James Packer gives $7m to UNSW for mental health research

James Packer, who has struggled with bipolar disorder, is giving $7m to the University of NSW to boost mental health research.

James Packer is giving $7m to the University of NSW for mental health research: Picture: Aaron Francis

Businessman James Packer and his family have given $7m to the University of NSW to boost mental health research and endow a new professorial chair in the field.

Mr Packer, who revealed in 2020 that he suffered from bipolar disorder, has joined with the Packer Family Foundation to make the donation which will establish the James Packer Chair in Mood Disorders and support a team of researchers in a new mental health research unit.

Announcing the gift, Mr Packer said “it is no secret that I have struggled with mental health problems in the past”.

“I am a passionate advocate of finding ways to improve mental health outcomes and I am hopeful that my contribution towards this research will generate positive outcomes in this field and in so doing significantly improve the lives of people battling mental health issues both in Australia and around the world,” he said in a statement.

UNSW chancellor David Gonski praised Mr Packer for the donation and also for putting his name to the new professorial chair.

“In the mental health field this is outstanding and I hope it shows a new level of understanding in assisting those who are in this situation,” he said.

Mr Gonski said that the appointment of a professor to the new James Packer chair was imminent.

“The beauty of donating the chair is that it means that people doing post-docs (post doctoral fellowships) will gravitate around the professor and soon you have a whole division (of researchers),” he said.

The new professor will lead the new research unit which will have a particular focus on mood disorders such as bipolar. The unit will operate jointly with UNSW and the Mindgardens Neuroscience Network which links the university with nearby hospitals, the Black Dog Institute and Neuroscience Research Australia.

Asked why the gift came to UNSW, Mr Gonski said Mr Packer’s team had “looked to see who are excellent in this field and they found that our university has quite a prowess in research in psychiatric matters”.

UNSW vice-chancellor Attila Brungs said the gift would support collaborative research.

“We appreciate James Packer’s generous donation, which will enable UNSW researchers to develop new treatments and interventions for people experiencing mental health disorders,” he said.

UNSW medicine and health dean, Vlado Perkovic, said the donation would “dramatically accelerate” mental health research.

“This new chair will lead the way in transforming the understanding, prevention, treatment and cure of these important disorders and offers hope to affected individuals and their families,” he said.

Mr Gonski said the Packer gift was part of an upswing in philanthropy to the university. He said that the amount received in donations in 2022 was significantly larger than the $46.6m reported in donations and bequests in 2021, and pledges of future gifts to the university were also rising.