Devin Effinger, PhD

My TEDx talk is live! I share my path from TBI to heroin addiction to neuroscientist, along with simple strategies for resilience and top-down control. I’d truly appreciate you sharing it. youtube.com/watch?v=08Lgir…

Our first Deep Dive of 2026 covers a recent Perspective calling for recognizing and removing the barriers faced by researchers with lived experience of mental illness or SUDs who work in our field. By @UmaRChatterjee, @SchumerMaya, @devin_effinger & colleagues. youtu.be/y5fymczeNFc

Postdoctoral fellowship available in structure guided drug discovery in @RothLabUNC Please RT

@OliverK28 Thanks bro!!

@devin_effinger Great talk Devin! Love the idea of a voluntary evolution 📈

My TEDx talk is live! I share my path from TBI to heroin addiction to neuroscientist, along with simple strategies for resilience and top-down control. I’d truly appreciate you sharing it. youtube.com/watch?v=08Lgir…

Researchers with lived experience of mental illness or SUDs bring vital expertise & insight to our field, yet remain underrepresented and face barriers to participation and leadership. This Perspective from @UmaRChatterjee, @SchumerMaya, @devin_effinger, @viscidula, @noelvest, Michael Cahill, @BStaglin, @EricJNestler calls for breaking these barriers and proposes actionable strategies to build more inclusive environments by reforming admissions, mentorship, and leadership pathways. nature.com/articles/s4427…

@drrickbarnett @BellevueDoc Low-dose psilocin/LSD off receptor within 10h. Suggests that psychedelics, even taken daily, won’t reach the threshold to promote remodeling effects. Appears kinetics drive the effect and presumably at some dose or frequency (2/3x/day) you’d see effects with psychedelics.

@BellevueDoc Pretty sure the theorized psilocybin/psilocin 5ht2b associated cardiac risk is still just theorized @devin_effinger research suggests

Stabilizing Psilocybin Pharmacology and Tuning Safety with Atypical Antipsychotic Cotherapy a stable cocrystal of psilocin and psilocybin pair with atypical antipsychotics to steer receptor pharmacology and mitigate 5-HT2B-associated cardiac risk pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.10…

@drrickbarnett @BellevueDoc In our study, 8 weeks of chronic low-dose LSD produced no evidence of valvulopathy or cardiac remodeling, unlike high-dose 5-HT or fenfluramine (FEN) controls. Modeling & human PK data suggest effects requires sustained 5-HT2B activation over 24h—a profile seen in FEN and MDMA.

🚨 Please RT! We’re recruiting a motivated postdoc to dissect the neurocircuits of affective pain. Expertise in behavioral models of pain/SUDs, stereotaxy, microscopy, opto/chemogenetics, or fiber photometry encouraged. Apply 👉 recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF10647 #Neuroscience #Postdoc

If anyone is looking (or know of someone) for a roommate and has a spot at the Atlantis for @ACNPorg , please let me know!

Devin Effinger @devin_effinger and @MelissaHerman4 argue that, though many human psychedelic clinical trials are underway, preclinical studies remain our best bet to answer fundamental questions about the neurobiology of psychedelics. thetransmitter.org/psychedelics/w…

What an honor! Humbled and grateful. It was a beautiful disaster and a perfect metaphor for my recovery ending with a standing ovation. Thank you so much to the organizers and stay tuned for the link! @TEDxBoulder

@enpunct What is probably because of D2 affinity?

it's probably because of the affinity at d2, right?

Takeaway: In mice, 8 weeks of low-dose LSD produced no evidence of heart damage. But human studies are still essential — especially in people with cardiovascular risk factors.

Pharmacokinetic modeling gave us a potential explanation: 👉 Fenfluramine is still present in blood at 24h, leading to sustained and chronic 5-HT2B activation. 👉 Low doses of LSD and psilocin are both off the receptor within 8-10h.

🚨 New paper 🚨 For years, there has been concern that psychedelics might pose cardiovascular risks due to their agonist activity at the 5-HT2B receptor — the same target linked to drug-induced heart disease. pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.10…

@hubermanlab @sweatystartup @RCarhartHarris @Drug_Researcher Sorry should clarify. No effect in BDI outcome** I think it points to important point both clinically and pre clinically. It’s possible psychedelics exert completely different effects in the depressed/anxious brain and microdosing only effective for those with symptoms.

@hubermanlab @sweatystartup @RCarhartHarris @Drug_Researcher Most compelling data thus far IMO. Molla et al (2024) from de Wit lab. Comparing high vs low BDI scoring individuals. High BDI show significantly greater sensitivity to 26ug LSD and reductions in BDI 48 hours after. No effects in low BDI.

I've been micro-dosing psychedelic mushrooms for about 2 months now. Haven't felt anything. Except better mood, more excited and playful with my kids, more improvements in golf game, clearer head. I recommend it.

@manorlaboratory A characteristic shared among known valvulopathic 2B agonists is prolonged presence within the blood (18-24h) leading to persistent activation of 2B. Low dose LSD/psilocin off receptor in 8-10h. Certainly there is some dose/frequency at which problems arise with psychedelics.

@RCarhartHarris @Drug_Researcher @hubermanlab @sweatystartup Yes it seems, though absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Yes, positive control groups were Fenfluramine and a high dose of 5-HT.

@devin_effinger @Drug_Researcher @hubermanlab @sweatystartup Ok, so good news for lsd and positive controls meaning fenfluramine?