Researchers receive funding to launch USC’s first clinical study of psilocybin for mental health

The goal of USC’s first-ever study of psychedelic therapy is to conduct a clinical trial to determine whether mindfulness meditation training can augment the potential benefits of psilocybin therapy for mental well-being and cognitive function

Keck School of Medicine of USC

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Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the Brain and Creativity Institute at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center have launched the University of Southern California’s first study of psychedelic therapy. This clinical trial focuses on psilocybin, a psychedelic chemical found in certain types of mushrooms throughout the world, which has shown promise for treating substance abuse and other mental health disorders. Recruiting healthy community-based volunteers, the research team hopes to determine if structured mindfulness meditation training can augment psilocybin-assisted therapy, using a comprehensive battery of physiological, biological, cognitive, and psychosocial measures.

The research is being funded by an award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) through its Evidence-Based Validation & Innovation for Rapid-Acting Treatments (EVIDENT) initiative. The initiative is designed to help spur the development of more effective treatments and more personalized care for people with mental or behavioral health disorders.

The study is co-led at USC by Rael Cahn, MD, PhD, director of the USC Center for Mindfulness Science and clinical associate professor of psychiatry and the behavioral sciences and Caryn Lerman, PhD, director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Psychology, both in the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine. The study will be conducted at Cahn’s lab at the USC Brain and Creativity Institute (BCI) and in collaboration with other BCI researchers, including Assal Habibi, PhD, director of the USC Center for Music, Brain and Society, Jonas Kaplan, PhD, co-director of the USC Dornsife Cognitive Neuroimaging Institute and John Monterosso, PhD,  professor of psychology at USC Dornsife.

Psilocybin and mental health

Psilocybin profoundly alters perception, mood and cognition, in some cases causing people to experience distorted sights and sounds or lose their sense of time and space. Research suggests that, with sufficient therapeutic support, psilocybin therapy can lead to emotionally meaningful spiritual experiences.

Although it is currently listed as a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act, the FDA has recently granted psilocybin a “breakthrough therapy” designation for its potential in treating major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression. Preliminary evidence suggests it may improve the conditions substantially compared to other available treatments. Other research has shown promising results for its use in treating addiction. 

“Psilocybin-assisted therapy has the potential to revolutionize how we approach mental health research,” said Caryn Lerman. “There is growing evidence that these treatments may have important applications not only for addiction, but also for improving quality of life and emotional well-being for people facing serious illness and end-of-life challenges. This study allows us to rigorously explore that potential while contributing valuable data to a national research effort.”

 The trial will evaluate the potential benefits of offering psilocybin within an eight-week mindfulness meditation training program.  Participants will be randomized to receive psilocybin alone under supervision or psilocybin with mindfulness training, a systematic method to help focus awareness and attention through a series of meditative practices. Mindfulness training has been shown to produce significant mental and physical health benefits, leading the researchers to hypothesize that combining it with psilocybin could lead to improved outcomes over psilocybin assisted therapy on its own. 

Evaluation with comprehensive data

Researchers will enroll approximately 72 middle-aged adults from the Los Angeles community who have no current psychiatric or medical pathology and no previous experience with psychedelic use or meditation practice.  Participants will receive psilocybin-assisted therapy sessions as part of a structured therapeutic protocol offered at the USC Brain and Creativity Institute. The trial will be open label, so participants and researchers will know which treatment they’ve been assigned.

Participants will also complete a comprehensive series of assessments, including EEG, brain MRI/fMRI scans, salivary, blood, and stool samples as well as psychological and cognitive measures before and after treatment. They will also complete follow-up surveys at approximately 3 months, 6 months, and one year after the treatments. Researchers will evaluate the data to determine potential effects on psychological well-being, spirituality, cognitive functioning, brain activity related to self and narrative processing, and biological markers related to inflammation and brain health.

“Mindfulness meditation practice provides people with the tools to deconstruct unhelpful narratives, a process that may be amplified by psilocybin-assisted therapy,” said Rael Cahn. “By combining mindfulness training with psilocybin-assisted therapy, we hope to better understand how these practices may enhance both the potential immediate and longer-term effects of psychedelic medicine.”

