The Hubs of Psychedelic Science

The Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics at MGH (Mass General Brigham) focuses on understanding how psychedelics impact brain structure and function to optimize treatments for mental illnesses. Led by Dr. Jerrold Rosenbaum, their initial research concentrates on psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression.

Research with psychedelics has been taking place at Columbia University in New York since 2014. Researchers from various departments at the university including Medicine, Psychology and Psychiatry have conducted numerous trials investigating the effects ketamine has on substance use disorders. Some research exploring the anti-depressant effects of ketamine has also taken place. More recently, Columbia University served as a test site for COMPASS Pathway's COMP360 trial which explored the effects of psilocybin on treatment-resistant depression. Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Dr David Hellerstein served as the principal investigator at this study site.

Following an institutional review of its research priorities and stance on psychedelic-assisted therapies, Duke University has concluded the operations of the Center for Integrated Psychedelic Science (CIPS). The university remains engaged with the broader scientific community but does not currently host a dedicated center for this work.

The Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality at Emory University combines expertise in psychiatry with spiritual health to better understand the therapeutic promise of psychedelics as medicine. Launched at the end of 2022, the group works towards making psychedelic-assisted therapies more effective within a wide cultural and spiritual context.

The Centre for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research focuses on how psychedelics affect behavior, cognition, brain function, and biological health markers. They have been at the forefront of demonstrating the safety and efficacy of psychedelics for mental disorders, expanding their focus into psilocybin research across multiple mental health conditions, including smoking cessation, major depressive disorder, and cancer-related anxiety.

The Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics aims to better understand how psychedelics can be used to improve the treatment of mental illnesses. The core mission of the center is to understand exactly how psychedelics enhance the brain's capacity for change—or neuroplasticity—to optimize current treatments and render the term treatment resistant obsolete.

The Center for Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Trauma Research located at Mount Sinai and the James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs examines the therapeutic potential of psychedelic compounds for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related symptoms. The Parsons Research Center for Psychedelic Healing has also recently opened at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

The Center for Psychedelic Medicine at NYU Langone Health is directed by Dr. Michael Bogenschutz and performs health-focused research across the translational spectrum, from basic science to large-phase clinical trials. The center has three transdisciplinary areas of focus: psychiatry, medicine, and preclinical research. Currently, the team is actively investigating clinical applications for various psychedelic compounds, leading robust studies on psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder, major depression, and advanced cancer-related psychiatric distress.

Researchers at the Social Neuroscience and Psychotherapy (SNAP) Lab at OHSU are investigating the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Dr Chris Stauffer, is the current director of the lab. SNAP Lab aims to maximize the benefits of therapeutic alliance and psychotherapy through the adjunct use of social psychopharmacology, such as oxytocin, MDMA, and psilocybin. Dr Stauffer led a research team from OHSU in a clinical trial exploring the effects of psilocybin in methamphetamine use disorder. With Oregon becoming the first state to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy, more research is taking place at OHSU.

At the Stanford School of Medicine, researchers from the Rodriguez Lab and the Heifets Lab have united under the banner of the Stanford Psychedelic Science Group. Their primary clinical focus is to investigate compounds including ketamine, psilocybin, and MDMA as potential treatments for debilitating disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), treatment-resistant depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Directed by Dr. Joji Suzuki, the lab at Brigham and Women's Hospital (Mass General Brigham) is launching clinical trials on psilocybin-assisted therapy for substance use disorders, with a recent focus on Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).

Led by Dr. Peter Hendricks, UAB's psychedelic research focuses on utilizing psilocybin-facilitated psychotherapy for substance use disorders, specifically cocaine dependence and smoking cessation, backed by federal NIH research grants.

The University of New Mexico has a long history of psychedelic science, dating back to Rick Strassman's DMT studies. Current research at UNM Health Sciences evaluates psilocybin, ketamine, and MDMA for treating depression, opioid use disorder, and Methamphetamine addiction.

Although the University of Arizona may not have a dedicated psychedelic research group, one of the first modern clinical trials investigating the use of psychedelics to treat a mental disorder was conducted at the University. In 2006, Dr Francisco Moreno led the first FDA-approved study in 25 years using psychedelics at UA. The study examined the use of psilocybin to treat symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Since then, researchers within the Department of Psychiatry at UA have maintained their interest in the field. Dr Moreno, along with Dr Brian Bayze and their research group, is continuing to conduct research into this particular area of psychedelic science at UA ever since the 2006 trial. There is a trial underway at UA exploring the effects of psilocybin on OCD.

The Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics (IPN) at UC Davis explores the neuroscience of psychedelics. Under the lead of David Olson, the team conducts high-impact interdisciplinary psychedelic science using modern neurobiology and chemistry tools. Contributions by the group include discovering that psychedelics promote neural plasticity, developing a biosensor for measuring hallucinogenic potential, and designing non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analogues with therapeutic potential.

The Psychedelics and Health Research Initiative (PHRI) focuses heavily on conducting pilot studies and clinical trials while collecting diverse biometric data—including fMRI, EEG, and cognitive metrics—from study participants. This data-driven approach aims to unravel the biological and neurological underpinnings of how psychedelics facilitate healing.

The Neuroscape Psychedelic Division and the Translational Psychedelic Research (TrPR) Program take a unique translational research approach that integrates cutting-edge neuroscience technology with psychedelic treatments. Under the leadership of Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, the division investigates the positive influence of psychedelics on neural network dynamics and long-term neuroplasticity in healthy human participants.

The UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics (BCSP) is an academic center uniquely focused on basic science, training, and public education. Rather than focusing solely on clinical trials for psychopathology, the BCSP employs psychedelics to better understand the fundamental properties of the healthy mind, brain, and body. The center investigates how brain function is affected by psychedelics, focusing on the relationships among perception, motor learning, emotion, and neurobiology.

The CU Denver Center for Psychedelic Research is committed to advancing research and education on the therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs. Led by a multidisciplinary team of experts in psychology, medicine, and public policy, the center focuses on treating emotional, behavioral, psychiatric, and neurologic conditions, as well as providing palliative care for late-stage cancer and chronic diseases. Launched in June 2024, the center aims to inform public policymakers about the potential applications of psychedelics for various medical conditions.

The CU Denver Center for Psychedelic Research is committed to advancing both research and education regarding the therapeutic effects of psychedelic drugs. Led by a multidisciplinary team spanning psychology, medicine, and public policy, the center focuses on treating emotional, behavioral, psychiatric, and neurologic conditions, including palliative care for late-stage cancer.

The Michigan Psychedelic Center (M-PsyC) at the University of Michigan Medical Center was launched in 2022 to span the psychedelic research landscape, from foundational discovery to clinical implementation.

The Nielson Lab at the University of Minnesota is dedicated to understanding and treating trauma. More recently, the team here has been diving into psychedelic neuroscience research and drug policy reform thanks to funding from the newly created Psychedelic-Assisted THerapy (PATH) Fund at the UMN Foundation. The lab has been collecting survey data to assess the benefits and risks of ayahuasca use in naturalistic settings to treat symptoms of trauma. Additionally, Dr Jessica Nielson and her team are researching the neurological mechanisms of altered states of consciousness and their role in promoting neuroplasticity and wellness in healthy research participants.

At the University of Nebraska Medical Centre research with psychedelics is underway. At the UN Medical Centre, Associate Professor of Palliative Medicine, Lou Lukas is using psychedelics to improve the quality of life of people in palliative care. Dr Lukas is part of a wider research team consisting of various medical professionals affiliated with the University of Nebraska that explores the use of psychedelics in palliative care. The Heartland Palliadelic Research Centre was created to complement existing disease-based research by exploring the potential of psychedelics to help people with serious illness increase resilience and reduce suffering for themselves and their families.

The Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy within the Dell Medical School conducts clinical research with various psychedelics, including psilocybin, MDMA, ibogaine, and ayahuasca. A major and unique focus of the center at UTA is its dedication to using psychedelics to treat military veterans suffering from PTSD, as well as adults experiencing prolonged grief disorder and those who have survived childhood trauma.

At UW, researchers are working on clinical trials with psilocybin (provided by Usona). Dr Anthony Back, co-director of the University's Center for Excellence in Palliative Care, led a trial exploring the effects of psilocybin to alleviate the mental health burden inflicted on frontline healthcare workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As Seattle became the largest city in the US to decriminalise psilocybin mushrooms in October 2021, and with ongoing legislative efforts at the state level, more research with psychedelics is anticipated and occurring at UW.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances is dedicated to exploring the scientific, historical, and cultural aspects of psychoactive substances, focusing on psychedelics.

Led by Dr. Steve Marder and Dr. Walter Dunn, the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System is at the forefront of the VA's expanding psychedelic research program. This initiative, supported by Healing Breakthrough, includes studies on MDMA and psilocybin for PTSD and depression. Note: This is part of a broader network of 13+ VA medical centers (including Bronx, Omaha, and Palo Alto) now pioneering psychedelic-assisted therapies for veterans.

