George Aghajanian

George K. Aghajanian (April 14, 1932 – July 4, 2023) was an American psychiatrist who was Emeritus Foundations Fund Professor at the Yale School of Medicine,[1] New Haven, Connecticut, in the Department of Psychiatry. He was a pioneer in the area of neuropharmacology. He also served as a member of the NARSAD Scientific Advisory Board.[2]

George Aghajanian
Born(1932-04-14)April 14, 1932
Beirut, Lebanon
DiedJuly 4, 2023(2023-07-04) (aged 91)
Alma mater
Scientific career
Fields
InstitutionsYale School of Medicine

Biography

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.[3] 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.[1]

George Aghajanian died on July 4, 2023, at the age of 91.[4]

Research

Aghajanian investigated the actions of LSD by which it produces hallucinations in the brain,[5] and uncovered the therapeutic mechanism of atypical antipsychotic drugs.[6] He also found that application of serotonin (5-HT)[7] 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.[8]

Awards and honors

Aghajanian received the CINP Pioneer Award from the International College of Neuropsychopharmacology.[9] He also received the Lieber Prize for research on schizophrenia.[10] Additional awards include the Daniel H. Efron Research Award and the Julius Axelrod Mentorship Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology,[11][12] the Scheele Award from the Swedish Academy of Pharmacy,[13] the Heffter Award from the Heffter Research Institute,[14] and election to the National Academy of Medicine.[15]

Selected publications
  • George K Aghajanian: Modeling "psychosis" in vitro by inducing disordered neuronal network activity in cortical brain slices. Psychopharmacology.[16]
  • George Aghajanian, Benjamin S Bunney, and Philip S Holzman: Patricia Goldman-Rakic, 1937–2003. Neuropsychopharmacology.[17]
  • George K Aghajanian and Gerard J Marek: Serotonin model of schizophrenia: emerging role of glutamate mechanisms. Brain Research Reviews.[18]
  • George K Aghajanian and Gerard J Marek: Serotonin–Glutamate Interactions: A New Target for Antipsychotic Drugs. Neuropsychopharmacology.[19]
  • 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.[20]
  • 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.[21]
  • Ronald S Duman and George K Aghajanian: Neurobiology of Rapid Acting Antidepressants: Role of BDNF and GSK-3β. Neuropsychopharmacology.[22]
  • Ronald S. Duman and George K. Aghajanian: Synaptic Dysfunction in Depression: Potential Therapeutic Targets. Science.[23]

References
  1. "George Aghajanian, MD". Yale School of Medicine. Retrieved 2019-09-02.
  2. "Young Investigator Grant Program" (PDF). Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  3. Medical school, military service and lsd, archived from the original on 2021-12-19, retrieved 2019-09-02
  4. "In Memoriam: George K. Aghajanian, MD". Yale School of Medicine. 2023-07-07. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  5. Aghajanian, George K (1994-03-01). "Serotonin and the Action of LSD in the Brain". Psychiatric Annals. 24 (3): 137–141. doi:10.3928/0048-5713-19940301-09. ISSN 0048-5713.
  6. Gerard J. Marek; Aghajanian, George K. (1999). "Serotonin–Glutamate Interactions: A New Target for Antipsychotic Drugs". Neuropsychopharmacology. 21 (2): S122–S133. doi:10.1016/S0893-133X(99)00106-2. ISSN 1740-634X. S2CID 5832342.
  7. Aghajanian, G. K; Marek, G. J (1997-04-01). "Serotonin Induces Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials in Apical Dendrites of Neocortical Pyramidal Cells". Neuropharmacology. 36 (4): 589–599. doi:10.1016/S0028-3908(97)00051-8. ISSN 0028-3908. PMID 9225284. S2CID 46377649.
  8. Psychotropic drugs and neurotransmitters, archived from the original on 2021-12-19, retrieved 2019-09-02
  9. "Aghajanian presented with CINP Pioneer Award". Yale School of Medicine. 2017-05-05. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  10. "George K. Aghajanian, M.D." Yale Medicine Magazine. Spring 1999. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  11. "Daniel H. Efron Research Previous Award Winners". American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  12. "Julius Axelrod Mentorship Previous Award Winners". American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  13. "Former Laureates". Apotekarsocieteten. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  14. "Report from the Heffter Research Institute". Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  15. "George K. Aghajanian, M.D." National Academy of Medicine. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  16. Aghajanian, George K. (2009-11-01). "Modeling "psychosis" in vitro by inducing disordered neuronal network activity in cortical brain slices". Psychopharmacology. 206 (4): 575–585. doi:10.1007/s00213-009-1484-9. ISSN 1432-2072. PMC 2755104. PMID 19241062.
  17. Holzman, Philip S.; Bunney, Benjamin S.; Aghajanian, George (2003). "Patricia Goldman-Rakic, 1937–2003". Neuropsychopharmacology. 28 (12): 2218–2220. doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1300325. ISSN 1740-634X.
  18. Aghajanian, George K; Marek, Gerard J (2000-03-01). "Serotonin model of schizophrenia: emerging role of glutamate mechanisms". Brain Research Reviews. 31 (2): 302–312. doi:10.1016/S0165-0173(99)00046-6. ISSN 0165-0173. PMID 10719157. S2CID 13040014.
  19. Gerard J. Marek; Aghajanian, George K. (1999). "Serotonin–Glutamate Interactions: A New Target for Antipsychotic Drugs". Neuropsychopharmacology. 21 (2): S122–S133. doi:10.1016/S0893-133X(99)00106-2. ISSN 1740-634X. S2CID 5832342.
  20. Aghajanian, George K.; Marek, Gerard J. (1999-04-17). "Serotonin, via 5-HT2A receptors, increases EPSCs in layer V pyramidal cells of prefrontal cortex by an asynchronous mode of glutamate release". Brain Research. 825 (1): 161–171. doi:10.1016/S0006-8993(99)01224-X. ISSN 0006-8993. PMID 10216183. S2CID 20081913.
  21. Krystal, John H.; Gerard Sanacora; Aghajanian, George K.; Duman, Ronald S. (2016). "Synaptic plasticity and depression: new insights from stress and rapid-acting antidepressants". Nature Medicine. 22 (3): 238–249. doi:10.1038/nm.4050. ISSN 1546-170X. PMC 5405628. PMID 26937618.
  22. George K. Aghajanian; Duman, Ronald S. (2014). "Neurobiology of Rapid Acting Antidepressants: Role of BDNF and GSK-3β". Neuropsychopharmacology. 39 (1): 233. doi:10.1038/npp.2013.217. ISSN 1740-634X. PMC 3857657. PMID 24317309.
  23. Duman, Ronald S.; Aghajanian, George K. (2012-10-05). "Synaptic Dysfunction in Depression: Potential Therapeutic Targets". Science. 338 (6103): 68–72. Bibcode:2012Sci...338...68D. doi:10.1126/science.1222939. ISSN 0036-8075. PMC 4424898. PMID 23042884.
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