(S1.2) Alexander Shulgin Research Institute: Chemistry for Consciousness

For nearly 50 years, Dr. Alexander (“Sasha”) Shulgin was the world’s most prolific discoverer of psychedelic substances. Dr. Shulgin, the “Godfather of Psychedelics”, probed the nature of the psychedelic effect by directed synthesis and personal evaluation of these remarkable compounds. In the 1980s, Dr. Shulgin founded the Alexander Shulgin Research Institute (ASRI) to lend identity and focus to his work. To continue Dr. Shulgin’s work after his death in 2014, Drs. Paul Daley and Nicholas Cozzi, two long-time colleagues of Dr. Shulgin, assumed leadership roles at ASRI. Under their direction, ASRI continues to create new compounds and has supplied substances for chemical and pharmacological studies to universities and research organizations around the world. FDA-approved clinical studies with psychedelics at the University of Alabama, New York University, the University of New Mexico, the University of Wisconsin, and Yale University have been conducted with ASRI-supplied compounds, generating over 20 associated scientific publications. Psychedelics such as psilocybin, DMT, and MDMA have established value in treating psychiatric and neurological conditions. However, these substances have important limitations in their pharmacokinetic and adverse effect profiles. Join us for an engaging conversation focused on the design and development of next-generation psychedelic compounds with improved pharmacological properties. Nicholas Vito Cozzi, Ph.D. is a scientist and educator with background and training in pharmacology, chemistry, toxicology, and neuroscience. He holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and B.S. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy. Dr. Cozzi is Co-Founder, President, and Director of Pharmacology at ASRI. Paul Freeman Daley, Ph.D. is a scientist with a broad background in environmental sciences, chemistry, and plant physiology. His university degrees in Environmental Toxicology and Entomology were granted from the University of California Davis and Berkeley campuses. Dr. Daley is Co-Founder, Treasurer, Secretary, and Chief Science Officer at ASRI.