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 will conduct his thesis work examining cellular and circuit effects of psychedelics.
Education & Training
- Research Associate
- Allen Institute for Brain Science (2018)
- BA
- University of Virginia, Neuroscience (2016)
Research
Overview
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
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
13Publications
780Citations
Synapses
Psilocybin
Ketamine
Synaptic Transmission
Neuronal Plasticity
Dendrites
Publications
Featured Publications
Shared 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 cortexPsilocybin 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 microscopyCortexPsilocybinSpine5-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 ratesMicePsychedelic 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 substancesRegistryTherapyVisualizing 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 ResearchLocal 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 ConceptsSparse recurrent excitatory connectivity in the microcircuit of the adult mouse and human cortex
Seeman SC, Campagnola L, Davoudian PA, Hoggarth A, Hage TA, Bosma-Moody A, Baker CA, Lee JH, Mihalas S, Teeter C, Ko AL, Ojemann JG, Gwinn RP, Silbergeld DL, Cobbs C, Phillips J, Lein E, Murphy G, Koch C, Zeng H, Jarsky T. Sparse recurrent excitatory connectivity in the microcircuit of the adult mouse and human cortex. ELife 2018, 7: e37349. PMID: 30256194, PMCID: PMC6158007, DOI: 10.7554/elife.37349.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRecurrent excitatory connectivityExcitatory connectivityAdult mouse primary visual cortexMouse primary visual cortexHuman cortexLayer 2/3 neuronsClasses of neuronsPrimary visual cortexShort-term depressionBody of evidenceExcitatory neuronsAdult miceVisual cortexSynaptic signalingTwo-photon optogeneticsCell classesCortical networksCortical microcircuitsCortexNeuronsFuture studiesMiceMicrocircuitsSynapsesAMPK-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 stressHypoglycaemiaKinaseChapter Four Clinical overview of NMDA-R antagonists and clinical practice
Davoudian PA, Wilkinson ST. Chapter Four Clinical overview of NMDA-R antagonists and clinical practice. Advances In Pharmacology 2020, 89: 103-129. PMID: 32616204, DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2020.04.004.ChaptersCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsNMDA receptor antagonistReceptor antagonistGlutamatergic systemClinical trialsPathophysiology of depressionLevels of monoaminesNMDA-R antagonistsTreatment of depressionRole of glutamatePatient's therapeutic responseRecent FDA approvalIntranasal esketamineMonoamine hypothesisPathophysiological mechanismsClinical overviewTherapeutic responseCurrent treatmentClinical practiceTranslational studiesMental illnessFDA approvalNeural circuitsAntagonistDepressionPotential mechanismsEmerging Therapeutics Based on the Amino Acid Neurotransmitter System: An Update on the Pharmaceutical Pipeline for Mood Disorders
Hecking J, Davoudian PA, Wilkinson ST. Emerging Therapeutics Based on the Amino Acid Neurotransmitter System: An Update on the Pharmaceutical Pipeline for Mood Disorders. Chronic Stress 2021, 5: 24705470211020446. PMID: 34124495, PMCID: PMC8175843, DOI: 10.1177/24705470211020446.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsMood disordersMonoamine hypothesisPhase III clinical trialsAmino acid neurotransmitter systemsClassical monoamine hypothesisAmino acid neurotransmittersPublic health issueClinical trialsNovel therapiesNeurotransmitter systemsAV-101Clinical treatmentClinical researchHealth issuesDisordersPotential targetPhase IIPharmaceutical pipelineDrugsGanaxoloneZuranoloneEsketamineBrexanoloneRapastinelPathophysiology