Tribute to Nolan R. Williams, MD

The Penn Psychedelics Collaborative honors Nolan R. Williams, MD, was a pioneering psychiatrist and neuroscientist whose work transformed how we think about treating severe mood disorders, particularly through his leadership in ibogaine research. As Director of the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab, he helped design and study carefully monitored ibogaine protocols for veterans and others living with depression, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and substance use disorders, documenting rapid, sustained reductions in mood and trauma symptoms after a single treatment. By pairing ibogaine with sophisticated brain imaging and electrophysiology, he began to map how this powerful medicine reshapes neural circuits involved in mood, opening new paths toward safer, more precise therapies. Nolan’s work offered hope to people who had exhausted conventional options, and his blend of scientific rigor, clinical courage, and deep compassion continues to guide the emerging field of ibogaine assisted care for mood and trauma related disorders.