The Program in Psychedelic Research (PiPer) is a partnership between The Healthy Mind Lab, the Washington University Neuroimaging Lab, and Usona Institute. PiPer leverages 30 years of neuroimaging research and four decades of psychiatry research. The group has started with four research projects around neuroimaging data in humans and animals. The university also serves as a site for Usona's Phase II/III trial with 25mg of psilocybin.

In 2016, the 'Yale Psychedelic Science Group' was established as a forum where clinicians and scholars from across Yale can learn about and discuss the rapidly re-emerging field of psychedelic science and therapeutics in an academically rigorous manner. Research with psychedelics is also underway at Yale School of Medicine. A recent study at the university found that a single dose of psilocybin can cause structural changes in the brain that counteract symptoms of depression.

The B.R.A.I.N. Lab at UBC is actively investigating the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy for treating opioid and other substance use disorders. Affiliated with the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU), the lab conducts clinical trials exploring how psilocybin and psychotherapy can support behavioral change in addiction medicine.

The P3A project is a multidisciplinary research initiative in Quebec exploring the acceptability and accessibility of psilocybin-assisted therapy for palliative and end-of-life care, focusing on alleviating existential distress.

The Psychedelics and Contemplation Lab at McGill University focuses on the scientific study of non-ordinary states of consciousness, spiritual practices, and new clinical interventions. Co-directed by Dr. Kyle Greenway and Dr. Michael Lifshitz, the lab emphasizes a relational and interpersonal approach, exploring how extra-pharmacological factors influence psychedelic therapies.

The Centre for Psychedelics Health and Research, a joint project with Providence Care, aims to address fundamental questions regarding psychedelics in healthcare and expand clinical understanding of psychedelic-assisted therapies.

The Psychedelic Studies Research Program (PSRP) distinguishes itself by adhering strictly to the principles of Open Science, pre-registering their analysis plans, and making their data and protocols freely accessible. A primary focus for the team at the PSRP is the clinical study of microdosing. Led by Dr. Norman Farb, the program conducts double-blind, randomized controlled trials investigating the benefits and drawbacks of microdosing very low doses of psilocybin.

In response to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, a research group at Vancouver Island University (VIU) has been awarded funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for the exploration of psychedelic therapies for front-line workers. Led by Dr Shannon Dames, the team are currently focusing on ketamine-assisted therapy for front-line workers experiencing symptoms of PTSD and emotional distress as a result of their experiences working through the pandemic.

The Cambridge Psychedelic Research Group (CPRG) is a collaborative initiative aimed at accelerating the development of innovative psychedelic therapies. Led by Dr. Liliana Galindo, the group conducts multidisciplinary research and clinical trials for severe mental health conditions, including PTSD and treatment-resistant depression.

The University of Exeter hosts a multidisciplinary psychedelic research community spanning philosophy, psychology, and neuropharmacology. Led by Professor Celia Morgan, the group explores the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for neuropsychiatric disorders and offers specialized academic programs in the field.

The Centre for Psychedelic Research, led by Professor David Nutt and Dr. David Erritzoe, focuses heavily on the action of psychedelic drugs in the brain and their clinical utility as aides to psychotherapy. Thanks to their extensive neuroimaging studies, this group has proposed vital mechanisms for how psychedelics work, including the Entropic Brain Theory and REBUS (RElaxed Beliefs Under Psychedelics).

The Centre for Mental Health Research and Innovation and the Psychoactive Trials Group are actively conducting clinical trials with various psychedelic compounds to develop new care models for treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and anorexia nervosa.

The Understanding Neuroplasticity Induced by Tryptamines (UNITY) Project was launched at University College London. UNITY represents the first-in-human study of psychedelics at UCL. The team utilizes techniques such as fMRI, eye-tracking and experience sampling to enhance our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms predicting cognitive and mental health outcomes following psychedelic use, initially investigating the effects of DMT.

The Cambridge Psychedelic Research Group (CPRG) brings together scientists, psychiatrists, and clinical psychologists to rigorously advance psychedelic-assisted therapy for mental health. The CPRG initiated its first clinical trials focusing on psychedelic-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Currently, the center is initiating additional trials to investigate the therapeutic potential of psilocybin for adults suffering from treatment-resistant depression and generalized anxiety disorder.

