David Olson

The Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics (IPN) at UC Davis explores the neuroscience of psychedelics. Under the lead of David Olson, the team conducts high-impact interdisciplinary psychedelic science using modern neurobiology and chemistry tools. Contributions by the group include discovering that psychedelics promote neural plasticity, developing a biosensor for measuring hallucinogenic potential, and designing non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analogues with therapeutic potential.

University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) hosts major psychedelic research activity through the Translational Psychedelic Research Program (TrPR), Neuroscape Psychedelics Division, and psychiatry-led clinical research on psychedelic-assisted therapies.

Delix Therapeutics is harnessing the power of neuroplastogens, a novel class of compounds designed to bring about a new paradigm in brain health therapeutics with treatments intended to be safe, fast-acting, and long-lasting. Through its discovery platform, Delix has identified non-hallucinogenic versions of psychedelic compounds with favorable safety and therapeutic profiles. The company was co-founded in 2019 by David E. Olson and Nick Haft, building upon Olson's discovery at the University of California, Davis, of several novel psychoplastogens that have significant therapeutic potential in preclinical models, without hallucinogenic side effects. Delix's treatments are designed to address the root cause of neuropsychiatric conditions by repairing the underlying synaptic damage through targeted neuroplasticity. To date, the company has synthesized over 2000 novel psychoplastogens, many of which are analogs of known psychedelics such as ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT. Their lead compound, zalsupindole (DLX-001), produces the same rapid and sustained structural and functional plasticity as ketamine, psilocybin, and DMT, without inducing hallucinations or dissociation. Recent Phase I data have demonstrated that DLX-001 is associated with robust signs of CNS engagement and a favorable safety and tolerability profile, with no serious adverse events reported to date. The company's compounds are tailored for swift neuronal repair and can be taken at-home, providing significant advantages to patients, their loved ones, and healthcare providers. Delix focuses on developing non-hallucinogenic psychoplastogens as scalable alternatives to first-generation hallucinogenic psychoplastogens like ketamine and psilocybin.