Charles L. Raison, M.D.
Position title: Professor of Psychiatry and Human Ecology (Tenure Track)
Phone: Development of novel treatments for major depressive disorder, and understanding mechanisms of action for these interventions.
- UW Health
- Provider Profile
Dr. Raison is a Professor of Human Ecology and Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and is Director of the Vail Health Behavioral Health Innovation Center and Director of Clinical and Translational Research for Usona Institute. Dr. Raison received his medical degree from Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha and won the Missouri State Medical Association Award. He completed residency training at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital in Los Angeles. In addition to his medical training, Dr. Raisonobtained his Masters of English from the University of Denver.
Dr. Raison has written two books, most recently The New Mind-Body Science of Depression, published by WW Norton in 2017. Dr. Raison’s publications have been cited over 30,000 times, with six publications having more than 1,000 citations. His H-index is 67. The recipient of several teaching awards, Dr. Raison has received research funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation. Dr. Raison’s research focuses on the examination novel mechanisms involved in the development and treatment of major depression and other stress-related emotional and physical conditions, as well as for his work examining the physical and behavioral effects of compassion training. More recently, Dr. Raison has taken a leadership role in the development of psychedelic medicines as potential treatments for major depression. He was named one of the world’s most influential researchers by Web of Science for the decade of 2010-2019 and received the Raymond Pearl Award from the Human Biology Association for contributions to our understanding of evolutionary biocultural origins of mental health and illness. Dr. Raison received the Emory University Science on Spiritual Health 2024 Torch and Trumpet Award “for a career devoted to the mental and spiritual health of humanity by responding and attending to suffering with a compassionate heart and a keen scientific mind.”
Publications:
C-reactive protein and response to lurasidone in patients with bipolar depression.
Whole-Body Hyperthermia for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial.