The Portland Institute for Psychedelic Science and Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research, & Training Center are offering a two-year research fellowship in clinical psychedelic science to begin in September of 2027. The fellow will work on multiple research projects and develop a funded independent project in psychedelic science. The fellowship is flexible and shaped around each fellow’s career goals and the opportunities available at the institute.
Fellows join a supportive, collaborative team that develops psychedelic therapy interventions and studies their safety, effectiveness, and mechanisms of change, as well as psychedelic use more broadly.
Purpose of the Fellowship
The goal of the fellowship is to help people build careers in psychedelic science and move into academic positions, soft-money research roles at academic medical centers, or industry. Our two past research fellows have gone on to two faculty positions, a soft-money research position at an academic medical center, and a clinical position at a hospital. Three have also continued employment at our organization in some fashion.
What sets this fellowship apart
- Clinical trials, real-world data, and a clinic in one place. Few groups combine FDA-regulated clinical trials, real-world data from Oregon’s and Colorado’s regulated psilocybin programs, and a clinic where findings are put into practice. Fellows can work across all three.
- Data ready on day one. Fellows can start first-author papers right away using existing datasets, including data from our first MDMA-assisted therapy trial and data from the Open Psychedelic Evaluation Nexus (OPEN).
- A funded independent project. Each fellow’s independent project is funded, and fellows can also apply to our internal grant program.
- Stable funding. Our research is funded primarily by our own clinical and training revenue. That model has supported more than 60 peer-reviewed articles (about 30 on psychedelics) and three books, and it paid for our first MDMA-assisted therapy trial. The fellow’s salary does not depend on a grant, and fellows still gain grant experience through collaborations such as OPEN’s NIDA-funded projects.
- A distinctive research focus. Our work brings together three areas rarely studied together: shame and self-compassion, affirming care for LGBTQIA2S+ people, and psychedelic-assisted therapy. Our next psilocybin cohort, described below, draws on all three.
Portland Psychotherapy also offers clinically focused postdoctoral fellowships described here.
Example ongoing topics of investigation the postdoc could be involved in:
- We are planning our second clinical trial of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder and the postdoc may help write papers emerging from the first trial. The postdoc will have a chance to help us on this second trial during their tenure.
- Our trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for chronic pelvic pain started in October, 2026 and may be ongoing when the postdoc starts.
- We are collecting data on cohorts of patients recruited via scholarship for focused problems who are participating through our affiliated nonprofit that provides services through Oregon’s psilocybin services system. Our next planned cohort will include queer and transgender adults experiencing high levels of shame and self-criticism.
- The postdoc can collaborate on projects with the Open Psychedelic Evaluation Nexus, a practice-based research network based at Oregon Health & Science University that organizes data collection to evaluate psilocybin services in Oregon and Colorado and has multiple NIDA-funded grants. OPEN published safety and mental health outcomes from Oregon’s psilocybin services in JAMA Network Open in 2026. Dr. Luoma is a co-founder of that network.
Examples of other recent topics of study we have been involved in include:
- Violence during psychedelic use in a nationally representative U.S. sample
- Safety and outcomes in Oregon psilocybin services
- Scientific models for developing psychedelic-adapted psychotherapies
- MDMA-AT for PTSD
- Difficulties with Psychedelic Integration
- Longitudinal outcomes from psilocybin retreats, including therapist training retreats and retreats for cancer survivors
- Touch in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
- Informed Consent to PAT
- A survey of the Oregon psilocybin facilitator workforce
- Daily survey study of maintenance factors for social anxiety disorder
About our philosophy and lab
Our lab utilizes contextual behavioral science and affective science to find new and more effective ways of alleviating psychological suffering and helping people live richer and fuller lives. To do this, we conduct both basic and applied research with the aim of helping the scientific community better describe, predict, and influence behavior with precision, scope, and depth. We also aim to create an environment that nurtures the personal and professional development of behavioral scientists.
Our lab is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within our team and in our research so that our work reflects and serves the broadest spectrum of individuals and communities.
We utilize and support open science principles so that our work, along with that of our colleagues and the broader scientific community, can yield maximal benefit to the public and influence science to be more inclusive, equitable, and accountable. We believe science should be an altruistic act, where scientists give away their findings to the public.
In the psychedelic space, we focus on supporting the role of science in the development of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) and in particular, the integration of evidence-based practices into the practice of PAT. Our studies tend to focus strongly on understanding the psychological processes of change underlying how psychedelics work.
