Julia Rohde

Research Coordinator

Julia Rohde is a research program coordinator investigating the therapeutic and consciousness-altering effects of psilocybin, as well as the impacts of religious beliefs and practice on well-being. Under the direction of Dr. David Yaden, she is currently working to better understand the effects of psilocybin treatment on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)—using techniques such as EEG and behavioral measures to assess acute symptom alleviation and longer-term effects on emotional regulation and psychopathology. She is also investigating the effects of religious rituals in combination with meditation practices on human health and happiness, as well as the validity of a novel Smartphone application to measure these effects. Prior to joining the CPCR, Julia conducted research at Boston Children’s Hospital, first working to better understand neurodevelopment in congenital heart disease and subsequently a CDC-funded pilot study of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), one form of post-acute COVID syndrome. Julia graduated with a BA in Neuroscience and Religious Studies from Bowdoin College and is eager to continue to develop and apply a multidisciplinary approach to research, seeking to elucidate the community-specific and individual-level factors that influence treatment efficacy and quality of life.