About the study

The study is supported by ARPA-H’s EVIDENT program, which aims to accelerate behavioral health research through detailed, real-time clinical data collection. Using digital tools, brain measures, and biological sampling, EVIDENT-supported studies contribute de-identified data to a secure national repository, helping researchers identify patterns associated with rapid changes in mental health. ARPA-H is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that supports bold, high-impact research designed to transform health outcomes.

This research was funded, in part, by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Government

 For more information about ARPA-H, visit ARPA-H.gov.

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Character education linked with better GCSE results, new research finds.

University of Birmingham

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Research from the University of Birmingham has found that schools recognised for their character education provision show stronger academic progress than those without this recognition.

A new study which reviewed data for over three million pupils in over 3,000 English secondary schools, found that schools awarded the Association for Character Education’s Quality Mark (QM) or Quality Mark Plus (QM+) consistently perform over and above expectations in GCSE exams relative to other schools in England (Non-QM).

The difference between QM+ and Non-QM schools over several years amounted to more than half a GCSE grade per pupil, averaged across subjects.

The research has been led by academics at the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham. It has been published today in Educational Review.

Character education is the explicit and intentional education of a set of traits or dispositions that produce specific moral emotions, inform motivation, and guide conduct. This includes positive traits like integrity, self-discipline, responsibility, kindness, and perseverance.

The researchers used Progress 8 scores to compare academic progress in schools recognised for character education with progress in schools without this recognition. Progress 8 is a value-added measure used by the government in England to compare a secondary school pupil's GCSE results (Attainment 8) with their performance at the end of primary school (Key Stage 2). It covers multiple subjects, including English and Maths.

Tom Harrison, Professor of Education at the University of Birmingham and Director of the Jubilee Centre, said: “The idea of character education has been around for a very long time, but it is now much more obvious in inspection frameworks, through national initiatives, and increasingly defines the strategic priorities of schools and some of the largest academy chains in England. This recognition has catalysed a broader institutional shift. Schools are not merely encouraged but expected to attend to the moral, civic, and wider intellectual development of their pupils – not instead of academic progress, but alongside it. This research affirms what we have been saying since the Centre was established: that character and attainment are not rival aims.

“There is a consistent concern that embedding character education across a school’s culture and curriculum may compromise academic progress. We wanted to test that concern by examining whether schools recognised for substantial character education provision showed academic drawbacks or, instead, more favourable patterns of attainment.”

The researchers used Department for Education data to evaluate the association between character education and Progress 8 performance. By analysing the data for over 3,000 secondary schools from 2016 to 2024, the researchers found that schools with either QM or QM+ status exhibited higher Progress 8 scores than Non-QM schools.

Across the period, QM+ schools showed consistently stronger academic outcomes, especially from 2018–19 onwards. In 2022–23, QM+ schools were associated with an estimated 0.55-point advantage over Non-QM schools in Progress 8, which is equivalent to more than half a GCSE grade advantage across all subjects per pupil. The pattern is consistent over multiple years, suggesting that recognised character education provision forms part of a wider school culture associated with stronger academic progress.

Recognition for character education was also associated with stronger academic performance in schools serving higher numbers of socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils.

Dr Shane McLoughlin, Associate Professor of Character Education at the University of Birmingham, said: “Until this study, the evidence linking intentional character education with academic outcomes was generally considered limited. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine this question across an entire national school system, using data from thousands of schools and millions of pupils. The findings suggest that helping pupils wrestle with enduring and increasingly urgent questions about what it means to be both good and human does not need to displace academic achievement.”

The paper also shares results from national surveys completed by staff members at QM and QM+ schools to understand how character education might help explain these stronger academic results. Respondents generally felt that character education had positive knock-on effects for academic attainment, with 32% saying they perceived the effects to be ‘extremely positive’ and 65% saying ‘somewhat positive’.

Staff reported that the benefits of character education include:

• Improved pupil behaviour and motivation.
• Encouraging perseverance and focus.
• Helping pupils manage setbacks and stress.
• Strengthening wellbeing and belonging.
• Improved staff wellbeing and pupil-staff relationships.
• Creating better conditions for learning, rather than replacing academic teaching.

