Austin is a first-year doctoral student in the Clinical Health Psychology program at CU Denver. He completed his undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt University, where he studied Medicine, Health, and Society and led cognitive-behavioral support groups in virtual reality for individuals with substance use disorders. After graduating in 2021, Austin worked as a Research Data Associate for the Center for Psychedelic Medicine (CPM) at New York University Langone Health (NYULH). In this role, he helped coordinate clinical trials examining the safety and efficacy of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for individuals with major depressive disorder, as well as those experiencing anxiety, depression, and existential distress related to advanced cancer. Austin will be continuing this line of research into his graduate studies, where he is interested in examining how specific elements of the psychedelic experience contribute to enduring improvements in psychosocial well-being and therapeutic outcomes across various conditions. He is also interested in exploring how certain therapeutic variables relate to clinical outcomes in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies. Austin enjoys hanging out with his friends and family, spending time in nature, cooking, listening to music or comedy podcasts, and being active.
Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications:
Zeifman, R. J., Kettner, H., Pagni, B. A., Mallard, A., Roberts, D. E., Erritzoe, D., Ross, S., & Carhart-Harris, R. L. (2023). Co-use of MDMA with psilocybin/LSD may buffer against challenging experiences and enhance positive experiences. Scientific reports, 13(1), 13645. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40856-5
Robinson, N., Mahapatra, A., Jean-Baptiste, B., Mallard, A., Yang, A., Hollon, S. D., & Ezawa, I. D. (2023). Cognitive behavioral immersion for substance use disorders: A feasibility and pilot study of a peer-based coaching program in the metaverse. Games for health journal, 12(5), 397–404. https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2022.0214
Gold, N. D., Mallard, A. J., Hermann, J. C., Zeifman, R. J., Pagni, B. A., Bogenschutz, M. P., & Ross, S. (2023). Exploring the potential utility of psychedelic therapy for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Journal of palliative medicine, 26(10), 1408–1418. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2022.0604
Selected Conference Presentations:
Mallard, A. J., Broussard, M., Zeifman, R. J., Cloutier, S., & Pagni, B. A. (2023, November 17). Lifetime psychedelic use is related to greater self-reported compassionate love for others, self-compassion, and life satisfaction. [Poster presentation]. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Seattle, WA.
Mallard, A. J., Zeifman, R. J., Kettner, H., Pagni, B. A., Roberts, D. E., Erritzoe, D. E., Ross, S., & Carhart-Harris, R. L. (2023, November 17). Co-use of low-dose MDMA with classic psychedelics may buffer challenging experiences and enhance positive experiences. [Poster presentation]. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Seattle, WA.
Mallard, A. J., Gold, N. D., Zeifman, R. J., Pagni, B. A., Bogenschutz, M. P., & Ross, S. (2023, August 3-5). Exploring the utility of psychedelic therapy for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. [Poster presentation]. Division 40 - Society for Clinical Neuropsychology. American Psychological Association (APA). Washington, DC, USA.