One in Five Association

Established in 2003, One in Five is a Melbourne-based not-for-profit charity with a mission to develop better treatments and find cures for mental illness through medical research. The charity was founded by Lou Wardlaw, and her family, following the loss of her brother Matt “Mouse” Wardlaw to suicide at age 32 in 2001 – inspiring the name: not only was Matt one of five children, but one in five Australians experience mental ill health every year.

Since 2003, One in Five has invested over $4 million into mental health research, funding early-career researchers working on better treatments and preventative approaches. The organisation partners with leading institutions including Monash University, The Florey Institute, and HER Centre Australia, and is governed by a Board with expertise spanning corporate leadership, finance, risk and mental health.

One in Five’s current strategic goal is to grow its cohort of funded early-career researchers to 15+ by 2031, addressing a persistent gap between the burden mental illness places on Australians and the research funding it receives. One in Five currently funds research into depression, suicide prevention, eating disorders, schizophrenia and women’s mental health.

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