The Psychedelic and Exceptional Experience Laboratory (PEEL) operates within the Institute for Lifecourse Development at the University of Greenwich. Led by Prof David Luke, Professor of Exceptional Experience, the lab brings together a team of faculty, alumni, and affiliates who have collectively been researching and publishing peer-reviewed papers on psychedelic and exceptional experiences. PEEL is one of the few research groups specifically looking at exceptional experiences alongside psychedelics, and welcomes postgraduate research opportunities.

Clerkenwell Health is collaborating with researchers at the University of Manchester to run Phase II studies. Trials here aim to assess the impact of talking therapy informed by Perceptual Control Theory alongside different doses of psilocybin, led by Dr Sara Tai who has previously been involved with Compass Pathways.

The University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG) and the University of Geneva are leaders in clinical psychedelic research in Switzerland. HUG is the only hospital in Switzerland providing psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) within a clinical context, focusing on optimizing the therapeutic framework and environment for treatments involving LSD and psilocybin.

Led by Prof. Gregor Hasler, the Molecular Psychiatry Lab investigates the effects of psychedelic substances like LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA on brain function and neuroplasticity. Their work aims to understand how these substances can reorganize brain function and enhance neuroplasticity, leading to long-lasting therapeutic benefits for psychiatric disorders.

Led by Dr. Soravia at the University Clinics UPD, this group focuses on developing psychobiological approaches that integrate effective psychotherapy methods with the administration of psychedelic substances to treat mental disorders, particularly substance use disorders, stress- and trauma-related conditions, and anxiety.

The University of Basel Department of Biomedicine hosts the Liechti Lab research group, headed by Matthias Liechti. Research here is primarily focused on the pharmacology of psychoactive substances. Much of the clinical research exploring the effects of LSD is taking place at University Hospital Basel. Researchers here are exploring the potential of LSD to treat Cluster Headache, Major Depressive Disorder and anxiety associated with severe somatic diseases. Professor Liechti is also conducting studies comparing the acute effects of LSD, psilocybin and mescaline, and MDMA for fear extinction.

Within the 'Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics' at the University of Zurich, Dr Milan Scheidegger is leading a team conducting psychedelic research and therapy development. Researchers here are investigating the therapeutic potential of psychedelics to reverse maladaptive neurobehavioral patterns in stress-related mood disorders and to enhance psychotherapeutic learning capabilities.

Leiden University doesn't have a dedicated research centre for psychedelics. However, several staff members from their medical centre and psychology faculty are working with psychedelics. Researchers here are working with other universities including Utrecht University as well as Compass Pathways.

While Maastricht University may not have a single dedicated psychedelic research group, various researchers at the university are investigating the effects of psychedelics. Early research exploring psychedelics at Maastricht focused on the dangers of MDMA. Now, research into the effects of microdosing is being led by Dr Kim Kuypers. Other research ongoing at the university is investigating cannabis as well as novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Maastricht is collaborating on research with the Beckley Foundation as well as Silo Pharma.

The PsyPal project coordinators at UMCG are leading a major EU-funded multi-site clinical study investigating psilocybin therapy for psychological and existential distress in patients with progressive incurable illnesses, including ALS.

Some researchers at Utrecht University are working on a large psychedelics study with colleagues from Leiden University, exploring varying intersections of mental health and psychoactive substances.

Researchers at Aarhus University are undertaking studies investigating how and why people in Denmark microdose. The aim of this research is to generate knowledge on potentially new forms of self-care emerging outside the national healthcare system in Denmark. Led by Margit Anne Petersen at the Centre for Drug and Alcohol Research, the project explores areas where the healthcare system potentially fails to accommodate patients.

The Palner Lab at SDU utilizes preclinical in vivo imaging and pharmacology to understand neuronal circuits involved in anxiety and OCD. Led by Mikael Palner, the lab investigates how classic psychedelics influence neuronal plasticity and stress resilience.

The Neurobiology Research Unit (NRU) at Copenhagen University Hospital has been carrying out clinical and preclinical research with psychedelics since 2017. The team at the NRU utilizes various neuroimaging techniques to better understand how psychedelics exert their effects on the brain. They have published numerous peer-reviewed articles on psychedelics and facilitated numerous medium-dose psilocybin sessions. The NRU is led by Professor Gitte Moos Knudsen.

The MIND Foundation partnered with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, one of Europe's largest university hospitals. Charité is affiliated with Humboldt University and Free University Berlin. This partnership sees researchers at the hospital carrying out clinical studies with psilocybin in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Studies also take place concurrently at the Central Institute for Mental Health Mannheim.

