift will fund a study by the Turner Institute that will follow thousands of residents over a 10-year period across all age groups in Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs, establishing a “living lab” for preventing, monitoring, and treating the signs of mental illness, dementia, and other brain conditions. Scheduled to begin in 2023, the longitudinal study will sample an entire population—not just those with a predefined condition—and is designed to reimagine how society identifies and treats mental health problems as the world continues to deal with COVID-19. A key focus will be inclusion across ages, cultural backgrounds, and genders as well as the engagement of community and industry groups.

The institute was established in 2015 with an initial gift of AU$5.25 million ($3.6 million), and the Turner Endowment Fund has now given or committed a total of AU$43 million ($29.8 million).

“This incredible gift will allow Monash to expand our world-leading research into brain and mental health and translate this innovative work into preventative and treatment approaches,” said Monash University president and vice chancellor professor Margaret Gardner. “We are deeply grateful to the trustees of the David Winston Turner Endowment Fund for facilitating these generous gifts, which have enabled us to advance brain and mental health research and improve outcomes for all Australians.”

(Photo credit: Monash University)