Christopher Gottschalk

Christopher H. Gottschalk, MD, is a Professor of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine, where he serves as Chief of the Division of General Neurology and Director of the Fellowship Program at the Headache & Facial Pain Center. He established Yale's first headache medicine program and continues to treat patients with chronic headaches, facial pain, and general neurology issues.

• BA from Johns Hopkins University (1984)
• MD from Columbia University (1990)
• Residency at Neurological Institute of New York (1994)
• Fellowship at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons (1996)

Dr. Gottschalk's research focuses on optimizing interventions to improve headache diagnosis and management across medical specialties. His work spans brain mapping, cluster headache, cortical spreading depression, migraine disorders, neurochemistry, and trigeminal neuralgia. He emphasizes understanding the biological mechanisms of migraine headaches, which can lead to better understanding of brain function at a fundamental level. His research also addresses chronic diseases, child/adolescent health, health care management, health equity, and substance use. He states that 'The burden of illness due to migraine and related conditions is gigantic—it is the most important cause of disability for women worldwide, and yet this fact is largely unknown or ignored.'

Dr. Gottschalk's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on migraine and cluster headache treatments, particularly exploring novel therapeutic approaches including CGRP inhibitors and psychedelic compounds like psilocybin. His work spans clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and mechanistic investigations into headache pathophysiology. A notable trend is his investigation into alternative treatments for refractory headache disorders, with multiple publications on psilocybin's potential role in cluster headache management. His research also addresses healthcare policy issues related to headache treatment reimbursement and delivery.

• Fellow of the American Headache Society (FAHS)

As Director of the Fellowship Program at the Headache & Facial Pain Center, Dr. Gottschalk oversees training for headache medicine specialists. His research collaborations include work with Yale colleagues across multiple disciplines, suggesting involvement in various research grants focused on headache disorders and neurological conditions. He is affiliated with Yale's Center for Neuroepidemiology and Clinical Neurological Research (CNE²), which houses multiple research programs focused on neurological conditions including acute brain injury, aging and dementia, and cerebrovascular disease.