New paper in JME Practical Bioethics: Katherine Cheung @Katherine_Chg, Edward Jacobs @eddietalksdrugs, and David Yaden @ExistWell review the ethics of psychedelic clinical trials and flag key concerns to resolve as psychedelics move toward real-world care. jmepb.bmj.com/content/2/4/e0…

We are thrilled to share a major milestone for the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research: @CeydaSayali, PhD, has received an R01 award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) — the first R01 awarded to an investigator at our Center. The study will test a novel treatment approach for alcohol use disorder (AUD) combining psilocybin with personalized repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). This is the first study to investigate this combination for AUD, with rTMS targets individualized using fMRI to identify each participant’s brain circuitry involved in regulating alcohol craving. Using fMRI and TMS-EEG, the study will also examine how this combined intervention changes the neural mechanisms underlying craving, cognitive control, and treatment response. By integrating psychedelic pharmacology, personalized brain stimulation, and multimodal neuroscience, this work aims to advance both treatment development and our understanding of how brain-based interventions can reduce problematic alcohol use. Congratulations to Dr. Sayalı and the research team on this important achievement and exciting new direction for the Center.

New paper – Validating and Creating a Short-Form of the Persisting Effects Questionnaire: A Measure of Positive and Negative Outcomes from Psychedelic Experiences The Persisting Effects Questionnaire (PEQ) is a measure of self-reported positive and negative effects from psychedelic experiences. While commonly used, the PEQ has never been formally validated, and is time-intensive and complex for both participants and researchers. Using a multi-study approach, CPCR researchers created and validated the Persisting Effects Questionnaire – Short Form (PEQ-SF), a scale that is more easily understood and reduces burden for study teams and participants. Read the paper here: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.…

Congratulations to Dr. @PraachiTiwari on her promotion to faculty at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine! Dr. Tiwari joins the Division of Behavioral Biology and the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, where she will conduct both preclinical neuroscience and clinical studies to explore translational research on psychedelics.

We are seeking healthy individuals to take part in a Johns Hopkins research study. The study will look at the effects of psilocybin, a psychedelic drug, with pindolol (a medication that blocks a serotonin receptor). The study aims to understand the mechanisms in the brain responsible for the changes in perception induced by psilocybin. Participation will involve two dosing sessions at the Johns Hopkins Bayview campus. Contact us at [email protected] for more information or apply at jhmi.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/f… Postdoc Contact Information: Zarmeen Zahid, Ph.D., [email protected] Principal Investigator: Sandeep Nayak, M.D. Protocol: IRB00478908

Oregon’s current psilocybin services program offers an important early case study for other regions looking to facilitate access to psychedelics. In a recent paper, CPCR researchers analyzed the first full year of data from the Oregon Health Authority, examining how Oregon’s policy has balanced safety and access to psychedelics outside of clinical settings. See the full paper here: sciencedirect.com/science/ar…

Interested in experiencing psychedelics under professional supervision? We are seeking healthy adults between the ages 21-65 to participate in a new clinical trial looking at the effects of psilocybin and its interaction with other medications. Apply at jhmi.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/f…. Phone: 443-927-3282 Email: [email protected] Website: hopkinspsychedelic.org/prism…

JHU PhD student Katherine Cheung and PhD Candidate Caleigh Propes, with CPCR Associate Professor Dr. David Yaden, evaluated comparison sets on the price of Oregon’s psilocybin services. As the first state in the U.S. to legalize psilocybin access and a key reference point on how other states might design psychedelic policy, this exploration helps ground discussion on Oregon’s prices in more careful analysis for future debates. bioethicstoday.org/blog/eval…

Drs. Fred Barrett and David Yaden have received a 2026 Johns Hopkins Nexus Award alongside fellow JHU scientists, educators, bioethicists, and economists. Their convening will bring together leaders across clinical, ethical, economic, and public health fields to advance critical conversations around the future of psychedelic policy. As the science matures, so must the policy conversations around it, and we are grateful to Johns Hopkins for supporting that work. hub.jhu.edu/2026/05/29/johns…