Johns Hopkins Psychedelic Newsletter

Summer 2025 Newsletter

Celebrating six years since the founding announcement of the Center

Strides in Psychedelic Science

It’s been an exciting time at the CPCR! Recently, several of our researchers met with the PATH Caucus on Capitol Hill to present new findings on the potential of psilocybin therapy as a rapid-acting, safe, and effective treatment for conditions impacting military veterans such as PTSD, depression, and alcohol use disorder. This opportunity to share our work with lawmakers reflects growing momentum and recognition of the importance of psychedelic science.

Our team has also been busy launching several new studies exploring the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cannabis use disorder, PTSD among Veterans, as well as other trials studying the role of music and set and setting in psilocybin experiences, how psychedelics affect the brain, and the effects of psychoactive compounds.

In addition to these new studies, we are proud to announce that we have completed recruitment for 3 clinical trials studying the therapeutic effects of psilocybin for Post Treatment Lyme Disease, co-occurring alcohol use disorder and depression, and OCD. An immense amount of hard work and care goes into each trial and we are thrilled to share the results of these studies in the coming months!

Lastly, for those interested in catching up on hot topics and unresolved controversies around psychedelic therapy and research, you can check out a recent primer published by Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu in NPP-Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience!

Support Psychedelic Research

The progress our team has made would not have been possible without the generous support of donors.

Join us in advancing breakthrough scientific research into how psychedelic compounds affect the brain, behavior, and mental health for conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, OCD, and other conditions where existing therapies often fall short.

If you would like to donate to our center, click the link below to learn more! A gift of any size matters, and your donations will make new avenues of discovery possible and will impact countless lives.

Donate

Exploring How Psychedelic Therapy is Defined

Our researchers were recently awarded one of the 2025 Johns Hopkins Community and Collaboration Core Pilot Grants to team up with Certified Peer Recovery Specialists to investigate how ketamine and psilocybin are used in substance use and depression treatment. By elevating lived experience, their project aims to rethink how psychedelic care is developed, delivered, and defined.

New Johns Hopkins Course on Psychedelic Science and Medicine

Learn from leading experts at the CPCR and gain a background on the history of psychedelic use, explore aspects of the chemical structure of psychedelics and how they interact with the brain, and learn how psychedelics substances and experiences are studied in the lab. Consider major findings regarding their risks and benefits and examine the broader scientific, ethical, and social considerations involved in psychedelic research.

The course is free to audit and is available now to earn a career certificate upon completion.

Launching the Clinic for Post-Psychedelic Difficulties

The CPCR, in partnership with Johns Hopkins Personalized Medicine, has founded the Clinic for Post-Psychedelic Difficulties for those struggling with psychological challenges following psychedelic experiences. It provides specialized medical and psychotherapeutic support for people encountering adverse effects after psychedelic use.

The clinic’s first psychiatrist and co-founder, Dr. Azin Elizabeth Bekhrad, M.D., is a specialist in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry with a strong emphasis on evidence-based therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy, and expertise in medication management.

Learn more about the clinic here.

Psychedelic Research Updates

NEW STUDIES
CPCR researchers have launched several new clinical trials this year. Multiple studies are open for healthy volunteers — studies include microdosing psilocybin, psychoactive drug administration, and trials on how music affects psychedelic experiences, as well as how psilocybin affects brain activity and function.

We are also conducting studies to learn about the effects of psychedelics on Veterans with PTSD and adults with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

ONLINE STUDIES
For those interested in participating in research, but find that in-person studies are not ideal, we also have available online survey studies!

We recently launched an anonymous survey to understand the barriers to joining clinical psychedelic trials, and we are continuing to conduct surveys exploring relationships of psychedelics and Substance Use Disorder, psychedelic use among Veterans, and the effects of psychedelics on behavioral addictions (e.g., gambling, video gaming, social media use).

If these studies are of interest and relevance to you, we hope you’ll consider participating!

ONGOING STUDIES
We are still seeking study participants for ongoing studies of psilocybin with individuals who have Chronic Low Back Pain and Co-Occurring Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Alzheimer’s Disease, Opioid Use Disorder, Cannabis Use Disorder, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Healthy volunteers may also consider joining a study on the psychological effects of psilocybin.

Learn more about our most recent findings from studies like these in the publications section below.

Psychedelics in the News

Psychedelics, public opinion, and the road to approval
In a recent interview on CNN, Dr. Garcia-Romeu reflects on how public attitudes toward psychedelics have shifted, citing generational change and growing acceptance of psychiatric medications. He also comments on the potential for future FDA approval for psychedelic therapies.

