As many as one in three of us will experience significant mental health issues in our lifetime.
The Mental Health Initiative for Stress and Trauma (MIST) explores how both emotional stress and physical trauma impact the brain and can lead to the development of mental health conditions. Based out of the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, MIST is responding to the gaps in our understanding and improving education and treatment for mental health challenges.
This initiative was developed as an enduring and impactful legacy to the untimely death of Mike McClay, a beloved member of the Calgary community.
Mike McClay's Legacy
MIST was inspired by the tragic and sudden passing of Mike McClay. By partnering with the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education and HBI, Mike’s friends and family have created a legacy for him that will help people across the community.
MIST Research Chair
MIST is led by Dr. Matthew Hill, a Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine and an internationally recognized researcher in the neurobiology of stress and how it relates to the development of psychiatric illness.
Philanthropic Support
Philanthropy is at the heart of MIST. With the support of dedicated champions and visionaries, MIST has quickly gained momentum and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Trauma and Mental Health
It is a complex task to decipher the functioning of our brain circuitry which regulates emotional processing. How these processes are controlled within the brain is not well understood, but what is clear is that prolonged stress combined with physical trauma to the brain can impact our emotional well-being.