About the Colbeths

The Colbeth Clinic was established within the Institute of Juvenile Research at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Medicine in 2000 with the generosity of Doug and Margaret Colbeth. Doug Colbeth is president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Kinaxis™. As one of the true visionaries of the Internet explosion in the mid 1990's, prior to Kinaxis, Doug was chief executive officer of Spyglass Inc., a leading provider of Internet software technologies. Spyglass technologies are utilized inside millions of products including PCs, televisions, telephones, and other hand-held devices. Most notably, Spyglass technology is the foundation of the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser.
The Colbeth's awareness of the great costs and pain that can occur due to child mental illnesses and the great hope and capability that can come from effective treatment led Doug and his wife Margaret to work with IJR, and together they took on the commitment that is the mission of the Colbeth Clinic—to raise awareness, provide early diagnosis and offer effective treatments of biological brain disorders, and to help ensure that the advanced care of the clinic is available to children and families irrespective of means or circumstance.
Raising awareness and erasing the stigma associated with mental health disorders is one of the key objectives of the clinic and a personal mission of the Colbeths. As in his early work in the Internet development, Doug and Margaret are visionaries who are determined to innovate and transform children’s mental health awareness, knowledge, and care.
"Like millions of teens, I personally experienced the quiet desperation of severe depression," says Doug Colbeth. "Fortunately, I was able to get excellent treatment before something tragic happened. This is precisely what we want to provide to others, especially those who may not have the financial means or access to best-of-class mental health services.
I believe we must come out of the shadows to share our personal experiences and let our stories resonate with those among us who are, or know of someone that is suffering. Erasing the stigma will increase funding for the cause, encourage additional talented people to enter the field, and most importantly, encourage patients to seek treatments earlier. Only when we acknowledge how common mental health disorders are, can we make real progress in the treatment of these diseases."
The Institute for Juvenile Research extends thanks to Doug and Margaret Colbeth for supporting the Colbeth Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic with their generous donation.