George Aghajanian

George Aghajanian was of Armenian descent and was born on April 14, 1932, in Beirut, Lebanon. He received his B.A. from Cornell University, followed by his Doctor of Medicine at Yale University.

Aghajanian was a medical officer in the United States Army in the starting days of his career.{{Citation|title=Medical school, military service and lsd|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4vnfMfo1sw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/k4vnfMfo1sw |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|access-date=2019-09-02}}{{cbignore}} He served different positions at the Yale School of Medicine, including assistant professor of psychiatry, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology, and Foundations Fund professor of research in psychiatry.

George Aghajanian died on July 4, 2023, at the age of 91.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-07 |title=In Memoriam: George K. Aghajanian, MD |url=https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/in-memoriam-george-k-aghajanian-md/ |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=Yale School of Medicine |language=en}}

Aghajanian investigated the actions of LSD by which it produces hallucinations in the brain,{{Cite journal |last=Aghajanian |first=George K |date=1994-03-01 |title=Serotonin and the Action of LSD in the Brain |url=https://journals.healio.com/doi/10.3928/0048-5713-19940301-09 |journal=Psychiatric Annals |language=en |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=137–141 |doi=10.3928/0048-5713-19940301-09 |issn=0048-5713}} and uncovered the therapeutic mechanism of atypical antipsychotic drugs.{{Cite journal|last1=Gerard J. Marek|last2=Aghajanian|first2=George K.|title=Serotonin–Glutamate Interactions: A New Target for Antipsychotic Drugs|journal=Neuropsychopharmacology|volume=21|issue=2|pages=S122–S133|doi=10.1016/S0893-133X(99)00106-2|issn=1740-634X|year=1999|s2cid=5832342 |doi-access=}} He also found that application of serotonin (5-HT){{Cite journal|last1=Aghajanian|first1=G. K|last2=Marek|first2=G. J|date=1997-04-01|title=Serotonin Induces Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials in Apical Dendrites of Neocortical Pyramidal Cells|journal=Neuropharmacology|volume=36|issue=4|pages=589–599|doi=10.1016/S0028-3908(97)00051-8|pmid=9225284|s2cid=46377649|issn=0028-3908|doi-access=free}} produces an increase in the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic potentials in layer V pyramidal cells of the neocortex and transitional cortex by whole-cell recording in rat brain slices. He did further research on the structure and mechanism of psychotropic drugs and neurotransmitters.{{Citation|title=Psychotropic drugs and neurotransmitters|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFDYtmPXN-0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/oFDYtmPXN-0 |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|access-date=2019-09-02}}{{cbignore}}

Aghajanian received the CINP Pioneer Award from the International College of Neuropsychopharmacology.{{Cite web |date=2017-05-05 |title=Aghajanian presented with CINP Pioneer Award |url=https://medicine.yale.edu/psychiatry/news-article/aghajanian-presented-with-cinp-pioneer-award/ |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=Yale School of Medicine |language=en}} He also received the Lieber Prize for research on schizophrenia.{{Cite journal |date=Spring 1999 |title=George K. Aghajanian, M.D. |url=https://medicine.yale.edu/news/yale-medicine-magazine/article/george-k-aghajanian-md/ |journal=Yale Medicine Magazine |access-date=2023-07-10}} Additional awards include the Daniel H. Efron Research Award and the Julius Axelrod Mentorship Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology,{{Cite web |title=Daniel H. Efron Research Previous Award Winners |url=https://acnp.org/annual-meeting/honorific-grants/daniel-h-efron-research-previous-award-winners/ |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=American College of Neuropsychopharmacology}}{{Cite web |title=Julius Axelrod Mentorship Previous Award Winners |url=https://acnp.org/annual-meeting/honorific-grants/julius-axelrod-mentorship-previous-award-winners/ |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=American College of Neuropsychopharmacology}} the Scheele Award from the Swedish Academy of Pharmacy,{{Cite web |title=Former Laureates |url=https://www.apotekarsocieteten.se/en/scholarships-and-prizes/scheele-award/former-laureates/ |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=Apotekarsocieteten |language=en-US}} the Heffter Award from the Heffter Research Institute,{{Cite web |title=Report from the Heffter Research Institute |url=https://maps.org/news-letters/v12n2/12251nic.html |access-date=2023-07-10 |website=Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies}} and election to the National Academy of Medicine.{{Cite web|url=https://nam.edu/member/?member_id=RJ57j3ecYd%2FYjH9nK7lAhQ%3D%3D|title=George K. Aghajanian, M.D.|website=National Academy of Medicine|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-29}}

