David E. Olson

2026 National Award Finalist — Faculty

David E. Olson

Current Position:
Professor, Department of Chemistry; Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine; Director, Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics

Institution:
University of California, Davis

Discipline:
Chemical Biology

Recognized for: Revealing how psychedelics promote neuroplasticity and engineering nonhallucinogenic analogues that could lead to safer treatments for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions. 

Areas of Research Interest and Expertise:
Chemical Neuroscience, Medicinal Chemistry, Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Neuropharmacology, Central Nervous System Drug Discovery

Previous Positions:

Editor-in-Chief, ACS Chemical Neuroscience
Chief Innovation Officer and Head of Scientific Advisory Board, Delix Therapeutics, Inc.
Co-Founder, President, and Chief Scientific Officer, Delix Therapeutics, Inc.
Postdoctoral Associate, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, USA
Ph.D., Stanford University, USA (Advisor: Justin Du Bois)

Research Summary:

Psychedelic compounds have shown promise for treating depression, addiction, and other brain disorders, but their hallucinogenic effects and safety concerns limit their medical use. David E. Olson, PhD, combines chemical synthesis, neuroscience, and pharmacology to understand how these compounds promote neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form and repair connections. His lab uses these insights to design nonhallucinogenic molecules that may retain therapeutic benefits while reducing risks. By separating psychedelics’ restorative effects from their mind-altering effects, Olson’s research is advancing a new class of potential treatments for mental health conditions, neurodegenerative diseases, and substance use disorders.

“Understanding and harnessing neuroplasticity to create therapeutics for treating neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases is a grand challenge facing our society. This honor is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the scientists on our research team and highlights the power of molecular tools for helping us achieve this important goal.”

Key Publications:

  1. M. V. Vargas, L. E. Dunlap, C. Dong, S. J. Carter, R. J. Tombari, S. A. Jami, L. P. Cameron, S. D. Patel, J. J. Hennessey, H. N. Saeger, J. D. McCorvy, J. A. Gray, L. Tian, D. E. Olson. Psychedelics Promote Neuroplasticity Through Activation of Intracellular 5-HT2A Receptors. Science, 2023. 
  2. L. P. Cameron, R. J. Tombari, J. Lu, A. J. Pell, Z. Q. Hurley, Y. Ehinger, M. V. Vargas, J. C. Taylor, D. E. Olson. A Non-Hallucinogenic Psychedelic Analogue with Therapeutic Potential. Nature, 2021. 
  3. C. Ly, A. C. Greb, L. P. Cameron, J. M. Wong, E. V. Barragan, P. C. Wilson, K. F. Burbach, S. Soltanzadeh Zarandi, A. Sood, M. R. Paddy, W. C. Duim, M. Y. Dennis, A. K. McAllister, K. M. Ori-McKenney, J. A. Gray, D. E. Olson. Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity. Cell Reports, 2018. 
  4. J. R. Tuck, L. E. Dunlap, Y. A. Khatib, C. J. Hatzipantelis, S. W. Novak, R. M. Rahn, A. R. Davis, A. Mosswood, A. M. M. Vernier, E. M. Fenton, I. K. Aarrestad, R. J. Tombari, S. J. Carter, Z. Deane, Y. Wang, A. Sheridan, M. A. Gonzalez, A. A. Avanes, N. A. Powell, M. Chytil, S. Engel, J. C. Fettinger, A. R. Jenkins, W. A. Carlezon Jr., A. S. Nord, B. D. Kangas, K. Rasmussen, C. Liston, U. Manor, D. E. Olson. Molecular design of a therapeutic LSD analogue with reduced hallucinogenic potential. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2025. 

Other Honors:

2025 Pershing Square Investigator Award
2023 Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences Rising Star Award
2023 UC Davis Chancellor’s Fellow
2022 Sacramento Business Journal’s 40 Under 40
2021 Sigma Xi Young Investigator Award
2021 UC Davis Chancellor’s Innovation Awards – Innovator of the Year
2021 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award
2021 Life Young Investigator Award
2020 Jordi Folch-Pi Award from the American Society for Neurochemistry
2018 Hellman Fellow

In the Media:

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