Sign in

Hugh McGovern PhD

@htmcgovern.bsky.social
535 followers 429 following 106 posts

Research Affiliate, Clinical Psychedelic Lab, Monash University| psychedelics, theoretical neuroscience, clinical psychology, AI.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Marcus Ghosh @marcusghosh.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Today, I'm launching my research group 🟣Neural forms🟠 @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social We study how structure shapes function in artificial and biological neural networks. www.neural-forms.org 🤖🧠🧪 🧵 1/3
A logo for the neural forms group - made up from small circuit motifs.
1389
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Marco Aqil @marcoaqil.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Graph neural fields can capture both the harmonic power spectrum of fMRI and the temporal power spectrum of MEG (and more). Now published (open-access) in Network Neuroscience: direct.mit.edu/netn/article...
073
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Justin Caouette, Ph.D. @justincaouette.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
🤣🤣🤣 #Freud #philsky
0124
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Students for Sensible Drug Policy @ssdpofficial.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
TAKE ACTION: Tell the FDA to Support Psychedelic Therapy Access Use SSDP's easy tool to submit a public comment before the October 5th deadline! secure.everyaction.com/8WOPuUXBMUyW...
secure.everyaction.com
Submit a Public Comment
It takes less than five minutes to make a difference!
022
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Manoj Doss not exist @manojdoss.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
We got a new review/model on why we think psychedelics might be particularly useful in the treatment of anxiety-related disorders. link.springer.com/article/10.1... Good work @htmcgovern.bsky.social on carrying this through the finish line.
link.springer.com
Resetting the hippocampal buffer: a neurocognitive account of psychedelic therapy for anxiety-related psychopathology - Psychopharmacology
Psychedelics (hallucinogenic 5-HT2A agonists such as psilocybin) are being investigated for their potential to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety-related psychopathology. Despite promising...
0175
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Justin Caouette, Ph.D. @justincaouette.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Academia’s class problem www.frontiersin.org/journals/res... #philsky #highered
frontiersin.org
Frontiers | Academia's class problem
The university has a problem with social class. Actually, it has two problems with class. The first one is that the university as an institution is still lar...
043
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
poisonous snakes too
010
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Another new single just dropped. Congrats @bman1285.bsky.social my dear friend 🙂. Out now in Psych Bulletin. TLDR: P3b does not appear to be a neural correlate of consciousness, the VAN likely signals preceding mechanisms that are necessary but not sufficient. psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...
psycnet.apa.org
APA PsycNet
010
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Johns Hopkins Psychedelic Research Center @jhpsychedelics.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Eddie Jacobs, PhD, spoke to how the evidence on psychedelic treatments comes from clinical trials, so those safeguards should be used for initial roll-out, to be adjusted based on data collected in a standardized manner and comparable to other treatments & substances.
021
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Dance like no-one’s watching. Peer review like you’re a PhD supervisor (and not the Concept Police).
0362
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
New single just dropped. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Resetting the hippocampal buffer: a neurocognitive account of psychedelic therapy for anxiety-related psychopathology - Psychopharmacology
Psychedelics (hallucinogenic 5-HT2A agonists such as psilocybin) are being investigated for their potential to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety-related psychopathology. Despite promising...
011
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Being a psychedelic enthusiast accounts for a huge amount of how psychedelics increase quality of life. In other words, the drug is not the territory. Will publish on this issue soon.
041
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Earl K. Miller @earlkmiller.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Traveling waves aren't just background noise. They may be a built-in mechanism the brain uses to carry recent sensory history forward in time and anticipate what's coming next. doi.org/10.1016/j.ne... #neuroscience
doi.org
Redirecting
1213
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
In other words, regulation is necessary but wholly insufficient.
011
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Honestly no, the nature of the misalignment problem (particularly for when we introduce agency and/or superintelligence) is such that regulation of the industry would be like putting a bandaid on a broken jet wing.
