David Yaden

David B. Yaden, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and holds the Roland Griffiths Professorship in Psychedelic Research. Trained as a psychologist and clinical researcher, he directs and contributes to a broad programme of work spanning naturalistic and clinical studies, systematic reviews, and methodological and ethical guidance for the emerging field of psychedelic therapeutics. His scholarship bridges empirical investigation of subjective effects (including mystical-type experiences and changes in mind perception), analysis of safety and adverse events, and pragmatic questions about how concomitant medications (for example SSRIs/SNRIs) interact with classic psychedelics.

Yaden has authored and co‑authored observational and longitudinal studies, conceptual papers, and reviews that emphasise rigorous measurement, transparent reporting, and harm‑minimisation. Notable areas of contribution include prospective naturalistic investigations of psilocybin use, comparative analyses of psychedelic versus non‑psychedelic mystical experiences, re‑examination of dissociation in the context of esketamine treatment, and participation in working groups and guidelines aimed at improving research ethics and methodological standards in psychedelic science. He is recognised for advocating careful, evidence‑based integration of psychedelics into psychiatric research and practice.