The study concludes that embedding character education across a school may support classroom climate, pupil resilience, and emotional wellbeing, suggesting that treating the age-old question of how to be a good person as an educational necessity can sit neatly alongside the academic priorities of schools.

ENDS

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Journal

Educational Review

DOI

10.1080/00131911.2026.2669614 

Article Publication Date

10-Jun-2026

 

Third-grade impulses linked to lower academic achievement and education into adulthood

Children who showed larger spikes in activity by the end of the school day were found to have lower math and reading scores in school and fewer years of education as adults

New York University

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Can your behavior in third grade predict outcomes in high school and beyond? A new study, published in Developmental Psychology, says yes.

Using longitudinal data tracking individuals from birth to adulthood, researchers found that third-graders who were more active and impulsive during the school day (indicators of lower self-control) were more likely to have lower academic achievement in elementary and high school, and fewer years of education as adults. 

“Being in the classroom requires some degree of self-control. Children are expected to walk instead of run, keep their hands to themselves, and stay in their seats when the situation requires,” says the study’s lead author Andrew E. Koepp, assistant professor of applied psychology at NYU Steinhardt. Applying this self-control takes effort and by the final ring of the school bell, children have been doing it for hours.”

“Our findings imply that, behaviorally speaking, most children tend to ‘lose it’ a bit by the end of the school day,” notes Koepp. “Interestingly, those who could ‘keep it together’ for longer tended to do better in school and were more likely to achieve educational success long-term.”

Researchers used data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development for outcomes on a cohort born in 1991 whose data were collected from birth to the age of 26. They analyzed information for 747 individuals whose gross motor activity (e.g., running, jumping) was collected in third grade, measured by accelerometer devices worn daily around their waists for up to seven consecutive days.

“We focused on third grade because it marks a transition to middle childhood and greater independent control of behavior,” the authors note in the study.

To assess children’s self-regulation, the researchers evaluated activity levels in addition to teacher assessments regarding hyperactivity, academic achievement measured by math and reading scores, and self-reported data on the highest degree earned by age 26. 

They found that children’s activity tended to increase as the school day progressed. However, third-graders who showed greater spikes in daily activity were rated as more impulsive and disruptive by teachers, had lower math and reading scores in elementary and high school, and completed fewer years of education as adults. Children with more self-control had higher math and reading scores and 20% greater odds of completing a four-year degree.

“We know that self-control helps children ignore distractions and focus on learning. Our findings imply that self-control is not just a personality trait, but something that can wear out and also perhaps something that could be restored,” says Koepp. “As a society, we should value activities like recess that could let children blow off some steam and potentially recover some of this self-control. It might even benefit their learning.”

This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (2045095) and the National Institutes of Health (P2CHD042849).

 

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Journal

Developmental Psychology

DOI

10.1037/dev0002212 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Keeping It Together: Hourly Dynamics of Children’s Behavioral Regulation at School in a Decades-Long Cohort Study

Article Publication Date

11-Jun-2026

 

High prevalence of poor sleep quality among Japanese esports players

University of Tsukuba

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Tsukuba, Japan—Esports is a competitive activity that requires advanced cognitive functions and sustained concentration, making high-quality sleep essential for consistent performance. At the same time, esports players often train and compete late at night or overnight, raising concerns about irregular or insufficient sleep. Despite these concerns, only few studies have comprehensively examined the prevalence of poor subjective sleep quality among esports players, the differences between professional and amateur players, and the correlation of sleep with esports activity patterns.

This study conducted a web-based survey of 90 esports players in Japan (mean age: 22.4 years), recruited from one professional team and five amateur teams. Subjective sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Players were classified as having poor subjective sleep quality (a PSQI global score of ≥5.5). Results showed that 43.3% of all participants were classified as having poor subjective sleep quality, with no significant differences in prevalence between professional and amateur players. Nevertheless, evident variations in sleep patterns were observed: professional players generally had later bedtimes and wake-up times, and amateur players were more likely to have a shorter total sleep time. In addition, playing esports during the early-morning hours, particularly between 3:00 a.m. and 8:59 a.m., was associated with poor subjective sleep quality.

