Alex Belser, MPhil, PhD
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About
Titles
Clinical Research Fellow, Pachankis Lab
Biography
Alexander Belser, MPhil, PhD, is a Clinical Research Fellow with the ESTEEM Program at the Yale School of Public Health. Previously he was a Fellow in the Department of Applied Psychology at New York University, where he taught graduate coursework in psychotherapy. Alex has two primary areas of research: (1) preventing suicide and improving mental health outcomes among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning youth, (2) psychedelic-assisted clinical research to reduce anxiety, depression, alcohol abuse, and post-traumatic stress. He has published a number of peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Psychopharmacology. Alex completed his clinical and research training at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital, Bellevue Hospital, and the New York Psychiatric Institute at Columbia University Medical Center.
To see Alex's CV, please click here (http://alexbelser.com/documents/alexander-belser-CV.pdf).
To see Alex's website, please click here (http://alexbelser.com/).
Education & Training
- PhD
- New York University (2018)
- MPhil
- Cambridge University (2005)
- BA
- Georgetown University (2002)
Research
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Alex Belser's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Alex Belser's research output by year.
Benjamin Kelmendi, MD
Christopher Pittenger, MD, PhD
Stephen Kichuk, MPH
Terence Ching, PhD
12Publications
1,654Citations
Publications
2022
Single-dose psilocybin for treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: A case report
Kelmendi B, Kichuk S, DePalmer G, Maloney G, Ching T, Belser A, Pittenger C. Single-dose psilocybin for treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: A case report. Heliyon 2022, 8: e12135. PMID: 36536916, PMCID: PMC9758406, DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12135.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsObsessive-compulsive disorderTreatment of OCDPsychedelic treatmentTreatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorderRefractory obsessive-compulsive disorderOCD symptomsPsychological effectsSerotonin systemSingle experimental studyRecreational usersBrain serotonin systemTreatment of patientsClassic psychedelicsQuality of lifePsilocybinSymptomatic improvementCase reportClinical dataTherapeutic potentialEmotionsPatientsDisordersTreatmentNumber of conditionsCompulsionModels of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Contemporary Assessment and an Introduction to EMBARK, a Transdiagnostic, Trans-Drug Model
Brennan W, Belser A. Models of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Contemporary Assessment and an Introduction to EMBARK, a Transdiagnostic, Trans-Drug Model. Frontiers In Psychology 2022, 13: 866018. PMID: 35719571, PMCID: PMC9201428, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.866018.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsClinical trialsEvidence-based therapiesPsychedelic-Assisted PsychotherapyPsychiatric indicationsPAP treatmentTreatment outcomesTherapeutic benefitDrug AdministrationPsychedelic treatmentSupportive psychotherapyTherapeutic interventionsStudy therapistsPsychedelic medicineTreatmentTherapist interventionsCurrent standardClinical domainsClinical orientationTherapist trainingTrialsTherapeutic changeResearch standardizationTherapy modelInterventionCurrent article briefly
2020
Posttraumatic Growth After MDMA‐Assisted Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Gorman I, Belser A, Jerome L, Hennigan C, Shechet B, Hamilton S, Yazar‐Klosinski B, Emerson A, Feduccia A. Posttraumatic Growth After MDMA‐Assisted Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Journal Of Traumatic Stress 2020, 33: 161-170. PMID: 32073177, PMCID: PMC7216948, DOI: 10.1002/jts.22479.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPosttraumatic stress disorderPrimary endpointPlacebo/active controlPhase 2 clinical studyStress disorderClinical symptom reductionPrevious inadequate responseClinician-Administered PTSD ScaleLarge magnitude effect sizesSymptom severity scoresPTSD symptom severity scoresMDMA-Assisted PsychotherapyPosttraumatic Growth InventoryDose groupPTSD symptom severityClinical symptomatologySeverity scoreInadequate responseClinical studiesCrossover designSymptom reductionPTSD ScaleControl groupPosttraumatic growthCAPS-IV
2018
Individual Experiences in Four Cancer Patients Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy
