Nolan R. Williams
Nolan Ryan Williams | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | June 25, 1982 |
| Died | October 8, 2025 (aged 43) |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Education | College of Charleston (2003), Medical University of South Carolina (2008) |
| Occupation | Neuropsychiatrist |
| Known for | SAINT, ibogaine research |
| Medical career | |
| Institutions | Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab |
| Website | bsl |
Nolan R. Williams (June 25, 1982 – October 8, 2025) was an American neuropsychiatrist who made "transformative"[1] contributions in treating depression by helping optimize transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy.[2]
Early life
Nolan Ryan Williams was born on June 25, 1982, in South Carolina, where he received his education. He was born and raised in the Lowcountry, Charleston, South Carolina[3] and later moved to Charleston, SC. He was a Taekwondo black belt and champion in high school.[4] He attended the College of Charleston for his undergraduate education.
Research and career
He attended the Medical University of South Carolina for his MD degree, where he then trained in both neurology and psychiatry residencies. After this, he "joined the faculty at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he rose to the rank of Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and was Director of the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab."[1]
He helped develop a protocol to speed and target the use of TMS into a method known as SAINT, for Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy.[2][5] SAINT is also referred to as SNT, for Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy, in the medical literature.[6][7] It was first called "spaced-TMS, but as ... Williams saw how powerful it was, he changed the name to the more angelic 'SAINT TMS' ... Then, he had to change it again, after a journal reviewer complained that we shouldn't mix religious language with medical treatment. So, SAINT became SNT."[8]
In 2024, he became an elected member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.[1]
The nonprofit organization Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) partnered with Williams to study ibogaine in those with traumatic brain injury and said in a statement that "his research demonstrated what these veterans courageously believed: That healing was possible, that their suffering mattered, and that science could meet them in their darkest hour."[2]
Personal life
He died by suicide at age 43. Importantly, he did not suffer from lifelong or chronic depression. His death was not the result of a long-term depressive disorder, but rather what can be understood as a situational suicide — a response to acute, overwhelming circumstances — which differs significantly from depressive suicide that stems from persistent, clinically diagnosed major depression. He was an avid kite surfer.[1] He is survived by his wife, Kristin Raj, MD, and their children, Autumn and Hendrix.
References
- ^ a b c George, Mark S.; Sackeim, Harold A. (November 15, 2025). "In Memoriam: Nolan R. Williams, MD". Neuropsychopharmacology. 51: 534–535. doi:10.1038/s41386-025-02277-y.
- ^ a b c Sandomir, Richard (November 11, 2025). "Nolan Williams, Who Stimulated the Brain to Treat Depression, Dies at 43". The New York Times.
- ^ Hyde, Paul (November 25, 2025). "Nolan Williams, 43: a life cut short by the illness he helped others confront". South Carolina Daily Gazette.
- ^ Hyde, Paul (November 25, 2025). "Nolan Williams, 43: a life cut short by the illness he helped others confront". South Carolina Daily Gazette.
- ^ Williams NR, Sudheimer KD, Bentzley BS, Pannu J, Stimpson KH, Duvio D, Cherian K, Hawkins J, Scherrer KH, Vyssoki B, DeSouza D, Raj KS, Keller J, Schatzberg AF (March 2018). "High-dose spaced theta-burst TMS as a rapid-acting antidepressant in highly refractory depression". Brain. 141 (3): e18. doi:10.1093/brain/awx379. PMC 5837258. PMID 29415152.
- ^ Aiken, Chris; Newsome, Kellie (December 1, 2025). "How to Find SAINT TMS". The Carlat Psychiatry Podcast.
- ^ Cole EJ, Phillips AL, Bentzley BS, Stimpson KH, Nejad R, Barmak F, Veerapal C, Khan N, Cherian K, Felber E, Brown R, Choi E, King S, Pankow H, Bishop JH, Azeez A, Coetzee J, Rapier R, Odenwald N, Carreon D, Hawkins J, Chang M, Keller J, Raj K, DeBattista C, Jo B, Espil FM, Schatzberg AF, Sudheimer KD, Williams NR (February 2022). "Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy (SNT): A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial". Am J Psychiatry. 179 (2): 132–141. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.20101429. PMID 34711062.
- ^ Aiken, Chris; Newsome, Kellie (November 24, 2025). "A More Powerful Antidepressant". The Carlat Psychiatry Podcast.
External links
- The Remarkable Life of Nolan Ryan Williams, M.D. The Frontier Psychiatrists
- Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab