Journal of Brain Research

Raphael bonelli

Biography

Raphael M. Bonelli (born September 10, 1968 in Schärding in Austria) is an Austrian professor of psychiatry, neurology and psychotherapy at the Sigmund Freud University Vienna.

He graduated with a M.D. from Vienna University and with a Dr.med.sc. from the Medical University of Graz. He did postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School, University of California, Los Angeles and Duke University. He is Faculty Scholar of the Duke University Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health

Research Interest

Bonelli is researcher on neuropsychiatry. His scientific interest is dementia, especially Huntington's disease. With his neuropsychiatric research group he described eight new treatment options for this disease: Pramipexol, Quetiapine, Minocycline, Mirtazapine, Zotepine, Ziprasidone, Venlafaxine and antipsychotic drug holidays in Huntington’s disease.

In a cooperation with Harold Koenig from Duke University he undertook the first systematic evidence based analysis on the connection between mental disorders and religion. The researchers conclude that there is good evidence that religious involvement is correlated with better mental health in the areas of depression, substance abuse, and suicide; some evidence in Stress-related disorders and dementia; insufficient evidence in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and no data in many other mental disorders.