Congrats to @pact-lab.bsky.social lab PhD students @anadeutsch.bsky.social and @keiraaub.bsky.social on receiving Canada Graduate Research Scholarships - Doctoral Awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research 🎉
Leah Mayo
@mayoonthebrain.bsky.social
Parker Research Chair in Psychedelics (+cannabinoids) at University of Calgary | Ojibwe | FirstGen | TwinMom | she/her
So fun to be part of such a rockstar panel with @rcbagot.bsky.social @mayoonthebrain.bsky.social and Friede Holze. If you look carefully you can see @deffinger.bsky.social 👀 whose beautiful work is now in press at Nature Communications 🧠
up next with Sex-specific effects of psilocybin ? @melissaherman.bsky.social the imp of preclinical work because no expectation bias exists! Melissa looks at PVT paraventricular nucleus of thalamus. In humans 5HT7 increases with psilocybin in animals? More cfos+ in PVT in females but not males
Last week the @pact-lab.bsky.social colluded with my family to throw a surprise roller rink party to celebrate my promotion 🎉 [Temporarily overlooking their ease in lying/deceiving me in the planning of this event] I am incredibly grateful to work alongside this team 💪
I love my lab 💞 very grateful to be part of such a wonderful & productive group of scientists!!
‼️ 📝 It's time for a PaCT Lab publication round up! 📝 ‼️ What has the lab been getting up to in the past year or so (other than many great meals together)? See this thread ⬇️
Very happy to hear the news last week about receiving a CIHR CPRA Fellowship!! And thank you to my wonderful mentor @mayoonthebrain.bsky.social as I am sure a large reason of why my application was competitive was because of the excellent training and resources she has been providing ✨
CONGRATS to postdoc @ryanntansey.bsky.social on receiving a Canada Postdoctoral Research Award from CIHR (and scoring in the top 5%!) 🎉 Ryann is the neuroimaging lead on our team & this fellowship will support her in exploring impact of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy using MR spectroscopy 🧠 🍄
6️⃣ Another paper from @anadeutsch.bsky.social along with PhD student Luis Contreras -> conducting a scoping review of mystical experiences ✨ and mood symptoms in psychedelic clinical trials 💊 doi.org/10.1177/2045...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
doi.org
5️⃣ Postdoc @ryanntansey.bsky.social expands on our previous FAAHi for PTSD clinical trial 💊 by delving into the neuroimaging (task + resting state fMRI) results 🧠 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Functional neuroimaging of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition in posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial - Translational Psychiatry
Translational Psychiatry - Functional neuroimaging of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition in posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial
nature.com
4️⃣ Here's the FIRST first author publication 🎉 from PhD student (and former MSc student) @abby-lunge.bsky.social where she looked at the relationship between childhood maltreatment history & adulthood SUDs on blood 🩸 markers of stress doi.org/10.1007/s002...
Individual and additive effects of childhood maltreatment and substance use disorder histories on baseline and stress-induced changes in peripheral stress biomarkers - Psychopharmacology
Background Exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM) has serious consequences on the health of affected individuals, potentially elevating vulnerability to various psychopathologies, including substance...
doi.org
3️⃣ PhD student @anadeutsch.bsky.social investigates how eCBs in the blood 🩸 change following methamphetamine and MDMA in this publication! doi.org/10.1007/s002...
The effect of methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine on peripheral endocannabinoid concentrations: a study in healthy adults - Psychopharmacology
Rationale Stimulant drugs such as methamphetamine (MA) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) can impact neurobiological systems implicated in stress, reward processing, and drug use. Although r...
doi.org
2️⃣ Lab postdoc Gavin Petrie explores the role of eCBs in the subjective effects of alcohol intake (yes, we did give our participants alcoholic beverages for this study 🍷 🥂 🍺) doi.org/10.1007/s002...
Effects of acute alcohol administration on endocannabinoids and relation to subjective effects - Psychopharmacology
Rationale Harmful alcohol use remains a significant global public health challenge. Examining variability in the acute subjective effects of alcohol and related neurobiological mechanisms may advance ...
doi.org
1️⃣ FIRST UP: we have this very comprehensive review from @ryanntansey.bsky.social and @marcdferger.bsky.social with @hmarusak.bsky.social about the intersection of development, eCBs, and mental health! doi.org/10.1111/jcpp...
<em>Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry</em> | ACAMH Pediatric Journal | Wiley Online Library
Background The endocannabinoid (eCB) system, the primary target of cannabis, has gained significant attention as a potential novel therapeutic approach for treating a range of psychiatric disorders ...
doi.org
‼️ 📝 It's time for a PaCT Lab publication round up! 📝 ‼️ What has the lab been getting up to in the past year or so (other than many great meals together)? See this thread ⬇️
... and the latest good news from the PaCT Lab below ⬇️
CONGRATS to postdoc @ryanntansey.bsky.social on receiving a Canada Postdoctoral Research Award from CIHR (and scoring in the top 5%!) 🎉 Ryann is the neuroimaging lead on our team & this fellowship will support her in exploring impact of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy using MR spectroscopy 🧠 🍄
CONGRATS to postdoc @ryanntansey.bsky.social on receiving a Canada Postdoctoral Research Award from CIHR (and scoring in the top 5%!) 🎉 Ryann is the neuroimaging lead on our team & this fellowship will support her in exploring impact of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy using MR spectroscopy 🧠 🍄
Grateful to @globalnews.ca for visiting to discuss our upcoming trial led by @pact-lab.bsky.social postdoc Gavin Petrie with @cannabrain.bsky.social exploring dose-response effects of THC products from Avicanna, setting the stage for upcoming clinical trials using controlled THC dosing
UCalgary scientists study optimal THC dosage for therapeutic use | Watch News Videos Online
Watch UCalgary scientists study optimal THC dosage for therapeutic use Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca
globalnews.ca
We are hiring at @pact-lab.bsky.social 👇 We are looking for a research admin to support our recently funded CIHR network - LIVE-PATH (Lifting Indigenous Voices and Experiences in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and Healing), as well as other community-driven work careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/1745027...
