diff --git a/store/neurostore/resources/base.py b/store/neurostore/resources/base.py
index dc18f441..4f7bba7d 100644
--- a/store/neurostore/resources/base.py
+++ b/store/neurostore/resources/base.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 
 from ..core import cache
 from ..database import db
-from .utils import get_current_user
+from .utils import get_current_user, validate_search_query, search_to_tsquery
 from ..models import (
     StudysetStudy,
     AnnotationAnalysis,
@@ -613,7 +613,10 @@ def search(self):
         if s is not None and s.isdigit():
             q = q.filter_by(pmid=s)
         elif s is not None and self._fulltext_fields:
-            tsquery = sa.func.websearch_to_tsquery("english", s)
+            valid = validate_search_query(s)
+            if not valid:
+                abort(400, description=valid)
+            tsquery = search_to_tsquery(s)
             q = q.filter(m._ts_vector.op("@@")(tsquery))
 
         # Alternatively (or in addition), search on individual fields.
diff --git a/store/neurostore/resources/utils.py b/store/neurostore/resources/utils.py
index 9fa0fc68..962906ee 100644
--- a/store/neurostore/resources/utils.py
+++ b/store/neurostore/resources/utils.py
@@ -44,3 +44,182 @@ class ClassView(cls):
     ClassView.__name__ = cls.__name__
 
     return ClassView
+
+
+def validate_search_query(query: str) -> bool:
+    """
+    Validate a search query string.
+
+    Args:
+        query (str): The query string to validate.
+
+    Returns:
+        bool: True if the query is valid, False otherwise.
+    """
+    # Check for valid parentheses
+    if not validate_parentheses(query):
+        return 'Unmatched parentheses'
+
+    # Check for valid query end
+    if not validate_query_end(query):
+        return 'Query cannot end with an operator'
+
+    return True
+
+
+def validate_parentheses(query: str) -> bool:
+    """
+    Validate the parentheses in a query string.
+
+    Args:
+        query (str): The query string to validate.
+
+    Returns:
+        bool: True if parentheses are valid, False otherwise.
+    """
+    stack = []
+    for char in query:
+        if char == '(':
+            stack.append(char)
+        elif char == ')':
+            if not stack:
+                return False  # Unmatched closing parenthesis
+            stack.pop()
+    return not stack  # Ensure all opening parentheses are closed
+
+
+def validate_query_end(query: str) -> bool:
+    """ Query should not end with an operator """
+    operators = ('AND', 'OR', 'NOT')
+
+    if query.strip().split(' ')[-1] in operators:
+        return False
+    return True
+
+
+def count_chars(target, query: str) -> int:
+    """ Count the number of chars in a query string.
+     Excluding those in quoted phrases."""
+    count = 0
+    in_quotes = False
+    for char in query:
+        if char == '"':
+            in_quotes = not in_quotes
+        if char == target and not in_quotes:
+            count += 1
+    return count
+
+
+def pubmed_to_tsquery(query: str) -> str:
+    """
+    Convert a PubMed-like search query to PostgreSQL tsquery format, 
+    grouping both single-quoted and double-quoted text with the <-> operator 
+    for proximity search.
+
+    Additionally, automatically adds & between non-explicitly connected terms 
+    and handles NOT terms.
+
+    Args:
+        query (str): The search query.
+
+    Returns:
+        str: The PostgreSQL tsquery equivalent.
+    """
+
+    query = query.upper()  # Ensure uniformity
+
+    # Step 1: Split into tokens (preserving quoted phrases)
+    # Regex pattern: match quoted phrases or non-space sequences
+    tokens = re.findall( r'"[^"]*"|\'[^\']*\'|\S+', query)
+
+    # Step 2: Combine tokens in parantheses into single tokens
+    def combine_parentheses(tokens: list) -> list:
+        """
+        Combine tokens within parentheses into a single token.
+
+        Args:
+            tokens (list): List of tokens to process.
+
+        Returns:
+            list: Processed list with tokens inside parentheses combined.
+        """
+        combined_tokens = []
+        buffer = []
+        paren_count = 0
+        for token in tokens:
+            # If buffer is not empty, we are inside parentheses
+            if len(buffer) > 0:
+                buffer.append(token)
+
+                # Adjust the count of parentheses
+                paren_count += count_chars('(', token) - count_chars(')', token)
+
+                if paren_count < 1:
+                    # Combine all tokens in parentheses
+                    combined_tokens.append(' '.join(buffer))
+                    buffer = []  # Clear the buffer
+                    paren_count = 0
+
+            else:
+                n_paren = count_chars('(', token) - count_chars(')', token)
+                # If not in parentheses, but token contains opening parentheses
+                # Start capturing tokens inside parentheses
+                if token[0] == '(' and n_paren > 0:
+                    paren_count += n_paren
+                    buffer.append(token)  # Start capturing tokens in parens
+                    print(buffer)
+                else:
+                    combined_tokens.append(token)
+
+        # If the list ends without a closing parenthesis (invalid input)
+        # append buffer contents (fallback)
+        if buffer:
+            combined_tokens.append(' '.join(buffer))
+
+        return combined_tokens
+
+    tokens = combine_parentheses(tokens)
+    print(tokens)
+    for i, token in enumerate(tokens):
+        if token[0] == "(" and token[-1] == ")":
+            # RECURSIVE: Process the contents of the parentheses
+            token_res = pubmed_to_tsquery(token[1:-1])
+            token = '(' + token_res + ')'
+            tokens[i] = token
+
+        # Step 4: Handle both single-quoted and double-quoted phrases,
+        # grouping them with <-> (proximity operator)
+        elif token[0] in ('"', "'"):
+            # Split quoted text into individual words and join with <-> for
+            # proximity search
+            words = re.findall(r'\w+', token)
+            tokens[i] = '<->'.join(words)
+
+        # Step 3: Replace logical operators AND, OR, NOT
+        else:
+            if token == 'AND':
+                tokens[i] = '&'
+            elif token == 'OR':
+                tokens[i] = '|'
+            elif token == 'NOT':
+                tokens[i] = '&!'
