https://t.co/0BbPc11eTD
The Top 10 Psilocybin Research Papers of 2020
- FS Barrett, MK Doss, ND Sepeda, et al. – Emotions and brain function are altered up to one month after a single high dose of psilocybin. @FredBarrettPhD 1/10

SB Goldberg, BT Pace, CR Nicholas, et al. – The experimental effects of psilocybin on symptoms of anxiety and depression: A meta-analysis. “meta-analysis of studies using psilocybin along with behavioral interventions to treat elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression.” 2/10
GI Agin-Liebes, T Malone, MM Yalch, et al. – Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for psychiatric and existential distress in patients with life-threatening cancer. “follow-up approx 3.2 and 4.5 years later, w/ 15 of the 16 participants still alive” 3/10
F Blei, S Dörner, J Fricke, et al. – Simultaneous production of psilocybin and a cocktail of β‐carboline monoamine oxidase inhibitors in “magic” mushrooms “paper was chosen for Psychedelic Science Review’s 2020 Editor’s Choice Award for best study on psychedelics and nature” 4/10
J Sloshower, J Guss, R Krause, et al. – Psilocybin-assisted therapy of major depressive disorder using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a therapeutic frame “lays out how to combine therapy using antidepressant medication (like psilocybin) w/evidence-based psychotherapy” 5/10
LJMertens, MBWall, LRoseman, et al Therapeutic mechanisms of psilocybin: Changes in amygdala and prefrontal functional connectivity during emotional processing after psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression
“↗️amygdala activation in participants day after psilocybin tx” 6/10
NL Mason, KPC Kuypers, F Müller, et al. – Me, myself, bye: regional alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin. Good One! 7/10
MK Madsen, PMD Fisher, DS Stenbæk, et al. Single psilocybin dose is assoc. w/ long-term ↗️mindfulness, preceded by proportional change in neocortical 5-HT2A receptor binding
1st molecular neuroimaging study examining underlying mechanisms behind long term efx of psilocybin 8/10
KH Preller, P Duerler, JB Burt, et al. – Psilocybin induces time-dependent changes in global functional connectivity “deepen our understanding of the mechanism of action of psychedelic compounds” 9/10
N Milne, P Thomsen, N Malgaard Knudsen, et al. – Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the production of psilocybin and related tryptamine derivatives 10/10 .... there are 4 more studies cited in the blog post.

More from Science

JUST ONE PERSON—UK 🇬🇧 scientists think one immunocompromised person who cleared virus slowly & only partially wiped out an infection, leaving behind genetically-hardier viruses that rebound & learn how to survive better. That’s likely how #B117 started. 🧵 https://t.co/bMMjM8Hiuz


2) The leading hypothesis is that the new variant evolved within just one person, chronically infected with the virus for so long it was able to evolve into a new, more infectious form.

same thing happened in Boston in another immunocompromised person that was sick for 155 days.

3) What happened in Boston with one 45 year old man who was highly infectious for 155 days straight before he died... is exactly what scientists think happened in Kent, England that gave rise to #B117.


4) Doctors were shocked to find virus has evolved many different forms inside of this one immunocompromised man. 20 new mutations in one virus, akin to the #B117. This is possibly how #B1351 in South Africa 🇿🇦 and #P1 in Brazil 🇧🇷 also evolved.


5) “On its own, the appearance of a new variant in genomic databases doesn’t tell us much. “That’s just one genome amongst thousands every week. It wouldn’t necessarily stick out,” says Oliver Pybus, a professor of evolution and infectious disease at Oxford.
What are the classics of the "Science of Science" or "Meta Science"? If you were teaching a class on the subject, what would go in the syllabus?

Here's a (very disorganized and incomplete) handful of suggestions, which I may add to. Suggestions welcome, especially if you've dug into relevant literatures.

1. The already classic "Estimating the reproducibility of
psychological science" from the Open Science Collaboration of @BrianNosek et al.
https://t.co/yjGczLZ6Je

(Look at that abstract, wow!)


Many people had pointed out problems with standard statistical methods, going back decades (what are the best refs?). But this paper was a sledgehammer, making it impossible to ignore the question: what, if anything, were we actually learning from all those statistical studies?

2. Dean Keith Simonton's book "Creativity in Science: Chance, Logic, Genius, and Zeitgeist". If an essentially scientometric book could be described as a fun romp through science & creativity, this would be it

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