Leanne Williams is an expert in depression. The first thing that she wants the world to know is that depression is not some sort of character flaw, but a real illness with symptoms that can impair one’s ability to function day to day. The past decade has seen remarkable advances, she says, as functional MRI has opened new avenues of understanding depression’s mechanisms and its treatments. These are hopeful times for the science of depression, Williams tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your quest. You can send questions to thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu.Episode Reference Links:Stanford Profile:  Leanne WilliamsConnect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / FacebookChapters:(00:00:00) IntroductionRuss Altman introduces guest Leanne Williams, a professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stanford University.(00:02:13) What Is Depression?Distinguishing clinical depression from everyday sadness.(00:04:02) Current Depression Treatment ChallengesThe trial-and-error of traditional depression treatments and their extended timelines.(00:06:46) Brain Mapping and Circuit DysfunctionsAdvanced imaging techniques and their role in understanding depression.(00:09:33) Diagnosing with Brain ImagingHow brain imaging can complement traditional diagnostic methods in psychiatry.(00:10:52) Depression BiotypesIdentifying six distinct biotypes of depression through brain imaging(00:14:41) Biotypes and Personalized TreatmentsHow biotypes allow for targeted therapies and improve treatment outcomes.(00:19:33) AI in Depression TreatmentUsing AI to refine biotypes and predict treatment outcomes with greater accuracy.(00:22:45) Psychedelics in Depression TreatmentThe potential for psychedelic drugs to target specific biotypes of depression.(00:24:16) Expanding the Biotypes FrameworkIntegrating multimodal approaches into the biotype framework.(00:27:59) Reducing Stigma in DepressionHow showing patients their brain imaging results reduces self-blame and stigma.(00:30:08) Conclusion Connect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.