Warren Wilson College Explores Research Collaboration with Sensorium Therapeutics to Conduct Climate-Focused Research on Appalachian Medicinal Plants

Warren Wilson College faculty and students are exploring a research collaboration with Sensorium Therapeutics to study how climate change may affect Appalachian medicinal plants—combining place-based education of undergraduates, advanced analytical science, and responsible stewardship.

The exploratory project is designed to draw on Warren Wilson’s strengths in ecological cultivation and hands-on education, and Sensorium’s expertise in plant chemistry and analytical science, to assess potential research opportunities. The goals: 1) grow and study Appalachian medicinal plants; 2) train students to use state-of-the-art analytical tools to see how climate change impacts key plant compounds over time; and 3) create a model for responsible, culturally respectful botanical stewardship. 

“This collaboration allows Warren Wilson students to study how climate change is reshaping Appalachian medicinal plants—using modern science, grounded in place, to serve the region and the future,” said Dave Ellum, Ph.D., Dean and Director of the Center for Working Lands at Warren Wilson. “Our work with Sensorium fits seamlessly into the College’s approach to educating students, which emphasizes on-campus, professional and community-engaged experiences, research and project-based learning, all embedded in the liberal arts.” 

This project extends the ways in which Warren Wilson and its students contribute to the region and the world.  

“Warren Wilson College is a place of hands-on, high-impact learning that provides real-world opportunities to the problem solvers of the future,” said Damián J. Fernández, President of the College. “At the same time, this relationship with Sensorium contributes to our region’s sustainable economic development and its health and wellness—a winning combination.”   

Southern Appalachia, where Warren Wilson College calls home, is one of the most botanically diverse regions in North America, home to plants long used in Cherokee, Appalachian and modern herbal traditions. Many of these species contain bioactive compounds of scientific interest, including compounds that have historically been studied in connection with stress and mood regulation. Despite their importance, no regional institution has undertaken a systemic, long-term effort to understand how changing environmental conditions impact key Appalachian plant compounds, which could alter the value, resilience and cultural relevance of these plants.

“We chose to partner with Warren Wilson College because its hands-on, place-based educational model and deep stewardship of Appalachian landscapes make it well-positioned to support applied research and experiential education in this area—a relationship that grows more valuable over time, scientifically and educationally,” said Jacob Hooker, Ph.D., CEO of Sensorium Therapeutics. Sensorium Therapeutics is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing brain and mental health treatments that are derived from nature, mechanistically driven, and designed to help people thrive.

The College was fortunate to receive a grant from the Pisgah Investments Foundation to jump-start the project. The Foundation’s investment allowed for the purchase of a Liquid Chromatography – Mass Spectrometer, a powerful instrument for analyzing liquid extractions and solutions that is essential for the research and will deepen experiential learning for all Warren Wilson students. 

“By studying natural products, students will strengthen their skills in real-world chemical analysis, work with industry leaders, and contribute to discoveries that could lead to publishable results,” said Langdon J. Martin, Ph.D., WWC Professor of Chemistry. “The Sensorium collaboration and the grant from Pisgah Investments Foundation give our Chemistry students—and all Warren Wilson students interested in the sciences—exciting new opportunities for applied research with cutting-edge technology.” 

Strengthening Land Stewardship and Study

The collaboration with Sensorium follows two recent announcements from the College about preservation of its forest and farm land. In September 2025, in a landmark moment for conservation and education, Warren Wilson College and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) finalized an agreement to permanently protect 191 acres of cherished forest, pasture, and creekside land on the College’s campus adjacent to the Sovereign Oaks community. In another project with SAHC, the College will establish conservation easements on 600 additional acres of land, which will take the total of the protected land to nearly 800 acres. 

The Center for Working Lands at Warren Wilson College has played a central role in the land preservation efforts, as well as contributing to the launch of the Master’s in Applied Climate Studies program in June 2025. The MACS program builds on the College’s decades-long legacy of leadership in climate change action and the strength of its undergraduate environmental programs. The two-year, low-residency graduate program educates leaders capable of planning, implementing, and managing effective, just, and equitable climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. 

As a working, learning, and living laboratory, the Center for Working Lands integrates land stewardship, education, and outreach. It engages students and local communities through experiential learning in sustainable agriculture, food justice, and land conservation. Its farm, forest, garden, and green spaces offer students, faculty and partners the chance to address real-world problems and solutions, and to explore and experiment with balancing ecological goals with economic and social benefits. 

About Sensorium

Sensorium Therapeutics is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing brain and mental health treatments that are derived from nature, mechanistically driven, clinically precise, and designed to help people thrive. Its SensAI™ platform integrates artificial intelligence, chemistry, and neuroscience to mine more than 50 million curated relationships across biology, pharmacology, clinical outcomes, and human experience to unlock broader and derisked starting points for CNS drug discovery. SensAI has produced three differentiated programs in under three years—led by SENS-01, a first-in-class compound under investigation for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Senorium’s exploratory activities in Western North Carolina were catalyzed by an investment from the Pisgah Fund in Asheville, an early-stage venture capital fund focused on investing in innovative healthcare companies and supporting long-term economic growth in Western North Carolina. Sensorium’s participation in this exploratory collaboration is separate from its clinical development programs and does not involve commercial rights to any academic research outcomes unless otherwise agreed in future written agreements. 

*The collaboration is currently exploratory in nature and does not involve any financial commitment, equity investment, or formal partnership agreement between the parties. Any future research initiatives would be subject to separate agreements and institutional approvals.