Functional mushrooms, like lion’s mane and reishi, among others, have been known to improve how the body responds to stress. Thus, taking a supplement that features functional mushrooms may help you fight stress and improve your overall mental health.
However, finding a supplement that features high-quality functional mushrooms is rather difficult. The market is full of mushroom supplements, with only a few actually offering what they claim, making it difficult for consumers to trust the quality of ingredients and efficacy of these supplements. So, we have independently tested 30+ mushroom supplements for anxiety in the market and made the job easier for you.
Here are our top 9 recommendations for mushroom supplements for anxiety and depression. We not only list the ingredients and positives, but we also share the probable negatives for each of these supplements.
Top 9 Best Mushroom Supplements For Anxiety
Keep reading to get a detailed review of the top brands our team of experts picked as the best mushroom supplements for anxiety.
Riti is #1 on our list for offering thebest mushroom gummies for anxiety and stress-related issues. These gummies are one of the most effective blends in the market and are manufactured using ethically sourced premium quality mushrooms.
The ingredient blend in these gummies combines 10 different mushroom extracts, including lion’s mane, shiitake, chaga, maitake, cordyceps, turkey tail, black fungus, white button, and royal sun.
Each mushroom type has a unique benefit to it.
For example, reishi mushrooms reduce anxiety, boost immunity, and improve the body’s overall vitality. Lion’s mane mushrooms enhance mental clarity and cognitive functions. Collectively, all the extracts in Riti mushroom gummies support nerve function for better attention and focus and show significant potential in modulating mood and response to sudden stress or anxiety.
The best part about Riti is that they’re transparent and safe, and all their products are third-party lab-tested. Moreover, these mushroom gummies for anxiety come in a natural raspberry flavor and are non-GMO verified. It is gelatin-free and gluten-free.
The product website suggests using these gummies as a dietary supplement, consuming two gummies daily. Each bottle contains 60 gummies.
Pros:
10 different mushroom extract blend
Wide spectrum benefits in mental and overall health
Enjoyable natural raspberry flavor
Ethically sourced premium ingredients
Non-GMO, gelatin-free, gluten-free, no artificial color
Cheef Botanicals is the second brand on our list of the best mushroom supplements for anxietyfor its commitment to the quality and purity of mushroom gummies. It offers gummies that aim to help users tackle anxiety and depression issues, along with energy boosts, immunity and focus improvement, and occasional stress management.
The mushroom gummies by the brand are infused with pure extracts from selected mushrooms like reishi, chaga, lion’s mane, and turkey tail and support immune health, brain, and cognitive functions.
The best mushroom gummies for anxiety and mental healthare available in three types: immunity, brain boost, and wellness. The immunity variant uses extracts from chaga, reishi, and turkey tail and supports immune health. The brain boost variant blends lion’s mane and reishi mushroom extracts. Lion’s mane mushroom extracts often treat oxidative stress and related disorders. That’s because it contains compounds like phenol that have antimicrobial properties. Ultimately leading to reduced or limited cellular and neurological damage, especially in cases of diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
At the same time, the wellness type is a more balanced one that combines lion’s mane, chaga, reishi, cordyceps, and turkey tail to offer a comprehensive approach to well-being.
The functional mushrooms used in these gummies fall into two categories: adaptogenic and nootropic. While the adaptogens in these mushrooms help in managing stress and anxiety, the nootropics aid cognitive functions like memory, focus, and mood.
These are small and bite-sized and come in various flavors to suit all kinds of palates. Apart from being super-delectable in taste, these mushroom gummies for anxietycome pre-dosed, meaning you get a consistent dosage, and are also convenient to incorporate into your daily health regime. Further, these gummies are vegan-friendly and, hence, suit all diets.
The recommended dosage is one gummy per day, and it should be used for at least 90 days to see results.
Pros:
Three different blends and targeted formulations for specific needs
High-quality mushroom extracts
Natural and vegan-friendly
Tasty fruity flavors and bite-sized for easy consumption
CBDfx mushroom supplement for anxiety is the next brand on our list of the most unique blends of supplements. The CBDfx mushroom supplements incorporate the calming effects of CBD with the health benefits of 7 different mushrooms for an overall health upliftment.
Also, these mushroom gummies have an extensive ingredient list, including mushroom extracts from chaga, lion’s mane, cordyceps, turkey tail, maitake, reishi, and shiitake. Most of these mushrooms have either adaptogenic or nootropic properties. That simply means it improves your thinking skills and makes you feel more alert, making these the best mushroom supplements for anxiety.
