Pasha Davoudian
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About
Biography
Pasha received his B.A. in neuroscience with highest distinction from the University of Virginia where he studied thalamocortical circuits involved in absence epilepsy. Following his undergraduate training, he was a research associate at the Allen Institute for Brain Science where he described the patterns of connectivity and characterized synaptic physiological properties of mouse and human neocortical networks. At Yale, he conducted his thesis work examining cellular, synaptic, and circuit effects of psychedelics.
Education & Training
- Research Associate
- Allen Institute for Brain Science (2018)
- BA
- University of Virginia, Neuroscience (2016)
Research
Overview
Medical Research Interests
Antidepressive Agents; Biophysics; Dendrites; Ion Channels; Ketamine; Neurobiology; Neurology; Neuronal Plasticity; Neurophysiology; Psilocybin; Psychiatry; Synapses; Synaptic Transmission
ORCID
0000-0002-5096-7610- View Lab Website
Kwan Lab
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Pasha Davoudian's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Pasha Davoudian's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Pasha Davoudian is interested in exploring.
Alex Kwan, PhD
Christopher A Baker, PhD
Christopher Pittenger, MD, PhD
Clara Liao, BA
Gerard Sanacora, PhD, MD
James Jeanne, PhD
14Publications
888Citations
Synapses
Psilocybin
Ketamine
Synaptic Transmission
Neuronal Plasticity
Dendrites
Publications
2024
Ventral hippocampal parvalbumin interneurons gate the acute anxiolytic action of the serotonergic psychedelic DOI
Tiwari P, Davoudian P, Kapri D, Vuruputuri R, Karaba L, Sharma M, Zanni G, Balakrishnan A, Chaudhari P, Pradhan A, Suryavanshi S, Bath K, Ansorge M, Fernandez-Ruiz A, Kwan A, Vaidya V. Ventral hippocampal parvalbumin interneurons gate the acute anxiolytic action of the serotonergic psychedelic DOI. Neuron 2024, 112: 3697-3714.e6. PMID: 39321791, PMCID: PMC11581910, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.08.016.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsAnxiolytic actionVentral hippocampusParvalbumin (PV)-positive interneuronsAnxiety-like behaviorAction of DOIPV-positive interneuronsPsychedelic DOIAnxiolytic responseAnxiolytic effectsSerotonergic psychedelicsFast-spiking cellsParvalbumin interneuronsGABAergic interneuronsVHPCFiring rateDOIHippocampusInterneuronsTherapeutic potentialReceptorsPsychedelicsCellular triggersGenetic approachesElectrophysiology
2023
Psychedelic renaissance: Revitalized potential therapies for psychiatric disorders
Rhee T, Davoudian P, Sanacora G, Wilkinson S. Psychedelic renaissance: Revitalized potential therapies for psychiatric disorders. Drug Discovery Today 2023, 28: 103818. PMID: 37925136, DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103818.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPsychiatric disordersLysergic acid diethylamideClinical trialsUS Clinical Trials RegistryClinical Trials RegistryPotential therapeutic effectsTrials RegistryTherapeutic effectPotential therapyTherapeutic agentsN-dimethyltryptamineAcid diethylamideLargest causePsychedelic compoundsDisordersPsychotherapeutic approachesSafety concernsTrialsPotential interactive effectsCutting-edge reviewPsychedelic substancesRegistryTherapyHyperconnectivity of Two Separate Long-Range Cholinergic Systems Contributes to the Reorganization of the Brain Functional Connectivity during Nicotine Withdrawal in Male Mice
Carrette L, Kimbrough A, Davoudian P, Kwan A, Collazo A, George O. Hyperconnectivity of Two Separate Long-Range Cholinergic Systems Contributes to the Reorganization of the Brain Functional Connectivity during Nicotine Withdrawal in Male Mice. ENeuro 2023, 10: eneuro.0019-23.2023. PMID: 37295945, PMCID: PMC10306126, DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0019-23.2023.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsWhole-brain functional connectivityCholinergic regionsCholinergic systemFunctional connectivityNicotine withdrawalMale miceFos expressionNicotinic receptorsBrain cholinergic systemWithdrawal-induced changesImmediate early gene FosDiscontinuation of useNicotinic acetylcholine receptorsBrain functional connectivityCholinergic neuronsBasal forebrainNicotine resultsWithdrawal symptomsCholinergic neurotransmissionMRNA expression databaseReceptor mRNANicotine dependenceAcetylcholine receptorsBaseline expressionBrain regions5-MeO-DMT modifies innate behaviors and promotes structural neural plasticity in mice
Jefferson S, Gregg I, Dibbs M, Liao C, Wu H, Davoudian P, Woodburn S, Wehrle P, Sprouse J, Sherwood A, Kaye A, Pittenger C, Kwan A. 5-MeO-DMT modifies innate behaviors and promotes structural neural plasticity in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023, 48: 1257-1266. PMID: 37015972, PMCID: PMC10354037, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01572-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMouse medial frontal cortexEarly phase clinical studiesDendritic spine densityHead-twitch responseDose-dependent increaseStructural neural plasticityMedial frontal cortexSpine densityClinical studiesFrontal cortexLong-term effectsDendritic spinesMental illnessNeural plasticitySpine formationPatient accessSubjective effectsNeural consequencesPotential therapeuticsSerotonergic psychedelicsAnxiety symptomsNeural mechanismsUltrasonic vocalizationsElevated ratesMiceShared and Distinct Brain Regions Targeted for Immediate Early Gene Expression by Ketamine and Psilocybin