These findings emphasize the substantial burden of sleep issues among esports players and indicate the need for sleep-health support tailored to players' competitive status and life circumstances. The results also suggest that sleep health should be incorporated into team- and organization-level health management, including sleep-hygiene education, awareness campaigns promoting healthier play schedules, and targeted messaging to prevent early-morning play if possible.

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This study was partially supported by joint research grants from REJECT Inc., NTT EAST Corp., and Meiji Co., Ltd.
 

Original Paper

Title of original paper:
Prevalence and factors associated with poor subjective sleep quality among electronic sports players: A cross-sectional study

Journal:
Sage Open

DOI:
10.1177/21582440261420180

Related Link

Institute of Health and Sport Sciences

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Journal

SAGE Open

DOI

10.1177/21582440261420180 

Article Title

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Poor Subjective Sleep Quality Among Electronic Sports Players: A Cross-Sectional Study

Article Publication Date

3-Jun-2026

 

Children improve their fraction skills by playing basketball in class

Combining fractions with a basketball improves pupils’ mathematical skills in primary school, a new study from the University of Copenhagen shows. The researchers call for the approach to be integrated into primary and lower secondary education.

University of Copenhagen

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image: 

There was no blackboard or sedentary math tasks when the students had fractions incorporated into their physical education classes. The students not only found it more fun – they also became better at math.

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Credit: Anders Rostgaard Bystrup

A dribble and a jump shot – followed by a fractions task. That is what physical education classes looked like for a group of pupils and the pupils not only found the lessons more engaging than usual; they also became better at mathematics with a basketball in their hands. That is the conclusion in a new study from the University of Copenhagen.

The study involved more than 300 pupils aged 11 to 13 who took part in an eight-week teaching programme called BasketballMathematics. Here, fractions were directly linked to basketball activities during physical education classes. For example, pupils would take ten shots at the basket and then calculate what fraction of the shots were successful and convert the result into percentages.

Afterwards, pupils who participated in BasketballMathematics performed 15 per cent better in a fractions test compared with a control group that received standard physical education. The results please Jacob Wienecke, Associate Professor at the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports at the University of Copenhagen and lead researcher on the study.

"I am convinced that sport and physical activity can open up mathematics for pupils who are not otherwise engaged by the subject," he says.

Basketball Mathematics consisted of one weekly lesson over eight weeks, during which mathematics was integrated into basketball drills. According to the researchers, the results show that even relatively small changes to teaching can make a difference.

"These are quite substantial improvements over a short period of time. This suggests that it is possible to strengthen pupils’ mathematical skills without having to find additional teaching time," says Jacob Wienecke.

More effort in the classroom

Fractions are an area that many pupils struggle with. But how well they understand fractions appears to matter. Several studies have shown that pupils’ fractions skills are a strong indicator of how they will perform in other areas of mathematics later in life.

In the study, pupils experienced the teaching as more engaging than traditional classroom instruction. To a greater extent than usual, they felt they mastered the tasks and took a more active part in the lessons.

This was also reflected in their results. In addition to improvements in fractions, pupils performed around five per cent better in other mathematical tasks.

"Our hypothesis is that the children get positive experiences with mathematics, and that this may encourage them to put more effort into math in the classroom as well," says Jacob Wienecke.

At the same time, the pupils also improved their basketball skills which shows that integrating academic content into physical education does not come at the expense of learning a new sport.

Small changes with a big impact

The researchers stress that the results should be interpreted with caution. This is partly because the pupils received slightly more mathematics teaching than the control group, and partly because the study was relatively short. Thus, it is unclear whether the effect will last in the longer term.

"But we know from other studies that pupils’ level of math at this stage is often linked to their later performance. So, if you can raise their level here, it may potentially influence their educational trajectory long term," says Jacob Wienecke.

More ball games in teaching

So, should schools start integrating more ball-playing activities into other subjects? Yes, says Jacob Wienecke, who is an advocate of this approach.

"Our research shows that you can easily invite other subjects into physical education and make it work. And it can actually make children experience that subject in a completely different way, while still preserving their motivation and enjoyment of learning," he says.

The researchers hope that more schools will work to integrate physical activity into teaching. They have developed a teaching compendium that teachers can use freely if they want to try the method in practice. Although the study is based on basketball, the principles can be transferred to other activities, such as volleyball.