For example, maitake in this blend lends nutrients like vitamins B and C, copper, and other minerals like potassium, amino acids, fiber, and beta-glucans. Cordyceps is extremely high in several B vitamins like B1, B2, K, B12, etc. The shiitake mushroom extract has both nootropic and adaptogenic properties, which help manage physical and mental health and enhance cognitive functions like creativity, motivation, and memory. The adaptogenic properties in these mushrooms, reishi, lion’s mane, and chaga, also help maintain homeostasis (or balance) in the body.
Apart from the mushroom extracts, each gummy in the bottle contains about 25mg of CBD, which is known to help in relaxation and stress relief. The gummies come in a natural cherry flavor, providing a smooth texture and taste without artificial additives and flavors. The recommended serving is two gummies for adults.
Pros:
An innovative blend of 7 different mushroom extracts
25mg CBD in each capsule for improving stress relief and relaxation
No artificial colors or flavors
A tasty natural cherry flavor
Customers have also noticed reduced back pain and spasms
Users are also impressed with improved anxiety and sleep
Elm & Rye creates high-quality, pure, ethically sourced products. Not only do these are one of the best mushrooms that help with anxiety and offer numerous health issues, but they also come in various forms, like capsules, gummies, and coffee creamers.
This mushroom complex combines functional mushrooms like maitake, lion’s mane, shiitake, reishi, cordyceps, and chaga to give you extensive benefits in overall physical and mental health. It also contains other ingredients in each of the three variants: glucose syrup, pectin, citric acid, sodium citrate, natural flavor, and vegetable oil.
These blends synergistically provide various health benefits, like supporting the immune system and enhancing cognitive functions, apart from improving overall wellness.
These gummies and capsules are suitable only for adults, with a recommended dosage of one capsule or gummy per serving. However, the product website does not mention the exact number of gummies or capsules in each bottle.
Pros:
Blends several functional mushrooms for maximum efficacy
Available in different forms – capsules, gummies, creamers
Suitable for overall physical and mental health
Quality assured with lab test results available on the website
If you want a versatile option in mushroom supplements, the 5th brand on our list – SUKU Vitamins, is your go-to product. Super mushroom gummies by the brand are packed with nutrition and flavor. These mushroom gummies for anxiety combine four functional mushrooms: reishi, chaga, lion’s mane, and turkey tail.
These espresso-flavored mushrooms are known for their adaptogenic properties, aiding immune health and cognitive functioning. So, these supplements can be excellent for anyone looking to include a natural and immune-boosting supplement in their routine.
The reishi mushroom extract used in these supplements helps restore a person’s balance. It can help individuals suffering from depression adapt to different psychological as well as biological stresses. It is assumed to be promising in treating insomnia, paranoia, alcoholic dependence, and OCD, and also reduces psychological distress and suicidal tendencies.
Moreover, these mushroom supplements for anxietyare great if you’re looking for gluten and sugar-free options. They are also non-GMO, non-allergic (no dairy, nuts, soy, egg, etc.), and free from artificial colors. So, even individuals with dietary restrictions can incorporate these gummies into their daily regime.
Each bottle contains 60 gummies. The official website says the recommended dosage is two gummies per day with food and should be stored in dry conditions under 15-25 degrees Celsius. Like other gummies, the SUKU Vitamins supplement also requires consistent usage to show results.
Pros:
Tasty espresso flavor
Combines four potent functional mushroom extracts
Vegan and keto-friendly
Free from any artificial additives and colors
30-days money back guarantee
Cons:
It may have a diuretic effect, which may not be suitable for all users.
Real Mushrooms is known for its 100% organic mushroom extracts, making it one of the most reliable brands for buying mushroom supplements for anxiety. These supplements are made of reishi mushrooms, a core ingredient in the blend extracted using the dual extraction method with alcohol and hot water.
Reishi mushrooms are renowned for their potential benefits in reducing stress and boosting immune health. They contain 25% beta-glucans, which is a highly potent compound, and over 4% triterpenes, ensuring maximum efficacy in treating symptoms of hopelessness, anxiety, and depression.
Using resihi mushrooms for anxietyas the main component, these capsules offer a super-potent and effective solution to manage stress, anxiety, and depression-like symptoms. Other ingredients include hypromellose (vegetable capsule), microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide, and may also contain stearic acid.
The Real Mushrooms reishi capsules are free from starch, mycelium, and any kind of grain fillers to retain the potency of the mushroom extract. It’s also gluten-free, non-GMO, and vegan-friendly.
