Charles Raison

Charles L. Raison (born December 26, 1957) is an American psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health as well as the Mary Sue and Mike Shannon Chair for Healthy Minds, Children & Families and Professor with the School of Human Ecology in Madison, Wisconsin.
Prior to this he was a professor in the Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, and the Barry and Janet Lang Professor of Integrative Mental Health at the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, at the University of Arizona. In addition to his academic positions, Dr. Raison serves as the founding Director of the Center for Compassion Studies in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Arizona and is the Director for Clinical and Translational Research for the Usona Institute, as well as the mental health expert for CNN.com.

Dr. Raison has an undergraduate degree in anthropology from Stanford University and a Master’s degree in English literature from the University of Denver. He received his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO and did his residency training in psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, where he later served as Director of Emergency Psychiatry Services.

Education

Undergraduate: 1976-1980 Stanford University, Stanford, CA, B.A. in Anthropology with honors and departmental distinction

Graduate: 1982-85 University of Denver, Denver, CO, M.A. in English, with emphasis in creative writing

PreMedical: 1985-86 Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA, Premedical Program, Post Baccalaureate

Medical: 1987-91 Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, M.D. degree

Post Graduate Training

1991-1992 Internship, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital, Los Angeles, CA

1992-1995 Psychiatric Residency, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital, Los Angeles, CA

1994-1995 Chief Resident, Adult Inpatient Services, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital, Los Angeles, CA

2014: Principal Guest Scientist, 31st Midwest Symposium on Family Systems Theory and Therapy

2014: Invited to give Bench-to-Bedside Keynote Address at the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society (IBNS) meeting

2014: Raymond Pearl Award for “contributions to our understanding of evolutionary biocultural origins of mental health and illness”, Human Biology Association

2013: NARSAD Independent Investigator Award (Brain & Behavior Research Society)

2012: Chairman of the U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress

2011: Champion of Hope Award from the Africa’s Children’s Fund

2011: Distinguished Visiting Professorship, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX

2011: Invited Member, Emory University Public Scholars Seminar

2011: Chairman of the U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress

2009: Senior Fellow of the Mind & Life Institute

2009-2010 Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare

2009: American Psychiatric Association Ninth Annual Research Colloquium for Junior Investigators, Invited Faculty Member

2008: Semi-finalist presidential search for Naropa University, Boulder, CO

2006: Emory College Seed Fund Award to Improve the Research Profile of the Arts and Sciences

2006: Future Leaders in Psychiatry Travel Award

2005: Emory College Seed Fund Award to Improve the Research Profile of the Arts and Sciences

2005: Emory University Teaching Fund Award to develop interdisciplinary course entitled Phenomenology of Depression: Body, Mind and Culture.

2005: Who’s Who in Medical Sciences Education

2004: National Institutes of Health Extramural Loan Repayment Program Award

2004: American Psychiatric Association Ninth Annual Research Colloquium for Junior Investigators, Invited Member

2003: Emory University Medical Students’ Teaching Award for Psychiatry

2002: National Institutes of Health Extramural Loan Repayment Program Award

2002: American Psychiatric Association Seventh Annual Research Colloquium for Junior Investigators, Invited Member

2002-2006 K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award, National Institute of Mental Health

2001: Bristol Meyers Squibb Young Faculty Development Award

2001: Emory University Psychiatry Senior Residents’ Outstanding Educator Award

2000: Emory University Teaching Fund Award for the development of an interdisciplinary course entitled Psychobiological Foundations of Personhood: Tibetan Buddhist and Western Perspectives

