Taking SEFL out of the lab: Development of amygdala-specific AMPA receptor inhibitors for the treatment of PTSD

March 27, 2025 @ 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

Jennifer Perusini, Neurovation Labs

110 Henderson Building
University Park

Abstract
Neurovation Labs is pioneering a novel approach that utilizes a targeted, regionally specific treatment for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Disproportionate fear responses in humans can manifest in the form of anxiety disorders. PTSD, a condition for which treatments are significantly lacking, is a prime example. Following experience with an extreme stressor, subsequent fear responding can become exaggerated and fear learning can generalize to other potential threats. This suggests that severe stressors, such as traumatic events, can produce long-term, perhaps permanent, sensitization of the brain circuits mediating fear learning and expression. Recent rodent and human studies have shown that: (1) sensitized fear manifests post-trauma through long-lasting GluA1-containing, calcium-permeable AMPA receptor-mediated amygdalar excitability, leaving this region chronically sensitized and primed to react to traumatic cues, and (2) inhibiting these AMPA receptor subtypes specifically in the amygdala can be an innovative therapeutic strategy. Therefore, we are developing amygdala-specific negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) of GluA1-containing AMPA receptors to treat sensitized fear symptoms of PTSD. Here, I will discuss our drug discovery program, from medicinal chemistry to behavioral testing efforts, as well as my career trajectory from academia to industry.

About the Speaker
Dr. Jennifer Perusini, a neuroscientist and entrepreneur, is the Founder and CEO of Neurovation Labs, a biotech company developing the first precision medication for PTSD. Dr. Perusini earned her B.A. in Neuroscience & Behavior at Barnard College, Columbia University, and her Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience at UCLA, where she studied the mechanisms underlying PTSD in an animal model. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship, which focused on rodent models of aging and Alzheimer’s Disease, at Columbia University in the Departments of Psychiatry and Integrative Neuroscience. Dr. Perusini is on the Board of Directors of Women in Learning (WIL), a nationwide 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the support and advancement of women in science. She was recently named Chair of the Barnard Entrepreneurs Network (BEnet), an alumnae organization that supports entrepreneurs at all business stages across and within all industries, and serves on Barnard’s Leadership Council at Athena Center. In 2021, Dr. Perusini was elected to the Pavlovian Society Executive Committee. She is a presenter at national biotech industry events, has been featured in numerous publications, and frequently speaks on issues pertaining to women entrepreneurs across industries.

Contact

Hannah Boyd & Twishi Puri
hmb5681@psu.edu; tbp5332@psu.edu