Leah Mayo

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 recent preclinical evidence implicates the endocannabinoid (eCB) system in these processes, little is known about the acute effects of stimulants on eCB levels in humans. Objectives The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of acute administration of the prototypical psychostimulant MA and the psychostimulant-empathogen MDMA on circulating eCB levels in healthy adults. Methods Using a within-subject, double-blind design, this study assessed the acute effects of MA (20 mg), MDMA (100 mg), and placebo on plasma eCB levels in healthy human participants (N = 22) during three separate sessions. Blood samples assessing concentrations of the eCBs anandamide (AEA) and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) were collected between 150- and 180-minutes post-drug administration, and subjective measures of drug effects were collected at regular intervals. Results MA, but not MDMA, was associated with significantly lower 2-AG plasma concentrations compared to placebo. Neither drug impacted AEA concentrations. However, during the placebo condition, higher AEA concentrations were correlated with disliking the ‘drug effects’, suggesting a possible relationship between AEA levels and negative expectations of subjective drug effects. Conclusions These findings provide novel insights into how stimulant drugs act on the eCB system and may help to develop treatments for SUDs.

Congrats to @pact-lab.bsky.social PhD student @anadeutsch.bsky.social on her 1st first-author paper from the lab! 🎉

She explored how MDMA & methamphetamine impact cortisol, endocannabinoids, & BDNF levels in healthy humans and how this relates to the subjective drug experience 💊👇

I had the pleasure of attending a psychedelics masterclass this afternoon chaired by Harriet de Wit with talks from Kathryn Cunningham, Chuck Nichols, @drfriid.bsky.social & @mayoonthebrain.bsky.social. From molecules to behaviour and practical steps in trial design #EBPS2025

Assistant Professors - Sociology, Faculty of Arts in Calgary, AB, ... Assistant Professors - Sociology, Faculty of Arts in Calgary, AB, ...

JOB ALERT FOR #SOCIOLOGIST: Come work with me. We have FOUR Assistant Professor positions in the Sociology Department at the University of Calgary.

careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/1672106...

I remember when maps wanted to legalize mdma and all psychedelics before they became a for profit pharma company and wanted to only legalize mdma through their indication and therapy manual

Sad to see, especially when access can be had with legal regulated supply for all

a man is holding a checkered flag and says the level of unprofessionalism far too much . ALT: a man is holding a checkered flag and says the level of unprofessionalism far too much .

Am I allowed to call psilocybin 'pharmacologically promiscuous' in a grant, or is that...unprofessional?

New paper in TIPS: ABCs of psychedelics a preclinical roadmap for drug discovery.

This was a fun piece to write for @cp-trendspharma.bsky.social

“The ABCs of Psychedelics: A Preclinical Roadmap for Drug Discovery” with John McCorvy and @jmantsch.bsky.social

www.cell.com/trends/pharm...

Search Jobs - University Affairs

UCalgary is recruiting!

We are recruiting for the Novartis Research Chair in Schizophrenia Research (MD required)

See more info in the ad below, and feel free to reach out w/ questions about the institute, city, etc.,.

Please share!

universityaffairs.ca/search-job/?...

Incredible time at the Cannabinoid GRC! @drjkhokhar.bsky.social & Cece Hilliard knocked it out of the park! It was an honor to be discussion lead for the GRS session on therapeutics. As always, proud of my friend/mentor @mayoonthebrain.bsky.social, chosen as 2029 chair w/ @ryanmcpickle.bsky.social

Thanks to @drjkhokhar.bsky.social & Cece Hillard for another fantastic Cannabinoid GRC!

The #cannabinerd crew is unparalleled & I couldn't be more excited for the opportunity to organize the 2029 meeting with @ryanmcpickle.bsky.social

He was too busy doing pull-ups to join for the photo

There are few reasons to miss the start of classes but making sure I get to attend #cannabinoidgrc2025 is one of the few VERY GOOD reasons! #blackincannabinoids

Flex off with the lifting crew at #CannabinoidGRC @ryanmcpickle.bsky.social @lcornelas.bsky.social @mayoonthebrain.bsky.social & Carrie Cuttler

a man says you really are a dream team in front of a microphone ALT: a man says you really are a dream team in front of a microphone

Wishing all the #Cannabinerd trainees a Happy Cannabinoid GRS kickoff!

