Dr. Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD, is a clinical psychiatrist and scientist who directs a bioengineering research laboratory at Stanford University School of Medicine. His work aims to understand and develop treatments for disorders of the mind such as depression, attention deficit disorders (ADHD & ADD), autism, schizophrenia, anxiety, eating disorders, borderline personality and obsessive-compulsive disorder. We discuss his experience treating his patients and his laboratory’s mission to find and develop cures for mental disease and tools for probing how the brain works.

For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.

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Timestamps

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:03:47) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT

(00:07:41) Using Language to Understand the Mind

(00:12:19) Blood Tests For Mental Disease

(00:13:38) The Largest Challenges Facing Treatment of Mental Health

(00:20:21) Predicting Depression & Suicide

(00:22:47) Drugs That Work for Brain Illness

(00:27:01) What Would A Cure For the Broken Mind Look Like?

(00:32:23) Channelopsins: Tools For Understanding & Treating the Mind

(00:39:10) Curing Blindness with Channelopsins

(00:41:58) Why Karl Became a Scientist

(00:47:10) Vagus Nerve In Depression

(00:54:12) Challenges To Overcome for Treating Mental Illness with Channelopsins

(00:58:34) Using the Dialogue with Patients to Guide Treatment

(01:00:52) How Our Eyes Reveal Our Mental Health

(01:06:04) Controlling Structures Deep In the Brain

(01:08:23) The Most Effective Drugs Often Have the Most Side Effects

(01:09:50) Do Psychiatrists Take the Drugs They Prescribe

(01:14:15) Moving From Experimental Tools To Novel Treatments

(01:16:00) Brain-Machine Interfaces & Neuralink

(01:19:30) ADHD & Dr. Deissroth’s Approach To Focusing His Mind

(01:26:36) How Dr. Deisseroth Balances A Career In Medicine, Science & Family

(01:35:41) New Ways of Exploring Brains: CLARITY

(01:38:49) What Is Special About the Human Brain?

(01:46:03) Psychedelics

(01:54:12) MDMA

(01:57:15) Dr. Deisseroth’s New Book “Projections: A Story of Emotions”

(01:59:42) Connecting with Dr. Deisseroth on Twitter

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac

Disclaimer

Dr. Karl Deisseroth: Understanding & Healing the Mind