Welcome to the Division of Applied Behavioral Sciences events page. Check here for information about upcoming guest speakers, workshops, symposia, panels and more.
SYMPOSIUM
Psychedelic Medicine: Research, Regulations, & the Future of Psilocybin- and MDMA-Assisted Therapy
Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021 | 7 p.m. EST | online via Zoom
Open to the public.
As research continues to demonstrate that psychedelic drugs can have potential benefits in a therapeutic setting, attention has now turned towards the training of therapists who will administer such therapies once they are fully approved by the FDA. Currently, The University of Baltimore is exploring a possible training partnership with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). This symposium will feature a series of guest lectures on current research and approaches to therapy from experts in the field of psychedelic medicine.
GUEST SPEAKERS
Rick Doblin, Ph.D., is the founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). He received his doctorate in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where he wrote his dissertation on the regulation of the medical uses of psychedelics and marijuana and his master's thesis on a survey of oncologists about smoked marijuana vs. the oral THC pill in nausea control for cancer patients. His undergraduate thesis at New College of Florida was a 25-year follow-up to the classic Good Friday Experiment, which evaluated the potential of psychedelic drugs to catalyze religious experiences. He also conducted a 34-year follow-up study to Timothy Leary’s Concord Prison Experiment. Rick studied with Dr. Stanislav Grof and was among the first to be certified as a Holotropic Breathwork practitioner. His professional goal is to help develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana, primarily as prescription medicines but also for personal growth for otherwise healthy people, and eventually to become a legally licensed psychedelic therapist. He founded MAPS in 1986, and currently resides in Boston with his wife, dog, and empty rooms from three children, one of whom is in college and two have graduated.
Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Working with psychedelics since 2004, he is one of the most world’s most widely published experts on psychedelics. Matt published psychedelic safety guidelines in 2008, helping to resurrect human psychedelic research. He published the first research on psychedelic treatment of tobacco addiction in 2014, and the largest study of psilocybin in cancer distress in 2016. His 2018 psilocybin review recommended Schedule IV upon potential medical approval. Matt also conducts behavioral economic research on the psychology of addiction and sexual risk. He is a past President of the Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse Division of the American Psychological Association, and current President of the International Society for Research on Psychedelics. He has been widely interviewed about drugs and addiction, including by New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, BBC, CNN, Fox Business News, NPR, & Michael Pollan.
Joseph McCowan, Psy.D, is a licensed clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, currently working in Los Angeles as a co-therapist in the MAPS sponsored Phase 3 clinical trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. He is an alumni of MAPS’ MDMA Therapy Training for Communities of Color, held in August 2019. Additionally, Joseph works as a Clinical Supervisor and Training Coordinator at the non-profit St. Joseph Center in Venice, California, which provides mental health support to low income and unhoused individuals and families. Joseph is deeply passionate about furthering education and awareness of the healing benefits of psychedelics for communities of color and in working to improve mental health outcomes for historically underserved communities. Joseph received his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his doctorate in clinical psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. He can be reached at drjmccowan@gmail.com.
For questions about this symposium, please email Michael Frederick at mfrederick@ubalt.edu.