Getting help for depression can be like purgatory. Setting aside for a moment the stigma and other barriers to seeking treatment in the first place, finding the right combination of medication and/or therapy can be a months- or years-long process of trial and error. And for about one third of people, nothing seems to work.

Today we're talking with Dr. Leanne Williams, the founding director of the Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health and Wellness and Vincent V.C. Woo Professor in the Stanford Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

Williams and her team have recently used brain imaging and machine learning techniques to identify six distinct "biotypes" of depression — each of which may require a different approach to treatment. Beyond setting the stage for more targeted therapies, better understanding the biology behind the disease could finally cut through the stigma of one of the world's most common brain disorders.

Learn more

Williams' Personalized and Translational Neuroscience Lab (PANlab)
The Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health and Wellness
Six distinct types of depression identified in Stanford Medicine-led study
(Stanford Medicine, 2024)
- Personalized brain circuit scores identify clinically distinct biotypes in depression and anxiety (Nature Medicine, 2024)
Brain scans could help personalize treatment for people who are depressed or suicidal (Science, 2022)
Williams' scientific publications

Episode Credits
This episode was produced by Michael Osborne, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker, and hosted by Nicholas Weiler. Art by Aimee Garza.

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Depression's distinctive fingerprints in the brain | Leanne Williams, Stanford University

From Our Neurons to Yours

Depression's distinctive fingerprints in the brain | Leanne Williams, Stanford University