Governor Ned Lamont presented the 2026 Connecticut Medals of Technology to Dr. John H. Krystal and the RTX Technology Research Center during a ceremony held on September 17, 2026, at the research center’s office.
Yale Professor Receives Recognition for Discovering Rapid Antidepressant Actions of Ketamine
His research links psychopharmacology, neuroimaging, molecular genetics, and computational neuroscience to examine disorders including depression, PTSD, schizophrenia, and alcohol use disorder. Krystal and his collaborators identified mechanisms behind these antidepressant effects, such as enhanced glutamate release measured via 13C-MRS, restoration of cortical functional connectivity deficits via fMRI, and synaptic density restoration via PET.
In the early 1990s, Krystal and his colleagues identified the first biological mechanism in PTSD. The first drug of this type, Cobenfy, was approved by the FDA in 2024.
Krystal earned a BA in Behavioral Sciences from the University of Chicago in 1980, an MD from Yale University School of Medicine in 1984, and completed his psychiatry residency training at Yale in 1988.
Aviation and Defense Engineering at RTRC
The RTX Technology Research Center received the Medal of Technology for developing era-defining breakthroughs in commercial aviation and defense for over 95 years. RTRC functions as Connecticut’s premier research and development facility and serves as an innovation hub for RTX and business units like Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace.
Sonia Tulyani, Ph.D., Executive Director, Strategic Technologies & Partnerships and Deputy Director, RTRC, joined Governor Lamont, Dr. John H. Krystal, and U.S. Representative John Larson at the September presentation ceremony.
CASE announced the selection of the awardees in a May 18, 2026, press release.
