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Maastricht University

Data updated

Netherlands
7 Trials4 Papers

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.

IntroductoryHybridMid costAcademic programmeContinuing educationCurious publicAspiring practitionersLicensed cliniciansResearchersOther

Blossom’s read

Maastricht University is a serious academic provider rather than a standalone psychedelic school. Its psychedelic teaching sits inside broader psychology, neuroscience and health professions education, with a strong research lineage in psychopharmacology and microdosing. It is best for students and professionals who want evidence-led, university-based learning rather than facilitator-style or retreat-based training, and its reputation in this area is anchored by researchers such as Kim Kuypers and a wider psychopharmacology group working on psychedelics, MDMA and related substances.

Who is Maastricht University for?

Best for university students, researchers, and health professionals who want academic grounding in psychedelics, psychopharmacology, and related topics such as microdosing, MDMA, and psychedelic medicine. It is not positioned as a practitioner certification pathway for therapists or facilitators.

What do you need before you start?

For the relevant psychology and neuroscience teaching, entry follows normal university admission requirements. Some health professions education courses require a university degree in a health profession and relevant educational or supervisory experience.

Is Maastricht University accredited?

Maastricht University states that its programmes in the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience are accredited. Its health professions education certificates are university certificate courses that can be taken as standalone courses and are equivalent to specific sections of the MHPE, but the provider does not market them as psychedelic-specific professional accreditation.

How much does it cost?

The psychedelic-related academic courses are part of standard university tuition rather than a separate public training price. Maastricht University does publish fees for some education programmes, such as €10,250 per year for the MHPE and €2,050 for one certificate course track, but it does not publish a single price for a dedicated psychedelic programme.

What do you walk away with?

Learners gain academic understanding of psychedelic pharmacology, microdosing research, and the therapeutic and risk profiles of substances such as LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, cannabis and ketamine. For eligible certificate learners, the outcome can include a university certificate and credit towards sections of the MHPE.

Academic Research

4 papers

Published Papers

4

Trial Involvement

7

Distinct Focus Topics

0

Latest Publication

Apr 8, 2026

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Quick Facts

Type
academic
Founded
1976
HQ
Netherlands
Website
Visit

Research Landscape

What the 7 registered trials Maastricht University sponsors or participates in look like when you line them up. Counts come from Blossom’s trial records as of July 2026.

What's live right now, and what stopped?

Sourced

Registry status of all 7 Maastricht University trials Blossom tracks. Orange marks trials recruiting or opening.

Recruiting or opening
229%
Completed
343%
Unknown / other
229%
Browse trials →

Don't read stopped trials as failures: trials end early for funding, recruitment, and strategy reasons too. Status is as last synced from the registry; some 'recruiting' trials may already have finished.

Sponsored Trials

6
RecruitingNA

The Impact of Psilocybin on Pain in Fibromyalgia Patients (PsiloFM)

Start Date
Compounds
Psilocybin, Placebo
Unknown statusI, II

The Effect of LSD on Neural Synchrony, Prosocial Behavior, and Relationship Quality

Start Date
Compounds
LSD, Placebo
CompletedNA

Sub(acute) Profiling of 2C-B Versus Psilocybin

Start Date
Compounds
2C-X, Psilocybin, Placebo
CompletedNA

Acute and delayed effects of MDMA intoxication on false memories in a legal context

Start Date
Compounds
MDMA, Placebo
RecruitingNA

MDMA and prosocial behavior: The role of the 2a-serotonin receptor

Start Date
Compounds
MDMA, Placebo
CompletedNA

The role of the 5-HT2a receptor in MDMA-induced effects on social cognition and prosocial behaviour

Start Date
Compounds
MDMA, Placebo

Collaborated Trials

1
Unknown statusNA

Personality and Drug Use (PDU)

Start Date

Research Papers

4
Open Accessmeta

Subjective and neurocognitive profiling of clinical doses of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in healthy volunteers: implications for therapeutic use

This narrative review (2026) examines placebo-controlled single-dose studies of MDMA (75 to 125 mg) in healthy volunteers and finds that it acutely increases mood, empathy, trust and prosocial feelings, while causing temporary memory impairment and modest declines in motor coordination and cognitive flexibility. It also notes that post-acute fatigue and low mood can occur, and that MDMA may complicate trial blinding and expectancy in psychotherapy studies.

Published
Journal
Molecular Psychiatry
Authors
Ramaekers, J. G., Kuypers, K. P. C., Vollenweider, F. X.
Open AccessindividualSecondary analysis

The forgotten psychedelic: Spatiotemporal mapping of brain organisation following the administration of 2C-B and psilocybin

Using 7T resting-state fMRI in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, the authors show that acute 2C-B and psilocybin both reduce intra-network static connectivity while increasing between-network and subcortical–cortical coupling and brain complexity, but 2C-B causes less between-network desynchronisation and relative elevations in transmodal connectivity compared with psilocybin. These spatially divergent effects align with monoaminergic transporter and serotonergic receptor distributions and link transmodal-axis desynchronisation to behavioural measures, highlighting 2C-B as a distinct tool for psychedelic neuroscience and potential pharmacotherapies.

Published
Journal
Molecular Psychiatry
Authors
Mallaroni, P., Singleton, P., Mason, N. L., Satterthwaite, T. D., Ramaekers, J. G.
Open Accessindividual

Shared functional connectome fingerprints following ritualistic ayahuasca intake

This fMRI study (n=21) of people who regularly use ayahuasca within the Santo Daime church finds that during the experience, changes in functional connectivity (FC, how brain areas communicate) indicate on the scans more similarity between them (so less 'unique' FC). The authors use an analogy that each person still has their own hairstyle, but instead of wearing different coloured t-shirts, all are now wearing the same shirt.

Published
Journal
NeuroImage
Authors
Mallaroni, P., Mason, N. L., Kloft, L., Reckweg, J. T., Van Oorsouw, K., Toennes, S. W., Tolle, H. M., Amico, E., Ramaekers, J. G.
Open AccessindividualPrimary

Assessment of the acute effects of 2C-B vs psilocybin on subjective experience, mood and cognition

In a within‑subjects, double‑blind, placebo‑controlled study (n=22) of psychedelic‑experienced volunteers, 20 mg 2C‑B produced acute psychedelic alterations of moderate experiential depth but elicited less dysphoria, subjective impairment, auditory changes and ego‑dissolution than 15 mg psilocybin. Both drugs produced comparable psychomotor slowing, spatial memory impairments and transient pressor effects, while 2C‑B’s subjective effects were shorter in duration (largely resolving within ~6 hours).

Published
Journal
Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Authors
Mallaroni, P., Mason, N. L., Reckweg, J. T., Paci, R., Toennes, S. W., Theunissen, E. L., Kuypers, K. P. C., Ramaekers, J. G.