There are two size options available to buyers – 90 and 200 capsule bottles and the recommended dosage is two capsules daily. So, if you’re new to mushroom supplements, you can opt for the smaller size and then move to the bigger one if it is effective.
Oweli Shrooms has been the top choice of many for supplements supporting immune health, stress management, cognitive function, and overall brain health, and thus, it finds a place on our list of best mushroom supplements for anxiety.
This mushroom supplement for anxiety is a holistic blend of 10 functional mushroom extracts, including lion’s mane, reishi, cordyceps, shiitake, maitake, turkey tail, chaga, royal sun, white button, and black fungus. Ethically sourced and scientifically formulated, these ingredients maintain the highest quality.
Most of these mushrooms for anxietyhave adaptogenic properties, making them the right choice for anyone looking for supplements for anxiety and depression. These capsules can potentially improve how the body responds to sudden stress and alleviate extreme problems.
Unlike caffeine and other conventional stimulants, the adaptogens in chaga mushrooms regulate the metabolism in your body and also trigger reduced effects of stress and depression. The same is true with turkey tail mushrooms due to the high content of vitamin B6, which slows down the brain’s activity.
Apart from these main extracts, the blend contains cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, and magnesium stearate. Each bottle contains 30 capsules; the recommended dosage for adults is two daily. If unsatisfied with the results, the brand offers a 100-day bottom-of-the-bottle refund guarantee.
Pros:
A blend of 10 functional mushroom extracts
Reduces anxiety and signs of depression
Improves cognitive and immune health
Manufactured in FDA-registered facilities and CGMP-compliant
The NutriFlair mushroom supplement is an impressive blend of 10 functional mushrooms offering improved mental clarity and focus.
The supplement blend includes mushroom extracts like cordyceps, lion’s mane, chaga, reishi, turkey tail, maitake, shiitake, oyster, enoki, and Agaricus. These are the mushrooms good for anxietymanagement and popular for their distinctive benefits in aiding mental health and overall well-being.
Each mushroom supplement for anxiety contains 2600 mg of extract combined from all of these different mushrooms. However, the official website provides information only on the concentration of the three main ingredients – reishi, cordyceps, and lion’s mane mushrooms. The other mushroom extracts are provided in a proprietary blend.
Moreover, studies show that lion’s mane mushroom extract is beneficial for anxiety and depression only with a minimum dose of 3000 mg per day, which is far from the 800 mg provided in this supplement.
The mushroom supplements for anxietyare non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan and have no artificial colors or added sugar. But despite the rich ingredient list and popularity of the NutriFlair mushroom supplements, it’s often considered less effective than the others on the list.
Per the brand’s official website, each bottle contains 30 capsules; the suggested use is 3 capsules per day with a meal.
Pros:
Specifically, it targets brain and immune health
Vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, no artificial colors or added sugar
All natural ingredients
Users have noticed improved mental clarity and energy
People have also seen improved emotional stability and mood
Cons:
No information about third-party lab test results on the website
#9. Nootrum
Nootrum mushrooms are one of the most affordably priced supplements available now. Nootrum’s mushrooms for anxietyare formulated using a unique blend of extracts from reishi, cordyceps, lion’s mane, shiitake, maitake, chaga, turkey tail, royal sun, Agaricus, black fungus, and white button mushrooms. It’s a powerful combination of the most commonly used mushrooms in indigenous healing practices across the world.
These medicinal mushroom extracts, along with ingredients like amanita, L-theanine, and ginger, offer enhanced relief from stress, anxiety, and depression-related problems. Moreover, these ingredients also provide benefits like boosted immunity, better focus, lower inflammation levels, and better mental clarity.
Apart from improving cerebral blood flow and enhancing stamina, you’ll see a noticeable improvement in sleep and focus. So, if you need help building a stronger immunity or improving memory skills, the Nootrum mushrooms will be a great buy.
Each bottle contains 30 servings, and it’s recommended to consume 2 gummies daily.
Pros:
Multiple mushroom extracts for optimum health benefits
Improves cognitive functions like memory and focus
Provides immune-boosting benefits
Free from any artificial additives
Cons:
There is no flavor mentioned on the official website.
What Are Mushroom Supplements?
Mushroom supplements for anxiety are nothing but dried and milled whole mushrooms packaged in different forms like powders, pills, gummies, or even liquid tinctures.
The main ingredient in these supplements is mushroom extract. Made from fruiting bodies, mycelium, or sometimes even whole mushrooms, the supplements are designed to offer a small and more concentrated dose of this bioactive compound.
