Director
Fadel Zeidan, PhD | Contact
|
Laboratory Director, Dr. Fadel Zeidan, is a Professor of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego's Center for Pain Medicine. Fadel is a Co-Founder and Neuroscience Director of the newly formed UCSD Center for Psychedelic Research. He is also an Endowed Professor of Compassion Research at the T. Denny Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion. Fadel is also a Co-Founder and Executive Committee member of the International Society for Contemplative Research. His research is focused on determining the active mechanisms that mediate the relationship between self-regulatory practices and health. In particular, Fadel's research examines the neural mechanisms supporting the modulation of pain and health by mindfulness meditation and placebo. He is also dedicated to understanding how psychedelics like psilocybin, DMT and cannabis impact pain-related behavioral and neural processes. His research program has recently expanded to appreciate how empathy and compassion can be cultivated through self-regulatory practices and psychedelic therapies. His work has also been featured in traditional media outreach (CNN; NPR; Time Magazine, CBS and others), Tedx and personally presented his work to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama in Mongolia. Fadel was also awarded the 2014 National Institutes of Health Mitchell Max Award for Research Excellence. Fadel's free time is consumed with quality hang time with his family, ideally swimming in the Pacific Ocean and eating his way through San Diego.
|
Clinical Trial Program Manager
Yasmeen Esshaki
Yasmeen is a native San Diegan who earned a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of San Diego and a M.A. in Medical Anthropology from Creighton University. Yasmeen has worked in clinical research for ten years, serving as a Project Manager or Primary Coordinator on over 100 clinical trials. Her expertise is in conducting and managing clinical trials in compliance with the study protocol, IRB, ICH/GCP, and FDA. She has worked on Phase I - IV industry, government, and privately funded clinical trials in a range of medical specialties and disease types. As a Clinical Trial Program Manager for the Zeidan Lab, Yasmeen manages several research studies/clinical trials to ensure study activity is conducted in accordance with corresponding governing bodies and deliverable are met on time and within budget. On her spare time, Yasmeen loves to travel and experience other cultures and traditions, food, language, architecture, etc. She also owns a charcuterie business, Across The Board - born out of her love for food, cooking, and culture. She enjoys intimate concert venues, loves being in the mountains, and spending time with the people she loves.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Jon Dean, PhD | ContactJon has a B.A. in Chemistry, and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Integrative Physiology from the University of Michigan. Jon's Ph.D. work in rodent models demonstrated the natural presence of the psychedelic N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in the mammalian brain at concentrations comparable to major neurotransmitters such as serotonin. Jon joined the Zeidan laboratory in late 2020 to undergo clinical neuroscience training as a postdoctoral fellow. Jon's research focuses on the overlap of psychedelics and mind-body interventions for treatment of chronic pain and comorbidities across multiple fMRI studies on psilocybin and mindfulness meditation. Jon is also the director of the DMT Research Program within UCSD's Center for Psychedelic Research, who alongside Dr. Zeidan will soon launch clinical studies on continuous intravenous infusions of DMT. When he's not #sciencing, Jon likes to hike with his floof ball Siberian husky, enjoy a craft beer or six, play some guitar, and slowly, slowy, slowly learn to surf.
|
Morgan Gianola, PhDMorgan received a B.A. in neuroscience and Spanish before beginning graduate training in the Social and Cultural Neuroscience Lab at the University of Miami. His PhD research investigated differences in the perceptual and neural processing of pain in English and Spanish contexts among healthy Hispanic/Latino bilinguals. After obtaining his PhD in cognitive neuroscience in 2022, he began work as a Postdoctoral Scholar for Behavioral Medicine Research in Cardiovascular Diseases, investigating the roles played by language and culture in health behaviors and disease prevalence in participants of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Morgan joined the Zeidan lab as a postdoctoral scholar in 2024 to transition into clinical research focused on addressing chronic pain through psychedelic therapy and meditative training. Morgan is broadly interested in how perception and well-being are influenced by neurobiological, psychological, and cultural processes and addressing health disparities through the lens of cultural neuroscience.
|
Research Volunteers
Greg Perello
Greg received his BS in neuroscience at ASU and is planning to pursue a PhD in cognitive science. His interest in studying cognition rests on playing with the idea of "putting consciousness on a graph." While he is fascinated with the ethereal realms of meditation, psychedelics, and spirituality, his focus is to develop empirically sound frameworks through which they can be understood in a rationally grounded way. Before pursuing academia, he played semi-professionally in a death metal band for 10 years, taught krav maga and guitar, and studied history and politics.
Alexandra Kremer
Alexandra Kremer is a third year undergraduate student at UCSD with a specialization in cognitive psychology. She previously worked in Stephan Anagnostaras’s lab assisting graduate students in the development of a PTSD model in mice to study memory functions involved during the prescription of MDMA. Her interests include psychology, meditation, psychedelic research and psychedelic anthropology. In the future she hopes to continue combining her fascination for neuropsychology research and psychedelic science to develop treatments that help those suffering from various mental conditions.
Abhigna Srikantam
Abhigna Srikantam is a 3rd-year undergraduate student at the University of California, San Diego, pursuing a degree in Neurobiology with an anticipated graduation in 2027. She aspires to advance her education through medical school and pursue a career as an anesthesiologist. Abhigna is currently volunteering at a clinic and serves as an EMT skills instructor. When not studying or working, she enjoys staying active through intramural volleyball, spending quality time with friends and family, and exploring San Diego.
Shuaa Juhdi
Shuaa is a 3rd year undergraduate student, studying Human Biology in the University of California: San Diego. After completing his undergrad at UCSD, he hopes to go to medical school and pursue surgery. His goal is to shed light on underrepresented communities and get them equal access and care in the medical field. In his free time, Shuaa enjoys video games, weight training, soccer, and socializing with friends and family.
|
Jeff Best
Jeffrey Best is a University of San Diego graduate with a BA in psychology. He has previously studied the effects of psilocybin on depression and is currently pursuing a career in research. In the future, he hopes to use psychedelic research to create more effective treatments for various mental health disorders. In his free time, Jeff enjoys running, skating, and playing pickle ball.
Adriel Kim
Adriel (Addy) Kim is an undergraduate student at the University of California, San Diego where she is majoring in Public Health with a concentration in Medicine Sciences. After completing her undergraduate degree, she plans to pursue a career as a physician specializing in Pain Medicine. Addy is particularly curious about neuropsychology and the role it plays in pain management. She hopes to continue learning about the emerging field of psychedelic therapy and its potential to manage chronic conditions. In her free time, Addy enjoys hiking, cooking, reading, and spending time with loved ones.
Suchneet Khakh
Suchneet Khakh is an undergraduate student at the University of California, San Diego majoring in Global Health. She used to volunteer with the Bhagat Puran Singh Health Initiative, providing health screenings, patient education, and Punjabi-English translation services at community clinics throughout San Diego. Suchneet is passionate about the intersection of physiology, mental health, and culturally informed care. She is particularly interested in how mindfulness, neurobiology, and chronic pain management intersect, areas that align closely with translational research in cognitive neuroscience.
Kia Bhatia
Kia is currently a student at University of California, San Diego (UCSD), majoring in Human Biology. She is deeply interested in patient-centered care and has gained hands-on clinical experience working as a medical assistant in both a pain and spine clinic and a dermatology clinic. Kia is passionate about exploring the intersections of neuroscience, chronic pain management, and preventive medicine as she prepares for a career in healthcare. In her free time, she enjoys doing pilates, baking new recipes, and traveling!
|