Kay Redfield Jamison

Kay Redfield Jamison is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Dalio Professor in Mood Disorders. She co-directs the Johns Hopkins Mood Disorders Center and is also an Honorary Professor of English at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. Her work bridges clinical psychiatry and literary scholarship, focusing on mood disorders, suicide, and the links between creativity and mental illness.

• Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles (1975)
• M.A., University of California, Los Angeles (1971)
• B.A., University of California, Los Angeles (1971)
• C. Phil., UCLA (1973)
• Residency in Clinical Psychology, Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA (1974)
• Additional studies in Zoology and Neurophysiology at the University of St. Andrews

Dr. Jamison's research centers on mood disorders, particularly bipolar disorder, and their relationship to artistic temperament and suicide. She is known for integrating scientific rigor with deeply personal narratives, drawing from both her clinical expertise and lived experience with bipolar illness. Her work emphasizes the biological, psychological, and cultural dimensions of mental health.

Her publications reflect a sustained exploration of mood, creativity, and mortality. From the seminal Manic-Depressive Illness to the Pulitzer-finalist Robert Lowell: Setting the River on Fire, her writing spans clinical scholarship, memoir, and literary biography. These works collectively highlight themes of genius, emotional extremity, and the human cost of mental illness.

• MacArthur Fellowship
• Lewis Thomas Prize
• Sarnat Prize, National Academy of Medicine
• Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Fellow, Royal Society of Edinburgh
• Pulitzer Prize Finalist (2018)

Dr. Jamison has advised numerous scholars and clinicians through her mentorship and public lectures. While no direct students are listed, her influence extends through her writings, teaching, and leadership at the Mood Disorders Center. She has received major research recognition and has not been associated with formal grant listings in the provided text. Her interdisciplinary approach has shaped both psychiatric practice and public understanding of mental illness.

She is a core member of the Johns Hopkins Mood Disorders Center, a leading clinical and research institution dedicated to understanding and treating bipolar and related disorders. The center integrates patient care, research, and education, reflecting Dr. Jamison's holistic vision for psychiatric medicine.