Alex Belser, MPhil, PhD
Clinical Research Fellow, Pachankis LabDownloadHi-Res Photo
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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/).
Last Updated on May 05, 2025.
Education & Training
- PhD
- New York University (2018)
- MPhil
- Cambridge University (2005)
- BA
- Georgetown University (2002)
Research
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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.
Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, PhD
Benjamin Kelmendi, MD
Christopher Pittenger, MD, PhD
Stephen Kichuk, MPH
Terence Ching, PhD
Geena Fram
15Publications
2,593Citations
Publications
2025
Acute and post-dosing effects of single-dose psilocybin for obsessive-compulsive disorder in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial: an interpretative phenomenological analysis
Ching T, Stahnke B, Shnayder S, Agin-Liebes G, Adams T, Amoroso L, Baiz O, Belser A, Bohner C, Burke M, D’Amico E, DePalmer G, Eilbott J, Fram G, Grazioplene R, Hokanson J, Jankovsky A, Kichuk S, Martins B, Purohit P, Schaer H, Sierra Y, Witherow C, Pittenger C, Kelmendi B. Acute and post-dosing effects of single-dose psilocybin for obsessive-compulsive disorder in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial: an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Frontiers In Psychiatry 2025, 16: 1726818. PMID: 41450831, PMCID: PMC12728583, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1726818.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThis study investigates the effects of single-dose psilocybin on treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder, finding symptom reductions linked to insights, emotional shifts, and improved psychological flexibility.A model training curriculum for psychedelic, psycholytic, and entactogen-assisted psychotherapy
Passie T, Loizaga-Velder A, Danforth A, Grob C, Greer G, Erritzoe D, Oehen P, Styk J, Schlichting M, Vermetten E, Goksøyr I, Palenicek T, Mithoefer M, Mithoefer A, Anderson B, Krediet E, Gasser P, Nielson E, Gorman I, Phelps J, Belser A, Guss J. A model training curriculum for psychedelic, psycholytic, and entactogen-assisted psychotherapy. Journal Of Psychopharmacology 2025, 40: 98-109. PMID: 40492498, PMCID: PMC13291380, DOI: 10.1177/02698811241282759.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
2023
A Systematic Review of Reporting Practices in Psychedelic Clinical Trials: Psychological Support, Therapy, and Psychosocial Interventions
Brennan W, Kelman A, Belser A. A Systematic Review of Reporting Practices in Psychedelic Clinical Trials: Psychological Support, Therapy, and Psychosocial Interventions. Psychedelic Medicine 2023, 1: 218-229. PMID: 40046864, PMCID: PMC11658666, DOI: 10.1089/psymed.2023.0007.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitationsAltmetric
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 ResearchCitationsAltmetricModels 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 ResearchCitationsAltmetric
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 ResearchCitationsAltmetric
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 ResearchCitationsAltmetric
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 ResearchCitationsAltmetricPatient 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 ResearchCitationsAltmetricPatient experiences of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.
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