Kay Redfield Jamison

Kay Redfield Jamison is an American clinical psychologist and author, one of the foremost authorities on bipolar disorder, which she studies both as a scientist and as someone who lives with the condition. Born in 1946, she earned her doctorate in clinical psychology and is a professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Jamison co-authored the standard medical text on bipolar disorder, Manic-Depressive Illness, a definitive clinical reference in the field. But she reached a far wider audience with her 1995 memoir An Unquiet Mind, in which she wrote candidly about her own experience of bipolar disorder, including the dangers of her illness and her decision to disclose it despite professional risk.

Her other influential books include Touched with Fire, which explores the historical link between mood disorders and artistic creativity, and Night Falls Fast, a study of suicide. Her work combines scientific authority with literary grace and personal honesty, helping to reduce stigma around mental illness.

A recipient of numerous honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship, Jamison has done much to humanize the understanding of mood disorders. Her willingness to speak openly about her own struggles, while maintaining her standing as a leading researcher, has made her a uniquely powerful voice in the conversation about mental health.