+
+    processed_tokens = []
+    last_token = None
+    for token in tokens:
+        # Step 5: Add & between consecutive terms that aren't already
+        # connected by an operator
+        stripped_token = token.strip()
+
+        if stripped_token == '':
+            continue  # Ignore empty tokens from splitting
+
+        if last_token and last_token not in ('&', '|', '!', '&!'):
+            if stripped_token not in ('&', '|', '!', '&!'):
+                # Insert an implicit AND (&) between two non-operator tokens
+                processed_tokens.append('&')
+
+        processed_tokens.append(stripped_token)
+        last_token = stripped_token
+
+    return ' '.join(processed_tokens)
diff --git a/store/neurostore/tests/test_utils.py b/store/neurostore/tests/test_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3e9cf35c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/store/neurostore/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import pytest
+
+from ..utils import search_to_tsquery, validate_search_query
+
+
+invalid_queries = [
+    ('("autism" OR "ASD" OR "autistic") AND (("decision*" OR "choice*" ', 'Unmatched parentheses'),
+    ('"autism" OR "ASD" OR "autistic" OR ', 'Query cannot end with an operator'),
+    ('(("Autism Spectrum Disorder" OR "autism spectrum disorder") OR ("Autism" OR "autism") OR ("ASD")) AND (("decision*" OR "Dec', 'Unmatched parentheses')
+]
+
+valid_queries = [
+    ('"Mild Cognitive Impairment" or "Early Cognitive Decline" or "Pre-Dementia" or "Mild Neurocognitive Disorder"', 
+     'MILD<->COGNITIVE<->IMPAIRMENT | EARLY<->COGNITIVE<->DECLINE | PRE<->DEMENTIA | MILD<->NEUROCOGNITIVE<->DISORDER'),
+    ('("autism" OR "ASD" OR "autistic") AND ("decision" OR "choice")',
+     '(AUTISM | ASD | AUTISTIC) & (DECISION | CHOICE)'),
+    ('stroop and depression or back and depression or go',
+     'STROOP & DEPRESSION | BACK & DEPRESSION | GO'),
+    ('("autism" OR "ASD" OR "autistic") AND (("decision" OR "decision-making" OR "choice" OR "selection" OR "option" OR "value") OR ("feedback" OR "feedback-related" OR "reward" OR "error" OR "outcome" OR "punishment" OR "reinforcement"))',
+     '(AUTISM | ASD | AUTISTIC) & ((DECISION | DECISION<->MAKING | CHOICE | SELECTION | OPTION | VALUE) | (FEEDBACK | FEEDBACK<->RELATED | REWARD | ERROR | OUTCOME | PUNISHMENT | REINFORCEMENT))'),
+    ('"dyslexia" or "Reading Disorder" or "Language-Based Learning Disability" or "Phonological Processing Disorder" or "Word Blindness"',
+     'DYSLEXIA | READING<->DISORDER | LANGUAGE<->BASED<->LEARNING<->DISABILITY | PHONOLOGICAL<->PROCESSING<->DISORDER | WORD<->BLINDNESS'),
+    ('emotion and pain -physical -touch',
+     'EMOTION & PAIN & -PHYSICAL & -TOUCH'),
+    ('("Schizophrenia"[Mesh] OR schizophrenia )',
+     '(SCHIZOPHRENIA & [MESH] | SCHIZOPHRENIA)')
+    ('Bipolar Disorder',
+     'BIPOLAR & DISORDER'),
+    ('"quchi" or "LI11"',
+     'QUCHI | LI11'),
+    ('"rubber hand illusion"',
+     'RUBBER<->HAND<->ILLUSION'),
+]
+
+error_queries = [
+    "[Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)] or [Clinical Depression] or [Unipolar Depression]"
+]
+
+validate_queries = invalid_queries + [(q, True) for q, _ in valid_queries]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("query, expected", valid_queries)
+def test_search_to_tsquery(query, expected):
+    assert search_to_tsquery(query) == expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("query, expected", invalid_queries)
+def test_validate_search_query(query, expected):
+    assert validate_search_query(query) == expected
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("query", error_queries)
+def test_search_to_tsquery_error(query):
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        search_to_tsquery(query)