• George K Aghajanian: Modeling "psychosis" in vitro by inducing disordered neuronal network activity in cortical brain slices. Psychopharmacology.{{Cite journal|last=Aghajanian|first=George K.|date=2009-11-01|title=Modeling "psychosis" in vitro by inducing disordered neuronal network activity in cortical brain slices|journal=Psychopharmacology|volume=206|issue=4|pages=575–585|doi=10.1007/s00213-009-1484-9|issn=1432-2072|pmc=2755104|pmid=19241062}}
• George Aghajanian, Benjamin S Bunney, and Philip S Holzman: Patricia Goldman-Rakic, 1937–2003. Neuropsychopharmacology.{{Cite journal|last1=Holzman|first1=Philip S.|last2=Bunney|first2=Benjamin S.|last3=Aghajanian|first3=George|title=Patricia Goldman-Rakic, 1937–2003|journal=Neuropsychopharmacology|volume=28|issue=12|pages=2218–2220|doi=10.1038/sj.npp.1300325|issn=1740-634X|year=2003|doi-access=free}}
• George K Aghajanian and Gerard J Marek: Serotonin model of schizophrenia: emerging role of glutamate mechanisms. Brain Research Reviews.{{Cite journal|last1=Aghajanian|first1=George K|last2=Marek|first2=Gerard J|date=2000-03-01|title=Serotonin model of schizophrenia: emerging role of glutamate mechanisms|journal=Brain Research Reviews|volume=31|issue=2|pages=302–312|doi=10.1016/S0165-0173(99)00046-6|pmid=10719157|s2cid=13040014|issn=0165-0173}}
• George K Aghajanian and Gerard J Marek: Serotonin–Glutamate Interactions: A New Target for Antipsychotic Drugs. Neuropsychopharmacology.{{Cite journal|last1=Gerard J. Marek|last2=Aghajanian|first2=George K.|title=Serotonin–Glutamate Interactions: A New Target for Antipsychotic Drugs|journal=Neuropsychopharmacology|volume=21|issue=2|pages=S122–S133|doi=10.1016/S0893-133X(99)00106-2|issn=1740-634X|year=1999|s2cid=5832342 |doi-access=}}
• George K.Aghajanian and Gerard J Marek: Serotonin, via 5-HT2A receptors, increases EPSCs in layer V pyramidal cells of prefrontal cortex by an asynchronous mode of glutamate release. Brain Research.{{Cite journal|last1=Aghajanian|first1=George K.|last2=Marek|first2=Gerard J.|date=1999-04-17|title=Serotonin, via 5-HT2A receptors, increases EPSCs in layer V pyramidal cells of prefrontal cortex by an asynchronous mode of glutamate release|journal=Brain Research|volume=825|issue=1|pages=161–171|doi=10.1016/S0006-8993(99)01224-X|pmid=10216183|s2cid=20081913|issn=0006-8993|doi-access=free}}
• Ronald S Duman, George K Aghajanian, Gerard Sanacora, and John H Krystal: Synaptic plasticity and depression: new insights from stress and rapid-acting antidepressants. Nature Medicine.{{Cite journal|last1=Krystal|first1=John H.|last2=Gerard Sanacora|last3=Aghajanian|first3=George K.|last4=Duman|first4=Ronald S.|title=Synaptic plasticity and depression: new insights from stress and rapid-acting antidepressants|journal=Nature Medicine|volume=22|issue=3|pages=238–249|doi=10.1038/nm.4050|issn=1546-170X|pmc=5405628|pmid=26937618|year=2016}}
• Ronald S Duman and George K Aghajanian: Neurobiology of Rapid Acting Antidepressants: Role of BDNF and GSK-3β. Neuropsychopharmacology.{{Cite journal|last1=George K. Aghajanian|last2=Duman|first2=Ronald S.|title=Neurobiology of Rapid Acting Antidepressants: Role of BDNF and GSK-3β|journal=Neuropsychopharmacology|volume=39|issue=1|pages=233|doi=10.1038/npp.2013.217|issn=1740-634X|pmc=3857657|pmid=24317309|year=2014}}
• Ronald S. Duman and George K. Aghajanian: Synaptic Dysfunction in Depression: Potential Therapeutic Targets. Science.{{Cite journal|last1=Duman|first1=Ronald S.|last2=Aghajanian|first2=George K.|date=2012-10-05|title=Synaptic Dysfunction in Depression: Potential Therapeutic Targets|journal=Science|volume=338|issue=6103|pages=68–72|doi=10.1126/science.1222939|issn=0036-8075|pmc=4424898|pmid=23042884|bibcode=2012Sci...338...68D}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://info.med.yale.edu/pharm/faculty/index.php?bioID=4 Yale School of Medicine faculty page]
• [http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/lsd/lsd_pharmacology1.shtml "Notes on the Persistence of LSD in Humans" from Erowid]

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Category:1932 births

Category:2023 deaths

Category:American medical researchers

Category:American neuroscientists

Category:American people of Armenian descent

Category:Lebanese people of Armenian descent

Category:Scientists from Beirut

Category:Lebanese emigrants to the United States

Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States

Category:Yale School of Medicine alumni

Category:Yale School of Medicine faculty

Category:Ethnic Armenian scientists

Category:Members of the National Academy of Medicine