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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Aday JS, Glynos NG, Baker AK, Pouyan N, Smith T, Barron J, Herberholz M, Kruger DJ, Woolley JD, Boehnke KF. Sci Rep, 2026 Apr 15;Journal ArticleMajor life changes following psychedelic use: A retrospective survey among people using psychedelics naturalistically.
DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-48084-3 PMID: 41986543 -
Reid MR, Song J, Boehnke KF, Buchanan NT, Aday JS. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 2025 Dec 9; 181: 106516 - 106516.Journal ArticleDisengaged: A systematic review of community engagement in psychedelic-assisted therapy research
DOI:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106516 -
Aday JS, Carhart-Harris RL, Boehnke KF. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2026 Jan 13;Journal ArticleBlunted psychedelic drug effects in older adults
DOI:10.1016/j.jagp.2026.01.007 -
Haupt MJ, Carra S, Boehnke KF, Aday JS. Progress in Neuro Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 2026 Jan 1;Journal ArticlePreliminary effects of ayahuasca on mental and physical health: A systematic review of prospective studies
DOI:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2026.111634 PMID: 41667049 -
Kruger DJ, Mersereau G, Sullivan A, Barron J, Herberholz M, Pouyan N, Aday JS, Boehnke KF. Harm Reduction Journal, 2025 Dec 1; 22 (1):Journal ArticleBest practices for first psychedelic experiences: harm reduction advice from the psychedelic community
DOI:10.1186/s12954-025-01337-2 PMID: 41291774 -
Peled-Avron L, Aday JS, Pantoni MM, Hamilton HK, Woolley JD. Sci Rep, 2025 Nov 29; 15 (1): 42955Journal ArticleA meta-analytic analysis of the acute effects of MDMA on empathy and emotion recognition in humans.
DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-25610-3 PMID: PMC12672592 -
Payne J, Robinson O, Arnaud KS, Aday JS, Warner M, Ludlow C, Murray G. Brain and Behavior, 2025 Nov 1; 15 (11):Journal ArticleThe Relationship Between Psychedelic Use and Positive Adult Development in Emerging Adulthood: An Integrative Review
DOI:10.1002/brb3.71043 PMID: 41236391 -
Nutt DJ, Erritzoe D, Schlag A, Luke D, Mash DC, Uchida H, Aday JS, Rucker J, Galindo L, Sweeney M, Lowe MX, Davis O, Ferreira P, Zafar R, Carhart-Harris R, Hawrot T, Neill J. Drug Science Policy and Law, 2025 Sep 24; 11:Journal ArticleA lexicon for psychedelic research and treatment
DOI:10.1177/20503245251380511
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