Brain Waves Video Interviews

Elyn Saks: From Schizophrenia to Advocacy

Dr. Elyn Saks is a remarkable leader in mental health advocacy, and a remarkable person. Having been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a student, she continued to excel academically, and now thrives as a Chair Professor of Law at USC’s Gould School of Law. Her most widely known accomplishment is her landmark memoir of her experience with schizophrenia: The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness. Her advocacy earned her a MacArthur Fellowship (popularly called a “Genius Grant”) with which she founded the Saks Institute at USC to promote advances in mental health policy and spread understanding. Did I forget to mention? She is also a downright nice person!

Elyn joins us on Brain Waves to talk about her recovery, her work, and more.