Dr. Devin Effinger is a neuroscientist, science communicator, and advocate for recovery-informed mental health. He holds a PhD in neuropharmacology and has postdoctoral training in circuit-level neuroscience, specializing in the neurobiology of stress, reward, and motivated behavior. His research focuses on how psychedelics and neuromodulatory systems—like oxytocin—can rewire brain circuits involved in emotional regulation and psychiatric illness. His scientific path is shaped by lived experience: after a traumatic brain injury and heroin addiction, he found long-term recovery through community, endurance sports, and a deep curiosity about the brain’s capacity to heal.

Dr. Effinger is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where he leads preclinical studies on the mechanisms of psychedelic drug action and contributes to clinical trials of psilocybin-assisted therapy for treatment-resistant depression. His work bridges basic and translational neuroscience, with the long-term goal of developing personalized, brain-based interventions for mental health and addiction recovery.

Beyond the lab, he previously founded and ran a nonprofit providing mentorship and restorative justice programs to incarcerated individuals and at-risk youth, and now speaks to audiences ranging from treatment providers to veterans and corporate leaders on the neuroscience of trauma and behavior change. He is developing neuroscience-informed education programs and technology-driven approaches—integrating AI, EEG, neurofeedback, and behavioral science—to support recovery and optimize brain function. Grounded in both research and lived experience, his work aims to make neuroscience a tool for healing, agency, and personal evolution.