University of California-Davis · BiochemistryThe Psychoplastogen Initiative
David E Olson · Davis, California
Research Focus
Dr. David E. Olson's lab focuses on discovering new treatments for addiction by developing non-hallucinogenic compounds that can promote changes in brain structure and function. These compounds, known as psychoplastogens, could offer therapeutic benefits for conditions like substance use disorders without the side effects of hallucinations. The lab employs innovative techniques to rapidly identify and evaluate these promising molecules.
psychoplastogensaddictionneuropsychiatrydrug discoveryneuroplasticity
Research Aims
5AIM 01Identify new non-hallucinogenic psychoplastogens using high-throughput methods.
AIM 02Elucidate the molecular mechanisms of psychoplastogens in addiction treatment.
AIM 03Investigate the interactions of psychoplastogens with key neurotransmitter receptors.
AIM 04Develop assays for screening potential therapeutic compounds.
AIM 05Understand the impact of psychoplastogens on neuronal structure and function.
Skills the Lab Values
high-throughput screeninggenetically encoded biosensorsmolecular biology techniquesanimal modelsdata analysis with Python
Output against the department
Publications199top 41% of dept.166th of 402
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.8kbottom 42% of dept.233rd 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.