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Research, Drug Development & Manufacturing
Academic & Non-Profit ResearchUniversities and Colleges with Dedicated Psychedelic Research Groups
Research, Drug Development & Manufacturing

Imperial College London

United Kingdom
5 Trials3 Papers

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).

Academic Research

3 papers

Published Papers

3

Trial Involvement

5

Distinct Focus Topics

0

Latest Publication

Mar 21, 2026

Government funding received

1 grant

MRC — Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression (feasibility trial)

2014–2017

Medical Research CouncilAmount undisclosed
PsilocybinTreatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)

MRC-funded small feasibility trial at Imperial College London on psilocybin in patients who had failed both antidepressants and psychotherapeutic treatments. Robin Carhart-Harris and David Nutt PIs. Foundational for what became the Imperial Centre for Psychedelic Research. Exact amount not publicly itemised — TO BE CONFIRMED from MRC grant database.

Source

Quick Facts

Type
academic
HQ
United Kingdom
Website
Visit

Sponsored Trials

5
RecruitingI

PsiloIMAGINE: A Psychedelic-augmented Mental Imagery-based Intervention for Young People With Self-harm

Start Date
Compounds
Psilocybin, Placebo
CompletedI

PsilOCD: A Pharmacological-Challenge Feasibility Study

Start Date
Compounds
Psilocybin
Unknown statusNA

Psilocybin in Patients With Fibromyalgia: EEG-measured Brain Biomarkers of Action (Psilopain)

Start Date
Compounds
Psilocybin
CompletedI, II

Psilocybin as a Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa: A Pilot Study

Start Date
Compounds
Psilocybin
CompletedII

Psilocybin vs Escitalopram for Major Depressive Disorder: Comparative Mechanisms

Start Date
Compounds
Psilocybin

Research Papers

3
Open Accessindividual

Detecting neuroplastic effects induced by ketamine in healthy human subjects: A multimodal approach

This brain imaging study (n=11) found that a single intravenous dose of ketamine (70mg/70kg) increased glutamate levels in the anterior cingulate cortex and altered functional connectivity between this region, the dlPFC, and the amygdala in healthy men. Multimodal imaging also suggested that ketamine-related increases in a putative marker of synaptic plasticity were linked to reduced default mode network activity.

Published
Journal
Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
Authors
Agnorelli, C., Peill, J., Sawicka, G., Kurtin, D., Shatalina, E., Ahmad, K., Wall, M. B., Rua, C., Godfrey, K., Ertl, N., Searle, G., Zhou, K., Osugo, M., Weiss, B., Greenway, K. T., Fagiolini, A., Carhart-Harris, R., Matthews, P. M., Rabiner, E. A., Nutt, D., Erritzoe, D.
Paywallmeta

Psychedelic Therapy vs Antidepressants for the Treatment of Depression Under Equal Unblinding Conditions A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis (s=24) found that psychedelic-assisted therapy (s=8) was no more effective than open-label traditional antidepressants for treating major depression, and that, unlike traditional antidepressants (where blinding meaningfully influenced outcomes), PAT trials showed no difference between blinded and open-label conditions, confirming that PAT trials are effectively always unblinded.

Published
Journal
JAMA Psychiatry
Authors
Williams, Z. J., Barnett, H., Szigeti, B.
Open AccessindividualSecondary analysis

The Impact of Ayahuasca on Suicidality: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial.

This secondary analysis of a double-blind, parallel-arm, randomised placebo-controlled trial (n=29) investigates the impact of ayahuasca on suicidality (SI) in individuals with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). It found that ayahuasca may show potential as a fast-acting and innovative intervention for SI, but didn't find significant results (only a trend with a large effect size). This is the first study to investigate the use of ayahuasca for SI.

Published
Journal
Frontiers in Pharmacology
Authors
Araújo, D. B., Zeifman, R. J., Palhano-Fontes, F., Hallak, J. E., Arcoverde, E., Maia-de-Oliveira, J. P.