MEET THE TEAM


Baltimore Team

Principal Investigator

Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D.

Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins, is Principal Investigator of the smoking cessation trial. Conducting psychedelic research since 2004, he has published on psychedelics and mystical experience, personality change, risks/safety guidelines, and psilocybin treatment of cancer distress and depression. He led the first research on psychedelic treatment of tobacco addiction and published initial results in 2014. He is also known for research on a wide variety of drugs, behavioral economics, addiction and sexual risk. Interviewed by: 60 Minutes, Lex Fridman, Big Think, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Fox News, BBC and Michael Pollan.


Co-Investigator & Session Facilitator

Albert Garcia-Romeu, Ph.D.

Albert Garcia-Romeu, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His research examines the effects of psychedelics in humans, with a focus on psilocybin as an aid in the treatment of addiction. His current research interests include clinical applications of psychedelics, real-world drug use patterns, diversity in science, and the role of spirituality in mental health. He is a founding member of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research and the International Society for Research on Psychedelics. He serves on the Board of Directors for the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) and is an Associate Editor for the journal Psychedelic Medicine. 


Co-Investigator

Justin Strickland, Ph.D.

Justin Strickland, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Strickland is a behavioral pharmacologist with expertise in the experimental evaluation of psychoactive drugs of varying drug classes. His research focuses on the use of behavioral economics as a theoretical framework to address issues of public health significance such as substance use disorder. Dr. Strickland is also interested in the behavioral mechanisms underlying psychedelic drug effects and treatment efficacy.


Psychiatric Therapist & Session Facilitator

Angela Harris, LCPC

Angela Harris is a licensed clinical professional counselor who comes to the CPCR after 17 years in private practice. Her focus as a therapist was anxiety and depressive disorders in women. Angela received her Masters degree in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University Maryland. She also holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Angela first became interested in psychedelics many years ago after reading about the effects of ayahuasca on treatment-resistant depression and has followed research on non-traditional treatment options for mood disorders since. She has a particular interest in psychedelics and mystical experiences in religion/spirituality.


Postdoctoral Research Fellow & Session Facilitator

Jérémie Richard, Ph.D.

Jérémie Richard, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Jérémie completed his M.A. and Ph.D. in Counselling Psychology at McGill University, Québec, Canada. He has previous clinical experience working in hospital and community settings providing psychotherapy to individuals presenting with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance-related/addictive disorders. Jérémie’s current research interests are centered on the clinical applications of psilocybin and other psychedelic substances in the treatment of substance use disorders and behavioral addictions.


Ian Geithner, MPS

Ian Geithner is a research coordinator and co-facilitator for experimental sessions involving the administration of psychoactive substances.  Ian earned his bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Towson University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Clinical Psychological Science from the University of Maryland.  He is primarily interested in the therapeutic potential and clinical applications of various psychedelic substances, mindfulness practices, and altered/abnormal states of consciousness and their underlying neuropharmacological mechanisms.  Additionally, he has a particular interest in the application of psychedelics in the contexts of addictive disorders and the psychological suffering associated with severe and chronic medical illness.


Research Program Coordinator & Session Facilitator

Hadi Zaki

Hadi primarily works on the smoking cessation study under Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu. Hadi has a B.S in Psychology from the University of Georgia, and has previous research experience in clinical neuroscience labs at University of Georgia and Stanford University. Hadi is interested in the clinical application of psychedelic substances and therapeutic potential of altered states of consciousness, and plans to pursue graduate study in clinical psychology and work in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.


Research Program Coordinator & Session Facilitator

Jeremy Scott

Jeremy is a Research Program Coordinator at the Johns Hopkins Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit. He graduated as a Robertson Scholar from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Psychology (Honors); a Minor in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE); and a Minor in Sociology from Duke University. Jeremy is interested in the clinical applications of psychedelics, the therapeutic potential of altered states of consciousness and mindfulness-based interventions. He intends to pursue graduate studies and training in clinical psychology.


New York City Team

Site Principal Investigator

Michael Bogenschutz, M.D.

Dr. Bogenschutz is the Director of the NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine, and a Professor of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. He began conducting clinical research with psychedelics in 2011, and has published extensively on topics related to psychedelics and addiction. He published the first contemporary pilot study of psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder in 2016, and followed it up with a large randomized controlled trial, published in 2022. On the strength of those findings, Dr. Bogenschutz is now continuing that line of research as the Lead Investigator of a large multisite RCT of psilocybin for AUD, sponsored by B.More.


Licensed Clinical Social Worker & Session Facilitator

Holly Duane, LCSW

Holly Duane is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been working for NYU as a psychedelic therapist since 2016. She is one of the most experienced psilocybin therapists in the country, having worked as a lead therapist on the large phase 2 trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder, and on a trial investigating the effects of psilocybin treatment on religious professionals. She also has extensive experience as an MDMA therapist, having worked on both Phase 3 trials of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. She has also served as a MAPS supervisor for new MDMA therapists. She is currently a therapist on the following studies: Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy For  Depression And Anxiety In Advanced Cancer and  on Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy For Smoking Cessation.


Psychiatrist and Session Facilitator

Xiaojue Hu, M.D.

Dr. Xiaojue Hu is a psychiatrist and clinician-researcher at the NYU Center for Psychedelic Medicine, and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine. At the CPM, she was a co-investigator and lead therapist on a large multisite trial investigating the impact of psilocybin-assisted therapy on major depression. She is currently involved on a number of current and upcoming clinical trials, including cannabidiol for radicular pain, psilocybin-assisted therapy for cancer-associated existential distress, and psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder.


