Anna Belser
Clinical Researcher
Data updated
Papers
Trials
Research Footprint
Anna Belser appears in 9 tracked papers (2016–2023), most studied alongside Psilocybin, MDMA and Ayahuasca, across Depressive Disorders, Anxiety Disorders and Palliative & End-of-Life Distress.
Most-cited paper: Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized controlled trial (1678 citations).
Frequent co-authors: Gabrielle Agin-Liebes, Stephen Ross and James Guss.
Background & Research
Anna Belser (publishes as A. B. Belser) is a clinical researcher whose work centres on the experiential, therapeutic and procedural aspects of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Her publications focus on qualitative and small-sample clinical investigations of psilocybin-assisted therapy for cancer-related distress and anxiety, including detailed case series and interpretative phenomenological analyses that probe patients' subjective responses and meaning-making processes. Belser has explored the phenomenology of mystical-type experiences both inside and outside pharmacologically induced states and has contributed to methodological and theoretical work on models of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
Her contributions extend beyond patient narratives to the pragmatic organisation of therapeutic approaches: she is an author on contemporary assessments of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy models and an introducer to EMBARK, a transdiagnostic, trans-drug psychotherapy framework. Belser's research is characterised by rigorous qualitative methods, careful attention to clinical context in oncology settings, and an orientation toward translating subjective patient experiences into frameworks that inform therapeutic practice and trial design.
Key Impact
Notable for qualitative and conceptual contributions to the study of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, particularly in understanding patient experience and in advancing transdiagnostic psychotherapy models.
Collaboration Network
18 collaborators· click a node to visit their profile
Full network →Collaboration Network
See Anna Belser's full collaboration network, shared papers, and research connections.
Compounds
Topics
Top Collaborators
Top Collaborators
Unlock clinical summaries, full texts, and related trial mapping.
Affiliations
Institutions, companies, and organisations Anna Belser is associated with.
New York University
academicThe Center for Psychedelic Medicine at NYU Langone Health is directed by Dr. Michael Bogenschutz and performs health-focused research across the translational spectrum, from basic science to large-phase clinical trials. The center has three transdisciplinary areas of focus: psychiatry, medicine, and preclinical research. Currently, the team is actively investigating clinical applications for various psychedelic compounds, leading robust studies on psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder, major depression, and advanced cancer-related psychiatric distress.
View stakeholder →COMPASS Pathways
Public BiotechCOMPASS Pathways plc (Nasdaq: CMPS) is a UK-headquartered clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and the most advanced developer of a classic psychedelic medicine. Its lead asset, COMP360 — a synthetic, proprietary formulation of psilocybin — is being developed for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) delivered alongside a psychological-support model. COMP360 is the first psilocybin programme to complete two positive pivotal Phase 3 trials: COMP005 met its primary endpoint in June 2025 and the confirmatory COMP006 (two fixed doses given three weeks apart) did so in February 2026, with 26-week data reported in July 2026 confirming a rapid and durable antidepressant profile. In April 2026 the FDA granted a rolling NDA submission request and selected COMP360 for the Commissioner's National Priority Voucher programme, which carries a shortened review window. COMPASS has since begun that rolling submission and guides to a potential US launch in the first half of 2027, subject to approval, positioning it as the frontrunner for the first FDA-approved classic psychedelic therapy.
View stakeholder →Helus Pharma
Public BiotechHelus Pharma is the commercial operating name of Cybin Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing proprietary Novel Serotonergic Agonists (NSAs) — synthetic deuterated molecules designed to activate serotonin pathways and promote neuroplasticity. Operating across Canada, the US, UK, and Ireland, Helus holds over 100 granted patents and 250+ pending applications across its NSA portfolio. Its lead asset, HLP003 (formerly CYB003, a deuterated psilocin analogue), has received FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder and is in two concurrent Phase 3 trials: APPROACH™ (topline data Q4 2026) and EMBRACE™. A key differentiator is its adjunctive design — allowing patients to continue background antidepressant medications without washout. HLP004 (a deuterated DMT analogue for intramuscular use) posted encouraging Phase 2 topline results in GAD in March 2026: 10.4-point HAM-A reduction at 6 weeks, 67% responders at 6 months, and an ~90-minute in-clinic session window. US composition-of-matter patent coverage through at least 2041.
View stakeholder →