Clara Liao, BA
PhD studentAbout
Research
Publications
2025
Classification 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 ResearchConceptsAcute 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 classification
2024
Publisher Correction: Structural neural plasticity evoked by rapid-acting antidepressant interventions
Liao C, Dua A, Wojtasiewicz C, Liston C, Kwan A. Publisher Correction: Structural neural plasticity evoked by rapid-acting antidepressant interventions. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 2024, 26: 135-135. PMID: 39668187, DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00894-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchStructural neural plasticity evoked by rapid-acting antidepressant interventions
Liao C, Dua A, Wojtasiewicz C, Liston C, Kwan A. Structural neural plasticity evoked by rapid-acting antidepressant interventions. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 2024, 26: 101-114. PMID: 39558048, PMCID: PMC11892022, DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00876-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAntidepressant interventionsStructural neural plasticityNeural plasticityPsychoactive drugsRapid-acting antidepressant drugsAction of psychoactive drugsRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulationExcitatory synaptic functionAntidepressant effectsPrefrontal cortexDepressive disorderNon-invasive neurostimulationAntidepressant drugsMood disordersNeurobiological actionsTranscranial magnetic stimulationElectroconvulsive therapyPsychedelic drugsCortical pyramidal neuronsMechanisms of plasticityLongitudinal effectsGrowth of dendritic spinesPyramidal neuronsStructural plasticitySynaptic function
2023
332. 5-MeO-DMT Modifies Innate Behaviors and Promotes Structural Neural Plasticity in Mice
Jefferson S, Gregg I, Dibbs M, Liao C, Wu H, Davoudian P, Kaye A, Pittenger C, Kwan A. 332. 5-MeO-DMT Modifies Innate Behaviors and Promotes Structural Neural Plasticity in Mice. Biological Psychiatry 2023, 93: s228. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.02.572.Peer-Reviewed Original Research5-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 ResearchConceptsMouse 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 ratesMiceVisualizing 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
2021
Psilocybin 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 microscopyCortexPsilocybinSpineApplying Reinforcement Learning to Rodent Stress Research
Liao C, Kwan AC. Applying Reinforcement Learning to Rodent Stress Research. Chronic Stress 2021, 5: 2470547020984732. PMID: 33598593, PMCID: PMC7863143, DOI: 10.1177/2470547020984732.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2020
p53 Activates the Long Noncoding RNA Pvt1b to Inhibit Myc and Suppress Tumorigenesis
Olivero CE, Martínez-Terroba E, Zimmer J, Liao C, Tesfaye E, Hooshdaran N, Schofield JA, Bendor J, Fang D, Simon MD, Zamudio JR, Dimitrova N. p53 Activates the Long Noncoding RNA Pvt1b to Inhibit Myc and Suppress Tumorigenesis. Molecular Cell 2020, 77: 761-774.e8. PMID: 31973890, PMCID: PMC7184554, DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.12.014.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAnimalsCarcinogenesisCell LineCell ProliferationCells, CulturedChromatinEnhancer Elements, GeneticGene Expression RegulationHumansLung NeoplasmsMiceMice, Inbred C57BLPromoter Regions, GeneticProto-Oncogene MasProto-Oncogene Proteins c-mycRNA, Long NoncodingStress, PhysiologicalTumor Suppressor Protein p53ConceptsMYC transcriptional networkLong noncoding RNA PVT1Cellular proliferationTumor suppressor p53Chromatin organizationTranscriptional networksTarget genesMYC transcriptionTranscriptional activityKb downstreamMYC levelsOncogenic signalingSuppressor p53Suppress tumorigenesisDNA damageRNA PVT1Autochthonous mouse modelMYCTranscriptionP53Anti-proliferative activityTumor progressionTumor growthLung cancerMouse model
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