Director of Clinical Training & Session Facilitator

Kelley O’Donnell, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Kelley O’Donnell is a board-certified psychiatrist and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine, where she is the Director of Clinical Training at the NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine. She has advanced training and extensive experience working with psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine. In addition to her work as a co-investigator, psychedelic therapist, and clinical supervisor on a number of clinical trials, she is involved in psychedelic curriculum development initiatives, and teaches extensively on topics related to psychedelic medicine. Outside NYU, Dr. O’Donnell works with MAPS-PBC as a Lead Educator and Training Consultant, and she is on the faculty of multiple psychedelic therapist training programs.


Psychiatrist & Session Facilitator

Daniel Roberts, M.D., M.S.W.

Dan Roberts, M.D., M.S.W., is a board-certified psychiatrist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine. At NYU Center for Psychedelic Medicine, he is a study physician and psychedelic therapist on a number of clinical trials. He is highly active in the training and supervision of therapists on multiple trials of psychedelic-assisted therapy and is involved in a tri-institutional project with NYU, Yale, and Johns Hopkins to create a psychedelics curriculum for psychiatrists and other healthcare professionals. Additionally, Dr. Roberts provides trauma-informed psychiatric care for patients at the NYU World Trade Center Health Program, and he is on the training faculty of the psychedelic education program Fluence.


Licensed Clinical Social Worker & Session Facilitator

Tom Sedgwick, MSSW, LCSW-R, CCM

Tom Sedgwick, MSSW, LCSW-R, CCM is a licensed clinical social worker in New York and a graduate of Columbia University School of Social Work.  Tom has over 30 years of experience in health care social work practice having primarily worked with academic medical centers in New York City, including New York Presbyterian-Columbia University Medical Center and most recently at New York University Langone Health (NYULH) where he was the Senior Director of Social Work.  He holds a Certificate in Bioethics and Medical Humanities from the Montefiore/Einstein Center for Bioethics.  Tom is the past national President of the Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care and served multiple terms/roles (including Vice President) on the board of the New York City Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers where he oversaw health care initiatives.  Tom has a personal, and emerging professional, interest in the use of psychedelics to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD and addictions.


Research Coordinator

Samantha Khan, MPH

Samantha Khan, MPH is a public health professional that has been working in research for the last 5 years. Holding degrees in both psychology and public health has allowed Sam to pursue various avenues of research including work with queer youth, underserved populations abroad, adults living with HIV, and people diagnosed with PTSD. She strives to center the social determinants of health and intersectionality in her work with all participants. Sam is excited for the future of psychedelic medicine as a means to promote health and holistic wellness.


Birmingham, Alabama Team

Site Principal Investigator

Peter Hendricks, Ph.D.

Peter Hendricks, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, School of Medicine, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and site Principal Investigator of the smoking cessation trial. Dr. Hendricks’ research centers on the development of novel and potentially more effective treatments for substance use disorders and comorbid conditions, with specific areas of focus on tobacco, cocaine, cannabis, opiate, and polysubstance dependence in vulnerable populations. He is currently Principal Investigator of a pilot trial of psilocybin-facilitated psychotherapy in the treatment cocaine dependence, psilocybin-facilitated psychotherapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia, and low doses or “microdoses” of psilocybin in the treatment of demoralization. 


Licensed Professional Counselor & Session Facilitator

Lindsey Herin, M.A., L.P.C.

Lindsey Herin, M.A., L.P.C., is a licensed professional counselor in Birmingham, AL. She has a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a graduate-level certificate in Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her clinical background is in treating eating disorders with co-occurring trauma and comorbid disorders. She is interested in the wide range of potential therapeutic applications of psychedelics. 


Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Student & Session Facilitator

Cynthia Ortiz, M.A.

Cynthia Ortiz, M.A. is a fifth-year trainee (and rising intern) within the UAB Medical/Clinical Psychology doctoral program. Her research focuses on addiction and substance use in adults, including a dissertation on the effects of vaporized DMT and 5-MeO-DMT on mental and physical health. As a clinical trainee, her interests are in the treatment of substance abuse, trauma, and general adult mental health services. She is well-versed in CBT, ACT, DBT, and CPT, and is interested in the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy’s contribution to treatment of mental health disorders.


Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Student & Session Facilitator

Dan Grossman

Dan Grossman is a third-year trainee in the UAB Medical/Clinical Psychology doctoral program. His research focuses on the epidemiology of psychedelic substance use, and psychedelic-assisted therapy for various indications. He hopes to enhance the safety and ethics of clinical trial and treatment protocol design in this evolving field. As a clinician in training, he is also committed to exploring mind-body interventions, trauma-informed care, and "third wave" therapy.


Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Student & Session Facilitator

Kevin Madden, M.A.

Kevin Madden, M.A. is a third-year trainee within the UAB Medical/Clinical Psychology doctoral program. Kevin is committed to advancing our understanding of the psychological concept of meaning in life and its role in safeguarding individuals against engagement in addictive behaviors, including tobacco, alcohol, and other substance use. Kevin is passionate about investigating the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy in facilitating the meaning-making process and, in turn, its profound implications in mitigating engagement in addictive behaviors. Kevin's clinical interests lie in the domains of addiction, trauma, and meaninglessness. He employs trauma-informed, evidence-based techniques, drawing chiefly from humanistic and mindfulness-based cognitive therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.


Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Student, Research Program Coordinator, & Session Facilitator

Lindsey Owens, M.A.

Lindsey Owens, M.A. is a third-year trainee within the UAB Medical/Clinical Psychology doctoral program. Her current research interests center around trauma-informed psychedelic-assisted therapeutics and holotropic breathwork for various indications with a specific focus on developmental trauma or those who endorse at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE). Clinically, she tends toward therapies and practices that have a focus on the cultivation of acceptance, self-compassion, mindfulness, physiological and emotional regulation, somatic processing, and a felt sense of safety and belonging.