Can psychedelics heal without the trip?
On NPR’s Short Wave, Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu voices skepticism toward psychedelic-inspired drugs that strip out hallucinogenic effects. Garcia-Romeu argues the profound psychological experience may be essential to healing.

Awe may drive the healing power of psychedelics
In Salon, Dr. David Yaden points to awe—a feeling of vastness and self-transcendence—as a key mechanism behind the therapeutic effects of psychedelics. Experiences of awe, he argues, can disrupt rigid mental patterns and ease depression, offering a new lens on why these substances may help where others fail.

Psychedelic care evolves with Garcia-Romeu and Barrett helping lead the way
Drs. Frederick Barrett and Albert Garcia-Romeu were interviewed by the American Psychological Association (APA) on the future of FDA approval of psychedelic therapies. The researchers emphasize the need for rigorous trial design that seek a better understanding of who these therapies may help.

Psychedelics show promise beyond mental health
In this podcast, Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu joins leading researchers to explore how psychedelics may ease chronic physical conditions like fibromyalgia, phantom limb pain, and chronic Lyme disease. The discussion highlights a growing body of evidence pointing to psychedelics’ potential in treating hard-to-manage pain and neurodegenerative conditions, broadening the scope of psychedelic medicine.

Get Involved in Psychedelic Science

The CPCR team is growing! Stay tuned for more information on future employment opportunities. Interested Johns Hopkins University students can also apply to become student interns.

Psychiatric Therapist (Casual)

Recent Publications

Jarvis, L. O., Jack, A. H., Galbraith, N., Campbell, W. K., & Weiss, B. (2025). Neutral attitude toward the utilization of psychedelic therapy for depression in the United Kingdom population. International Journal of Drug Policy, 145, 104949.

Garcia-Romeu, A. (2025). Deconstructing the trip treatment: are hallucinogenic effects critical to the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics? NPP—Digital Psychiatry and Neuroscience 3, 22.

Cheung, K., Propes, C., Jacobs, E., Earp, B.D., Yaden, D.B. (2025). Response to the US Congress Request for Information (RFI) on psychedelic research for mental health, as submitted by the Hub at Oxford for Psychedelic Ethics. Hub at Oxford for Psychedelic Ethics.

Carrithers, B. M., Roberts, D. E., Weiss, B. M., King, J. D., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Gordon, A. R., Pagni, B. A., Moreau, M., Ross, S., Zeifman, R. J. (2025). Exploring serotonergic psychedelics as a treatment for personality disorders. Neuropharmacology, 272, 110413.

Richard, J., Scott, J., Nayak, S.M., Sepeda, N. D., Lowe, M. X., Jackson, H., Garcia-Romeu, A. (2025). Patterns of Internalizing Problems, Substance Use and Cognitive Flexibility Before and After Naturalistic Psilocybin Use: A Repeated Measures Latent Profile Analysis. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.

Mathai, D. S., Roberts, D. E., Nayak, S. M., Sepeda, N. D., Lehrner, A., Johnson, M. W., Lowe, M. X., Jackson, H., & Garcia-Romeu, A. (2025). Shame, Guilt and Psychedelic Experience: Results from a Prospective, Longitudinal Survey of Real-World Psilocybin Use. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 1–12.

Richard, J., Garcia-Romeu, A., & Henningfield, J. E. (2025). Expanded Access to Psychedelic Treatments: Comparing US and Canadian Policies. General Psychiatry.

Richard, J. & Garcia-Romeu, A. (2025). Psychedelics in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders and Addictive Behaviors: A Scoping Review. Current Addiction Reports, 12, 15.

Chapron, S. A., Bonazzi, G., de Ternay, J., Di Lodovico, L., Landmann, C., Nourredine, M., Salvo, F., Das, R., O’Brien, S., Sessa, B., Higbed, L., Rolland, B., Garcia-Romeu, A., Auriacombe, M. (2025). Impact of psychedelics on substance craving: A systematic review. Journal of Psychopharmacology.

Brasher, T., Rosen, D., & Spinella, M. (2024). Psychedelic Use and Behavioral Addictions. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 1-14.

Cheung, K., Earp, B. D., Patch, K., & Yaden, D. B. (2025). Distinctive But Not Exceptional: The Risks of Psychedelic Ethical Exceptionalism. The American Journal of Bioethics, 25(1), 16–28.

Click here for a full list of our publications