While some mushroom varieties are known to offer greater benefits in boosting immunity, others encourage nerve growth and treat anxiety. Some of the most common mushroom varieties used in supplements are reishi, lion’s mane, cordyceps, chaga, shiitake, turkey tail, and psilocybin (hallucinogenic).
Benefits Of Taking Mushrooms For Anxiety
Although mushrooms have been used for their potential medicinal benefits since as long as 450 BC, it is yet to be scientifically validated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, many have been using mushroom pills for anxietyand have noticed a significant improvement in their condition over time.
Some of the major benefits people have noticed include:
Reduced depression and anxiety
Improved cognitive function
Mood regulation
Better sleep and relaxation
Research says that certain mushroom compounds interact with the chemicals in our brains. For example, the psilocybin variety of mushrooms has hallucinogenic compounds that are similar to the serotonin compound in our brains.
Many believe it is likely to increase anxiety and depression, but it has been shown to have long-lasting benefits in improving them. It acts on the serotoninergic system of our body to restore the serotonin levels that are associated with mood and anxiety.
What Are The Best Mushroom Supplements For Anxiety & Depression?
Almost all types of mushrooms are known to provide some health benefits, be it improving immunity or gut health. But, not all of them are beneficial in treating anxiety and depression.
The best mushrooms for anxiety and depression are:
Reishi Mushroom for Anxiety
These are often called the “mushroom for immortality”. The reason is its stress-relieving and immune-boosting properties. The triterpenes (sedative compounds) in these mushrooms have calming properties working on the nervous system to improve sleep quality and promote relaxation. These triterpenes often interact with the GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric acid) pathway, an inhibitory neurotransmitter responsible for neural activity in the brain and promoting sleep.
Reishi mushroom for anxietyare also highly potent adaptogens, meaning they can regulate the stress hormones in our bodies. This directly helps balance the cortisol and adrenaline levels, which modulates how our body reacts to stress and aids it in overcoming it faster.
Lion’s Mane Mushroom for Anxiety
It’s one of the most researched mushroom varieties for its potential benefits in treating anxiety and depression. It improves mood regulation by preventing the decrease of serotonin and dopamine, which directly affects anxiety in humans. These mushrooms’ erinacine content (bioactive compound) also supports brain functions and nerve growth.
Lion’s mane mushrooms are believed to reduce loss of nerve growth due to stress and anxiety. It is also considered a potential alternative medicine to protect against Alzheimer’s and other cognitive impairment diseases.
Cordyceps Mushroom for Anxiety
Caterpillar mushrooms or cordyceps mushrooms are a collective of 400+ species. Many animal and preliminary human studies show that cordyceps are mushrooms good for anxiety. Its compounds may help in energy-boosting and potentially modulate the body’s response to stress.
One species in the group of cordyceps mushrooms is cordyceps miliaris. It is used in many supplemental tonics for its possible benefit in treating neurological disorders like anxiety and epilepsy. Like reishi mushrooms for anxiety, cordyceps also have adaptogenic properties that help resist mental fatigue and stress by modulating the adrenal glands.
Can Mushrooms Help With Anxiety?
Yes, certain mushrooms can potentially help with anxiety.
Numerous studies point to how microdosing of mushrooms can significantly improve depression and reduce feelings of hopelessness. It also shows a potential improvement in mood and overall cognitive function across different age groups and genders. Mushrooms like lion’s mane have been greatly beneficial in preventing the decrease of serotonin and dopamine levels and also in mediating after-effects like antidepressants.
But it’s also necessary to approach this with a balanced view. That’s because although there has been some promising research, there is yet to be any scientific conclusive evidence for it.
Factors To Consider Before Buying Mushrooms That Help With Anxiety
People who want to include mushroom supplements for anxiety in their health regime should consider the factors below to make an informed decision.
Mushroom Types:
Not all mushrooms help with anxiety and depression. So, when choosing the supplement, understand and check its mushroom type. For example, reishi mushrooms have calming properties, while lion’s mane helps improve mood, and cordyceps are for stress resistance.
Dosage:
The dosage is as important as the ingredient in the mushroom supplement for anxiety. It also depends on the severity of the health issues you’re facing. So, it’s ideal to follow the dosage recommended on the product label or consult a healthcare professional before opting for one. Keep in mind that while overdosing can have adverse effects, underdosing may seem like the product is ineffective.
Ingredients:
Always check if the mushrooms are sourced and third-party tested. Check for pure extracts and additives that may dilute the product’s efficacy. Look for where the mushrooms are sourced from on the brand website or the product label. Also, check for any ingredient you may be allergic to.
