Joseph S. Goveas

Joseph S. Goveas, MD is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine and Institute for Health & Humanity at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), where he also serves as Vice-Chair and Director of Geriatric Psychiatry. His work bridges clinical practice and neuroscience research focused on aging and bereavement.

Dr. Goveas completed his medical degree at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore University in Manipal (1996), followed by a Psychiatry Residency at the University of Chicago Hospitals (1998-2002), and a Fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania (2005-2006).

His research focuses on brain-behavior relationships in normal aging, prolonged grief disorder (complicated grief), and late-life depression. Dr. Goveas directs the Developing Resilience to Ease Anguish in Mourning (DREAM) Program, which examines neurobiological markers that predict who will develop prolonged grief disorder following loss. His work aims to identify interventions that prevent grief-related complications and improve health outcomes for those experiencing prolonged grief disorder. The research employs advanced neuroimaging techniques including fMRI to identify brain changes associated with grief trajectories.

Dr. Goveas has received numerous accolades including being selected annually since 2009 as Best Doctors in America, election to the American College of Psychiatrists and Society of Biological Psychiatry, the 2011 Investigator of the Year award from the Alzheimer's Association of Southeastern Wisconsin, and recognition as a promising junior Alzheimer's investigator at the 2013 Charleston Conference. He has been supported by prestigious programs including the NIMH summer research institute, MCW NIH-funded K30 program, and NIMH/Weill Cornell Advanced Research Institute in Geriatric Mental Health (2015-2018).

• 2025-2026: Principal Investigator for NIMH-funded study on Emotion Regulation in Complicated Grief
• 2023-present: Principal Investigator for Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment study on Iyengar Yoga as a Probe of Prolonged Grief Disorder Neurobiology
• 2021-2023: Principal Investigator for Costigan Family Foundation study on Neurobiological Markers of Major Depression in Individuals with Grief
• 2018-2022: Co-Principal Investigator for NIMH-funded study on Endocannabinoid System and Brain Network Function in Late-Life Depression

Dr. Goveas leads the Goveas Grief Research Program team, which includes neuroimaging experts, biostatisticians, and clinical research coordinators. The program maintains collaborations with institutions including the University of Pittsburgh (with Dr. Charles F. Reynolds, III) and has established community partnerships to improve bereavement care across Wisconsin. His research has particular relevance to older women's health, given his involvement in the Women's Health Initiative studies examining grief, loneliness, and cognitive function.