2000: Emory Medical Care Foundation Research Award

2000: Future Leaders in Psychiatry Travel Award

1998: Balm Foundation Research Grant

1993: American Psychoanalytic Association Fellow

1991: Alpha Omega Alpha, Washington University Chapter

1991: Missouri State Medical Association Award

1984: Colorado State Fellow, University of Denver

Scientific Articles Published in Peer-Reviewed Journals

• Raison, C.L. & Miller, A.H. The Evolutionary Significance of Depression in Pathogen Host Defense (PATHOS-D). Molecular Psychiatry 2013; 18::15-37
• Reddy, S.D., Negi, L.T., Dodson-Lavelle, B., Ozawa de-Silva, B., Pace, T.W., Cole, S.P., Raison, C.L., Craighead, L.W. Cognitively-Based Compassion Training: a promising prevention strategy for at-risk adolescents. Journal of Child and Family Studies 2012; Epub.
• Rook, G.A.W., Raison, C.L., Lowry, C.A. Can we vaccinate against depression. Drug Discovery Today 2012; 17: 451-8.
• Johnson, T.V., Abbasi, A., Ehrich, S.S., Kleris, R.S., Owen-Smith, A., Raison, C.L. Master, V.A. IPSS quality of life question: a possible indicator of depression among patients with lower urinary tract symptoms. Canadian Journal of Urology 2012; 19: 6100-4.
• McNutt, M.D., Liu S., Manatunga, A., Royster, E.B., Raison, C.L., Woolwine, B.J., Demetrashvili, M.F., Miller, A.H., Musselman, D.L. Neurobehavioral Effects of Interferon-α in Patients with Hepatitis-C: Symptom Dimensions and Responsiveness to Paroxetine. Neuropsychopharmacology 2012; 37:1444-54.
• Pace, T.W., Negi, L.T., Dodson-Lavelle, B., Ozawa-de Silva, B. Reddy, S.D., Cole, S.P., Danes, A., Craighead, L.W., Raison, C.L. Engagement with Cognitively-Based Compassion Training is associated with reduced salivary C-reactive protein from before to after training in foster care program adolescents. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2012; 38: 294-9
• Raison, C.L., Haroon, E., Woolwine, B.J., Shuo, C., Haber, M. Rutherford, R., Miller, A.H. Safety and Efficacy of the Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha antagonist, Infliximab, for Treatment Resistant Depression: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial. Archives of General Psychiatry 2012; 70: 31-41.
• Mascaro, J.S., Rilling, J.K., Negi, L.T., Raison, C.L. Compassion meditation enhances empathic accuracy and related neural activity. Social and Cognitive Neuroscience 2012; 8: 48-55
• Desbordes, G., Negi, L.T., Pace, T.W., Wallace, B.A., Raison, C.L., Schwartz, E.L. Effects of mindful-attention and compassion meditation training on amygdala response to emotional stimuli in an ordinary, non-meditative state. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2012; 6: 292
• Hale, M.W., Raison, C.L., Lowry, C.A. Integrative physiology of depression and antidepressant drug action: implications for serotonergic mechanisms of action and novel therapeutic strategies for treatment of depression. Pharmacology & Therapeutics 2012; 137:108-18
• Felger, J.C., Li, L., Marvar, P.J., Woolwine, B.J., Harrison, D.G., Raison, C.L., and Miller, A.H.. Tyrosine Metabolism During Interferon-alpha Administration: Association with Fatigue and CSF Dopamine Concentrations. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 2012; 31:153-60.
• Mascaro, J.S., Rilling, J.K., Negi, L.T., Raison, C.L. Pre-existing brain function predicts subsequent practice of mindfulness and compassion meditation. Neuroimage 2013; 69:35-42
• Berg, J.M., Lilienfeld, S.O., Reddy, D., Latzman, R.D., Roosem A., Craighead, L.W., Pace, T.W., Raison, C.L. The Inventory of Callous and Unemotional Traits: A Construct-Validational Analysis in an At-Risk Sample. Assessment 2013; Epub
• Miller, A.H., Haroon, E., Raison, C.L., Felger, J.C. Cytokine Targets in the Brain: Impact on Neurotransmitters and Neurocircuits. Depression & Anxiety 2013; 30::297-306
• Rook, G.A.W., Lowry, C.A., Raison, C.L. Microbial “Old Friends”, immunoregulation and stress resilience. Evolution, Medicine and Public Health 2013; Epub.
• Hanusch, K., Janssen, C.H., Billheimer, D, Jenkins, I., Spurgeon, E., Lowry, C.A., Raison, C.L. Whole Body Hyperthermia (WBH) for the Treatment of Major Depression: Associations with Thermoregulatory Cooling. American Journal of Psychiatry 2013; 170: 802-4.
• Mehta, D., Raison, C.L. Woolwine, B.J., Haroon, E., Binder, E.B., Miller, A.H., Felger, J.C. Transcriptional signatures related to glucose and lipid metabolism predict treatment response to the tumor necrosis factor antagonist infliximab in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Brain, Behavior and Immunity 2012; 31:205-15
• Rook, G.A.W., Raison, C.L., Lowry, C.A. Microbial “Old Friends”, immunoregulation and socio-economic status. Clinical and Experimental Immunology 2014; Epub
• Whisman, M.A., Li, A., Sbarra, D.A., Raison, C.L. Marital functioning and diabetes: results from the health and retirement study, Health Psychology 2014; Epub
• Raison C.L. Inflammatory depression: a trifecta of trouble. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 2014; Epub