Brand Reputation:
Always opt for established brands with good footing in the market when going for the best mushrooms for mental health and anxiety. That’s because such brands will have rigorous testing and quality control procedures. You can also check the brand website to know the manufacturing process and commitment to safety.
Quality
Quality is THE most important aspect to look for in mushroom supplements for anxiety. Good quality mushroom supplements will have third-party test results. You can also look for indicators like organic, non-GMO, and sustainably sourced products.
Customer Reviews
Go through product reviews on e-commerce platforms as well as brand websites. E-commerce platforms offer real insights into the product’s efficacy, potential side effects, and the overall impact on users.
How Many Mushrooms Should You Take For Anxiety?
For any mushroom supplement for anxiety and depression, the dosage depends on many factors. Like the concentration of the extract, the type of mushroom, the formulation of the product, and most importantly, the health condition you’re facing. So, it’s always best to consult a professional for a personalized regime or follow the recommended dosage guidelines on the product packaging.
A word of advice: if you’re new to mushroom supplements for anxiety, always start with a low dose. Observe and understand how your body reacts to the supplement, and then you can gradually increase the dosage if required.
FAQs About Mushrooms For Anxiety And Depression
Q1. How do anxiety and depression affect the body?
Depression and anxiety are serious medical conditions that not only affect the body but also the quality of life you lead. Apart from symptoms like overwhelming grief or guilt, it can severely impact the digestive, cardiovascular, and immune systems. Some common effects include recurring pain, fatigue, poor appetite, insomnia, and even a decreased drive for sex.
Q2. How to take mushrooms for anxiety & depression?
Most medicinal mushrooms require consistent use over a period to be able to show effects on anxiety and depression. Ideally, you should allow at least three months for the daily regime to deliver results. Although, you can expect to see improvements during the period itself. For the dosage, you can follow the instructions on the product label.
Q3. What are the potential side effects of using mushrooms for anxiety?
Although mushrooms that help with anxiety are safe for consumption, they do have some potential side effects like itchiness, diarrhea, dry mouth, and gastrointestinal issues. It can also show allergic reactions in some people. Moreover, these supplements may interact with other medications like medicines for blood pressure and diabetes.
Q4. How long does mushroom for anxiety take to work?
Our bodies react differently to supplements. So, the time mushroom supplements take to help with anxiety differs for each one of us. Factors like metabolism, severity of symptoms, lifestyle, period of use, diet, and even the type of mushroom supplement you’re taking play a role. Generally, it can take a few weeks to a few months to show results.
Q5. Can you take mushroom supplements with other anxiety medications?
It’s important to understand that some mushroom supplements for anxiety can affect how other drugs or medicines are metabolized in your body. Some mushroom supplements can also amplify the effects of other anxiety medications, potentially leading to over-sedation. So, if you’re already on antidepressants or other medicines, you should check with a healthcare professional before opting for supplements.
Concluding Thoughts: What Mushrooms Are Good For Anxiety?
Medicinal mushrooms offer a range of health benefits, especially for people suffering from anxiety, poor mood levels, and depression. But the efficacy also largely depends on the product’s quality, extraction, and formulation. So, it’s key to finding the right brand that uses ethically sourced and high-quality mushroom pills for anxiety.
Among all the mushroom supplements for anxiety we tested, we found Riti’s supplements stand out in quality and efficacy. They are transparent in their approach and use premium quality ingredients that ensure they’re safe and you get value from your investment. Note: If you’re already on medication for any ailments, always check with a healthcare professional before introducing mushroom gummies for anxietyto your daily routine.
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Studio S
OCTOBER 22, 2026
Milan Design + Build Helps San Diegans Remodel With Confidence
The San Diego home remodeling company works on full homes, kitchens, bathrooms, home additions, ADUs, garages, landscapes, and hardscapes.
Most homeowners want two things before they commit to a remodel: a realistic sense of cost and a clear picture of what the finished space will look like. Milan Design + Build helps deliver both through its online remodeling estimator and personalized design consultations, supported by a showroom experience and 3D renderings.
“The online estimate gives homeowners a starting number in about a minute, and the showroom and 3D renderings let them see materials and layouts before anything is built,” says David Noriani, CEO of Milan Design + Build. “Keeping design, permits, and construction with one team helps us manage expectations and keep everyone working toward the same vision.”
Courtesy of Milan Design
Modern design is a particular focus for Milan, with an emphasis on clean lines, natural light, functional layouts, and carefully selected materials. The team adapts each design to the homeowner’s lifestyle and the character of the property. Milan Design + Build combines thoughtful design with construction expertise, creating spaces that are as functional as they are beautiful.
