Blog

BrainFutures' Statement on the Executive Order Accelerating Psychedelic Research and Access

April 18, 2026 Baltimore, MD — Today BrainFutures welcomed President Trump's executive order, “Accelerating Medical Treatment for Serious Mental Illness,” which directs federal support for psychedelic research and removes unnecessary barriers to research and compassionate use. It also calls on the FDA to use expedited approval pipelines for psychedelics ...

Psychedelic Science Update: A Smoking Cessation Interview

Interview with Jazz Glastra and Dr. Matthew Johnson An astounding 14% of all deaths worldwide are due to smoking. Dr. Matthew Johnson, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Johns Hopkins University, is the principal investigator on a new study that looks at the efficacy of psilocybin for smoking cessation. This is the largest psilocybin stud...

Healing Hearts and Minds: Ali Smith on the Science of Calm

Interview with Sarah Norman and Ali Smith As varied as the colors, textures, and patterns on a yoga mat can be, so are the stories of the people on those mats. From youth to seniors, Holistic Life Foundation’s Co-Founder, Ali Smith, is changing lives and communities through an evidence-based yoga and mindfulness program. More than 200,000 students a...

Reforming Outdated Barriers to Research on Mental Health and Addiction Treatment

Written by Bridget McQuillan and Jazz Glastra "As a researcher, I always hesitate to go into doing research with Schedule I drugs,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA, in 2021 (Jager, 2021). NIDA, part of the federal government’s National Institutes of Health, funds and conducts billions of dollars’ wort...

Event Announcement: Welcome to the Future of Rapid-Acting Mental Health Treatments

On May 18, join BrainFutures and the Frontier Psychiatrists at Rapid-Acting Mental Health Treatment (RAMHT 2025) in Los Angeles, CA, as we explore the latest developments in rapid-acting treatments for mental health. The event takes place at the Skyline Loft on the second night of the American Psychiatric Association annual conference less than a mile from the co...

Live Provider Roundtable: Integrating Psychedelic Therapies into Healthcare

Save the Date! BrainFutures is excited to invite you to a Virtual Provider Roundtable on April 1st at 12 PM EST / 9 AM PST. Click here to register now to join the conversation!  This session is a follow-up to BrainFutures and the Collaborative of the Economics for Psychedelics’ new whitepaper, Scaling Psychedelics in the Health System. This roundtable w...

New Healthcare Provider Survey Reveals Both Opportunities and Barriers in Planned Adoption of Psychedelic Therapy

New Healthcare Provider Survey Reveals Both Opportunities and Barriers in Planned Adoption of Psychedelic Therapy  Health providers plan rapid adoption of psychedelic therapy, but anticipate delays in insurance coverage  LUTHERVILLE, MD AND BERKELEY, CA – March 10, 2025 – A survey of mental health providers from 15 states revealed both opportunities a...

Dr. Bruce Wexler on the ACTIVATE™ Program and its Breakthrough Impacts on Youth Executive Function

Dr. Bruce Wexler is Professor Emeritus at Yale University as well as a member of the BrainFutures Advisory Board. BrainFutures has partnered with Dr. Bruce E. Wexler of Yale University and the Howard County Public School System to implement ACTIVATE™, an evidence-based executive function intervention, across 12 schools in Howard County, Maryland. ACTIVATE...

Introducing Sarah Norman, BrainFutures' New Executive Director

BrainFutures is pleased to introduce our new Executive Director, Sarah Norman, who comes to us with deep experience in health policy, healthcare delivery systems, multistakeholder coalitions, and organizational leadership. Sarah brings more than two decades of strategic operations, policy and leadership experience in the healthcare field. As Chief of Communi...

New NORC/BrainFutures Study Finds Psychedelics in Healthcare Practitioner Training is Growing

New NORC/BrainFutures Study Finds Psychedelics in Healthcare Practitioner Training is Growing Research gauged level of clinician workforce preparedness and education in anticipation of possible FDA approval for psychedelic therapies CHICAGO and LUTHERVILLE, MD – December 11, 2024 – In a comprehensive survey of academic leaders from counseling, social work...