Alan Davis, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Ohio State University; Adjunct Researcher, Johns Hopkins
Led the first clinical trial of psilocybin specifically for major depressive disorder (not treatment-resistant) and is building one of the most productive psychedelic research programs at a Midwest university.
Biography
Alan Davis is a psychologist and assistant professor in the College of Social Work at Ohio State University, where he leads the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education (CPDRE) — one of the few active psychedelic research centers at a major Midwest university. He simultaneously holds an adjunct researcher appointment at the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, where he developed his psychedelic research expertise.
Davis led the 2021 study published in JAMA Psychiatry examining psilocybin-assisted therapy for major depressive disorder — critically, in patients who were not classified as treatment-resistant. This study enrolled participants with moderate-to-severe MDD who had not necessarily exhausted conventional treatments, significantly broadening the potential patient population compared to studies limited to treatment-resistant cases. The results showed rapid and substantial antidepressant effects, with many participants showing remission within days of treatment.
His research program at Ohio State extends to studies on psilocybin for complicated grief, surveys on naturalistic psychedelic use and outcomes, and the development of psilocybin-assisted therapy training programs for social work and counseling professionals. Davis has particular interest in psychedelics for end-of-life and grief contexts — emotionally complex indications where conventional pharmacotherapy is limited.
Davis has also published extensively on survey-based research examining the outcomes of naturalistic psychedelic use, documenting what happens when people use psilocybin and other substances outside clinical trial settings, and has contributed to understanding adverse events and protective factors in real-world psychedelic use.
Organizations
Why They Matter to the LearnShrooms Community
Davis's MDD trial — not limited to treatment-resistant patients — is among the most significant expansions of the psilocybin evidence base, suggesting the potential patient population is far larger than treatment-resistant depression alone. His OSU program is also one of the most active psychedelic research centers in the Midwest, demonstrating that this field is no longer confined to coastal academic centers.
Legal Context
For the legal landscape where Alan Davis, Ph.D. operates, see psilocybin laws in Ohio.