Review Articles/Clinical Guidelines

• Raison C.L., Nemeroff C.B. Cancer and depression: prevalence, diagnosis and treatment. 2000. Home Health Consultant 7; 9: 34-41.
• Raison, C.L. Managing neuropsychiatric side effects of peginterferon. The Treatment Reporter. November 2002 Edition. Projects in Knowledge publications.
• Demetrashvili, M., Raison, C.L., Miller, A.H. Depression in at-risk populations. CNS news. July 2002: 9-12.
• Raison, C.L. The effects of hepatitis C and its treatment on mental health. Focus: A Guide to AIDS Research and Counseling 2006. 21(5): 5-6.
• Raison, C.L., Afdhal, N.H. Neuropsychiatric side effects associated with interferon-alfa plus ribavirin therapy: Recognition and risk factors. In: UpToDate, Rose, B.D. (Ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA, 2006.
• Raison, C.L., Afdhal, N.H. Neuropsychiatric side effects associated with interferon-alfa plus ribavirin therapy: Treatment and prevention. In: UpToDate, Rose, B.D. (Ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA, 2006.
• Miller, A.H., Raison, C.L. Immune System Contributions to the Pathophysiology of Depression. Focus: the journal of lifelong learning in psychiatry 2008. 6: 36-45.
• Maletic, V. & Raison, C.L. Immune disturbances in chronic pain: cause, consequence or both? Current Immunology Reviews, Accepted for publication
• Rook, G.A.W., Raison, C.L., Lowry, C.A. Microbes and Mood: a New Approach to the Therapy of Depression? Microbiologist 2011; 12(3): 30-36
• Rook, G.A.W., Raison, C.L., Lowry, C.A. Major Depressive Disorder, Immunoregulation, Inflammation and Our Changing Microbial Environment. www.brainimmune.com. Friday, 4 November 2011.
• Ozawa de-Silva, B., Dodson-Lavelle, B., Raison, C.L., Negi, L.T. Compassion and ethics: scientific and practical approaches to the cultivation of compassion as a foundation for ethical subjectivity and well-being. Journal of Healthcare, Science and the Humanities 2012; 2: 145-165.
• Maletic, V. Raison, C.L. Immune disturbances in chronic pain: cause, consequence or both? Current Immunology Reviews 2012; 8: 76-86
• Rook, G.A.W., Raison, C.L., Lowry, C.A. Microbial “Old Friends”, immunoregulation and psychiatric disorders. Old Herborn University Seminar Monograph 2012
• Raison, C.L. & Miller, A.H. Do Cytokines Really Sing the Blues? Cerebrum: the online magazine that can change your mind. Dana Foundation, http://www.dana.org/news/cerebrum. August 2013
• Rook, G.A.W., Lowry, C.A., Raison, C.L. Microbial “Old Friends”, immunoregulation and socio-economic status. Clin Exp Immun 2013; Epub

Books

• Maletic, V., Jain, R., Raison, C.L. 100 Questions and Answers about Pain. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc. Sudbury, MA, 2010.
• Draud, J.W., Jain, R., Maletic, V, Raison, C.L. Treating the Whole Patient: Exploring the Healing Potential of a Mind-Body Approach to Mental Health. CME LLC, 2011
• Raison, C.L., Maletic, V. J. The New Mind-Body Science of Depression, W.W. Norton, New York, 2013

