IN THIS EDITION
Letter from the Executive Director
Research Spotlight: Psilocybin Study
Pillar Highlight: Digital Clinic
Team Member Feature: Dr. Jay Shore
Good News: Awards, Publications & Media
2025
A LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dr. Jay Shore - BBICen
Executive Director
Welcome to the first edition of our reimagined BBICen newsletter. We are proud to share a fresh look into the mission, momentum, and milestones of the Brain & Behavior Innovation Center.
At BBICen, we are dedicated to transforming mental health care through innovation that is not only visionary but also practical and scalable. Our multidisciplinary team spanning psychiatry, neuroscience, digital health, and implementation science works at the intersection of research, clinical care, and technology to develop solutions that meet the urgent and evolving needs of individuals, families, and communities in Colorado and beyond.
This newsletter is designed to keep you, our valued investors, collaborators, and future partners, connected to the work you support. In each issue, we’ll share updates on our latest initiatives, spotlight translational research, and highlight the real-world impact of our programs.
From digital therapeutics and telehealth models to community-based interventions and precision psychiatry, our work is grounded in science and driven by a commitment to equity and access.
Your engagement through assistance, partnership, or shared vision is what enables us to move from ideas to implementation. As we continue to grow, we are actively seeking new collaborators and supporters who share our passion for reshaping behavioral health care
Thank you for being part of this journey. We’re excited to share our progress with you and to explore new opportunities for impact together.
Executive Director, BBICen
From stigma to science: BBICen’s role in advancing psilocybin therapy
The use of psychedelic compounds to treat a wide range of difficult-to-treat psychiatric conditions heralds a potential revolution in the ability to offer fast-acting relief of debilitating symptoms. While there is some great excitement about promising early clinical trial results, there is still much that remains uncertain and unknown.
With the support of CU’s Department of Psychiatry’s Brain and Behavior Innovation Center, the human infrastructure Dr. Novick has built for this trial has established CU Anschutz as a valuable collaborator and clinical trial site for the further development of psychedelic compounds.
Psychedelic Research Group - (top from left) Lily Vonesh, Jessica Scott, Jacqueline Calderone, Stacy Fischer (bottom from left) Andy Novick, Lauren Turow, Danielle Sukenik, Kammy Bishop, Scott Thompson
Faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at CU Anschutz are making important contributions to advance understanding of how to safely deliver these powerful compounds and assess their efficacy. Colorado voters approved the Natural Medicines Healing Act in 2022, which legalized the provision of psychedelic compounds. Over the past three years, several state regulatory agencies have been formulating the rules under which this process will be implemented.
A group of almost 100 scientists and clinicians with expertise in psychedelics formed the Psychedelic Public Policy Partnership (PPPP) to help advise the regulators as they formulate the rules under which the program will operate Currently led by Dr Scott Thompson, Professor of Psychiatry and BBICen Director of Novel Therapeutics, the goal of the PPPP is to ensure that the program is implemented safely and to determine whether it is efficacious by learning from the experience of participants. When asked about his experience with the partnership, Dr. Thompson said, “We have had a positive impact by ensuring the formulation of strict rules for the training of the ‘facilitators’ who will be providing psychedelics and ensuring that participants must undergo thorough pre-screening to determine whether they can take psychedelics safely.”
Dr. Andrew Novick, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, has launched the first randomized clinical trial to test the ability of psilocybin to treat anhedonia, the loss of pleasure that is a common and hardto-treat symptom of depression. With the support of the Department of Psychiatry’s Brain and Behavior Innovation Center, the human infrastructure Dr. Novick has built for this trial has established CU Anschutz as a valuable collaborator and clinical trial site for the further development of psychedelic compounds.
Pillar Highlight
Each edition will highlight a feature study from one of our three pillars: technology, novel therapeutics and care redesign. In this edition we will share information about the Technology Pillar Digital Clinic.
BBICen Digital Clinic Redefines Mental Health Care
BBICen Technology Pillar is building a comprehensive digital clinic infrastructure. The team includes researchers with expertise in clinical trials and implementation science, clinicians, digital navigators, and professional research assistants. This clinic fosters collaboration with industry partners to advance digital mental health interventions, supports care delivery, enables clinical trials, and evaluates emerging technologies. Currently, it is conducting trials for the mindLAMP app (pictured to the right) and Bridges program, leveraging behavioral data tracking and interactive reporting to enhance workflows and improve patient outcomes. The Bridges Program aims to enhance postpartum mental health care through prevention and early intervention
Team Spotlight: Jay Shore, MD
BBICen, Executive Director
Each edition will highlight one of our outstanding team members, the work they do, and some fun facts along the way. For our first edition we want to introduce the Center’s Executive Director, Jay Shore, MD. Read on to learn more about Jay and his contributions to the BBICen initiatives.
