Mads Madsen

Mads K. Madsen is a clinical neuroscientist whose work sits at the intersection of neuropharmacology, neuroimaging and psychedelic science. Working with Danish neurobiology groups, he has led and co‑authored several experimental human studies that use PET and MRI to map serotonin 2A receptor (5‑HT2AR) binding, cerebral blood flow and resting‑state functional connectivity before and after administration of classic psychedelics. His empirical contributions include linking baseline and drug‑induced changes in neocortical 5‑HT2AR availability to acute subjective phenomena (including mystical‑type and temporal effects) and to longer‑term increases in mindfulness and altered functional network organisation following a single psilocybin dose.

In addition to original imaging studies, Madsen has contributed to methodological and conceptual discussions in the field through reviews and editorials that address psychotherapeutic framing, neural mechanisms and the translational potential of psychedelics. His research is characterised by multimodal imaging (PET and fMRI), pharmacological challenge designs (including 5‑HT2A antagonism) and careful phenotyping of subjective experience, informing mechanistic models that link 5‑HT2A modulation to acute experiences and sustained changes in cognition and network function.