Book chapters

• Raison, C.L., Miller, A.H. Immune System and Central Nervous System Interactions. In: Kaplan & Sadock’s Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, 8th Edition. Eds: Sadock, B.J., Sadock, V.A. Philadelphia. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. 2005, pp. 137–161.
• Raison, C.L., Purselle, D.C., Capuron, L., Miller, A.H. Treatment of Depression in Medical Illness. In: Biology of Depression. Eds: Licinio, J. and Wong, M. 2005, pp. 253–278.
• Raison, C.L., Giese-Davis, J., Miller, A.H., Spiegel, D. Depression in Cancer: Mechanisms, Consequences and Treatment. In: The Physician's Guide to Depression and Bipolar Disorders. Eds: Evans, D.L., Charney, D.S., Lewis, L. 2006, pp. 377–409.
• Norris, E.R., Raison, C.L. Depression. In: Medical Management of the Surgical Patient: a Textbook of the Perioperative Patient. Eds: Lubin, M.F., Smith, R.B., Dobson, T.F., Spell, N., Walker, H.K. 2006, pp 479–490.
• Raison, C.L., Miller, A.H. Immune System and Central Nervous System Interactions. In: Kaplan & Sadock’s Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, 9th Edition. Eds: Sadock, B.J., Sadock, V.A. Philadelphia. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. 2009, pp 175–198.
• Owen-Smith, A.A., Raison, C.L. Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In: Clinical Manual of Prevention Principles in Mental Health Care. Ed: Compton, M. American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc, 2009, pp 105–119.
• Thompson, D.S., Raison, C.L., Jonas, C., Miller, A.H. Cancer and Depression: Phenomenology and Pathophysiology. In: Internal Medicine Care of Cancer Patients. Eds: Gagel, R.F., Escalante, C.P., and Yeung S-C. In press.
• Nater, U., Heim, C.M., Raison, C.L. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. In: vol: Neurobiology of Psychiatric Disorders. Eds: Schlaepfer, T.; series: Handbook of Clinical Neurology. Eds: Aminoff, M.J, Boller, F., Swabb, D.F., Elsevier, 2012.
• Miller, A.H., Pace, T.W.W., Raison, C.L. Neuropsychiatric effects of IFN-alpha: relevance to depression. In: Understanding Depression: A Translational Approach. Eds: Pariante, C.M., Nesse, R.M., Nutt, D., Wolpert, L. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, 2009, pp 223–237.
• Nater, U., Raison, C.L., Miller, A.H., Reeves, W.C. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. In: The Concise Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Science, 2nd Edition. Eds : Craighead WE and Nemeroff CB. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Hoboken, NJ. 2004, pgs 177-180.
• Burke, M.A., Raison, C.L., Miller, A.H. Depression in cancer: pathophysiology at the mind-body interface. In: Cancer Symptom Science: Measurements, Mechanisms, and Management. Eds: Cleeland, C.S., Fisch, M.J., Dunn, A.J. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK, 2010, pp. 75–85.
• Pace, T.W.W., Raison, C.L., Miller, A.H. Role of inflammation in neuropsychiatric disorders. In: Inflammation, Life Style and Chronic Diseases: The Silent Link. Ed.: Aggarwal, B.B., 2011
• Raison, C.L., Mascaro, J.S., Pace, T.W. Research on the Endocrinology of Compassion. In: Compassion: From Theory to Training to Neuroscience. A Multimedia Book. Ed.: Singer, T.A., 2012
• Nater UM, Heim CM, Raison C, (2012). Chronic fatigue syndrome. In: Schlaepfer T, Nemeroff CB (Eds.), Neurobiology of Psychiatric Disorders. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, Vol 106. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pgs 573-587
• Raison, C.L., Miller, A.H. The Role of Inflammation in Depression: Implications for Phenomenology, Pathophysiology and Treatment. In: Leonard, B., Halaris, A. (Eds.) Modern Trends in Pharmacopsychiatry, Vol. 28, 2013; Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers, Basel, Switzerland
• Raison, C.L., Miller, A.H., Rook, G.A.W., Begay, T. Role of Inflammation in Diseases of the Nervous System (Psychiatry). In: Zigmond, M.J., Coyle, J.T., Rowland, L.P. (Eds.) Neurobiology of Brain Disorders. Elsevier, 2013
• Dodson-Lavelle, B., Ozawa-de Silva, B., Raison, C.L., and Negi, L.T. Healing Through Compassion: Cognitively-Based Compassion Training for Foster Care Youth. In: Rozelle, D., Rome, D. (Eds.) Contemplative Methods in Trauma Treatment: Integrating Mindfulness and Other Approaches. Guilford Press, 2014
• Shah, N. & Raison, C.L. Depression and the surgical patient. In: Lubin, M.F., Dodson, T.F., Winawer, N. (Eds.) Medical Management of the Surgical Patient: a Textbook of Perioperative Medicine, Cambridge University Press, 2013
• Shah, N. & Raison, C.L. Psychological and emotional reactions to illness and surgery. In: Lubin, M.F., Dodson, T.F., Winawer, N. (Eds.) Medical Management of the Surgical Patient: a Textbook of Perioperative Medicine, Cambridge University Press, 2013
• Rook, G.A.W., Lowry, C.A., Raison, C.L. Microbiota and the hygiene hypothesis of psychiatric disorders. In: Cryan, J.., Lyte, M. (Eds.) The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Health and Disease, Springer, 2013

