A serendipitous conversation in 2006 sparked Dr. Stephen Ross’s investigation into psychedelic compounds as potential breakthrough treatments for psychiatric conditions. Rediscovering a forgotten therapeutic approach from the 1950s to 1970s, which involved over 40,000 participants and 1,000 published articles, led him to form the NYU Psychedelic Research Group.
Dr. Ross’s most significant contributions include a landmark study on psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for cancer-related distress, demonstrating rapid improvements in psychological symptoms, quality of life, and reduced existential distress. His work has also shown promising results in treating substance use disorders, including alcohol use disorder, with significant reductions in heavy drinking days following just two doses of psilocybin combined with psychotherapy.
Building on this success, Dr. Ross is expanding his research to include major depressive disorder, with a phase 2 multi-center trial demonstrating rapid and sustained reductions in depressive symptoms after single-dose psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. Currently, he’s leading an NIH-funded clinical trial examining psilocybin therapy for cancer-related emotional and spiritual distress.
The mainstreaming of psychedelic therapy could have significant implications for psychiatric care delivery systems, particularly in areas such as cancer centers, palliative care programs, and addiction treatment facilities. Dr. Ross’s persistence in the face of challenges underscores the potential significance of this therapeutic approach, despite initial warnings from mentors that it was “a road to nowhere” and “a career killer.”
Source: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250610/Dr-Stephen-Rosse28099s-research-into-psychedelic-medicine-expands-therapeutic-frontiers.aspx