110
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
David Cavlovic🇨🇦🍁 @davidcavlovic.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
1086697719
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Paul Stamets @paulstamets.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The potential of #psilocybin continues to surprise us! 🆕research has found that psilocybin prevented #chemotherapy -induced peripheral neuropathy #CIPN in mouse models, a painful & often irreversible side effect of #cancer treatment for which there is currently no proven preventive strategy. 1/2
49229
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
ae @aelkus.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
554683
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
imagine being a menswear writer and having to go back to writing about this fall’s best socks after reading anthropic employees say AI might destroy humanity in a few years
2014965439
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Note that even in the best case scenario then there is a massive displacement of most of the white collar, followed by the blue collar workforce. If it wasn't so evil and absurd it would be a monty python sketch.
000
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This is right. We are in a position where 5 rich and unelected guys, and several hundred engineers are essentially playing Russian roulette with the future of our species. If it goes well they benefit financially and otherwise, and if if doesn't then potentially everyone dies. Lopsided much.
110
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
This would seem to me to be a problem
010
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · 06/09/2026
Nearly half of all polarization research focuses on the US, yet many American findings are global outliers. A Review in Nature Communications argues that a globally equitable understanding requires bridging traditional social science with new approaches leveraging social media and AI. 🧪
go.nature.com
Toward an integrated and globally equitable understanding of political polarization - Nature Communications
Nearly half of all polarization research focuses on the United States, yet many American findings are global outliers. A globally equitable understanding requires bridging traditional social science with new approaches leveraging social media and AI.
0239
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
PsyPost @psypost.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
How cognitive shortcuts fuel American political divisions
psypost.org
How cognitive shortcuts fuel American political divisions
When voters clash over public policy, their mutual dislike is driven by how recognizable and organized their beliefs are. A new study finds that structured, consistent political views fuel much deeper animosity than moderate or mixed opinions.
022
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Brett Codes @brettcodes.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
I wrote an essay about why I'm done using AI for coding, even if it costs me my job and career: brettcodes.com/im-done-usin... The basic gist is: AI made me a worse, apathetic programmer. I think it's bad for humanity, the planet, and the craft of software engineering. And I'm done using it.
brettcodes.com
I'm done using AI
Why I'm stopping using AI for coding (and anything else) after using it earnestly for a year and coming to understand the harms it causes on personal, societal, and environmental levels.
783275943
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Masud Husain @masudhusain.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
A long-form podcast that covered apathy, motivation, addiction, attention and Alzheimer's disease over a 2hr discussion with @hubermanlab.com www.hubermanlab.com/episode/how-...
hubermanlab.com
How to Improve Motivation & Overcome Procrastination | Dr. Masud Husain
Dr. Masud Husain explains the neuroscience of motivation, dopamine, effort and reward, plus dementia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and cognitive resilience.
161
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Rich Haridy @richharidy.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Story by me in Age/SMH today. Looking at some of the learnings from Australia’s first few years of psychedelic medicine in the real world, particularly the possible problems with a focus on the big one stop shop psychedelic clinic model. www.smh.com.au/national/aus...
3105
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
I'll read the article properly with interest :) Although on first pass I'm not sure I see an issue with an overarching clinical model with built in flexibility, such that each person's treatment is a rough variation on a theme..
110
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Rich Haridy @richharidy.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
All trigger warnings up front. This is a tough and horrifying read. Narcissistic self-help culture paired with a psychedelic enlightenment narrative leads to selfish shit heel behavior that harms others.
rollingstone.com
Reggie Watts Is a Prominent Ketamine Advocate. Was It His Ex's 'Undoing'?
Comedian and musican Reggie Watts is a prominent ketamine advocate. Was it his ex-girlfriend's "undoing"?
0112
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Travel Time @travellovers.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Lake between mountains.
563336347
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Hilarious and true
020
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Josh Grubbs @joshuagrubbsphd.com · 20/08/2026
My actual hot take is that the vast, vast majority of professors, even those in STEM, are laughably unemployable outside of academia, and those that do transition are those that invest months/years training to be ready to transition
1134
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
My first foray into public scientific writing published in @psyche.co. Based on this paper with @robincarhartharris.bsky.social, @marcoaqil.bsky.social, and Selen Atasoy. Hope you enjoy 🙂
063
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Psyche Magazine @psyche.co · 17/07/2026
Carl Jung’s archetypes have long been dismissed as unscientific – but what if they are real, having emerged as part of our evolutionary journey? In this bold Idea, the researcher Hugh McGovern lays out the results from recent trials exploring archetypes through psychedelic drugs
buff.ly
Jung’s archetypes are a mirror that shows who and what we are | Psyche Ideas
Psychedelics and neuroscience seem to support his ideas about ancestral dreams and fears – but with an evolutionary twist
053
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
We should pay peer reviewers Paying reviewers led to faster decisions—an average of 5.5 working days vs 38 days for unpaid reviews And review quality improved (judged by handling editors) Reviewers who delivered a good peer review in 4 days were paid $290 www.nature.com/articles/d41...