The online estimator covers kitchen remodels, bathroom renovations, full-home remodels, and ADU construction. At Milan’s showroom on Carroll Road, visitors can review real materials, finishes, and design options, meet the design-build team, and discuss project scope, budget, and timing. Consultations can also be held virtually for homeowners who prefer to start remotely.
At Milan Design + Build, one integrated team works on the entire project. Design and construction aren’t divided between separate firms. The process begins with a consultation and feasibility review, followed by design, space planning, and 3D renderings developed from detailed measurements and digital scans. The team also coordinates architectural plans, structural engineering, city approvals, and material selection, with construction overseen by a dedicated project manager.
Homeowners can explore their remodeling options, get an initial estimate, or request a design consultation at MilanBuild.com.
A clinical trial for an innovative new type of replacement heart valve that doesn’t require open-heart surgery saved John Rufo’s life. The 65-year-old biomedical engineer had been living day to day with severe aortic regurgitation, which forces the heart to work harder and weaken over time. Without replacing the aortic valve in his heart, John wouldn’t have survived long. But complications from an open-heart surgery more than a decade prior made a second open-heart surgery impossible. The new device and the Scripps cardiologists who helped bring it to market gave John and his family new hope. Click here to read more of John’s story.
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Philanthropists and Scientists Join Forces for a Bold $55 Million Campaign
La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) is going public with a bold bet: a $55 million campaign to propel medical research into a new era. The Campaign for LJI will fuel discovery, empower scientific innovation, and expand the impact of immunology on human health.
The Institute quietly kicked things off in 2023, guided by its Board, campaign volunteers, and early believers. Nearly 80% of the $55 million goal is already in hand. Now LJI is opening the doors and inviting the whole community to carry their visions across the finish line and back discoveries that change how LJI researchers understand, treat, and prevent disease.
And there’s a bonus. To mark the public launch, LJI Board member and Campaign Honorary Chair Anthony R. Carr is offering a special matching gift so new donors can double their impact. Full details are here.
The Promise of Immunology
Immunology has already rewritten human history. Advances in immune science helped wipe out smallpox, pushed polio to the brink of elimination, and revolutionized how we prevent and treat infectious disease. Today, immune-based therapies are opening doors for patients with cancer, autoimmune disorders, and other serious illnesses once considered untreatable.
For nearly four decades, LJI scientists have stood on the front lines, driven by one insight: the immune system shapes disease in virtually every organ in the body. By decoding how the immune system works and how to harness it to prevent and treat disease, LJI researchers are chasing the Institute’s ultimate mission: Life Without Disease®.
To make that mission real, the Institute pairs world-class scientists with cutting-edge technology, speeding up breakthroughs and turning discoveries into transformative new therapies that ease suffering worldwide.
The Campaign for LJI supercharges that momentum, uniting the vision of the Institute’s scientists with a community that believes in research. Focused on advancing LJI’s most promising areas of study, the campaign aims to help build a future free from the burden of disease, a goal that demands bold ideas, lasting partnerships, and generous philanthropic support.
The Campaign for LJI will advance research across three critical pillars:
1. President’s Priority Fund. Flexible, unrestricted dollars let big ideas move now, not later. Scientists can launch high-risk, high-reward projects, bring experts together across disciplines, build transformative technologies, and train tomorrow’s scientific leaders.
2. Center for Sex-Based Differences in the Immune System. Male and female immune systems don’t respond the same way, and LJI researchers are tracing the fundamental differences down to individual cells and molecular pathways. The Campaign will speed up this pioneering work, revealing hidden drivers of disease and paving the way for more precise, biologically informed therapies for autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, cancer, and beyond.
3. Center for Vaccine Innovation. Immunologists, bioengineers, and vaccine experts are teaming up to design the next generation of vaccines and immune-based therapies. With donor support, LJI scientists can engineer longer-lasting and more personalized vaccines, pinpoint the cellular mechanisms driving protective immunity, and refine delivery methods to prevent autoimmune disease and treat cancer.
A Lasting Impact
As the campaign enters its public phase, LJI welcomes new partners and supporters to join this landmark initiative. Community support is essential to accelerating scientific discovery, and there are many meaningful ways to help shape the future of immunology. Donors may direct their gifts to any campaign priority or other area of interest. As a comprehensive campaign, all gifts to LJI count toward the campaign goal, regardless of designation. Join the campaign, and multiply your impact with our limited-time matching opportunity.
