Clinical & Applied Psychedelic Science Lab

The Clinical & Applied Psychedelic Science (CAPS) Lab, founded in 2025 by Dr. Jérémie Richard, investigates the biological, psychological and sociocultural factors that shape health outcomes in clinical and naturalistic psychedelic use. Our work spans two domains: (1) mental health and addictive behaviours, and (2) physical health and quality of life.

Using experimental and observational methods, we also examine how extra-pharmacological factors ("set and setting") influence psychedelic experiences and long-term outcomes. Our central question is how altered or non-ordinary states of consciousness translate into meaningful change, with particular attention to what unfolds before, during and after use, and how these experiences contribute to lasting shifts in identity and behaviour.

Congratulations to Dr. Jérémie Richard & Sarah Rosenbloom on receiving a $10,000 Community-Based Research Grant from the University of Ottawa for their project, "Building a Community-Based Research Partnership with Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services".
Congratulations to Elena Bakker on receiving a CGRS-M Scholarship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for 2026–2027!
Congratulations to Dr. Jérémie Richard & Dr. Jean-François Jodouin on receiving a $186,000 grant from the Medavie Foundation for their project, “MDMA-Assisted Couple Therapy for Treating PTSD in First Responders”.
We are pleased to welcome Elie Ledoux-Jobin & Elena Bakker as the first graduate students in the CAPS Lab, beginning in September 2026!
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Jean-François Jodouin as the first postdoctoral fellow in the CAPS Lab, beginning in May 2026!

Lab Director

Screenshot 2026-05-22 091148-1

Jérémie Richard, Ph.D., C.Psych.

Dr. Jérémie Richard is an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa and a licensed clinical psychologist in Ontario and Québec, Canada. Dr. Richard received his MA and PhD in Counselling Psychology at McGill University and completed his predoctoral internship at the Mood and Anxiety Disorder Program at the Allan Memorial Institute (part of the McGill University Health Center). From 2023 to 2025, Dr. Richard was a CIHR Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research (CPCR). In his time at the CPCR, Dr. Richard worked as a clinician-scientist, closely involved in research investigating the therapeutic potential for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of severe physical health and psychiatric conditions. His current research focuses on transdiagnostic treatment approaches at the intersection of psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. Dr. Richard has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and has presented his research at a number of national and international conferences.

Contact: jrichard2@uottawa.ca

Postdoctoral Fellows

Jean-François Jodouin, Ph.D. - Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Dr. Jean-François Jodouin is a clinical psychologist and postdoctoral researcher in the Clinical and Applied Psychedelic Science Lab at the University of Ottawa. He holds doctorates in clinical psychology from Université de Montréal and in cognitive science and computer science from Université Paris-Sud. His work brings together research on couples and clinical experience in relationships, trauma, and experiential and somatic approaches to psychotherapy. His current research focuses on developing MDMA-assisted conjoint therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder in first responders, with particular attention to therapeutic processes and outcomes for both partners.

Contact: jjodouin2@uottawa.ca

Clinical & Experimental Psychology Students

Elie Ledoux-Jobin - PhD Experimental Psychology (2026-)

Contact: eledo073@uottawa.ca

Elena Bakker - MA/PhD Clinical Psychology (2026-)

Contact: ebakk014@uottawa.ca

Psychedelics & Consciousness Studies Students

Arshia Naserinejad - MA Psychedelics & Consciousness Studies (2025-2026)

Sandra Winckler - MA Psychedelics & Consciousness Studies (2025-2026)

Sarah Rosenbloom - MA Psychedelics & Consciousness Studies (2026-2028)

Tanveer Singh - MA Psychedelics & Consciousness Studies (2025-2026)

Zane Qarni - MA Psychedelics & Consciousness Studies (2025-2026)

Honours Thesis Students

Ainslee Gagné - B.A. Psychology (2026-2027)

Alessia Fecteau - B.A. Psychology (2026-2027)

Chelsea Wagner - B.A. Psychology (2026-2027)

Lucas Hermida - B.Sc. Psychology (2026-2027)

Taylor Pettipas - B.A. Psychology (2026-2027)

Research Assistants

Idir Zaher - B.A. Honours Psychology & Philosophy

Ryan Santucci - B.A. Psychology (U4)

Maggie Parker - B.A. Psychology (U4)

Alexandra Boyd - B.A. Psychology (U3)

Maria Barsoum - B.A. Psychology (U3)

Florence Larochelle - B.A. Psychology (U3)

Liza Zaslavskaya - B.A. Psychology (U3)

Keira Boland - B.Sc. Psychology (U3)