The candidate’s work may include:
- Analyzing data and writing papers related to psychological and behavioral processes of change in MDMA-AT and other psychedelics.
- Supporting other ongoing clinical trials through roles as study therapist, assessor, or project manager.
- Using and learning statistical software to support analysis alongside statistical consultants.
- Traveling to national and international conferences to present on our findings and learn. Funding provided.
- Project management in support of ongoing projects.
- Training in psychedelic-assisted therapy.
- Assisting in grant applications.
- Developing a funded independent project in psychedelic science.
Team
The current research team consists of the scientists listed below, a research coordinator, and a research-focused postdoc. We also employ various study therapists, assessors, physicians, and other support staff as needed for our clinical trials.
Postdocs attend weekly team meetings as well as weekly individual meetings with a research mentor. Research staff are typically part of multiple project teams that work collaboratively together to complete projects.
Jason Luoma, Ph.D. is CEO and senior scientistat Portland Psychotherapy in Portland, OR and the Portland Institute for Psychedelic Science. His research focuses on shame, self-stigma, connection, self-transcendence, and the application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and psychedelic assisted therapy. He was principal investigator on a clinical trial of MDMA-assisted therapy for social anxiety disorder that was one of the first trials of a psychedelic in the Pacific Northwest. He is a co-investigator on ongoing trials of other classic psychedelics and is part of the treatment development of ACT-informed PAT for other clinical trials. He is an internationally recognized trainer in ACT, former chair of the ACT training committee, and past president of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. He has over 90 peer-reviewed publications including two books: Learning ACT and Values in Therapy. He and Dr. Pilecki are co-writing a book on psychedelic-assisted therapy for Guilford Press. His work on shame and compassion can be read at www.actwithcompassion.com.
Brian Pilecki, Ph.D. is Psychedelic Services Manager and Associate Scientist at the Portland Institute for Psychedelic Science and a psychologist at Portland Psychotherapy, where he specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders, trauma and PTSD, and psychedelic-assisted therapy. He is affiliate faculty at Oregon Health & Science University, an instructor for Fluence, a professional training organization for psychedelic-assisted therapy, and a co-founder of Perspective Retreats, a psilocybin training retreat for mental health clinicians. As a licensed psilocybin facilitator, he has facilitated hundreds of psilocybin sessions in individual and group formats through Oregon’s Psilocybin Services program. His research interests include psychological mechanisms of change in psychedelic-assisted therapy, harm reduction and integration practice, and the application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to psychedelic care. He has published on anxiety disorders, mindfulness, and the clinical use of psychedelics, and is co-author of ACT-Informed Exposure for Anxiety. He and Dr. Luoma are co-writing a book on psychedelic-assisted therapy for Guilford Press.
Christina Chwyl, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist, associate scientist at the Portland Institute for Psychedelic Science, and investigator at the Oregon Psychedelic Evaluation Nexus (OPEN) through Oregon Health & Science University. She completed her undergraduate degree in neuropsychology at Stanford University and earned her doctorate in clinical health psychology from Drexel University. Her research aims to advance the development of evidence-based mental health treatments, including psychedelic-assisted therapies. Using mixed-method approaches, she investigates how emotions, mindset, and relationships shape wellbeing and influence treatment outcomes. She also studies the risks and benefits of psychedelic use naturalistically and within state-regulated services.
Qualifications
The ideal candidates will have:
- Doctorate or equivalent degree within the last two years in clinical or counseling psychology, behavior change, clinical science, social psychology or related field
- A track record of peer-reviewed publication
- Strong writing skills
- Data analytic skills
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- A kind disposition
Desirable qualifications include:
- Experience working with blood-based biomarker and physiological data
- Coding skills (primarily in R or comparable)
- Experience writing NIH grants
Clinical opportunities
The postdoctoral fellow typically spends between 25-35% of their time providing clinical services under supervision. They will receive training in providing psychedelic consultation and integration and may have the opportunity to be a therapist on a clinical trial involving a psychedelic. They will receive at least one hour/week of clinical supervision toward licensure over the two-year period, which should result in licensure in Oregon and which may also be adequate for licensure in other states. The postdoc could also have the opportunity to supervise practicum students.
This is a full-time position (i.e., 40 hours per week). Portland Psychotherapy strives to provide its staff with a high level of flexibility and autonomy and supports its employees in developing a sustainable work-life balance. The schedule is reasonably flexible and involves a hybrid (i.e., on site plus remote) work schedule.
Salary for the fellow is $68,970 in year one with an increase in year two. Depending upon interest and funding, it may be possible for a fellow to stay for a third year.