When did you start working with BBICen?
I was invited into the initial visioning discussions by Neill Epperson (Chair, Department of Psychiatry) and Melissa Sinclair (Vice Chair for Finance) in the fall of 2021. Together with the Chancellor’s Office, we shaped the vision for what would become BBICen. The center was officially launched in fall 2022, and we welcomed our first staff member, Tereza Guedes, as BBICen Program Manager in spring 2023
What has been the most rewarding part of your involvement with BBICen?
It’s been incredibly rewarding to connect more deeply with faculty and staff both in the Department and Campus who are driving mental health innovation. I’ve had the opportunity to learn about groundbreaking work addressing major challenges like access to care, care measurement, and novel treatments. This role has also introduced me to areas I might not have encountered otherwise—such as psychedelic research both on Campus but across Colorado.
What excites you the most about your work with BBICen?
I’m excited to be a part of shaping the broader vision for mental health innovation across the Department and Campus. We have remarkable people and programs working to improve mental health and wellness for Coloradans Due to the scale and diversity of these efforts, we sometimes miss opportunities for synergy. BBICen is in a great position to facilitate these connections. For example, this spring we engaged in collaborations with the School of Public Health’s mHealth Impact Lab, the Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health, tech industry partners, and American Indian Health Care Organizations exploring how to approach co-development of AI mental health supports that are culturally and environmentally attuned.
Jay Shore, MD
What’s a hobby you enjoy outside of work?
I enjoy western horseback riding, especially trail riding. There’s something deeply humbling and joyful about being out in the mountains with these large, elegant, and intelligent animals. Riding has taught me a lot about myself. There are many aphorisms from riding that resonate in life, like: “Once you can control yourself, you have a better chance of controlling your horse,” “Go slow to go fast,” and, “The horse knows what you know. They also know what you don’t.”
Good News from the BBICen Team
Below you will find highlights of new and exciting things coming from the BBICen team along with awards, wins, promotions - all the GREAT things happening now!
Appointment Announcement: Dr. Tiffany Love
We’re excited to announce the appointment of Tiffany Love, PhD, as the new Director of Care Redesign at the Brain and Behavior Innovation Center (BBICen) at the University of Colorado Anschutz, as well as her appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry.
Dr. Love will lead strategic efforts to reimagine how mental health care is delivered and experienced, with the goal of creating more accessible and effective care that better meets the growing needs of our patients.
We look forward to the innovative contributions Dr Love will bring to our team and the positive impact her work will have on our community. Welcome, Dr. Love!
Jay & Patches
Award Winner: Clint Carlson A Most Cited Article: Dr. Michael Allen
Clint Carlson, MS, has been selected as the recipient of the Education Technology Innovator Award of the Academy of Medical Educators (AME) at CU School of Medicine. This award is designed to acknowledge and celebrate faculty who have demonstrated outstanding use of technology to enhance teaching, learning, and collaboration in scalable and innovative ways.
Clint’s work in incorporating technology-enhanced avatars to foster skills in crucial conversations stood out to the panel of reviewers among dozens of nominations.
Dr. Michael Allen's 2023 article on Rapid Intensification of Suicide Risk Preceding Suicidal Behavior among Primary Care Patients has been recognized as one of the most cited articles in the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior for the year 2023. (Suicide Life Threat Behav. Jun 2023;53:352–361).
Dr. Allen's groundbreaking research has significantly advanced our understanding of suicide risk factors in primary care settings. His work has provided invaluable insights, shaped clinical practices, and improved patient outcomes. The recognition of his article highlights the impact of his contributions to the field of mental health.
Congratulations, Dr. Allen, on this remarkable achievement! Your dedication to advancing mental health research is truly inspiring, and your work continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of many.
Dr. Allen is currently a collaborator on the BBICen Psilocybin clinical trial.
Clint Carlson and Associate Dean of Medical Education Tai Lockspeiser at the AME ceremony
Acknowledgements
Thank you to all those who made this edition of the BBICen Newsletter possible including:
Rosalia Lotspeich
Claudia Iannelli
Tereza Guedes
Jay Shore
Alejandra Santisteban