University of California-Santa Cruz · BiochemistryThe Psilocybin Project
Yi Zuo · Santa Cruz, California
Research Focus
Dr. Yi Zuo's lab at UC Santa Cruz explores how psilocybin, a well-known psychedelic, can help counteract the harmful effects of chronic stress on the brain. They study the effects of psilocybin at multiple levels, from synapses to neural circuits, to uncover how it might promote healing in mental health disorders. The lab aims to provide insights into the neurobiological mechanisms of psychedelics, potentially paving the way for new treatments in psychiatry.
psilocybinneuroplasticitychronic stresssynaptic circuitspsychiatric disorderstherapeutic effectsmouse modelscortical networks
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate the acute and long-term effects of psilocybin on the stressed brain.
AIM 02Examine how the context of psilocybin administration influences its efficacy.
AIM 03Analyze the role of psilocybin-induced neuroplasticity in recovery from stress-induced deficits.
Skills the Lab Values
animal modelsmicroscopyin vivo imagingbehavioral assayselectrophysiologymolecular biology techniquesdata analysis in neuroscienceneuroanatomypsychiatric assessment methodologies
Output against the department
Publications99bottom 24% of dept.302nd of 402
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations11ktop 44% of dept.176th of 402
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.