Jacob S Aday, PhD
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About
Jacob S. Aday, Ph.D. is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, with appointments in the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center (CPFRC) as well as the Michigan Psychedelic Center (M-PsyC). He completed his undergraduate and master's degrees in Psychology at Northern Michigan University, where he worked in Dr. Adam Prus’s Neuropsychopharmacology Lab and Dr. Joshua Carlson’s Cognitive Affective Behavior and Integrative Neuroscience (CABIN) Lab. During his doctoral training, Jake was mentored by Drs. Christopher Davoli and Emily Bloesch at Central Michigan University, where they established a productive program of research centered on the emerging field of ‘psychedelic science’. During this time, he was also recruited by Drug Science, the leading independent scientific body on drugs in the UK, to be an honorary research assistant and study under Professor David Nutt. Jake then joined the Translational Psychedelic Research Program (TrPR) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) as a postdoctoral researcher in 2021. There, he was mentored by Dr. Joshua Woolley on how to design, implement, and interpret complex psychedelic clinical trials. As a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Dr. Aday is interested in the cognitive and social effects of psychedelics, improving research methodology and safety with the drugs, and examining the potential applications of psychedelic therapy for chronic pain.
Qualifications
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FellowUniversity of Michigan Medical School, T-32 Scientist Training in Rheumatology Research, Ann Arbor, United States
2023 - 2025
Postdoctoral Fellowship
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Postdoctoral ResearcherUniversity of California, Translational Psychedelic Research (TrPR) Program, United States
2021 - 2023
Postdoctoral Research
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PhD, Applied Experimental PsychologyCentral Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
2017 - 2021
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MS, General PsychologyNorthern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA
2015 - 2017
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BS, Psychology/Graduate PrepNorthern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA
2011 - 2015
Research Overview
• Psychedelics
• Social Cognition
• Trial Design
• Chronic Pain
Recent Publications
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Kruger DJ, Gillis-Smith P, Aday JS, Barron J, Herberholz M, Boehnke KF. Psychedelics, 2026 Aug 14; 4: 100034Journal ArticleHighlighting the legacy of a psychedelic harm reduction pioneer: Assessing contemporary agreement with advice in Lisa Bieberman’s 1967 “Session Games” manual
DOI:10.1016/j.psyche.2026.100034 -
Aday JS, Glynos NG, Baker AK, Pouyan N, Smith T, Barron J, Herberholz M, Kruger DJ, Woolley JD, Boehnke KF. Scientific Reports, 2026 Dec 1; 16 (1):Journal ArticleMajor life changes following psychedelic use: A retrospective survey among people using psychedelics naturalistically
DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-48084-3 PMID: 41986543 -
Petranker R, Syed OA, Sobolenko V, Giacobbe P, Kruger DJ, Aday JS, Lake S, Lucas P. International Journal of Drug Policy, 2026 Oct 1; 156:Journal ArticleMicrodosing psychedelics: What, why, when, and how often? Insights from an international survey of people who use psychedelics
DOI:10.1016/j.drugpo.2026.105459 PMID: 42566966 -
Buonarroti M, Dal Bianco B, Lo Jacono A, Fesce F, Jelmoni A, Cicchi L, Anastasi A, Rossi E, D'Alonzo M, Gelao A, Bartoli C, Syed OA, Nicholas C, Luke D, Greenway K, Gloeckler S, De La Salle S, Bernstein K, Feduccia A, Lehmann A, Aday JS, Lake S, Kruger D, Lucas P. Clinical Neuropsychopharmacology and Addiction, 2026 Sep 3; 2 (3):Journal ArticlePatterns of Psychedelic Use in Italy: Insights from the Global Psychedelic Survey
DOI:10.53941/cna.2026.100012 -
Tai ML, Szigeti B, Downey AE, Aday JS, Fredenburg L, Sakai K, Molina C, Fernandes-Osterhold G, Bradley ER, Pantoni M, Moss R, Lightburn B, Plessow F, O'Donovan A, Woolley JD. J Psychopharmacol, 2026 Aug 29; 2698811261478603Journal ArticleA randomized crossover trial comparing the acute physiological and psychological effects of botanical formulations of oral psilocybin, oral psilocin, and sublingual psilocin.
DOI:10.1177/02698811261478603 PMID: 42668404 -
Boehnke KF, Pouyan N, Aday JS. Drugs, 2026 Aug 1; 86 (8): 1307 - 1324.Journal ArticleClassic Psychedelics for Chronic Pain: A Critical Review of the Literature and Practical Advice for Clinicians
DOI:10.1007/s40265-026-02339-5 PMID: 42243569 -
Aday JS, Carhart-Harris RL, Boehnke KF. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2026 Jun 1; 34 (6): 873 - 876.Journal ArticleBlunted Psychedelic Drug Effects in Older Adults
DOI:10.1016/j.jagp.2026.01.007 PMID: 41633886 -
Robinson OC, Luke D, Evans J, Aday JS, Johnson M, Lake S, Kruger D, Boehnke KF, Lucas P. Res Sq, 2026 Apr 8;Journal ArticleExtended difficulties after psychedelic experiences: Prevalence and associations in a global, multilingual sample.
DOI:10.21203/rs.3.rs-9304959/v1 PMID: PMC13082146
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