Delphine Careau - B.A. Psychology (U2)

Lab Alumni

Camille Audet (Graduate Research Assistant - Summer 2026)
Hanane Tamim (Research Assistant - 2025-2026)
Nolan Turner (Research Assistant - 2025-2026)

Academic Collaborators

Ashleigh Forsyth, PhD - Queen's University, Canada
Eva Dreyfus, MA - Charles University, Prague

Community Collaborators

Pedram Dara - Psychedelic Lived Experiences, Canada
Gordon Hurley - All The Way Foundation, Canada
David Fascinato - Heroic Hearts Canada, Canada
Francesco Kment - Heroic Hearts Canada, Canada
Michelle Scott - Heroic Hearts Canada, Canada

Longitudinal Investigation of Mental Health, Integration, Neuropsychological Functioning and Life Quality in Veterans Participating in Psychedelic Retreats (LIMINAL-VETS)

This study aims to understand how attending psychedelic retreats may affect military veterans, especially during the transition from military to civilian life. Specifically, the purpose of the study is to understand the impact of psychedelic retreats on the mental health, neuropsychological functioning, and psychosocial well-being of military veterans.

The research team aims to follow veterans who plan to attend psychedelic retreats offering ibogaine and/or 5-MeO-DMT, ayahuasca, or psilocybin by asking them to complete surveys and interviews with researchers before and after the psychedelic retreat.

This study is being conducted in partnership with Heroic Hearts Canada & All The Way Foundation.

This study is currently recruiting: https://redcap.link/liminal-vets

Strengthening Canadian Patient-Oriented Research and Engagement in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (SPORE-PAT)

The purpose of this study is to better understand the experiences of
individuals who have accessed psychedelic-assisted therapy for mental health and substance use disorders.

The study aims to (1) conduct patient-oriented research to capture lived experiences of individuals who have received psychedelic-assisted therapy, (2) identify perceived barriers, facilitators, and unmet needs related to accessing and participating in psychedelic-assisted therapy, and (3) generate participant-informed recommendations to support future research, clinical practice, and policy development in Canada.

This study is being conducted in partnership with Psychedelic Lived Experiences (Director: Pedram Dara).

This study is recruiting starting October 2026.

MDMA-Assisted Couple Therapy for First-Responders with PTSD (M-cAT)

Clinical trial in planning (2026-2029).

A phase 2A pilot clinical trial investigating the safety and efficacy of MDMA-assisted couple therapy in the treatment of PTSD among first responders.

This study is supported by a research grant provided by the Medavie Foundation Post-Traumatic Stress Initiative.

Canadian Network for Psychedelic-Assisted Cancer Therapy (CAN-PACT)

The Canadian Network for Psychedelic-Assisted Cancer Therapy ('CAN-PACT') is a Canadian national initiative advancing psychedelic-assisted therapy for people with living with cancer, focusing on building a robust evidence base via rigorous research, developing bespoke structured training for healthcare workers, and informing and influencing policy. The program is currently in the preparation stage - building the network, developing studies, protocols, training programs, and exploring regulatory pathways for long-lasting change. In future, the program will be recruiting cancer patients for clinical trials across various locations in Canada.

Dr. Richard is involved with CAN-PACT as Co-Chair of the Education & Training Committee and member of the Clinical Trial Committee.

Website: https://www.canpact.ca/canpactnetworkmembers

Impact of Naturalistic Psychedelic Use on Behavioral Addictions (ADDICT-PSYC)

This study aims to understand the impact of naturalistic psychedelic use on non-substance addictive behaviors, otherwise known as behavioral addictions (i.e., problems with gambling, video gaming, internet/social media use, pornography and other sexual behaviors, and shopping/spending behaviors).

This study is being conducted in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research.

Website: https://www.hopkinspsychedelic.org/

This study is no longer recruiting.

Recent Presentations:

Richard, J. & Larochelle, F. (2026, June). Harnessing music to support recovery: The therapeutic function of music in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for substance use disorders. Presentation at the 87th Annual Canadian Psychological Association National Convention. Montreal, QC.

Zaher, I. & Richard, J. (2026, June). What about psycholytic therapy? A historical revisiting of psychedelics assisting psychotherapy. Poster presentation at the 87^th Annual Canadian Psychological Association National Convention. Montreal, QC.

Boyd, A. & Richard, J. (2026, June). Neuropsychological and clinical impacts of ibogaine & 5-MeO-DMT therapy among Canadian women veterans: A case series. Poster presentation at the Brain Health Research Day hosted by the University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute. Ottawa, ON.

