Erin Mauney: Psychedelics as modulators of the gut-brain interaction

A researcher explores how psilocybin may help patients with treatment-resistant IBS by modulating interoception, the sense of the internal state of the body. The work is the first of its kind in gastroenterology and examines how early-life trauma becomes somatically encoded. Psychedelic-assisted therapy may create pathways for emotional release and functional improvement. The patient-centered approach combines neuroimaging, qualitative analysis, and clinical outcomes to develop scalable therapeutic options, challenging the artificial mind-body divide in medicine. This research represents a paradigm shift in understanding how psychedelics could transform treatment for patients unresponsive to conventional therapies.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Dr. Erin E. Mauney serves as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology) at Tufts University while maintaining a research appointment at Massachusetts General Hospital. With dual board certification, including obesity medicine, she integrates clinical expertise with innovative research at the intersection of gut-brain disorders and psychedelic medicine. Dr. Mauney's groundbreaking work explores how psilocybin modulates interoception in treatment-resistant IBS, the first study of its kind in gastroenterology. In this Genomic Press Interview, she articulates how early-life trauma becomes somatically encoded and how psychedelic-assisted therapy creates pathways for emotional release and functional improvement. Her patient-centered approach combines neuroimaging, qualitative analysis, and clinical outcomes to develop scalable therapeutic options that challenge the artificial mind-body divide in contemporary medicine. Dr. Mauney's research represents a paradigm shift in understanding how psychedelics may transform treatment for the significant population of patients who remain unresponsive to conventional therapies.