Gregory Jones, MD
Department of Psychiatry, Division of Internal Medicine
About Dr. Gregory Jones
Dr. Jones is a board-certified adult psychiatrist and Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He completed his psychiatry residency in the Research Track at McGovern Medical School in Houston and a clinical research fellowship in the Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH/ETPB). His research examines how psychedelic compounds, including psilocybin, 5-MeO-DMT, and related neuroprotective agents, remodel neural circuits and modulate anti-tumor immunity in the setting of cancer and cancer treatment. His work focuses on translating psychedelic-inspired mechanisms into strategies to prevent or mitigate cancer- and treatment-related neurotoxicity and to improve the treatment of mood disorders, pain, and addiction among people with cancer.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Member, Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Assistant Professor, Psychiatry, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2019 | McGovern Medical School at UT Health, Doctor of Medicine |
| 2013 | University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, US, Exercise Physiology Major, Chemistry Minor, Bachelor of Science in Education |
Postgraduate Training
| 2023-2026 | Clinical Research Fellow, Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch (07/2023-Present) National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland |
| 2019-2023 | Research Track Resident, McGovern Medical School at UT Health, Houston, TX |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2023 | Texas Medical Board |
| 2023 | Physician License- Maryland |
| 2023 | Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Schedule II License (Texas) |
| 2023 | American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (Adult General Psychiatry) |
| 2023 | Conscious Sedation for Ketamine Infusions (NIMH) |
| 2023 | Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (NIMH) |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Hejazi N, Kheirkhah M, Riedner B, Yuan Q, Chholak R, Momenan R, Jones G, Goldman D, Zarate CA Jr. Modulation of early non-rapid eye movement slow wave activity by ketamine in treatment-resistant depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 51(11):2008-2015, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 42304135.
- Kvarta MD, Watanabe M, Ozaki S, Greenstein D, Fijtman A, Jones G, Hu HI, Azimipour S, Yuan P, Johnston JN, Evans JW, Gilbert JR, Zarate CA Jr. The Antidepressant Effects of the mGlu2/3 Receptor Antagonist TS-161 in Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Phase IIa Proof-of-Concept Clinical Trial. J Clin Psychopharmacol 46(6):680-4, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 42704784.
- Heles M, Pasvolsky L, Sathishkumar H, Naara S, Vu Y, Stewart CL, Xie T, Gleber-Netto FO, McCarthy W, Yaniv D, Kamal SS, Elahi H, Zhu P, Uhelski ML, Chatwin J, Lara A, Stolley DL, Migden MR, Lee ZH, Thevasagayampillai S, Gunaratne PH, Ait-Ahmad K, Kuykendall MJ, Eksi SE, Cohen L, Borniger JC, Gottlieb E, Jones GH, Dougherty PM, Amit M. Psilocybin prevents chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy through mitochondrial trafficking preservation. Science 393(6815):eaec6116, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 42691184.
- Jones GH, Suchting R, Courtes AC, Shahani L, Lavagnino L, Leung E, da Costa SC, de Sousa RT, Beal LL, Zanetti MV, Busatto G, Soares JC, Gattaz WF, Otaduy MC, Machado-Vieira R. Response-predictive MRI biomarkers of low-dose lithium therapy: cortical thickness changes in patients with bipolar depression. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 361:112257, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 42184576.
- Jones GH, Gilbert JR, Johnston JN, Akula N, Schulmann A, Arakelian M, Peng S, Yuan P, Winful EA, Yavi M, Quintanilla B, Elkahloun A, Moaddel R, Henter ID, Greenstein D, Machado-Vieira R, Bartley CM, Kadriu B, Amit M, Rezvani K, Kvarta MD, McMahon FJ, Zarate CA Jr. Convergent neuroimmune signaling underlying rapid antidepressant response to ketamine and psychedelics. Mol Psychiatry, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 42521762.
- Johnston JN, Jones GH, Peng S, Yuan P, Yavi M, Kadriu B, Henter ID, Quintanilla B, Elkahloun A, Moaddel R, Schulmann A, Akula N, Kvarta MD, McMahon FJ, Zarate CA Jr. Time-dependent effects of rapid-acting antidepressants in iPSC-derived neurons from treatment-resistant depression and healthy volunteers. Mol Psychiatry, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 42498781.
- Johnston JN, Yuan P, Kadriu B, Akula N, Quintanilla B, Peng S, Jones GH, Schulmann A, Yavi M, Henter ID, McMahon FJ, Kalynchuk LE, Zarate CA Jr, Caruncho HJ. Response of iPSC-derived neurons from individuals with treatment-resistant depression to (2 R,6 R)-hydroxynorketamine and reelin: an exploratory study. Transl Psychiatry 15(1):524, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 41257792.
- Machado-Vieira R, Krause TM, Jones G, Teixeira AL, Shahani LR, Lane SD, Soares JC, Truong CN. Protective effects of psychiatric medications against COVID-19 mortality before vaccines. PLoS One 20(2):e0310438, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39992948.
- Machado-Vieira R, Jones GH, Courtes AC, Ruiz AC, Vecera CM, Henter ID, Lane SD, Zarate CA Jr, Soares JC. The effect of intranasal (R,S)-ketamine on symptoms of fatigue in severe major depressive disorder or bipolar depression with and without comorbid alcohol use disorder: Results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Affect Disord 367:281-285, 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 39214377.
