Jonathan Shay

Jonathan Shay is Doctor and clinical psychiatrist. He holds a B.A from Harvard and an M.D. and a Ph.D. from University of Pennsylvania. [cite web |url=http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.2913825/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id={E9E1451F-45BD-4CAE-BC81-1DBB22F276D0}&notoc=1 |title=MacArthur Fellows 2007 |accessdate=2008-08-15 |work= |publisher=www.macfound.org |date= ] His early medical work was with the behaviour of brain cells in and after strokes, but after suffering a stroke and financial hard times, he began work for a United States Department of Veterans' Affairs outpatient clinic in Boston, MA. While he worked there, in his words, " [t] he veterans simply kidnapped [him] ," and his work with them "utterly redirected [his] life." [http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/09/25/psychiatrist_treated_veterans_using_homer/]

With this, in 1987, he shifted from biochemistry to the still-developing study of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He has written two books on the nature and treatment of PTSD, "Achilles in Vietnam" (ISBN 978-0-684-81321-9) and "Odysseus in America" (ISBN 978-0-7432-1157-4), which discuss the nature of the ailment by analogy between the experiences of American soldiers, particularly veterans of the Vietnam War, and the similar experiences depicted in the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey". He is a passionate advocate of improved psychiatric counselling for soldiers, and more vigorous effort to prevent or heal PTSD, [http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/09/25/psychiatrist_treated_veterans_using_homer/] and has cited classical Greek theater ["Achilles in Vietnam" 230-1, footnote 14] and the collective mourning described in the "Iliad" as possible precedents.

He is very highly regarded in military circles, [http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.2913825/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id=%7BE9E1451F-45BD-4CAE-BC81-1DBB22F276D0%7D&notoc=1] and has received a Macarthur "Genius Grant" fellowship in 2007 to further support his work. [http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.2913825/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id=%7BE9E1451F-45BD-4CAE-BC81-1DBB22F276D0%7D&notoc=1]

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