The Psychedelic Substances Research Group at Charité investigates various aspects of psychedelics, including their therapeutic applications, sociocultural implications, and harm reduction strategies. They lead the PsychedELSI project, focusing on ethical, legal, and social aspects of psychedelic research.

The Psychedelic Research Group (TTPRG) aims to integrate psychedelic medicine into the public health system through education, training, and innovative research, focusing on translational studies and clinical applications.

At the University Federal of Rio Grande do Norte, research with psychedelics has been taking place for the past ten years and more. Much of the research is taking place at The Brain Institue at UFRGN. Similar to the University of São Paulo, psychedelic research at UFRGN is primarily taking place with ayahuasca give its legal status in Brazil.

The University of São Paulo is somewhat of a hub for psychedelic research, specifically with ayahuasca. Ayahuasca is legal in Brazil given its traditional use by religions such as Santo Daime, União do Vegetal, and Barquinha. Directed by Dr Elisaldo Luiz de Araujo Carlini, The Centro Brasileiro de Informações sobre Drogas Psicotrópicas (CEBRID), the Brazilian Center for Information on Psychotropic Drugs, is where much of the research with psychedelics like ayahuasca takes place. At CEBRID, research groups analyze plant medicines from three different perspectives: ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology/toxicology.

UBA is home to the Consciousness, Culture and Complexity Lab which consists of a multidisciplinary team devoted to the quantitative analysis of high-throughput field and naturalistic studies of human consciousness and cognition. Their sister lab, Phalaris, is specifically dedicated to using psychedelics to study these aspects of neuroscience. Enzo Tagliazucchi oversees the work at both labs. As well as conducting clinical research with psychedelics, Enzo and the team at Phalaris work to make psychedelics visible as native substances of the American continent and advocate for an evidence-based approach toward drug policy.

Bar-Ilan University conducts diverse psychedelic research, ranging from the molecular mechanisms of drug action to the study of 'adaptive dissociation' in trauma survivors. Their work also includes innovative AI simulations of psychedelic experiences and narratives.

The Center for Psychedelic Research at Hadassah BrainLabs in Israel is one of the premier research groups in Asia dedicated to psychedelic research. The Hadassah BrainLabs is located at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem and is affiliated with the Hebrew University.

The Integrative Psychedelic Clinic at Lev Ha Sharon is the first public psychedelic clinic in Israel. It participates in multicenter studies on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, specifically focusing on its efficacy for early childhood trauma and PTSD.

The METIV Israel Psychotrauma Center is a leading authority in trauma treatment and research. The center is involved in exploring MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, aligning with a broader mission to develop advanced treatment methods for trauma-related conditions exacerbated by conflict.

HaEmek Medical Center's Psychedelic Research and Treatment Center is a pioneer in MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) for combat-related PTSD. It is notable for offering group therapy models and utilizes advanced neuroimaging tools (EEG/fMRI) to monitor clinical outcomes and brain mechanisms.

Soroka Medical Center, in collaboration with Ben-Gurion University, has a strong background in medical cannabis research for PTSD and ASD. Their faculty also collaborate on broader psychedelic studies investigating MDMA for trauma prevention.

Tel Aviv University has established the Institute for Integrative Psychedelic Research (IPR-TLV). The IPR-TLV aims to promote interdisciplinary research on psychedelics, focusing on the study of brain-mind-body associations with the goal of revolutionizing mental health.

The Clinical Psychedelic Lab, led by Dr. Paul Liknaitzky, conducts robust clinical trials exploring the efficacy and safety of psychedelic-assisted therapies for various mental health conditions within the Australian healthcare context.

The Brain and Mind Centre is advancing psychedelic science with a multidisciplinary focus on developing innovative treatments using AI and preparing for human clinical trials to treat severe mental illness.

EPOPTEIA is a non-profit research institute in Greece dedicated to the scientific and cultural study of entheogens. Their work includes archaeopharmacology, the reconstruction of the ancient Eleusinian kykeon, and developing clinical infrastructure for psychedelic research in Greece.

Dr. Michael Koslowski leads research at Aix-Marseille University investigating the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, particularly LSD, for treating mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. His work emphasizes the integration of neuroscience and clinical applications.

The PSIPET study at Karolinska Institute is the first Phase II randomized clinical trial in Sweden investigating psilocybin for depression. The research utilizes PET and MRI imaging to examine synaptic density and the biological mechanisms underlying psilocybin's therapeutic effects.

The Psykedelika-gruppen at the University of Oslo brings together researchers studying the recreational and therapeutic uses of psychedelics. Their projects include surveys on psychedelic use and clinical studies on MDMA for treating depression.