Jacob S. Aday, Ph.D.

Experimental Psychologist & Research Assistant Professor @UMich | Michigan Psychedelic Center (M-PsyC) | Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center (CPFRC)

[josh hardman @Josh__Hardman]

I am looking for someone to join @Psyched_Alpha to research and write about psychedelic drug development and roll-out with me.

Do you know someone? Please let me know!

https://t.co/uZjY6qhbt4

[Dr. Zarmeen Zahid @zarmeen_z]

Happy to share our (@sdpnayak @rick_strassman & Cliff Quals) new publication titled "5-HT1A receptor blockade potentiates the subjective effects of DMT" which is a bayesian analysis of previously collected data by @rick_strassman https://t.co/jK7t5rD2kB

[Boris D Heifets @TheBorisLab]

The methodology for controlling psychedelic trials is *not* undiscovered but let's put that aside for a minute - very sincerely, to some of the of the smartest vocal critics I can immediately think of - what would "good enough" blinding look like? @RecoveryDoctor @madras_bertha @AmitEtkin, others?

[Julie Holland, MD @BellevueDoc]

Extended difficulties after psychedelic experiences: Prevalence and associations in a global, multilingual sample

https://t.co/wNprDqmH8H

[Jacob S. Aday, Ph.D. @JacobSAday]

@psybalazs @MichaelHaichin This stood out to me as well, especially as articles published pre-2024 generally had pretty robust therapeutic support (e.g., two-therapist model, prep, integration, etc.). @Psyched_Alpha

[Jacob S. Aday, Ph.D. @JacobSAday]

@psybalazs It’s a valuable paper, Balázs! You are great at coming up with these kind of innovative study designs and analyses 🙂

[Jacob S. Aday, Ph.D. @JacobSAday]

Hot take: The White Album is the Beatles’ most psychedelic album. Pure entropy.

[Psychedelic Alpha @Psyched_Alpha]

2 mg Produces Similar Remission to 20 mg in Helus Pharma’s Small Phase 2 Study of Deuterated DMT in Generalised Anxiety Disorder

$HELP tumbles on the news.

[Julie Holland, MD @BellevueDoc]

Preliminary effects of ayahuasca on mental and physical health: A systematic review of prospective studies

https://t.co/LhpTtABpm6

[George Ilstrup @georgeilstrup]

Last night I captured a dream photo from a frozen sea cave on Lake Superior ✅

[Jacob S. Aday, Ph.D. @JacobSAday]

@RCarhartHarris 0 reports in clinical trials according to this 2024 meta-analysis: https://t.co/BJxyrJWxdO

[U-M Consciousness & Psychedelics @UMconsciousness]

DMT neurochemistry and neurophysiology in the rat brain: Journal of Neuroscience article now published based on work of Nick Glynos, Emma Huels, Dinesh Pal and others from the Michigan Psychedelic Center. https://t.co/KPg4ugx6GV

[Jacob S. Aday, Ph.D. @JacobSAday]

@sdpnayak @ManojDoss @RCarhartHarris Both good points. There may not be enough variance in age distribution in clinical data to detect an effect. Although if it is 2A-related, it looks like the greatest loss of receptors occurs between ages 20 and midlife rather than late: https://t.co/NwVSHpa8Wh

[Jacob S. Aday, Ph.D. @JacobSAday]

"Blunted Psychedelic Drug Effects in Older Adults", coauthored with @RCarhartHarris and Kevin Boehnke, is out now in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

[Jacob S. Aday, Ph.D. @JacobSAday]

@sdpnayak @RCarhartHarris Very interesting. We’ve observed this pattern across 4 independent datasets of ours now: my dissertation data from an ayahuasca retreat, the 2023 Entheofest dataset, and the Global Psychedelic Surveys 2023 & 2025 (in-prep). Curious to know where the discordance comes from!

[Jacob S. Aday, Ph.D. @JacobSAday]

Of course, age is just one of dozens of factors (e.g., set, setting, dose, etc.) that moderate responses to psychedelics, so the magnitude of age effects is typically small albeit highly consistent across studies.
Open access article link: https://t.co/AFKSZNBE7p

[Jacob S. Aday, Ph.D. @JacobSAday]

and negative (e.g., dread, impaired control and cognition) experiences, suggesting a general blunting response. We hypothesize that this attenuation is linked to a loss of 5-HT2A receptors across the lifespan.

[Robin Carhart-Harris @RCarhartHarris]

Big up Jake and co! Blunted Psychedelic Drug Effects in Older Adults https://t.co/J7guxUVGer

[U-M Consciousness & Psychedelics @UMconsciousness]

Psychedelics & Community Engagement: important work by Jake Aday & Kevin Boehnke from the Michigan Psychedelic Center as well as collaborators from the University of Michigan & Michigan State University.
https://t.co/LctGJTss3F