- Jones GH, Vecera CM, Ruiz AC, Wu HE, McInturff SI, Orejarena MJ, Smith KA, Soares JC, Zarate CA, Lane SD, Machado-Vieira R. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial of the Acute Antisuicidal and Antidepressant Effects of Intranasal (R,S)-Ketamine in Severe Unipolar and Bipolar Depression With and Without Comorbid Alcohol Use Disorder. J Clin Psychiatry 85(2), 2024. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38696221.
- Jones GH, Mitchell BG, Bernard J, Walder A, Okusaga OO. History of Suicide Attempt and Clozapine Treatment in Veterans With Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 24(6), 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36343352.
- Jones G, Suchting R, Zanetti MV, Leung E, da Costa SC, Sousa RT, Busatto G, Soares J, Otaduy MC, Gattaz WF, Machado-Vieira R. Lithium increases cortical and subcortical volumes in subjects with bipolar disorder. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 324:111494, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35640450.
- Jones G, Rong C, Vecera CM, Gurguis CI, Chudal R, Khairova R, Leung E, Ruiz AC, Shahani L, Zanetti MV, de Sousa RT, Busatto G, Soares J, Gattaz WF, Machado-Vieira R. The role of lithium treatment on comorbid anxiety symptoms in patients with bipolar depression. J Affect Disord 308:71-75, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35427708.
- Okano L, Jones G, Deyo B, Brandenburg A, Hale W. Therapeutic setting as an essential component of psychedelic research methodology: Reporting recommendations emerging from clinical trials of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine for post-traumatic stress disorder. Front Psychiatry 13:965641, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36405928.
- Jones G, Kantarjian H. The many roads to universal health care in the USA. Lancet Oncol 20(10):e601-e605, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31473128.
- Jones GH, Bruera E, Abdi S, Kantarjian HM. The opioid epidemic in the United States-Overview, origins, and potential solutions. Cancer 124(22):4279-4286, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30299538.
- Prabhakara KS, Kota DJ, Jones GH, Srivastava AK, Cox CS Jr, Olson SD. Teriflunomide Modulates Vascular Permeability and Microglial Activation after Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury. Mol Ther 26(9):2152-2162, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30037655.
- Jones GH, Carrier MA, Silver RT, Kantarjian H. Strategies that delay or prevent the timely availability of affordable generic drugs in the United States. Blood 127(11):1398-402, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26817958.
Review Articles
- Pasvolsky L, Jones GH, Vu Y, Winkler F, Amit M. Cancer neuroscience: Mechanisms to medicine. Sci Transl Med 18(860):eaeh1718, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 42525788.
- Courtes AC, Myers B, Daly N, Jones G, Soares JC, Zarate CA Jr, Machado-Vieira R. Advancing cancer neuroscience through stress modulation: Interdisciplinary potential of psilocybin and ketamine. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 100:1-11, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 41762772.
- Courtes AC, Jones GH, Henter ID, Shahani L, Fries GR, Juruena MF, Soares JC, Zarate CA Jr, Machado-Vieira R. Blood-based biomarkers in ketamine treatment: A blueprint for translational drug development in mood disorders. J Affect Disord 390:120016, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40780612.
- Jones G, Anderson JL, Nguyen PTT, Gleber-Netto FO, Hwang WL, Puduvalli VK, Monje M, Amit M. Novel approaches to clinical trial design in cancer neuroscience. Neuron 113(17):2791-2813, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40907474.
- Vecera CM, C Courtes A, Jones G, Soares JC, Machado-Vieira R. Pharmacotherapies Targeting GABA-Glutamate Neurotransmission for Treatment-Resistant Depression. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 16(11), 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 38004437.
- Klettke, EE, Holmes, MD, Meyer, TD, Jones, GH. Reverse engineering therapeutic mechanisms of ketamine and Psychedelics. Personalized Medicine in Psychiatry 41-42, 2023. e-Pub 2023.
- Jones GH, Pinjari OF, Vecera CM, Smith K, Barrera A, Machado-Vieira R. The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Bipolar Disorder and its Common Medical Comorbidities. Front Neuroendocrinol 70:101078, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37220806.
- Jones GH, Vecera CM, Pinjari OF, Machado-Vieira R. Inflammatory signaling mechanisms in bipolar disorder. J Biomed Sci 28(1):45, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34112182.
- Jones GH, Rong C, Shariq AS, Mishra A, Machado-Vieira R. Intracellular Signaling Cascades in Bipolar Disorder. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 48:101-132, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 32860212.
Editorials
- Jones GH, Tefferi A, Steensma D, Kantarjian H. The Hippocratic Oath, the US Health Care System, and the Affordable Care Act in 2015. Am J Med 128(11):1162-4, 2015. PMID: 26184683.
- Jones GH, Kantarjian H. Health care in the United States--basic human right or entitlement?. Ann Oncol 26(10):2193-5, 2015. PMID: 26276840.
- Jones G, Hinman H, Mays E, Liaou D. Psychedelics and Response Duration. Journal of Psychedelic Psychiatry 3(3):29-38.
Letters to the Editor
- Jones G, Machado-Vieira R. The case for reverse engineering ketamine and psychedelics: lessons from translational oncology. A Response to Miller et al. "Burning down the house: reinventing drug discovery in psychiatry for the development of targeted therapies". Mol Psychiatry 28: 3164-3166, 2023.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified November 03, 2026