Webinars
Presentation Slides Will be Available Here
Wednesday August 12, 2026 at 12-1PM ET
Rapid Advances in Depression Therapeutics:
Ketamine, Psychedelics, and Other Novel Approaches
with James Murrough, MD, PhD
Registration:
VA Attendees (TMS #131024469)
Non-VA Attendees: Registration link forthcoming
Purpose Statement:
Depression is a leading cause of disability among Veterans, and roughly one-third of patients fail to achieve adequate response after multiple trials of first-line antidepressants. Since 2019, the FDA has approved several mechanistically novel antidepressants—including esketamine, brexanolone, zuranolone, and dextromethorphan-bupropion—while psilocybin and other psychedelic-assisted therapies advance through late-stage clinical trials toward likely approval. This session will equip clinicians across disciplines with a working understanding of the neurobiological rationale, clinical trial evidence, safety and monitoring requirements, and practical considerations for these emerging treatments, so that Veterans with treatment-resistant depression can be identified, counseled, and referred appropriately.
Outcome/Objectives:
At the conclusion of this educational program, learners will be able to:
1. Describe the neurobiological mechanisms of novel antidepressants, including NMDA receptor antagonists.
2. Summarize efficacy and safety findings from trials of esketamine and psilocybin.
3. Identify at least two practical or regulatory considerations (e.g., REMS monitoring requirements, dosing and administration logistics) relevant to incorporating these treatments into Veteran care.
4. List at least three emerging or pipeline mechanisms under investigation for depression (e.g., orexin-2 receptor antagonists, NMDA positive allosteric modulators, Kv7/KCNQ channel openers).
Program Description:
The VISN 2 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers (MIRECC) pursues a discovery-to-recovery approach to determine the causes, identify predictors, and develop treatments for individuals with serious mental illness, with emphasis on psychosis and on suicide. The topics for this series consist of innovative treatments that we have created/tested and insights from research that have helped to inform clinical care.
Target Audience:
Physicians, Psychologists, Social Workers, Nurses, Counselors, and Therapists
Accreditations (1 CE): ACCME, ACCME-NP, APA, ASWB, JA IPCE, NBCC, NYSED-SW, NYSED-Psychology
PRESENTERS:
James Murrough, MD, PhD is Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Vice Chair for Clinical Research in the Department of Psychiatry, and Director of the Dennis S. Charney, MD, Depression and Anxiety Discovery Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. He is also a Psychiatrist and Investigator at the VISN 2 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center. Dr. Murrough has made major contributions to biological psychiatry and clinical neuroscience, particularly through his work advancing ketamine and other novel therapeutics for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and is internationally recognized for his research in depression, anxiety, and PTSD. He sits on the Scientific Council of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation and serves as Vice Chair of the Scientific Council of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Alongside his research, Dr. Murrough maintains an active clinical practice and is an avid mentor to trainees and junior faculty.
Additional Information for TMS Registration:
Questions?
Non-VA employees, please contact the VHA TRAIN Help Desk by email at VHATRAIN@va.gov.
VA employees, please contact Ainelda Alfred at brian.jewell@va.gov.
