FINAL_OM-IR-2026_Report-PDF-Version_Pages-Compressed - Flipbook - Page 32
Building Momentum for Bold Ideas
and rabies virus tracing, Dr. Kwan’s team
and related conditions. His work is informing
mapped the brain-wide e昀昀ects of the drug
new therapeutic approaches that he is
for the 昀椀rst time, recording how psilocybin
currently patenting.
weakens the feedback loops that keep
people locked in negative thought patterns,
In 2025, Dr. Abdus-Saboor’s team also
while strengthening the pathways that help
made a breakthrough showing that oxytocin
the brain respond to the external world.
modulates spinal circuits in ways that may
explain why massage has measurable
This research is bringing important insights
therapeutic bene昀椀ts. Beyond just relaxing
into the mechanisms underlying psychedelic
the body, people show measurable biological
therapies and demonstrates the value of
improvements.
supporting pioneering ideas as new 昀椀elds of
discovery take shape.
In just over a year since his Rising Star
recognition, Dr. Abdus-Saboor has moved
from promising researcher to established
The Role of Touch in
Treating Chronic Stress
Exploring How the Skin Can Be a Target for
Treating Mental Health
In 2024, Dr. Ishmail Abdus-Saboor received
the One Mind Rising Star Award for his
research focusing on how neurons in
the skin respond to touch — particularly
social touch — and what happens when
those signals travel into the brain. The
peripheral nervous system, long overlooked
in psychiatric research, may o昀昀er a new
therapeutic target for stress
ONE MIND
2025 Annual Impact Report
scienti昀椀c leader, building a body of work that
∙
could eventually reshape how clinicians treat
stress and chronic psychiatric conditions.
