Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research

Please watch and share our PSA on psychedelic risks and adverse events. It is important to have an evidence-based perspective on the risk/benefit profile of psychedelics: https://lnkd.in/ei_fgm7B 

CPCR assistant director Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu, PhD and colleague Dr. Marcus Hughes published a review of ethnoracial inclusion in clinical trials of psychedelics as a follow up to Michaels et al., 2018 paper. https://lnkd.in/eD8H4XGm    "Underrepresentation of ethnoracial minoritized populations persists in studies examining psychedelic therapies, despite growing calls for diversity. Non-Hispanic White participants remain an over-represented majority by a large margin, though, there were greater proportions of ethnic minoritized populations included in studies since 2018, particularly in studies conducted in the USA. This indicates progress towards equity in psychedelic research, though much work is needed to inform the safety and efficacy of psychedelic treatments in the general population." 

At the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) 86th Annual Scientific Meeting in Montreal, Quebec, post-doc Dr. Jérémie Richard presented on differing patterns of change in alcohol and drug use behaviors among participants who had a psilocybin experience outside of a laboratory setting.     The findings were indicative of improvements in these symptoms for most participants, although a small group indicated a pattern of worsening alcohol and drug use after psilocybin use. These have implications for the use of psilocybin in clinical trials, including the importance of pre-treatment screening, adequate preparation and the role of psychological support during psilocybin dosing sessions.     More details are available at https://lnkd.in/eSuFXP2b

Dr. Sandeep Nayak was interviewed by the BBC after the FDA hearing on MDMA-assisted therapy. https://lnkd.in/gDWzzh2t

Johns Hopkins Research Study about Psychedelic Experiences Among Veterans   Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research (CPCR) are seeking volunteers for a 5-10 minute survey study about psychedelic experiences among veterans. They are particularly interested in veterans with therapy/medicine experience(s) with Psilocybin and/or MDMA. To participate, please visit: https://lnkd.in/exSEDEAi 

David B. Yaden, PhD was interviewed by the Washington Post regarding the recent FDA hearing on psychedelics. “My hope is that we will start to get a more balanced and nuanced picture of the real risks and benefits of psychedelics”. https://lnkd.in/eSmkgYp8

Following the FDA advisory panel on the use of MDMA therapy for PTSD, CPCR Director Dr. Frederick Barrett and adjunct assistant professor Dr. Alan Davis spoke with NPR, emphasizing the importance of rigor and thoughtfulness in psychedelic research. https://lnkd.in/gfnds5_E

Congratulations to CPCR psychometrist Michael Levine, who will be attending the University of Delaware as a PhD student in clinical psychology this Fall! Under the mentorship of David B. Yaden, PhD, Michael has been primarily working on the Psilocybin in OCD study and is particularly interested in behavioral coding of psychedelic and non-psychedelic therapy sessions. We wish him the best of luck in his studies and future work!

Email us at [email protected] or visit the link below to apply!  https://lnkd.in/eyRvAVm3