John H. Krystal, MD, Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Professor of Translational Research and professor of psychiatry, of neuroscience, and of psychology, and chair of the Yale Department of Psychiatry, was awarded the 2026 Connecticut Medal of Technology at a ceremony September 17 in East Hartford.
Governor Ned Lamont presented Krystal with his medal. Also attending the ceremony was U.S. Representative John Larson.
Krystal was recognized “for the discovery of the rapid antidepressant actions of ketamine, the most important clinical advance in psychiatry in the current era, leading to the development of esketamine, the first mechanistically novel FDA-approved antidepressant in over 50 years.”
Another medal recipient, RTX Technology Research Center, was honored “for developing era-defining breakthroughs in commercial aviation and defense for over 95 years, during which time its scientists and engineers have pushed the limits of technology and science by taking on its customers’ toughest challenges and redefining how we connect and protect our world.”
“Connecticut is one of the most innovative states in the nation, and we are proud to honor those who are leading in developing the new technologies and advancements that are having a global impact,” Lamont said. “Dr. Krystal's research is not only changing the way that medical professionals treat their patients, but it's also changing the lives of those who have struggled for years seeking help for certain disorders they once may have thought were untreatable.”
Krystal is recognized for his expertise in the neurobiology and treatment of psychiatric disorders. His work links psychopharmacology, neuroimaging, molecular genetics, and computational neuroscience to study the neurobiology and treatment of disorders, including alcohol use disorder, depression, PTSD, and schizophrenia.
He and his collaborators identified mechanisms in patients underlying these antidepressant effects: enhanced glutamate release (13C-MRS), restoration of cortical functional connectivity deficits (fMRI), restoration of synaptic density (PET), and novel mechanisms for enhancing or sustaining these effects via mTORC1 inhibition and glycine-site NMDA-R modulation.
He also studied the neurobiology and treatment of alcohol use disorder, PTSD, and schizophrenia. He identified the first biological mechanism in PTSD with his colleagues in the early 1990s. Most recently, he co-founded the National PTSD Brain Bank and co-led the first well-powered transcriptomic study of PTSD. His studies of schizophrenia identified cortical mechanisms underlying symptoms and predicted the emergence of drugs that could treat schizophrenia without blocking dopamine D2 receptors. The first drug of this type, Cobenfy, was approved by the FDA in 2024.
The Connecticut Medal of Technology is awarded to individuals, teams, and organizations for outstanding contributions to the economic, environmental, and social well-being of Connecticut and the nation through the promotion of technology, technological innovation, or the development of the technological workforce.