Past Research Achievements
In the early 1970s, while at the University of Pittsburgh in the United States, I established one of the first methods for synthesizing LSD※, a component of wheat horn. The results were published in a top academic journal. * 1)
It was during this period that I learned state of the art methods of chemical synthesis, and also spent time thinking deeply about what research is, what it is for, and who it is for.
At the time, Dr. Hoffman’s invention of LSD, made from a culture of wheat and corn parasites, was expensive for the general public. Leading chemists thought that his LSD could be used to develop better and cheaper medicines to treat depression and PTSD. Hence, the chemical synthesis of oat alkaloids was the focus of much research and was the cutting-edge work of many of the world’s most prominent chemists.
In fact, clinical trials have shown that “LSD is effective in the treatment of depression and PTSD when administered in appropriate doses.”
※LSD is an abbreviation for lysergic acid diethylamide (German: Lysergsäurediethylamid). It was invented by Swiss scientist and pharmacologist Albert Hofmann (January 11, 1906 - April 29, 2008). He is also known for his discovery of psilocybin and psilocin from magic mushrooms. He also pioneered psychopharmacology and was appointed to the Nobel Prize selection committee.
* 1) Intramolecular [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions in the indole series "The nitrile oxide route to the ergot alkaloids". 1. Chanoclavine I. Alan P. Kozikowski and; Hitoshi Ishida, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1980, 102, 4265–