Grateful to see @pact-lab.bsky.social well represented w/ talks from @ryanntansey.bsky.social & @abby-lunge.bsky.social, @marcdferger.bsky.social as a discussion leader, & Gavin Petrie as co-Chair (& later speaker at the GRC) 💪

Sex differences in the acute effects of cannabis on human cognition: A systematic review Acute cannabis exposure can transiently impair cognitive performance, increasing the risk of accidental injury and potentially disrupting activities o…

Thrilled to share a new systematic review where we examined sex differences in the acute cognitive effects of cannabis in humans

Overall, not much evidence of sex diffs (6/29 studies, 8/216 variables found sex diffs)

BUT...

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Realizing now that I never advertised my FIRST first author publication of my postdoc here... shared first authorship with @marcdferger.bsky.social of course! 💫

Very proud of this review that perfectly branches between the developmental work I did in my PhD & what I've been doing in the PaCT Lab! 🧠

THRILLED to share @acnporg.bsky.social news x2!

1) Our study group “Centering Lived Experience in Psychiatric Neuroscience Research” @ericjnestler.bsky.social @mayaschumer.bsky.social @deffinger.bsky.social @viscidula.bsky.social @noelvest.bsky.social @cahill-lab.bsky.social=ACCEPTED! 🤩 #ACNP2026

a group of people jumping off a cliff into a body of water with a caption that says colnah.cy Alt: people jumping off a cliff into a body of water

Just learned that my @acnporg.bsky.social panel was accepted!

With my colleagues Zoë Hughes, @jordanhamm.bsky.social, Bryan Baxter & Patricio O'Donnell, our #ACNP2026 panel will highlight cross-species approaches using functional brain-based biomarkers to address translational gaps in psychiatry

Excited to be co-chairing a panel with @argelaguilarvalles.bsky.social featuring
Sophie Holmes, Ellen Bradley, & Craig Ferris for #ACNP2026 in the Bahamas 😎

So excited for you - and happy to have you at the next few ACNP meetings 😎

So grateful to receive one of the @acnporg.bsky.social travel awards this year... and based on the location, probably one of the best years to get it 🏝️

Love seeing the faces of our young talent! Future of behavioral pharmacology is strong 💪

Kudos to all and especially to our very own @merridee.bsky.social

It is so fun to be part of this team & work with these fantastic people - and it's even better when we actually get the opportunity to get together (in real life!) 🤩

Yayyy congrats to Hayley! 🎉🎉 (please relay my excitement to her, since I don't think she's on here?😂)

SO MANY fantastic Travel Awardees will be joining us for #ACNP2026 in the Bahamas 🧠 🏖️

...but I'm extra excited that our very own @pact-lab.bsky.social postdoc @ryanntansey.bsky.social will be among them 🤩

International early career scientists: want to attend @acnporg.bsky.social?

Apply below for the Global Scholarship which includes an invite to the meeting and covers most travel expenses ⬇️

Check out this new NPP 🔥 Hot Topic 🔥 from @flagel-lab.bsky.social & @jbeehner.bsky.social 👇

Don't miss this fresh, new NPP paper from @jwvanryzin.bsky.social & team 👇

Missed a BrainPod episode? Be sure to catch up on your favorite streaming service:

www.nature.com/npp/podcast

Grey matter morphometry in young adult e-cigarette users, tobacco cigarette users & non-using controls NPP BrainPod · Episode

Our newest BrainPod episode is out 🧠 🎙️

Listen to Dr. Laurie Zawertalio discuss their recent paper on grey matter morphometry in young adult e-cigarette users, tobacco cigarette users, and non-using controls 🚬

open.spotify.com/episode/21Um...

Check out this recent BrainPod episode where @tc3consortium.bsky.social Member Prof. Laurie Zawertailo speaks about their recent paper. @camhnews.bsky.social