Richard, J. (2026, March). Healing through meaning: Interdisciplinary psychedelic research at the Clinical and Applied Psychedelic Studies (CAPS) Lab. Speaker presentation at the 2nd Annual Conference on Psychedelics and Spirituality. Society for the Advancement of Psychonautic Studies (SAPS), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON.

Fecteau, A., Naudé, G., Scott, J., Garcia-Romeu, A., & Richard, J. (2026, May). The impact of naturalistic psychedelic use on behavioral addictions: A mixed-methods study. Poster presentation at the 15^th Annual Interdisciplinary Conference in Psychology (ICP) | Conférence interdisciplinaire en psychologie (CIP). Ottawa, ON.

Richard, J. & Zaher, I. (2026, February). Psycholytic psychotherapy: A research agenda for contemporary clinical trials. Poster presentation at the International Society for Research on Psychedelics (ISRP 2026) Conference. New Orleans, LA.

Richard, J. & Dreyfus, E. (2026, January). Transdiagnostic effects of psychedelic therapy: Integrating the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) and Research Domain Criteria (RDoC). Poster presentation at the 68th Czech-Slovak Psychopharmacological Conference. Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic.

Naudé, G., Richard, J., Garcia-Romeu, A., & Hendricks, P. (2025, August). Psychedelics and recovery from addictive disorders: Recent experimental and observational findings. Feature stage symposium session at the American Psychological Association (APA) 2025 Convention. Denver, CO.

Richard, J., Naudé, G., Scott, J., Thrul, J. & Garcia-Romeu, A. (2025, July). The impact of naturalistic psychedelic use on behavioral addictions: A mixed-methods study. Speaker presentation at the 10th International Conference on Behavioral Addictions (ICBA 2025). Nantes, France.

Richard, J., Rubin, S., Geithner, I., Nayak, S., Sepeda, N., Lowe, M. X., Jackson, H. & Garcia-Romeu, A. (2025, June). The structure of psychedelic phenomenology: An interpretive phenomenological analysis of 1,450 psilocybin narrative experiences. Speaker presentation at the 86th Annual Canadian Psychological Association National Convention. St. John's, NL.

Canada vs. US Psychedelic Landscapes & The Future of Psychotherapy with Dr. Jérémie Richard on The Integration Session: A Psychedelic Science Podcast

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4BNWpi5MclaHvDvlDzWILc?autoplay=true

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yLV8Hp7Yi8

From Johns Hopkins to Ottawa, Dr. Jérémie Richard is a clinical psychologist with unique binational experience in the field of psychedelic science. Now an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa and director of the Clinical & Applied Psychedelic Science Lab, Dr. Richard joins host Dr. Elena Koning to trace his career path and share his most personally impactful and ongoing work in psychedelic psychotherapy. The conversation explores the differences in Canada-US regulatory landscapes, their impact on research and access, and psychedelics’ potential for transdiagnostic care. Looking forward, Dr. Richard offers a visionary take on how emerging perspectives on mental illness may outgrow current DSM categories, and what psychotherapy could become in 25 years - including whether (and how) psychedelics will reshape it.

Naturalistic Psilocybin and Addictive Behaviors ft. Dr. Jérémie Richard on The Psychedelic Brain Science Podcast

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4XNQ6tSEUuSQe09c1p07gA

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/naturalistic-psilocybin-and-addictive-behaviors-ft-dr/id1645631871?i=1000729528322

This episode Dr. Jaster is joined by Dr. Jérémie Richard, a psychologist and Assistant Professor at University of Ottawa. At the time of recording, Dr. Richard was a Banting Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. This episode discusses a recent publication by Richard and colleagues titled, "Patterns of Internalizing Problems, Substance Use and Cognitive Flexibility Before and After Naturalistic Psilocybin Use: A Repeated Measures Latent Profile Analysis".

Consider applying to join the CAPS Lab.

Students at the University of Ottawa who are interested are encouraged to complete the Google Form below.

Please note: all research assistant positions have been filled for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Students interested in writing an honours thesis should contact Dr. Richard during the Fall or Winter semester of their third year. Students who wish to volunteer during the Fall or Winter semesters should contact Dr. Richard by August. Those who wish to volunteer during the summer semester should contact him in April.

Dr. Richard is currently accepting graduate students in the Clinical or Experimental Psychology program. Dr. Richard also supervises Major Research Papers (MRP6999) for students in the Psychedelics & Consciousness Studies Program. If you are interested, please contact him directly by email: jrichard2@uottawa.ca.

Please include your contact information, transcript, as well as an updated CV.

Thank you for your interest in our lab!