Malone TC, Mennenga SE, Guss J, Podrebarac SK, Owens LT, Bossis AP, Belser AB, Agin-Liebes G, Bogenschutz MP, Ross S. Individual Experiences in Four Cancer Patients Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy. Frontiers In Pharmacology 2018, 9: 256. PMID: 29666578, PMCID: PMC5891594, DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00256.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsCancer-related anxietyPsilocybin-assisted psychotherapyCancer patientsAnti-depressant effectsUnique clinical courseBetter medical outcomesQuality of lifeEffects of psilocybinClinical courseBody of evidenceHastened deathClinician notesMedical outcomesPatientsCancer diagnosisDepressionImproved qualityAcceptance of deathTrialsPsilocybinDeathAnxietyTreatmentPsychotherapyPast trauma
2017
Cancer at the Dinner Table: Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Cancer-Related Distress
Swift T, Belser A, Agin-Liebes G, Devenot N, Terrana S, Friedman H, Guss J, Bossis A, Ross S. Cancer at the Dinner Table: Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Cancer-Related Distress. Journal Of Humanistic Psychology 2017, 57: 488-519. DOI: 10.1177/0022167817715966.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPsilocybin-assisted psychotherapyClose clinical supervisionQuality of lifeLarge magnitude reductionAvailable emotional supportRecent randomizedTreatment of cancerSingle dosePsilocybin therapyDisease progressionCancer recurrenceCancer placesPatient experienceClinical treatmentCancerPsilocybin sessionCancer diagnosisElevated anxietyAdult participantsInterpretative phenomenological analysisDeathTranscribed interviewsDistressing effectsPsychological mechanismsSemistructured interviewsPatient Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Belser A, Agin-Liebes G, Swift T, Terrana S, Devenot N, Friedman H, Guss J, Bossis A, Ross S. Patient Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Journal Of Humanistic Psychology 2017, 57: 354-388. DOI: 10.1177/0022167817706884.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric- Belser, A. B., Agin-Liebes, G., Swift, T. C., Pilgreen, S., Devenot, N., Friedman, H. L., Guss, J., Bossis, A., Ross, S. (2017). Patient experiences of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 0022167817706884, 1-35.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
- Swift, T. C*., Belser, A. B.*, Agin-Liebes, G.*, Terrana, S., Devenot, N., Friedman, H. L., Guss, J., Bossis, A., Ross, S. (2017). Cancer at the dinner table: Experiences of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of cancer-related psychological distress. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 0022167817715966, 1-32. [* First authors who contributed equally to the work.]Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2016
The Protective Role of Gay–Straight Alliances for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Questioning Students: A Prospective Analysis
Ioverno S, Belser AB, Baiocco R, Grossman AH, Russell ST. The Protective Role of Gay–Straight Alliances for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Questioning Students: A Prospective Analysis. Psychology Of Sexual Orientation And Gender Diversity 2016, 3: 397-406. PMID: 28042585, PMCID: PMC5193472, DOI: 10.1037/sgd0000193.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsGay-Straight AlliancesSchool yearGSA presenceLGBQ studentsSubsequent school yearSexual minority studentsHigh school studentsQuestioning StudentsEducation policySchool safetyMinority studentsSchool studentsHomophobic bullyingStudentsSchoolsBullying experiencesPerceptions of safetyParticipationPractice implicationsMulti-site longitudinal studyPerceptionLongitudinal studyLesbiansBullyingPositive roleRapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial
Ross S, Bossis A, Guss J, Agin-Liebes G, Malone T, Cohen B, Mennenga SE, Belser A, Kalliontzi K, Babb J, Su Z, Corby P, Schmidt BL. Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Journal Of Psychopharmacology 2016, 30: 1165-1180. PMID: 27909164, PMCID: PMC5367551, DOI: 10.1177/0269881116675512.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAnti-depressant effectsCancer-related anxietyQuality of lifeCancer-related psychological distressLife-threatening cancerPrimary outcomeCrossover trialTherapeutic effectPsilocybin treatmentSustained benefitMedical outcomesSymptom reductionSignificant anxietyExistential distressPatientsPsychological distressDepressionSpiritual wellbeingCancerAnxietyPsilocybinTrialsOutcomesTreatmentDistress