Matthew W. Johnson
@Drug_Researcher
Psychedelic scientist. Seminal psychedelic research for 20 yrs at Hopkins. Drugs, behavioral economics, addiction. Views my own/not employer's.
It’s official. I just receive a U01 grant from NIDA to study #psilocybin for tobacco addiction. To my knowledge it's the 1st grant from the US government in over a half century to directly study therapeutics of a classic #psychedelic. New era in legitimacy of psychedelic science.
RIP Ozzy. Sat on this. What do I have to say that isn’t redundant with tributes from countless other fans? Drugs. Cannabis and LSD were massively influential. The doom metal developed in early Sabbath albums seemed to be tailored to cannabis effects. Being honest, cocaine and…
I ran government funded research on cocaine for years. Treatment research as well as controlled drug administration research to study effects including decision making. This is a great description of the difference between smoking crack and snorting powder (cocaine HCl) cocaine.…
Hunter Biden breaks down the difference between crack & cocaine and why crack is so addictive
The Lab Essentials version of my appearance with @hubermanlab on the Huberman Lab Podcast discussing psychedelics. I appreciate the distillation of conversations to useful takeaways, especially for someone like me who can go down rabbit holes. Thanks to Andrew and his team for…
New Huberman Lab Essentials episode out now: 30 minutes, key takeaways only. @Drug_Researcher go.hubermanlab.com/YlpzGgs
Great @hubermanlab podcast on kratom. Lots of balanced info here. I'll say I'm skeptical that the "stimulant at low doses" claim is anything special about kratom. As a behavioral pharmacologist I've studied many drugs in humans. Virtually any "sedative" has reported stimulant…
The new Huberman Lab episode is out: Health Effects & Risks of Kratom, Opioids and Other Natural Occurring Medicines | Dr. Chris McCurdy (0:00) Chris McCurdy (2:51) Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), Origin, Effects, Low vs High Doses (7:19) Sponsors: David Protein & Eight Sleep…
July 20, 1969. “Contact light, engine stop.” The Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle touched down at Tranquility Base on the Moon. A few hours later, Neil Armstrong and I stepped foot on the Moon, with Michael Collins orbiting close-by. An achievement resulting from years of…
Congratulations, Doctor Dourron!
Done! No revisions! Wearing my neuron dress because sadly there is no dress of connectome-based classification
Freedom of thought is critical for great science. Thanks for the leadership, @NIHDirector_Jay
This 4th of July, I’m reflecting on the freedoms that fuel scientific rigor and public health. From all of us at @NIH, wishing you a safe and healthy Independence Day!
One of my all-time favorites.
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES released 'Lights...Camera...Revolution' 35 years ago today. What's your favorite song?
The Declaration was not just the birth of our nation. It represented an evolution of human consciousness. Human value & freedom are not created by any authorities. They are inherent to the human being (inalienable & endowed by their Creator). There is no explanation or…
Fascinating account of psychedelic treatment of PTSD at 1:36:40 from the dude who killed Osama bin Laden. The whole interview is remarkable. It's unimaginable what this guy has seen and experienced.
Fourteen years after he killed Osama bin Laden, former SEAL Rob O’Neill can say with authority that the warmongers pushing for regime change in Iran are disgusting. (0:00) How O’Neill Accidentally Joined the Navy (8:29) The Most Challenging Part of Becoming a SEAL (15:04)…
The American people should have immediate free access to the science that we so generously fund through the @NIH. Starting today, we do.
🚨 New NIH Public Access Policy goes into effect TODAY! Research accepted for publication on July 1, 2025, must be publicly available as soon as it is published. This date was moved up from December 31, 2025, to ensure radical transparency regarding the research NIH supports.…
More on these results. Agreed, these are very promising results for both this formulation and route of 5-MeO-DMT as well as psychedelic medicine as a whole. There is a very realistic pathway to not only approval but success once on the market.
Today, $ATAI announced outstanding Phase 2b data for BPL-003 (5-MeO-DMT). In parallel, core shareholders – including myself and pharma company @ferring – demonstrated conviction by investing $50 million together with top-tier biotech funds. I firmly believe psychedelics have…
Looking forward to a peer reviewed paper hopefully. With the caveats of science by press release, this looks very impressive. Similare effect as esketamine without repeated dosing. The lower active dose looked just as good as higher dose. Well matched groups. Expected safety…
Some exciting additional data from the $ATAI analyst call just now on the BPL-003 Phase 2b topline data release from earlier today: 1) Balanced demographics across arms (Slide 1) 2) Very encouraging response and remission rates based on only a SINGLE dose of BPL-003 (better…
Getting some well deserved sleep on stage at Psychedelic Science 2025 with Peter Hendricks. 😄 This image did the rounds between cell phones at the meeting. We were actually both looking at our great co-presenter @RayyanZafar6 's slides located very low in front of the stage. At…
Psychedelic therapies show real promise for veterans and others battling trauma. We’re accelerating clinical trials at @US_FDA with urgency—and working to ensure safe, science-based access within 12 months. Some therapies can’t wait.
Excited to launch my new podcast, The Director’s Desk! 🎙️ Tune in each week for conversations on scientific careers, leadership, & innovation at NIH. Whether you're a rising researcher or just curious about the field of biomedical research, this is your behind-the-scenes look at…
The effect of psychedelics on world culture is not complete without the incredible Brian Wilson. LSD inspired an eruption of creativity as most clearly heard in the transformational Pet Sounds. LSD also destabilized his mental health, leading him to regret having ever taken it.…