"If it were up to me, one out of five math lessons each week would be active math. The most important thing is that the movement makes sense in relation to what the pupils are meant to learn, so that they are not just solving a task and then running a lap around the school," says Jacob Wienecke.

 

About BasketballMathematics

• The study involved 309 pupils in Years 5 and 6 (aged 11 to 13)
• An eight-week programme with one lesson per week (60 minutes)
• Mathematics was directly linked to basketball teaching, with pupils using their performance (for example shots or dribbling) to work with fractions and percentages
• There were two control groups: one received standard physical education, and the other only had basketball in physical education
• The result was a 15 per cent improvement in fractions and a 5 per cent improvement in other mathematical tasks
• Both pupils in BasketballMathematics and in the basketball control group improved their basketball skills
• Pupils also reported higher motivation, engagement and a sense of mastery during the lessons
• Participants in Basketball Mathematics received slightly more mathematics teaching than the control groups
• BasketballMathematics has also been tested with 756 pupils in Years 1 to 5, although the focus there was not on academic improvement
• Videos and descriptions of the method can be found on the BasketballMathematics site.

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Journal

Educational Psychology Review

DOI

10.1007/s10648-026-10175-y 

Article Title

Integrating Fractions into Physical Education classes can improve Mathematical Performance in 11–13-Year-Olds - The Basketball Mathematics project

Article Publication Date

6-Jun-2026

COI Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

How skilled soccer players outsmart defenders through coordinated motion

University of Tsukuba

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Tsukuba, Japan—In soccer, dribbling extends beyond ball control; it is a dynamic behavior shaped by the continuous interaction between the attacker and defender, particularly through adjustments in movement speed, spatial distance, and timing. Despite its tactical importance, pre-existing research on dribbling relies on controlled experimental designs using static obstacles such as cones. As a result, the movement characteristics that emerge in realistic one-on-one encounters remain poorly understood.

To address this limitation, the researchers focused on the "scissors feint," a dribbling maneuver commonly used in soccer. The study involved university-level and junior high school players with varying skill levels, all of whom performed the feint while facing a live defender. Movements were captured using high-speed cameras, allowing precise biomechanical analysis. Key variables included center-of-mass velocity (body speed), joint kinematics, interpersonal distance, and changes in the relative speed between the attacker and defender.

The analysis revealed distinct movement characteristics among highly skilled players, defined as advanced university athletes with regional representative experience. Compared with less-skilled players, skilled dribblers demonstrated the following characteristics:
(1) Active distance regulation: They deliberately reduced the distance to the defender while maintaining a high body speed.
(2) Strategic modulation of relative speed: They initially minimized the speed difference with the defender, followed by a rapid increase in speed at a decisive moment.
(3) Efficient feint execution: Their step-over movements were characterized by minimal foot lift and pronounced trunk inclination, allowing for quicker and more deceptive actions.
(4) Explosive acceleration mechanics: Rapid acceleration was generated through coordinated knee flexion followed by powerful knee extension with their supporting leg.

Collectively, these findings indicate that skilled dribbling cannot be reduced to raw speed alone; it represents a sophisticated motor skill in which players continuously adjust their relationship with defenders by integrating spacing, relative speed, and acceleration. By analyzing dribbling behavior across distinct phases—approach, feint, and penetration—this study clarifies the underlying structure and biomechanical mechanisms that differentiate skilled performance in one-on-one situations.

From a practical perspective, these insights offer valuable implications for coaching and player development. Training programs that emphasize spacing, relative-speed, and acceleration may improve the development of effective dribbling skills in competitive soccer.

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This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP19K19968.

 

Original Paper

Title of original paper:
Interpersonal motion characteristics of experienced and beginner university and junior high school soccer players in scissors feinting

Journal:
Taiikugaku kenkyu (Japan Journal of Physical Education, Health and Sport Sciences)

DOI:
10.5432/jjpehss.07-25031

Related Link

Institute of Health and Sport Sciences

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Journal

Taiikugaku kenkyu (Japan Journal of Physical Education Health and Sport Sciences)

DOI

10.5432/jjpehss.07-25031 

Article Title

Interpersonal motion characteristics of experienced and beginner university and junior high school soccer players in scissors feinting