Pasha Davoudian
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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.
Last Updated on December 17, 2024.
Education & Training
- Research Associate
- Allen Institute for Brain Science (2018)
- BA
- University of Virginia, Neuroscience (2016)
Research
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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
Clara Liao, BA
Alfred Kaye, MD, PhD
Neil K. Savalia
Greg Rhee, PhD, FACE
Alicia Che, PhD
17Publications
1,414Citations
Psilocybin
Synapses
Ketamine
Neuronal Plasticity
Synaptic Transmission
Dendrites
Publications
2025
Psilocybin’s lasting action requires pyramidal cell types and 5-HT2A receptors
Shao L, Liao C, Davoudian P, Savalia N, Jiang Q, Wojtasiewicz C, Tan D, Nothnagel J, Liu R, Woodburn S, Bilash O, Kim H, Che A, Kwan A. Psilocybin’s lasting action requires pyramidal cell types and 5-HT2A receptors. Nature 2025, 642: 411-420. PMID: 40175553, PMCID: PMC12188471, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08813-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMedial frontal cortexFrontal cortexMouse medial frontal cortexSingle dose of psilocybinDose of psilocybinImpact of psilocybinDensity of dendritic spinesPyramidal cell typesStress-related behaviorsDendritic spinesStress-related phenotypesCell-type-specific electrophysiologyPsilocybin effectsPT neuronsSerotonergic psychedelicsRemodeling of dendritic spinesCell typesElevated firing ratesPyramidal tractPsilocybinIT neuronsPsychedelicsStructural plasticityFiring rateCalcium transientsClassification of psychedelics and psychoactive drugs based on brain-wide imaging of cellular c-Fos expression
Aboharb F, Davoudian P, Shao L, Liao C, Rzepka G, Wojtasiewicz C, Indajang J, Dibbs M, Rondeau J, Sherwood A, Kaye A, Kwan A. Classification of psychedelics and psychoactive drugs based on brain-wide imaging of cellular c-Fos expression. Nature Communications 2025, 16: 1590. PMID: 39939591, PMCID: PMC11822132, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56850-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAcute fluoxetinePsychoactive drugsMarkers of neural plasticityImmediate early gene expressionC-fos expressionChronic fluoxetineNative brain tissueBehavioral effectsPsychedelic propertiesBrain regionsChance levelEarly gene expressionPsychoactive compoundsNeural plasticityFluoxetinePsilocybinMDMAMeasuring drug actionTested malesPsychedelicsPreclinical assaysDrug actionKetamineFemale miceDrug classificationKetamine vs Electroconvulsive Therapy in the Management of Treatment-Resistant Depression: Do We Need More Data?
Rhee T, Shim S, Davoudian P, Espinoza R, McIntyre R. Ketamine vs Electroconvulsive Therapy in the Management of Treatment-Resistant Depression: Do We Need More Data? The Journal Of Clinical Psychiatry 2025, 86 PMID: 39898891, DOI: 10.4088/jcp.24br15655.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitations
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 Concepts
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