Pedro Teixeira, coordinator of the Behavioral Regulation group at CIPER - Behavioral Regulation, participated in ICPR 2026, one of the world’s most prominent conferences in psychedelic science, presenting data from two of his group’s most recent publications, including Health Behavior Change Following Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: Results from Users and Practitioners.

The presentation focused on emerging empirical findings on how naturalistic psychedelic experiences may be associated with changes in health-related behaviours, drawing on complementary datasets from both users and practitioners.

The work contributed to ongoing international discussions on the intersection between psychedelics, behaviour change, and public health, reinforcing the group’s position within this rapidly evolving field of research.

Jorge Encantado, a researcher at the CIPER - Behavioral Regulation, had an active presence at the internationally recognized ISBNPA Annual Meeting, held in Cádiz at the end of May.

During the conference, he presented two studies currently in the pipeline for publication and facilitated a DARE2SHARE session designed to provide a more in-depth overview of the research line developed within his group, led by Pedro Teixeira: Psychedelics and Health Behavior Change.

Although this topic represents a novel and emerging area within behavioral science conferences, it was well received by attendees, generating substantial engagement, questions, and interest in future collaboration opportunities.

The first SPACE Symposium — organised by the Sociedade Portuguesa de Aplicação Clínica de Enteógenos — brought together researchers, clinicians, and health professionals from across Portugal on 9–10 April 2026, at the Fundação Manuel António da Mota Auditorium in Porto, under the theme Psychedelics in the Clinic: from Science to Experience. Pedro J. Teixeira, professor at the Faculty of Human Kinetics of the University of Lisbon (FMH) and leader of the Behavioural Regulation research group at CIPER, delivered a presentation on the psychological mechanisms underlying health behaviour change mediated by psychedelic experiences.

Fabiano, N., Stubbs, B., Lawrence, D. W., Rosenblat, J. D., Teixeira, P. J., Wong, S., Zhou, C., & Carhart-Harris, R. (2026). The combination of exercise and psychedelics for the treatment of major depressive disorder. Discover mental health, 6(1), 37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-026-00408-5

Cornelius, T., Moller, A., Encantado, J., Carvalho, L. C. P., Barba, T., & Teixeira, P. (in press). On the potential benefits of shared psychedelic experiences: Romantic dyads' co-use and shared understanding are associated with positive long-term changes. Journal of Humanistic Psychology.

Encantado, J., Carvalho, L., Mota, P., Cunha, C., Garcia-Romeu, A., Johnson, M. W., & Teixeira, P. J. (2026). Attitudes and perceptions of portuguese mental health professionals on the therapeutic use of psilocybin and MDMA. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, Vol 57(1), Feb 2026, 68-80. https://doi.apa.org/doi/10.1037/pro0000664

Teixeira, P. J., Encantado, J., Amaro, H. D., Veiga, D., Carvalho, L. C., Alcázar-Córcoles, M. Á., Hallak, J., Guimarães dos Santos, R., Bouso, J. C., & Kohek, M. (2026). Ayahuasca and public health III: Health status of a sample of ayahuasca ceremony attenders in Portugal. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2026.2631378

Carvalho, L. C., Encantado, J., Moller, A., Cornelius, T., Marrouch, N., Johnson, M., Garcia-Romeu, A., Veiga, D., & Teixeira, P. J. (2025). Exploring self-reported health behavior change following naturalistic psychedelic use. Journal of Health Psychology. 13591053251392867. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/13591053251392867

Carvalho, L. C., Encantado, J., van Elk, M., Moller, A. C., Cornelius, T., Veiga, D., & Teixeira, P. J. (2025). Exploring practitioners’ perceptions of health behavior changes associated with psychedelic experiences. Scientific Reports, 15, 44731. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33296-w

Researcher and professor Pedro Teixeira participated in TEDx Lagos, where he delivered a talk on psychedelic science and its role in contemporary mental health and behavioural studies. In his presentation, Teixeira discussed how substances such as psilocybin and DMT are being investigated for their potential to promote psychological insight and well-being when used in structured, therapeutic contexts.

Drawing on recent scientific findings, he addressed the importance of education, ethical frameworks, and public literacy in shaping future psychedelic-assisted care and research in Portugal and beyond.