Davoudian P, Shao L, Kwan A. Shared and Distinct Brain Regions Targeted for Immediate Early Gene Expression by Ketamine and Psilocybin. ACS Chemical Neuroscience 2023, 14: 468-480. PMID: 36630309, PMCID: PMC9898239, DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00637.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsC-fos expressionBrain regionsNeural plasticityPlasticity-related gene expressionPrimary visual cortexNumerous brain regionsAnterior cingulate cortexExact brain regionsContribution of receptorsDistinct brain regionsImmediate early gene expressionDorsal rapheGlutamatergic receptorsCA1 subfieldSubanesthetic ketamineFemale miceLocus coeruleusInsular cortexSaline controlsTherapeutic effectPsilocybin administrationBasolateral amygdalaLateral habenulaCingulate cortexVisual cortexVisualizing drug actions on dendrites: psilocybin and other classic psychedelics
Shao L, Liao C, Gregg I, Davoudian P, Savalia N, Delagarza K, Kwan A. Visualizing drug actions on dendrites: psilocybin and other classic psychedelics. 2023, btu2b.2. DOI: 10.1364/brain.2023.btu2b.2.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2022
Local connectivity and synaptic dynamics in mouse and human neocortex
Campagnola L, Seeman SC, Chartrand T, Kim L, Hoggarth A, Gamlin C, Ito S, Trinh J, Davoudian P, Radaelli C, Kim MH, Hage T, Braun T, Alfiler L, Andrade J, Bohn P, Dalley R, Henry A, Kebede S, Alice M, Sandman D, Williams G, Larsen R, Teeter C, Daigle TL, Berry K, Dotson N, Enstrom R, Gorham M, Hupp M, Dingman Lee S, Ngo K, Nicovich PR, Potekhina L, Ransford S, Gary A, Goldy J, McMillen D, Pham T, Tieu M, Siverts L, Walker M, Farrell C, Schroedter M, Slaughterbeck C, Cobb C, Ellenbogen R, Gwinn RP, Keene CD, Ko AL, Ojemann JG, Silbergeld DL, Carey D, Casper T, Crichton K, Clark M, Dee N, Ellingwood L, Gloe J, Kroll M, Sulc J, Tung H, Wadhwani K, Brouner K, Egdorf T, Maxwell M, McGraw M, Pom CA, Ruiz A, Bomben J, Feng D, Hejazinia N, Shi S, Szafer A, Wakeman W, Phillips J, Bernard A, Esposito L, D'Orazi FD, Sunkin S, Smith K, Tasic B, Arkhipov A, Sorensen S, Lein E, Koch C, Murphy G, Zeng H, Jarsky T. Local connectivity and synaptic dynamics in mouse and human neocortex. Science 2022, 375: eabj5861. PMID: 35271334, PMCID: PMC9970277, DOI: 10.1126/science.abj5861.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsAMPK-mediated potentiation of GABAergic signalling drives hypoglycaemia-provoked spike-wave seizures
Salvati KA, Ritger ML, Davoudian PA, O'Dell F, Wyskiel DR, Souza GMPR, Lu AC, Perez-Reyes E, Drake JC, Yan Z, Beenhakker MP. AMPK-mediated potentiation of GABAergic signalling drives hypoglycaemia-provoked spike-wave seizures. Brain 2022, 145: 2332-2346. PMID: 35134125, PMCID: PMC9337815, DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac037.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSpike-wave seizuresAbsence epilepsyGABAB receptor functionThalamic brain slicesThalamocortical neuronsCircuit excitabilitySystemic administrationBrain slicesRodent modelsNeuronal activityDiabetes treatmentEpileptic seizuresSeizuresProtein kinaseProtein kinase activationAMPEpilepsyNetwork activityKinase activationMetabolismActivationProtein kinase agonistsEnergetic stressHypoglycaemiaKinase
2021
Connectomic features underlying diverse synaptic connection strengths and subcellular computation
Liu TX, Davoudian PA, Lizbinski KM, Jeanne JM. Connectomic features underlying diverse synaptic connection strengths and subcellular computation. Current Biology 2021, 32: 559-569.e5. PMID: 34914905, PMCID: PMC8825683, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.11.056.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSomatic postsynaptic potentialsSingle presynaptic spikeElectrical compartmentalizationPostsynaptic potentialsSynapse densityDiverse neuronsSynaptic connectionsSynaptic connection strengthsOlfactory networkPresynaptic spikesNeural tissueDrosophila brainNeuronal biophysicsConnectivity mapsNeuronsBrainSynapsesPsilocybin induces rapid and persistent growth of dendritic spines in frontal cortex in vivo
Shao LX, Liao C, Gregg I, Davoudian PA, Savalia NK, Delagarza K, Kwan AC. Psilocybin induces rapid and persistent growth of dendritic spines in frontal cortex in vivo. Neuron 2021, 109: 2535-2544.e4. PMID: 34228959, PMCID: PMC8376772, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.06.008.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsFrontal cortexDendritic spinesMouse medial frontal cortexLayer 5 pyramidal neuronsSpine formation ratesApical dendritic spinesMedial frontal cortexUntapped therapeutic potentialPyramidal neuronsSingle doseExcitatory neurotransmissionBehavioral deficitsBeneficial actionsStructural remodelingSynaptic rewiringMammalian brainTherapeutic potentialNeural adaptationUse of psychedelicsSerotonergic psychedelicsSpine sizeTwo-photon microscopyCortexPsilocybinSpine