The resurgence of psilocybin clinical research since the early 2000s has been driven by a relatively small number of pioneering academic centres, now joined by pharmaceutical companies and an expanding global network of trial sites. Below is a detailed guide to the major institutions active in psilocybin and psychedelic research as of 2025.
United States
Johns Hopkins Centre for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research
Location: Baltimore, Maryland | Founded: 2000 (psychedelic research); dedicated centre established 2019
Johns Hopkins has published more psilocybin clinical research papers than any other institution globally. Key milestones include the 2006 landmark study demonstrating lasting mystical-type experiences in healthy volunteers (Griffiths et al., Psychopharmacology), the 2021 JAMA Psychiatry trial showing psilocybin therapy produced large reductions in major depressive disorder, and studies on psilocybin for tobacco addiction showing 80% abstinence at 6 months in early-phase data.
Active research areas include: treatment-resistant depression, major depressive disorder, tobacco cessation, alcohol use disorder, eating disorders, religious and spiritual significance of psilocybin experiences, and mechanisms of action.
Website: hopkinspsychedelic.org | To follow open trials: clinicaltrials.gov (search "Johns Hopkins psilocybin")
NYU Langone Centre for Psychedelic Medicine
Location: New York, New York
NYU published an important 2016 randomised controlled trial on psilocybin for cancer-related existential distress (Ross et al., Journal of Psychopharmacology), showing rapid reductions in anxiety and depression that were largely maintained at 6.5-month follow-up. More recently, the centre published a landmark 2022 randomised controlled trial on psilocybin for alcohol use disorder (Bogenschutz et al., JAMA Psychiatry), demonstrating a significant reduction in heavy drinking days. NYU also has a well-established therapist training programme.
UC Berkeley Centre for the Science of Psychedelics
Location: Berkeley, California
Focuses on the neuroscience, psychology, public health, and policy dimensions of psychedelics. Runs the Psychedelic Journalism Fellowship and Science Communication program, aiming to improve how psychedelic research is reported. Also conducts basic neuroscience research on perceptual and cognitive mechanisms.
Mount Sinai Centre for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma (New York)
Focused on psychedelic-assisted therapy for trauma, including PTSD. Conducts both MDMA and psilocybin trials in the context of trauma treatment.
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Conducts psilocybin trials including a prominent study on psilocybin for OCD and participates in multi-site COMPASS Pathways trials.
United Kingdom
Imperial College London Centre for Psychedelic Research
Founded: 2019 | The world's first dedicated psychedelic research centre at a major university
Led by Professor David Nutt and Dr Robin Carhart-Harris (now at UCSF), Imperial pioneered brain imaging studies of psilocybin using fMRI and MEG, producing foundational findings on Default Mode Network suppression, brain entropy, and the neural correlates of ego dissolution. The 2016 open-label TRD study (Carhart-Harris et al., Lancet Psychiatry) was a landmark that opened the modern clinical trial era.
Current research includes depression, PTSD, anorexia nervosa, and studies on the subjective effects and mechanisms of psychedelics. Dr Carhart-Harris relocated to UCSF but maintains Imperial collaborations; leadership and active research continue under Professor Nutt and other faculty.
King's College London
Active in psychedelic psychiatry research, including participation in COMPASS Pathways Phase 2b/3 trial sites. Research covers psychosis risk, neuropsychiatric applications, and pharmacology. The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's is one of the leading psychiatric research centres in Europe.
COMPASS Pathways (UK-based company)
Type: Commercial biotech company | Based: London, with global trial sites
COMPASS Pathways is conducting the most advanced commercial psilocybin clinical programme globally. Their synthetic psilocybin formulation (COMP360) received FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for TRD in 2018. The Phase 2b trial (n=233, results published in NEJM 2022) showed statistically significant antidepressant effects at 25mg at 3 weeks. Phase 3 trials are now underway across multiple sites in the US, Europe, and Canada. While COMPASS is a commercial entity with investors, their clinical data has been published in peer-reviewed journals and contributes to the overall evidence base.
Canada
University of Toronto / Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
CAMH (Toronto) has conducted psilocybin research with Section 56 exemptions, including a study on healthy volunteer responses. The University of Toronto is also home to researchers examining psychedelic integration and harm reduction frameworks.
University of British Columbia (UBC)
Active in addiction-related psychedelic research. UBC researchers have published on harm reduction contexts and are involved in clinical trial development leveraging Canada's Section 56 exemption pathway.
Australia
St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne / Monash University
Following Australia's 2023 TGA rescheduling of psilocybin to Schedule 8, Australian research institutions are rapidly expanding capacity for clinical delivery and research. St Vincent's has been among the early adopters of the new framework for authorised prescriber pathways.
Europe
University of Zurich (Switzerland)
The pharmacology group at the University of Zurich has conducted important basic science and pharmacology studies on psilocybin and other psychedelics, including studies on drug interactions (particularly with lithium and SSRIs) and the role of 5-HT2A receptor activation in acute effects.
Charité University Medicine (Berlin, Germany)
Participates in COMPASS Pathways trial network and conducts independent research on psychedelic pharmacology and psychiatry.
Funding Bodies and Research Non-Profits
- Heffter Research Institute: The original funder of the Johns Hopkins and NYU psilocybin studies. A non-profit foundation dedicated to psychedelic research funding. heffter.org
- MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies): Primarily focused on MDMA-assisted therapy, but has historically funded psilocybin research and remains a major force in advocacy and therapist training. maps.org
- Beckley Foundation: UK-based foundation led by Amanda Feilding, which has co-funded Imperial College research and advocates for psychedelic drug policy reform. beckleyfoundation.org
- Usona Institute: US-based non-profit conducting psilocybin trials for MDD (FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation, 2019). Working toward a non-commercial psilocybin therapy approval. usonainstitute.org
- Psychedelic Alpha Research Tracker: Not a funder, but the most comprehensive public tracker of active psilocybin clinical programmes by institution. psychedelicalpha.com
How to Participate in Research
Clinical trial participation is the only legal route to receive psilocybin in the UK and most countries. Key steps:
- Search ClinicalTrials.gov (US-registered trials globally) or ISRCTN.com (UK and Europe) for "psilocybin". Filter by condition, location, and recruitment status.
- Review the eligibility criteria carefully. Most trials exclude people with personal or family history of psychosis, certain medical conditions, or current use of medications such as SSRIs (which may blunt effects).
- Contact the trial co-ordinator at the listed institution. Express interest and ask about the screening process — most trials involve an initial phone or online screening before any in-person assessment.
- Understand what participation involves: screening visits, preparation sessions, administration sessions (typically 6–8 hours), integration sessions, and follow-up assessments. Trial participation is a significant time commitment.
- All approved trials are covered by ethical review board approval and carry informed consent processes. You cannot be enrolled without giving detailed consent.