The FDA's psychedelic sea-change: what it means for mental health and neuroscience research

We talk with neuroscientist Boris Heifets about the new federal push to accelerate research on psychedelic drugs for mental health treatment

May 7 2026

Nicholas Weiler

From Our Neurons to Yours Wu Tsai Neuro Podcast

Last month we saw a big shift in the federal government’s approach to psychedelic medicine.

Specifically, following an executive order by President Trump, the FDA announced it is fast-tracking its review of several clinical trials of psychedelic drugs for patients with mental health disorders. The executive order also directed more funds towards psychedelic research and a review of psychedelics’ status as highly restricted Schedule 1 substances.

To help us understand what all this means for the future of psychedelic medicine and the neuroscience of psychedelics, we’re joined by Boris Heifets, an anesthesiologist at Stanford Medicine who runs a lab studying how psychedelics affect the nervous system and their impact on patients with psychiatric conditions.

View all episodes

SUBSCRIBE on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and more.

Boris Heifets is an associate professor of anesthesiology, perioperative, and pain medicine at Stanford Medicine and a Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute faculty affiliate.

Learn More

The Heifets Lab at Stanford Medicine
FDA plans ultra-fast review of three psychedelic drugs following Trump directive (Associated Press, 2026)
Trump’s order on psychedelics could have far-reaching science consequences (Scientific American, 2026)
Psychedelics, placebo, and anesthetic dreams (From Our Neurons to Yours, 2024)
Pychedelics inside out — how do LSD and psilocybin alter perception? (From Our Neurons to Yours, 2024)
The power of psychedelics meets the power of placebo (From Our Neurons to Yours, 2024)
Magnesium–ibogaine therapy in veterans with traumatic brain injuries (Nature, 2024)
Magnesium–ibogaine therapy effects on cortical oscillations and neural complexity in veterans with traumatic brain injury (Nature Mental Health, 2025)

Episode credits

This episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with sound design by Mark Bell . Social media strategy is by Julia Diaz, and additional editing by Nathan Collins. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and supported in part by the Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience.

Share the show:
If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience.
Get in touch:
We want to hear from YOUR neurons! Email us if you'd be willing to help out with some listener research, and we'll be in touch with some follow-up questions.