James R. Doty, M.D.

James R. Doty, M.D, F.A.C.S., F.I.C.S., F.A.A.N.S.

James R. Doty, M.D. is a Professor in the Neurosurgery Department at Stanford University School of Medicine and the Founder and Director of the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research (CCARE) of which His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the founding benefactor. He obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Irvine, and medical degree from Tulane University. Dr. Doty completed neurosurgical residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and obtained board certification in 1990. He is a Fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the International College of Surgeons. He served 9 years on active duty service in the U.S. Army.

Dr. Doty maintains a broad neurosurgical interest and is one of the pioneers in the use of stereotactic radiosurgery utilizing the CyberKnife. He is an expert in the surgical treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the brain and spinal cord. Additionally, he specializes in the surgical and medical (non-surgical) treatment of disorders of the spine including herniated discs, degenerative disease, tumors and traumatic injuries such as fractures or dislocations. Dr. Doty is also an expert in minimally invasive (minimal incision surgery) and complex spine surgery. He has published extensively in the areas of spine and stereotactic radiosurgery.

For the last several years, his interest has focused on understanding the neural basis of compassion and altruism. He collaborates with a number of scientists in a variety of disciplines including neuroscience and psychology at Stanford and multiple universities throughout the world. He is the Senior Editor of the Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science.

As a philanthropist. Dr. Doty has supported health clinics throughout the world and groundbreaking neuroscience research. He has endowed chairs at multiple universities including Stanford and the chair for the Dean of Tulane Medical School, his alma mater.

He is the New York Times bestselling author of Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart that has now been translated into 36 languages.