Bridging Molecular and Synaptic Mechanisms to Behavior and Therapeutics

The conference will bring together scientists who explore the fundamental neurobiology, including molecular, cellular and behavioral aspects, of psychedelics and related psychoactive compounds. These comprise classic psychedelics, which are primarily 5-HT2A receptor agonists such as LSD, psilocybin, and DMT, entactogens such as MDMA, and dissociatives such as ketamine and ibogaine. In humans, these compounds acutely influence sensory perception, alter sensitivity to environmental stimuli, and change mood and cognition. In laboratory animals, profound effects on brain state and behavior have been demonstrated. Over a longer timescale, many of these compounds are reported to produce beneficial effects for a range of mental illnesses. These acute and enduring effects are presumably underpinned by psychedelics’ unique effects on molecular signaling, synaptic plasticity, and neural dynamics across local or distributed brain networks, which are likely shared across species. The scope of the conference includes molecular mechanisms of psychedelic compounds, effects on sensory, cognitive, and behavioral functions, changes in functional and structural neural plasticity, animal models relevant for understanding psychedelic drug action, cortical and subcortical neural dynamics, psychopharmacology, translational and clinical studies, and new avenues for drug development.