Charles Raison

Charles Raison, M.D. is a professor at the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Founding Director of the Center for Compassion Studies in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Arizona.

Dr. Raison’s research focuses on inflammation and the development of depression in response to illness and stress. He also examines the physical and behavioral effects of compassion training on the brain, inflammatory processes, and behavior as well as the effect of heat stress as a potentially therapeutic intervention major depressive disorder.

In this episode, you'll discover:

(00:00) Introduction
(06:26) Role of inflammation in depression
(10:08) Evolutionary mechanism
(16:19) Genetics of depression
(22:57) How obesity causes depression biochemically
(33:32) Does exercise treat depression
(36:08) Hyperthermia as treatment
(46:08) Inflammation promotes depression
(53:39) Did we evolve to need hormetic stress?
(01:03:38) Heat-shock proteins
(01:06:10) Repurposing ancient wisdom
(01:17:31) Psychedelics and meditation
(01:27:51) What is the role of conventional pharmacotherapy?
(01:35:19) Lifestyle modifications for depression
(01:42:21) Why light and circadian rhythm are important for mental health

If you’re interested in learning more, you can read the full show notes here.

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