Neil K. Savalia
MD, PhD Student, Interdepartmental Neuroscience ProgramAbout
Research
Publications
Featured Publications
A Dendrite-Focused Framework for Understanding the Actions of Ketamine and Psychedelics
Savalia NK, Shao LX, Kwan AC. A Dendrite-Focused Framework for Understanding the Actions of Ketamine and Psychedelics. Trends In Neurosciences 2020, 44: 260-275. PMID: 33358035, PMCID: PMC7990695, DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.11.008.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsPsilocybin 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 ResearchConceptsfrontal 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 microscopycortexpsilocybinspinePsilocybin’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 ResearchConceptsmedial 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 transientsDecreased segregation of brain systems across the healthy adult lifespan
Chan M, Park D, Savalia N, Petersen S, Wig G. Decreased segregation of brain systems across the healthy adult lifespan. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2014, 111: e4997-e5006. PMID: 25368199, PMCID: PMC4246293, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1415122111.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMotion‐related artifacts in structural brain images revealed with independent estimates of in‐scanner head motion
Savalia N, Agres P, Chan M, Feczko E, Kennedy K, Wig G. Motion‐related artifacts in structural brain images revealed with independent estimates of in‐scanner head motion. Human Brain Mapping 2016, 38: 472-492. PMID: 27634551, PMCID: PMC5217095, DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23397.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2026
157. Opposing 5-HT Receptors Modulate Psilocybin's Action on Dendritic Calcium Dynamics
Savalia N, Shao L, Knox C, Gilbert A, Jiang Q, Kwan A. 157. Opposing 5-HT Receptors Modulate Psilocybin's Action on Dendritic Calcium Dynamics. Biological Psychiatry 2026, 99: s166. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2026.03.391.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2025
Psilocybin triggers an activity-dependent rewiring of large-scale cortical networks
Jiang Q, Shao L, Yao S, Savalia N, Gilbert A, Davoudian P, Nothnagel J, Tian G, Hung T, Lai H, Beier K, Zeng H, Kwan A. Psilocybin triggers an activity-dependent rewiring of large-scale cortical networks. Cell 2025, 189: 659-675.e22. PMID: 41352354, PMCID: PMC12695013, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.11.009.Peer-Reviewed Original Researchlarge-scale cortical networksbrain-wide distributioncortical networksdose of psilocybinimpact of psilocybinmedial frontal cortexdendritic spinespsilocybin administrationpsilocybin effectsfrontal cortexremodeling of dendritic spinesmonosynaptic rabies tracingcortical pyramidal neuronspsilocybinstructural remodeling of dendritic spinesmental illnessneural plasticityneural activity modulationsubcortical targetsrabies tracingstructural remodelingpyramidal neuronssynaptic reorganizationmedial regionpresynaptic neuronsAutism-associated Scn2a haploinsufficiency disrupts in vivo dendritic signaling and impairs flexible decision-making
Wu H, Shen L, Indajang J, Savalia N, Johnson T, Qu J, Bender K, Kwan A. Autism-associated Scn2a haploinsufficiency disrupts in vivo dendritic signaling and impairs flexible decision-making. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2025, 122: e2508836122. PMID: 41264237, PMCID: PMC12646510, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2508836122.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsflexible decision-makingmouse medial frontal cortexdeep layer pyramidal cellsmedial frontal cortexintratelencephalic neuronspyramidal cellsautism spectrum disordercompartment-specific alterationshigh-confidence risk genesdendritic calcium transientsapical dendritic tuftneocortical pyramidal cellsfrontal cortextask-specific representationsspectrum disorderloss-of-function mutationstask variablescalcium transientsdendritic excitabilitypyramidal tract neuronsdendritic tuftsproximal dendritic compartmentssignaling in vivodendritic signalsintegration in vivoPublisher Correction: 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. Publisher Correction: Psilocybin’s lasting action requires pyramidal cell types and 5-HT2A receptors. Nature 2025, 646: e33-e33. PMID: 41023408, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09671-y.Commentaries, Editorials and LettersFrontal noradrenergic and cholinergic transients exhibit distinct spatiotemporal dynamics during competitive decision-making
Wang H, Ortega H, Kelly E, Indajang J, Savalia N, Glaeser-Khan S, Feng J, Li Y, Kaye A, Kwan A. Frontal noradrenergic and cholinergic transients exhibit distinct spatiotemporal dynamics during competitive decision-making. Science Advances 2025, 11: eadr9916. PMID: 40138407, PMCID: PMC11939063, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr9916.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsneuromodulatory signalscompetitive decision-makingcholinergic transientsNE signalingpremotor cortexanimal's propensitybehavioral correlatesacetylcholine signalingmatching pennies gamepattern of NEbehavioral eventsnorepinephrinecortexdecision-makingacetylcholinepremotorfunctional relevanceoptogenetics