Shiley Center for Orthopaedic Research and Education at Scripps Clinic recently received a $12.7 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to investigate whether they can transform stem cells into tissue that can repair some types of knee injuries. Currently, if a patient has lost most, if not all, of the cartilage in their knee, then their doctor will recommend a total joint replacement. Joint replacement is safe and effective, but patients who’ve only lost part of their cartilage often don’t qualify. A stem cell-based treatment would provide these patients an option that doesn’t involve donor tissue. Click here for more on the preclinical trial process.
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The recently opened Lusardi Tower at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas is a state-of-the-art addition to the hospital staffed by dedicated team members who’ve helped make Scripps one of the nation’s leading healthcare systems. Complementary to that medical excellence, the Lusardi Tower also represents the latest expansion of the Scripps Arts for Healing Program. The philanthropic initiative strategically places nature- and community-based artwork throughout the hospital to support health and well-being. Both Scripps Encinitas and Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla have healing arts programs as part of new building projects and growth on the campuses. Click here to read more about the Healing Arts Program and how residents from a nearby retirement community showed their support.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
From century-old Craftsman homes to vegan fantasy bars, dive bars, and a tiki room built for exactly two people, this is one of San Diego’s great little neighborhoods
You may not realize it, but Balboa Park is bigger than Central Park (in fact, 1.5 times larger). Pressed right up against its southeastern edge is a little architecture farm built on old trolley bones, where houses look like someone was collecting architectural styles and local businesses are still run by people who seem personally invested in keeping this place interesting.
This is South Park.
To understand why it feels the way it does today—less like one commercial strip and more like a handful of tiny villages—you have to go back to the trolley.
How the Trolley Built South Park
The land that became the original South Park Addition (the subdivision’s original name) was surveyed in 1870 and officially filed in 1890, but the neighborhood really started becoming a neighborhood in the early 1900s. The Bartlett Estate Company began developing and marketing the tract in earnest around 1906, pairing lots and new homes with something extremely useful if you lived outside Downtown in the horse-and-buggy era: an electric streetcar.
On May 1, 1906, the South Park and East Side Railway made its first trip. Developers didn’t just build near transportation; they helped pay for the transportation, then used it to sell the dream. Downtown had industry, noise, and congestion. Out here were palms, sidewalks, utilities, room to breathe and a four-cent ride back to the city.
It worked. Homes began filling in around the streetcar route, and little commercial clusters grew around the places where people got on and off. That transportation pattern is still written into South Park’s geography. Some of the neighborhood’s odd street geometry is also due in part to the trolley—the old line cut across parcels instead of politely obeying the grid, leaving behind pieces of land that later businesses learned to build around. Places like Station Tavern sit on the former easement and station site of San Diego’s No. 2 trolley line.
Then San Diego went big for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in neighboring Balboa Park. The exposition transformed much of the park and helped push the city through another burst of building and growth. South Park was right there to absorb some of that momentum.
And the people building houses here had taste.
Walk the residential streets now and it can feel like somebody planted an architectural sample garden: Craftsman, Prairie, Mission Revival, Tudor Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival. Creedence Clearwater Revival. All the revivals. The neighborhood includes work by Irving Gill, one of the defining architects of early modern California; Gill-designed Prairie homes still stand along Granada Avenue.
The city formally designated the South Park Historic District in 2017, recognizing roughly 400 properties and a period of significance stretching from 1906 through 1949. In other words, a lot of what makes the place feel old is actually old.
While the trolley eventually disappeared, the basic idea behind it didn’t. South Park is still a neighborhood organized around little pockets of human activity: a couple blocks where you can buy a record, drink a beer, find a 60-year-old lamp, eat a vegan burger beneath gothic beasts, browse a bookstore, and walk home past a century-old Craftsman.
The 30th-and-Fern area may be the clearest example. Several surviving buildings there date to South Park’s early development, including the old Fire Station No. 9, Rose Grocery building, and Burlingame Garage. What began as infrastructure for a young streetcar suburb became the neighborhood’s commercial heart.
That history is also partly why buying a house here can be competitive. There isn’t some endless supply of vacant land waiting around the corner for another subdivision. Much of the neighborhood filled in generations ago, and the architecture itself is part of the appeal.
San Diego Mag’s been documenting the city for 78 years. And we’ve been looking for a partner who loved the city enough to help us tell its stories. Redfin is that partner. They’re helping us tell the story of some of the city’s most unique neighborhoods. They launched Redfin Early Access this year to get their people in first and to see certain coming-soon and exclusive listings on Redfin before they appear on other major real-estate sites.