Commentaries/Editorials

• Miller, A.H., Raison, C.L. Cytokines, p38 MAP Kinase and the Pathophysiology of Depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2006. 31: 2089-2090.
• Raison, C.L. Buddhists Meet Mind Scientists in Conference on Meditation and Depression. Psychiatric Times, 25(3), May 2008
• Raison, C.L. An Evolutionary View on the Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Compassion. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Winter 2009:
• Raison, C.L., Maletic, V., Jain, R., Draud, J. From Chaos to Consilience Parts I-III. Psychiatric Times, May–August 2009
• Rook, G.A.W., Raison, C.L., Lowry, C.A. Childhood microbial experience, immunoregulation, inflammation and adult susceptibility to psychosocial stressors and depression in rich and poor countries. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health 2012; Epub
• Raison, C.L. & Miller A.H. Malaise, melancholia and madness: The evolutionary legacy of an inflammatory bias. Brain, Behavior and Immunity 2013; Epub

• McNutt, Marcia D.; Liu, Shuling; Manatunga, Amita; Royster, Erica B.; Raison, Charles L.; Woolwine, Bobbi J.; Demetrashvili, Marina F.; Miller, Andrew H.; Musselman, Dominique L. (2012-05-01). "Neurobehavioral effects of interferon-α in patients with hepatitis-C: symptom dimensions and responsiveness to paroxetine". Neuropsychopharmacology: Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. 37 (6): 1444–1454. doi:10.1038/npp.2011.330. ISSN 1740-634X. PMC 3327849. PMID 22353759. 
• Mascaro, Jennifer S.; Rilling, James K.; Negi, Lobsang Tenzin; Raison, Charles L. (2013-04-01). "Pre-existing brain function predicts subsequent practice of mindfulness and compassion meditation". NeuroImage. 69: 35–42. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.12.021. ISSN 1095-9572. PMID 23266748. 
• Berg, Joanna M.; Lilienfeld, Scott O.; Reddy, Sheethal D.; Latzman, Robert D.; Roose, Annelore; Craighead, Linda W.; Pace, Thaddeus W. W.; Raison, Charles L. (2013-10-01). "The Inventory of Callous and Unemotional Traits: a construct-validational analysis in an at-risk sample". Assessment. 20 (5): 532–544. doi:10.1177/1073191112474338. ISSN 1552-3489. PMID 23344913. 
• Information, National Center for Biotechnology; Pike, U. S. National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville; MD, Bethesda; Usa, 20894. "No items found - PubMed - NCBI". Retrieved 2016-04-05. 
• Raison, Charles L.; Miller, Andrew H. (2013-07-01). "Malaise, melancholia and madness: the evolutionary legacy of an inflammatory bias". Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 31: 1–8. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2013.04.009. ISSN 1090-2139. PMC 3678371. PMID 23639523.