Rafael Lancelotta, M.S.
Research Scientist, Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research
Psychedelic survey researcher at Johns Hopkins whose large-scale population-level studies document who uses psychedelics, why, and with what outcomes — bridging laboratory findings with real-world use patterns.
Biography
Rafael Lancelotta is a research scientist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, where he specializes in survey methodology and epidemiological approaches to psychedelic research. His work addresses a critical gap in the psychedelic research literature: while controlled clinical trials tell us what happens when carefully screened participants receive psilocybin under optimal conditions, Lancelotta's survey research examines the much larger population of people using psychedelics outside clinical settings.
His surveys on psilocybin, 5-MeO-DMT, and other psychedelics have documented use patterns, reported outcomes, adverse events, and demographic profiles at a scale not achievable in clinical trials. This work is essential for harm reduction: understanding who is actually using these substances and what they experience allows researchers to develop better safety guidelines and identify vulnerable populations.
Lancelotta has collaborated with Alan Davis and other Hopkins researchers on studies examining naturalistic psychedelic use, including a widely cited survey on 5-MeO-DMT use and outcomes in naturalistic settings. His population-level perspective complements the controlled trial data that dominates the research field.
Organizations
Why They Matter to the LearnShrooms Community
Survey-based research on real-world psychedelic use is an often-overlooked pillar of the research field. Lancelotta's work at Hopkins provides the epidemiological foundation for understanding how psychedelics function outside the clinical context — data that is critical for harm reduction, policy, and identifying gaps between what clinical trials find and what people actually experience.
Legal Context
For the legal landscape where Rafael Lancelotta, M.S. operates, see psilocybin laws in Maryland.