Community Engaged Research Administrator, Psychiatry in Calgary, AB, ...
Community Engaged Research Administrator, Psychiatry in Calgary, AB, ...
careers.ucalgary.ca
Postdoc @marcdferger.bsky.social delivered a killer Psychiatry Grand Rounds today at @ucalgarymed.bsky.social on "Drug Development in Psychiatry: Foundations, Innovations & the Evolving Role of Clinical Insight" ...with enthusiastic support & viewing party from his @pact-lab.bsky.social colleagues
I will be presenting much of the cannabinoid work I have been doing in the Mental Health and Addiction Program Rounds. My talk "Pharmacological Manipulation of the Endocannabinoid System" ties together my work with @mayoonthebrain.bsky.social and my current work with @brainsbeesbikes.bsky.social
Excited to share the Psychopharm Special Issue on Stress, Trauma & Cannabinoids 14 papers examining how the endocannabinoid system shapes stress & trauma responses. Guest edited with @connorhaggarty.bsky.social, @mayoonthebrain.bsky.social & Christelle Baunez. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
EBPS2023 special issue: Stress, trauma and cannabinoids - Psychopharmacology
Psychopharmacology -
link.springer.com
I'm so happy this is finally out! My first empirical paper from my postdoc, and my first time wading into fMRI in a clinical sample. See inside: FAAH inhibition may not have done anything beyond exposure CBT in PTSD, but the DLPFC may play more of a role in treatment response than we thought...? 🤔
Congrats to @pact-lab.bsky.social postdoc @ryanntansey.bsky.social on her recent paper looking at the impact of elevated anandamide via FAAH inhibition on brain function in patients with PTSD What does it do? Well....not much 😬 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Congrats to @pact-lab.bsky.social postdoc @ryanntansey.bsky.social on her recent paper looking at the impact of elevated anandamide via FAAH inhibition on brain function in patients with PTSD What does it do? Well....not much 😬 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Functional neuroimaging of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition in posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial - Translational Psychiatry
Translational Psychiatry - Functional neuroimaging of fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibition in posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized clinical trial
nature.com
What an undertaking this was. So proud of the collection @mayoonthebrain.bsky.social , @brainsbeesbikes.bsky.social , @cbaunez.bsky.social and I collected for the “Stress, Trauma and Cannabinoids” special issue in @psychopharmacology.bsky.social Editorial: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
EBPS2023 special issue: Stress, trauma and cannabinoids - Psychopharmacology
Psychopharmacology -
link.springer.com
First ACNP is going to be tough to top! Thanks to everyone who stopped by to learn about @dpn-journal.bsky.social 🫶🏻🧠💻 #ACNP2026
🙏 for contributing to the amazing #ACNP2026! What'd you love? how was the Program? what'd you love for next @acnporg.bsky.social? @sbilbo.bsky.social @thebalelab.bsky.social @ahmarilab.bsky.social @madrelabutd.bsky.social @mayoonthebrain.bsky.social @cannabrain.bsky.social @jaredwyoung.bsky.social
#ACNP2026 was one for the books! Grateful to have been promoted to @acnporg.bsky.social Full Member this year, and feeling even more fortunate to have a network that truly supports me (even when that sometimes entails entertaining my kiddos) 💗
Congratulations to Harriet De Wit, Ph.D., for being awarded the Barbara Fish Memorial Award! ☺️ #ACNP2026 Please click here ➡️tinyurl.com/2ndexz5k to watch the nominator video by Abraham Palmer, Ph.D.
Congrats to @pact-lab.bsky.social postdoc @ryanntansey.bsky.social on receiving an @acnporg.bsky.social Travel Award! 🎉 #ACNP2026
Here is Week #1 installment for @acnporg.bsky.social Travel Awardees of #ACNP2026 Dr. Mia Rough, Wake Forest University Dr. Clara Zundel, Wayne State University Dr. Ryann Tansey, University of Calgary Dr. Alexander Herman, University of Minnesota @clarazundel.bsky.social @ryanntansey.bsky.social
So excited to be a part of this stellar group of travel awardees this year!! See you at #ACNP2026 🏝️☀️🔬
Here is Week #1 installment for @acnporg.bsky.social Travel Awardees of #ACNP2026 Dr. Mia Rough, Wake Forest University Dr. Clara Zundel, Wayne State University Dr. Ryann Tansey, University of Calgary Dr. Alexander Herman, University of Minnesota @clarazundel.bsky.social @ryanntansey.bsky.social
🎉 Congratulations to our Social Media Editor, Dr. Leah Mayo, on being named to Avenue Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40! Her research on stress, cannabinoids, psychedelics, and mental health continues to make an impact - in and beyond the lab. 🔗 www.avenuecalgary.com/top-40-under...
Leah Mayo | Top 40 Under 40 2025 - Avenue Calgary
Leah Mayo’s groundbreaking work developing therapeutic applications of psychedelics and cannabis-related drugs as the first research chair in psychedelics in Canada is advancing mental health care.
avenuecalgary.com