SynapShot Newsletter Fall 2026

Our team deconstructed LSD into simpler analogues, identifying which specific structural elements were necessary for its hallucinogenic effects, work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that could help identify novel LSD analogues with improved safety profiles. Elsewhere on campus, IPN affiliated chemists and neuroscientists made two other notable advances.  The Shaw and Tantillo Labs discovered a new route to chiral aromatic heterocycles, and given the importance of heterocycles for medicinal chemistry, this work has important implications for drug discovery.  The McKenney Lab elucidated a long-sought structure showing how the motor protein kinesin-1 turns on and off inside nerve cells, which is critical knowledge for developing therapeutics for diseases like ALS.  We're also proud to share that IPN Director David Olson was appointed Editor-in-Chief of ACS Chemical Neuroscience, and that program coordinator Sarah Solar, the nexus point for our 85 faculty affiliates, was recently featured in a staff spotlight. Our work also made it to local airwaves, with IPN's psychedelic-inspired, trip-free depression research featured on KCRA 3, alongside other new depression treatments being explored around Sacramento.

 

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