Principal Investigator

Nolan Williams, M.D. is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab. The long-term goals of his research program are to develop innovative technologies and therapeutics capable of modulating the neural circuitry disrupted in mood disorders, OCD, and other neuropsychiatric conditions. His team has been developing neuroimaging-based approaches to precisely target therapeutic delivery and predict treatment responses to therapeutic neuromodulation and psychedelics. Dr. Williams earned his M.D. and completed his dual residencies in neurology and psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Triple board-certified in general neurology, general psychiatry, as well as behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry, Dr. Williams brings a comprehensive background in clinical neuroscience to his role as a clinically active neuropsychiatrist. His expertise extends to the development and implementation of novel therapeutics, including devices and novel compounds, for central nervous system illnesses. Over the past decade, Dr. Williams’ laboratory alongside collaborators at Stanford University have pioneered multiple novel therapeutic and human neuroscience approaches. Notably, Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy (SAINT) is the world's first non-invasive, rapid-acting neuromodulation approach for treatment-resistant depression. SAINT received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation Status (2021) and FDA Clearance (2022) and is the first psychiatric treatment to be covered by Medicare New Technology Add-On Payment (NTAP). As of April 2024, SAINT has been reimbursed for patients suffering from severe depression within inpatient psychiatric units. The SAINT technology is being deployed both clinically and in research protocols in laboratories and hospitals worldwide. Dr. Williams also has an expertise in psychedelic medicines for neuropsychiatric illness and is the first investigator to conduct mechanistic clinical trials exploring the neurobiological effects of ibogaine. His research accomplishments have garnered international recognition, earning prestigious awards from the Pritzker Neuropsychiatric Disorders Consortium, One Mind Institute, Wellcome Leap Foundation, International Brain Stimulation Conference, National Institute of Mental Health (Biobehavioral Research Award for Innovative New Scientists), Society of Biological Psychiatry (A. E. Bennett Award), along with multiple awards from the Brain Behavior Research Foundation (most notably the Gerald L. Klerman Award). His work has been featured in Scientific American, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, CBS Sunday Morning, and the TODAY Show.