William E. Fantegrossi

William E. Fantegrossi
PhD
Other namesWilliam Fantegrossi; Bill Fantegrossi
Alma materUniversity of Michigan (1997–2002; PhD); American University (1991–1995; BS)
OccupationsPharmacologist; Psychoactive drug researcher
Years active1995–present
Organization(s)University of Arkansas; University of Michigan
Known forPsychoactive drug research
Websitemedicine.uams.edu/pharmtox/faculty/primary-faculty/william-e-fantegrossi-ph-d/

William E. Fantegrossi, also known as Bill Fantegrossi and the head of the Fantegrossi Laboratory, is a behavioral pharmacologist and psychoactive drug researcher at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock, Arkansas.[1] He and his team have studied psychoactive drugs including psychedelics, entactogens, stimulants, and cannabinoids, among others.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Fantegrossi and his colleagues primarily conduct animal studies of psychedelic and other psychoactive drugs.[1]

Fantegrossi has noted that existing antidepressants are only slightly more effective than placebos and come with prominent side effects such as sexual dysfunction.[1] He has stated the need for better psychiatric drugs and has expressed interest in chemically tweaking psychoactive drugs like psychedelics to provide therapeutic benefits such as anxiolytic effects.[1] Fantegrossi has worked in affiliation with PharmAla in the early 2020s studying entactogens like MDMA and novel analogues for potential medical use, such as treatment of autistic spectrum disorders.[6][5]

Along with David E. Nichols and others, Fantegrossi was featured as one of the major academic psychedelic drug researchers at the time in Dirty Pictures, a 2010 documentary about the psychedelic chemist Alexander Shulgin.[1] According to Fantegrossi, he himself does not take psychedelic drugs and has never had a psychedelic experience.[1] Fantegrossi holds materialist beliefs.[1] He plays the guitar[1] and he and his son have competed together in strongman competitions.[7]

Selected publications

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Étienne Sauret (director), Alexander Shulgin (subject), Ann Shulgin (subject), David E. Nichols (subject), William E. Fantegrossi (subject), Roland Griffiths (subject), Solomon H. Snyder (subject), others (13 March 2010). Dirty Pictures (Motion picture (documentary)). United States: Turn of the Century Pictures, Breaking Glass Pictures. Event occurs at 38:04–40:23, 45:42–47:46, 1:15:30–1:16:54, 1:23:13–1:24:06. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024.
  2. ^ "'Synthetic Marijuana' Linked to Serious Health Problems". Neuroscience News. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2026. SCBs are also more potent than Δ9-THC; "these are highly efficacious drugs; they tend to activate the CB1 receptor to a greater degree than we can ever get to with THC from marijuana," says William E. Fantegrossi, a behavioral pharmacologist at UAMS. As a result, some users turn to them to achieve a more intense high.
  3. ^ Allen, Gabe (30 October 2021). "Classic Psychedelics Aren't Addictive". Discover Magazine. Retrieved 26 February 2026. In 2004, a team of pharmacologists at the University of Michigan Medical School, led by William Fantegrossi, set out to test the addiction potential of psilocybin — a hallucinogenic compound derived from certain mushrooms — on a cohort of rhesus monkeys. [...] But when it came to psilocybin, the results were erratic. Some repeatedly pressed the lever to the point of intoxication; others swore off the lever for good after one dose. On average, the monkeys were no more prone to self-administering psilocybin than the less exciting saline solution.
  4. ^ Robinson, David (28 June 2016). "UAMS Receives NIH Grant for First Comprehensive Study of Synthetic Marijuana Dangers". UAMS News. Retrieved 26 February 2026. Prather's findings will inform the work of co-investigator William Fantegrossi, Ph.D., who will take the compounds and metabolites that bind to the cannabinoid receptors and study their actions in mice. "Our animal models should help clarify the toxicity associated with these compounds," said Fantegrossi, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. "Right now when a synthetic cannabinoid user is admitted to the ER, we don't know what component of the drug really contributed to their symptoms." Co-investigator Susan Abdel-Rahman, Pharm.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, an expert in pharmacokinetics, will provide consultation to assist Fantegrossi and Moran with their experiments to determine how the synthetic cannabinoids are absorbed, distributed and eliminated in the body.
  5. ^ a b "Efficacy and safety of novel MDXX analogues in treating autism spectrum disorder". EurekAlert!. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2026. In the article titled "Balancing Therapeutic Efficacy and Safety of MDMA and Novel MDXX Analogues As Novel Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorder," William Fantegrossi, PhD, from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine, and coauthors, discuss the roles of various drug-binding sites, metabolic enzymes, and chemical structure-activity relationships that mediate these substances' pharmacological and toxicological effects. The investigators concluded that "the MDXX drugs represent a fruitful chemical space for developing clinically effective and relatively safer molecules and formulations for treating ASD."
  6. ^ a b Dunne, Rowan (29 August 2022). "PharmAla Biotech applies for patent on 6 novel MDMA-like molecules". Mugglehead Investment Magazine. Retrieved 26 February 2026. "MDMA is a fascinating molecule with a troubled history. The therapeutic potential of this compound has been obvious since its earliest days, but its potential for abuse and adverse effects has been just as noteworthy," said Dr. William Fantegrossi, Principal Investigator for PharmAla Biotech at UAMS. "The work being done at PharmAla to create formulations which retain therapeutic efficacy while minimizing harm is incredibly important to the future of MDMA as a medicinal agent, and the drug development strategy their work exemplified through this patent is a model for the field of 'psychedelic medicine' as a whole," added Dr. Fantegrossi.
  7. ^ "Father-son duo to compete in Arkansas Strongman". thv11.com. 9 July 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
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