Dr. Nolan R. Williams MD

Nolan R. Williams, MD  is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Director of the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab. Dr. Williams has a broad background in clinical neuroscience and is triple board-certified in general neurology, general psychiatry, as well as behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry. In addition, he has specific training and clinical expertise in the development of brain stimulation methodologies under Mark George, MD. 

Themes of his work include:

• examining the use of spaced learning theory in the application of neurostimulation techniques, 
• development and mechanistic understanding of rapid-acting antidepressants, and 
• identifying objective biomarkers that predict neuromodulation responses in treatment-resistant neuropsychiatric conditions. 

Dr. Williams has published papers in high impact peer-reviewed journals including Brain, American Journal of Psychiatry, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Results from his studies have gained widespread attention in journals such as Science and New England Journal of Medicine Journal Watch as well as in the popular press and have been featured in various news sources including Time, Smithsonian, and Newsweek. 

Dr. Williams received two NARSAD Young Investigator Awards in 2016 and 2018 along with the 2019 Gerald R. Klerman Award. Dr. Williams received the National Institute of Mental Health Biobehavioral Research Award for Innovative New Scientists in 2020.