First up: South Park.
Here are some of the people and places worth knowing here:
Whistle Stop Bar
Big Kitchen Cafe
Start with Judy “the Beauty” Forman, because it’s difficult to explain South Park without her. The former social worker bought Big Kitchen in 1980 and turned a neighborhood breakfast joint into a gathering place for artists, musicians, activists, politicians, eccentrics, and pretty much anyone who needed somewhere to belong. As Judy puts it, “I built this for people who others passed over.”
One of those people was a young single mom named Whoopi Goldberg, who worked as a dishwasher here before the WhoopiGoldberg part of her career happened. Today Big Kitchen still serves breakfast and lunch Thursday through Monday.
3003 Grape Street
Whistle Stop Bar
Whistle Stop reopened in 2001, right as South Park’s little independent-business ecosystem was finding a new generation. Owner Sam Chammas—also connected to Live Wire and, later, Station Tavern—helped turn it into the kind of neighborhood bar where the calendar can jump from a DJ night to live bands to some strange communal event nobody at a normal sports bar would propose.
The room still has that laid-back, slightly sweaty house-party quality. Check what’s happening before you go, because Whistle Stop changes personality depending on the night: sometimes neighborhood beer, sometimes everyone dancing beneath the disco ball like work tomorrow was canceled.
2236 Fern Street
Station Tavern
Station Tavern may be the most literal example of old South Park becoming new South Park. It opened in 2009 on land once crossed diagonally by the No. 2 trolley line, and architect Lloyd Russell incorporated that history into the design rather than pretending the weirdly shaped lot wasn’t weirdly shaped. The project won the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s Grand Orchid Award the same year it opened.
Sam Chammas built the place as an open-air burger-and-beer spot with big communal tables, a backyard, room for kids, and room for dogs. It still works exactly that way: get a burger, get the tots, let everybody spread out, stay awhile.
2204 Fern Street
Kindred + Throne Room
Kindred arrived in late 2015 looking nothing like the beige-and-leafy vegan restaurant stereotype. The place went full gothic fever dream—heavy music, wild cocktails, decadent plant-based food—and eventually collected national vegan accolades plus local Restaurant of the Year and design honors.
And in 2026, it got even weirder. Hidden behind a chain-mail passage inside Kindred is Throne Room, a medieval-fantasy cocktail chamber whose mythology grew out of a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired map the Kindred team created for a 2017 Coachella pop-up. The 90-minute experience has scroll menus, plant-based mezze, cocktails and zero interest in pretending restaurants need to behave normally.
1503 30th Street
Bad Madge & Co.
Vinyl Junkies Record Shack
Vinyl Junkies has good music-scene DNA. Founder Eric Howarth previously ran indie label Hi-Speed Soul, whose roster included acts like Nada Surf and Swervedriver, then teamed with Casbah owner Tim Mays after the pair had spent years putting on Vinyl Junkies record swaps.
They opened the South Park brick-and-mortar shop in 2017, and it remains a buy-sell-trade temple for people who understand that owning music on a physical object is irrational in exactly the right way. Go flip through the new arrivals. Leave holding something you had absolutely no intention of buying.
2235 Fern Street
Bad Madge & Co.
Bad Madge is what happens when “vintage store” doesn’t quite explain the situation. Owner Tanya McAnear and her team fill the shop with furniture, clothing, barware, records, art, jewelry, collectibles, and various objects that seem like they may know things about their previous owners. The shop opened in 2011 and has made reuse and upcycling part of its identity ever since. Go in without looking for anything specific—specificity will only slow you down.
2205 Fern Street
Thread + Seed
Across the neighborhood’s vintage-and-vinyl universe sits Thread + Seed, a local boutique built around clothing, denim, gifts, and personal styling. Its South Park shop has an especially deep denim program—petite, tall, wide-leg, straight, flare—and the store also offers one-on-one styling built around color and body type. In other words, this is where you go after deciding the jeans currently on your body have betrayed you. South Park understands that sometimes personal renewal begins with pants.
2220 Fern Street
The Book Catapult
Seth Marko started The Book Catapult as a book blog in 2006. In 2017, he and his wife, Jennifer Powell, turned it into an actual bookstore in South Park, specializing loosely in fiction, local interest, and children’s books while maintaining the more important bookseller skill: putting something into your hands that you didn’t know you needed.
There are staff picks, author events, signed books, and the dangerous possibility of walking in for one title and emerging with four. Because no one ever died thinking, “I shoulda read less.”
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