Peter Hendricks, Ph.D.
Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Psilocybin Addiction Researcher
Led the first randomized controlled trial of psilocybin for cocaine use disorder and is a leading researcher on psychedelics for addiction treatment in underserved populations.
Biography
Peter Hendricks is a professor of health behavior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and one of the leading researchers on psilocybin for substance use disorders.
Hendricks conducted the first experimental study of psilocybin for cocaine use disorder, demonstrating that psilocybin administration in a therapeutic context significantly reduced cocaine use and craving in a small pilot sample. This study was notable for including participants from racially diverse and lower-income backgrounds — addressing a limitation of many psychedelic trials that have enrolled predominantly white, educated participants.
He has written extensively on access and equity issues in psychedelic medicine, arguing that the populations with the greatest burden of addiction and mental illness must be represented in trials and in eventual treatment access.
Hendricks collaborates with Johns Hopkins and NYU on multi-site addiction trials and serves on multiple scientific advisory boards in the psychedelic medicine field.
Organizations
Why They Matter to the LearnShrooms Community
Hendricks represents the important push toward equity in psychedelic research — ensuring that clinical trials and eventual access include the populations most affected by addiction and mental illness, not just the demographics easiest to recruit.
Legal Context
For the legal landscape where Peter Hendricks, Ph.D. operates, see psilocybin laws in Alabama.