Jacksonville Beach facility launches as Northeast Florida’s first psychedelic research center (Courtesy of the Jacksonville Business Journal) — Jacksonville Beach is stepping into the national spotlight as an unexpected hub for cutting-edge mental health research.
First Coast Research Center has officially launched as Northeast Florida’s first dedicated psychedelic and central nervous system clinical trial site, bringing FDA-regulated mental health studies to the region. The facility will test compounds such as MDMA and psilocybin for conditions including treatment-resistant depression, PTSD and anxiety disorders.
Co-founded by Angela Hargrove, a 30-year veteran of clinical research, and Dr. Ferdinand Formoso (pictured above), founder of Formoso Pain Specialists , the center aims to position Jacksonville as a hub for cutting-edge psychiatric medicine.
“We’re not a wellness center — we’re running rigorous clinical trials that could fundamentally change how we treat mental illness,” Hargrove told the Business Journal.
A clinical model built for sponsors, not patients
Unlike therapy or wellness clinics that have embraced the language of psychedelics, First Coast Research Center’s business model is focused squarely on pharmaceutical sponsors rather than patients.
“We don’t sell services to the public,” Hargrove explained. “We sell our services to sponsors — typically drug development companies that want to run FDA trials for new medicines. We recruit patients, dose them, collect results and report back to the sponsor.”
The 2,500-square-foot facility features purpose-built dosing suites designed for long-form psychedelic sessions — complete with controlled lighting, sound-dampening and medical monitoring systems to maintain patient safety during six- to eight-hour treatments.
Dr. Jason Jordan, a psychiatrist with LSU Health Sciences Center and a veteran of multiple psychedelic trials, will serve as Principal Investigator.
The site also has enlisted Dr. Peter Hendricks, Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Co-Editor-in-Chief of Psychedelic Medicine, as Scientific Advisor.
Hargrove said the center fills a pressing industry need for qualified trial locations.
“There aren’t enough quality sites with psychedelic research experience to test the dozens of compounds working their way through FDA approval,” she said.
She previously helped build one of the nation’s first large-scale psychedelic research networks and believes Jacksonville’s diversity gives it an advantage in patient recruitment.
“Sponsors want to see that you can reach a variety of populations for their trials — and Jacksonville delivers that in spades,” she said.
Economic impact and vision for growth
The center plans to begin its first trial by early 2026 and grow to $5 million in revenue within two years, with a goal of opening a second site in a lower-income area to expand access to underrepresented populations.
Hargrove expects the site to generate both jobs and visibility for the Beaches area.
“We plan to hire 10 to 15 staff over the next two years,” she said. “But the bigger impact is positioning Jacksonville as an innovation hub in a booming industry. This puts us on the map as forward-thinking and progressive on mental health — not something Jacksonville is typically known for. That kind of reputation shift attracts talent, entrepreneurs, and investment beyond just our industry.”
Located across the street from Baptist Medical Center Beaches, the center hopes to collaborate with local hospitals and university researchers.
“Sponsors will love the proximity to a hospital that offers emergency care,” Hargrove said.
And for potential investors, she argues Jacksonville is an overlooked opportunity.
“Jacksonville is the 12th-largest city in America — bigger than San Francisco or Boston,” she said. “Orlando and Miami are oversaturated with research sites, including psychedelics. Jacksonville offers untapped potential with better patient access and less competition for recruitment.”
Photo courtesy of First Coast Research Center