Rafael dos Santos
Psychiatrist and Clinical Researcher
Papers
Trials
Key Impact
Noted for pioneering clinical and translational research on ayahuasca and other serotonergic psychedelics, including early controlled trials showing rapid antidepressant effects and translational neuroimaging work.
Background & Research
Rafael dos Santos is a clinician–researcher whose work sits at the interface of psychopharmacology, psychiatry and ethnobotany, with a sustained focus on the therapeutic potential and public-health implications of ayahuasca and other classic serotonergic psychedelics. He has led and co‑authored early clinical investigations, including a SPECT neuroimaging study and a preliminary randomised, placebo‑controlled trial reporting rapid antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression, and a pilot trial examining effects in social anxiety disorder. His empirical work combines clinical outcomes, neuroimaging and careful attention to safety and selection criteria.