Welcome to the Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics Newsletter! 

In this issue, you will learn about some of our latest efforts to push the frontiers of psychedelic research. In a paper published in Science, IPN researchers used molecular tools to re-activate psychedelic-responsive neurons in the prefrontal cortex in the absence of a drug. By turning on these neurons, they were able to induce an anxiolytic response without producing a behavior characteristic of hallucinogens, suggesting that the neural circuits that mediate these effects are distinct. In a Nature Chemistry paper, IPN researchers reported a Herculean effort to complete the shortest ever total synthesis of ibogaine — a natural product that is being investigated for treating substance use disorders and traumatic brain injury.

In addition to our basic science studies and preclinical research, we are excited to announce that a novel IPN drug has been tested in patients with major depressive disorder as part of a phase 1b study conducted by Delix Therapeutics. This is a huge milestone for the institute, so please stay tuned for those results!

A team of dedicated faculty, staff, and students are driving the IPN’s mission, and we are very excited to announce that Kate Tweddale has officially been named our Chief Administrative Officer. Kate has a wealth of experience managing university research and supporting students like Yara Khatib — an IPN researcher and pharmacology and toxicology graduate student who develops novel methods for assessing compound-induced neuroplasticity. Yara recently won the UC Davis Grad Slam and will be representing UC Davis at the University of California Grad Slam championship in a couple of weeks! Good luck Yara!

As always, thank you for believing in our mission and joining us on this extraordinary journey to find new solutions for promoting mental wellness.
 

Sincerely,

David E. Olson