News Mentions for the week of January 23, 2023

The humble prairie vole has long been revered for its unusual commitment to family. Pair-bonded couples huddle together, raise pups together and mate exclusively together — at least most of the time. Drop another couple’s pups into a cage with pair-bonded prairie voles and the adults will often foster those young as their own — highly unusual behaviour for a rodent. But a study published on 27 January in Neuron1 challenges decades of research that suggests a protein that detects the ‘love hormone’ oxytocin is responsible for the voles’ domestic bliss. Using CRISPR gene-editing, researchers found that prairie voles lacking the protein were still responsible parents and still formed monogamous relationships. Nirao Shah, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and of neurobiology, and by courtesy of obstetrics and gynecology, is co-lead author and provides comment.

Recently, there's been growing excitement in the scientific community about revisiting the potential medical benefits of psychedelic drugs that have been off limits for decades. Scientists are discovering or rediscovering applications of psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and other compounds for treating people with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute has several leading experts paving the way in this field, including the guest featured in this episode, Robert Malenka, Nancy Friend Pritzker Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and a Deputy Director of the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute.

David Spiegel, Willson Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, spoke with KRON4 about how to cope with the impacts of a mass shooting.

Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI and Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute grants support research teams spanning all seven of Stanford’s schools, on themes ranging from healthcare to robotics. Congratulations to the 37 research teams that received a total of $3 million for innovative AI projects, including Anna Lembke (with Co-PI Johannes Eichstaedt) for their project entitled, "Addicted by Design: An Investigation of How AI-fueled Digital Media Platforms Contribute to Addictive Consumption" and Ehsan Adeli and Nolan Williams, (Co PIs, with main PI Jennifer McNab) for their project entitled, "Determining Brain Targets for Neuromodulation Based on External Head Features."

Following the tragedies in Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park in Los Angeles County, Hilit Kletter, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides tips on how to talk to your children about gun violence.

In a midtown neighborhood shopping center in Palo Alto, an innovative model for prevention and early intervention for youth mental health challenges is an open door for young people. Called “allcove,” it’s one of several such centers taking shape across California, and the first of its kind in the United States. Steven Adelsheim, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and the Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing are featured in this article.

Karl Deisseroth, the D.H. Chen Professor of bioengineering and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, has been selected as a co-recipient of the 2023 Japan Prize in the field of Life Science (with Prof. Gero Miesenboeck of Austria). The Japan Prize is awarded to scientists and engineers from around the world, who have made creative and dramatic achievements that help progress their fields and contribute significantly to realizing peace and prosperity for all humanity. Congratulations, Dr. Deisseroth!

Myths about breast cancer and a stigma against talking about it keep South Asian women from seeking essential care and community support. Ranak Trivedi, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is featured in this article.

Parents may be wondering how to have a conversation with their kids after news of multiple mass shootings. Victor Carrion, the John A. Turner, M.D. professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Hilit Kletter, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provide suggestions on how to help children process this tragedy.

The Drug Enforcement Administration closed out last year with a startling statistic: It seized over 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl in 2022, enough to kill every American, and its haul included twice the number of counterfeit pills that agents seized the prior year. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.