115340
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Patricia Aas 🐢🏳️‍🌈 @patigallardo.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
It’s 43 minutes past midnight. This is downtown Oslo.
It’s an ocean of people
9189441429
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
The chasm between the headline and the number of participants is interesting....
000
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Hourly Cosmos @hourlycosmos.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Looking Up - From Bill (ridingrobots.bsky.social) - flic.kr/p/2nBAHhe
Star Trek represented...the future we can have, a future that is beyond the petty squabbles we are dealing with here on Earth...and that we are able to devote ourselves to the betterment of all humankind by doing what we do so well: explore. 
– Nichelle Nichols

Single exposure around midnight near Coalville, Utah
123745
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Peter Kok @peterkok.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Very interesting sounding paper on the role of the default mode network in visual perception by Ujhelyi, Korda & Zaretskaya. The authors propose that the DMN provides top-down information from memory and semantic knowledge to guide perception. #neuroskyence
cell.com
The contribution of default mode network areas to visual perception
Visual perception and accompanying sensory activity are strongly shaped by top-down influences. Although several sources of this influence have been thoroughly examined in the research literature, one...
15810
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
Alex Kwan @alexkwan.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
For those interested in the history of psychedelic research… I wrote a narrative piece describing studies of psychedelic effects on serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe, from late 1960s to 1980s: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com
Dorsal Raphe Revisited: A Systems Neuroscience Lens on Psychedelic Drug Action - Alex C. Kwan, 2026
Psychedelics rose to prominence in the 1960s, around the same time when neurobiologists identified the midbrain raphe as the brain’s primary source of serotonin...
1219
Reposted by Hugh McGovern PhD
conputer dipshit @davidcrespo.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
I don't use Google search — the AI summaries are not good enough however, simple question: how accurate of answers do you think the average Google user would get from reading the top search results? how much higher than 91% do you think they would be?
10555
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Now that my media relations are done for the evening, have a good week all.
000
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Link here: t.co/WQxkZwS1Zh
t.co
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20008066.2026.2631358?scroll=top&needAccess=true#abstract
100
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
MDMA may facilitate positive social contact and disrupt the negative self modelling prominent in C-PTSD. Importantly though, this likely depends on the therapeutic context, the drug alone isn't doing the work
100
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
MDMA (again, tentatively) appears to change insula activation and connectivity. In addition to the fact that MDMA can make one more sociable and less fearful of social interaction.....
100
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
These extra components make trauma focused therapy difficult here because the foundation needed (i.e., a stable self model and how trauma impacted it) to process trauma was not able to be formed. For those more inclined toward predictive processing, I attached another figure to show the difference.
100
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
C-PTSD, by contrast, often arises from prolonged interpersonal adversity, particularly in childhood. The problem isn't a disrupted self-model. It's that a stable one never fully formed in the first place, leading to emotional dysregulation, disrupted self-concept, and deep interpersonal mistrust.
100
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
In this figure we are showing what distinguishes complex-PTSD to PTSD. A main difference being the fact that complex PTSD impacts the ability to effectively model one's self given alterations to the insula cortex (a hub which allows for self-modelling).
100
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Good to see this paper out. We propose a novel (and I must say speculative) neurocognitive account of complex PTSD using predictive processing, and discuss why MDMA therapy may be well suited to complex PTSD.
120
Hugh McGovern PhD @htmcgovern.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
It's seen three US presidencies, is older than my kindergartener, but it's finally out there. Great to see this published and it was a lot of fun working on it with some great friends 🎉 doi.org/10.1177/1029...
010