Who thrives here
Our core values guide who we hire and how we work together. People who thrive here tend to share them:
- Integrity: You are honest and follow through on your commitments.
- Self-Direction: You take initiative, manage your own work, and ask for help when you need it.
- Generous Spirit and Willingness to Contribute: You help colleagues, share credit, and pitch in beyond your own projects.
- Open and Receptive: You welcome feedback and perspectives different from your own.
- Heart for the Mission: You care about using science to make treatment more compassionate and effective.
- Care for Quality: You take pride in careful, rigorous work.
- Self-Aware and Adaptive: You notice your own patterns, learn from mistakes, and adjust as things change.
Training and professional development
There are many didactic opportunities built into the fellowship. We run a weekly didactic series for trainees and new staff focused on honing therapeutic skills within different modalities (e.g., ACT, emotion-focused therapy), with an emphasis on deliberate practice. Portland Psychotherapy also runs a monthly didactic series for all staff that includes programming on diversity, equity, cultural competency, LGBTQIA2S+ affirming therapy, and antiracism. You can read more here about our activities and commitment to foster diversity, equity, anti-racism, and inclusion in our staff and local community. In addition, fellows can attend any of the dozens of training events that Portland Psychotherapy hosts every year, led by experts in ACT, psychedelic-assisted therapy, diversity/equity/inclusion, and many other topics, free of charge.
Our team and commitment to inclusion
Our team is multicultural, antiracist, and LGBTQIA2S+ affirming. We have a specialty in serving the LGBTQIA2S+ community, and the majority of our clients belong to that community. Our diversity includes staff who identify as Asian, Latinx, mixed-race, LGBTQ, first-generation immigrants, first-generation college students, and others. We are particularly interested in expanding the diversity of our staff to further our antiracism and social justice goals and to better represent the communities we serve.
Benefits
- Hybrid work arrangement, if desired (part time from office, part time from home)
- Medical, dental, and vision plans
- Pre-tax commuter benefits
- Relocation assistance
- Employee retirement plan with 3% match
- Life and long-term disability insurance
- Malpractice insurance
- Stipend for professional education
- Supervision toward licensure
- Dedicated stipend for training related to anti-racist practice, diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Free attendance at any of the workshops and classes we offer through our continuing education and internal training programs
- Ability to bring your well-behaved animal companion to work
About Portland Psychotherapy and PIPS
Portland Psychotherapy Clinic, Research, & Training Center is a locally owned social enterprise. Our mission is to use science to develop and guide compassionate, effective treatment and to contribute to the wider community through research and training. We work to contribute to the social good in four areas:
- Our local community – through providing clinical services (including a reduced fee), psychotherapy training and workshops, supervision of trainees, and support for local therapists
- The wider community – through contributing to scientific research and scholarship, dissemination of innovations, and participation in national and international organizations
- Employees – providing an excellent place to work with a high quality of life
- The natural environment – managing our environmental footprint in sustainable ways that minimize our negative impact on the planet
All profits generated at Portland Psychotherapy are used to fund these efforts, including all of the research our center conducts, with dedicated salary support for doctoral researchers, research coordinators, and trainees involved in research. This funding structure protects us from the ups and downs of grant funding and allows us to focus on furthering science rather than chasing grants. It also allows our clinicians to work in a true scientist-practitioner model, with opportunities to both contribute to and benefit from research conducted at the center. More information about our unique business model can be found here. A listing of our scientific publications can be found here.
The Portland Institute for Psychedelic Science (PIPS) was formed in 2024 to bring all of our work on psychedelics under one integrated umbrella. PIPS combines research, clinical services, and professional training, so research findings move quickly into practical therapeutic techniques and training.
Portland Psychotherapy has a local, national, and international reputation as a leading center for evidence-based therapy, especially acceptance and commitment therapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy, training, and research. We have supported postdoctoral fellows since 2009. Our center is housed in a beautifully restored 1889 Victorian home in the vibrant N. Williams corridor area of Portland, which provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere for clients and staff alike. For more information about our building, please see our website.
Portland Psychotherapy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an affirming and inclusive environment for all employees. Persons from historically disadvantaged populations, including BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ people, are encouraged to apply.
Deadline for applications: Friday, January 8, 2027. If you are interested in applying, email your curriculum vitae and a cover letter to [email protected]. In your cover letter, please tell us you are applying specifically to the research fellowship and how you heard about it. We will ask finalists for the research fellowship for three letters of reference, to be emailed directly by the letter writers to the address above.