Back to Stakeholders

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).

IntroductoryHybridAcademic programmeOtherCurious publicAspiring practitionersLicensed cliniciansResearchersOther

Blossom’s read

Stanford is a research-led academic institution with a credible place in the emerging psychedelic-science field, rather than a dedicated professional psychedelic-therapy school. Its strongest offer is the interdisciplinary Stanford Psychedelic Science Group, alongside credit-bearing university courses led by faculty including Gianni Glick, Boris Heifets, Trisha Suppes and Christian Greer. It is best regarded as an academically rigorous introduction to psychedelic medicine, research methods, ethics and cultural context, not as a route to therapist or facilitator qualification.

Who is Stanford University for?

This suits Stanford students, researchers, clinicians and psychedelic-curious learners who want a scientifically grounded overview of the field. It is particularly useful for people considering research, policy, medicine, mental-health practice or further specialist training, but it is not designed to qualify someone to provide psychedelic-assisted therapy.

What do you need before you start?

The published material identifies no psychedelic-specific licence, clinical qualification or prior professional training requirement. Access depends on the relevant Stanford course-registration route, with public participation available through some Stanford Psychedelic Science Group events and educational activities.

Is Stanford University accredited?

Stanford University is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. PSYC 215B is a 1-2 unit Stanford academic course, but its published materials do not identify psychedelic-specific certification, therapist accreditation or CME/CE credit.

How much does it cost?

The Stanford Psychedelic Science Group states that it offers free education and its speaker-series activity is free to access. Credit-bearing options are university courses, including the 1-2 unit PSYC 215B and the 4-unit DESIGN 265, but Stanford does not publish a single standalone programme price for psychedelic education.

What do you walk away with?

Learners gain a broad framework for psychedelic science and medicine, including clinical-trial appraisal, neuroscience, therapeutic applications, history, law, culture, ethics, safety and harm reduction. The two-unit version of PSYC 215B includes a student project or presentation, but completion does not confer a practitioner credential or independent authority to deliver psychedelic therapy.

Academic Research

3 papers

Published Papers

3

Trial Involvement

10

Distinct Focus Topics

0

Latest Publication

Apr 8, 2026

Research journey

Built from the 9 trials Stanford University has sponsored, placed at the date each one started.

Clinical trial history9 sponsored trials · 5 lanestoday201620182020202220242026Phase 11 trial · KetaminePhase 22 trialsPhase 31 trial · KetaminePhase 3 · MDDPhase 42 trials · KetaminePhase 4 · MDDPhase 4 · Depressive Diso…No phase given3 trialsEach dot is a trial, placed at its start date. Hover a dot for what it tests and how far it got.

Similar course providers

Reference points selected from shared training modalities, learner audience, level, delivery format, pricing, and location.

University of Pennsylvania
  • Strong match: 2 shared modalities
  • Strong match: 3 shared learner audiences
  • Also shares: introductory level
  • Also shares: hybrid delivery
Alex Criddle
  • Strong match: 2 shared modalities
  • Strong match: 4 shared learner audiences
  • Also shares: introductory level
  • Also shares: same country: United States
Autism Psychedelic Community
  • Strong match: 2 shared modalities
  • Strong match: 5 shared learner audiences
  • Also shares: introductory level
  • Also shares: same country: United States
BrainFutures
  • Strong match: 2 shared modalities
  • Strong match: 4 shared learner audiences
  • Also shares: introductory level
  • Also shares: same country: United States

Quick Facts

Type
academic
Founded
1885
HQ
United States
Website
Visit

Research Landscape

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

How fast is Stanford University research growing?

Sourced

Registered trials by recorded study-start year. Click a year for the running total.

2trials began in 2021

+100% vs 2020

6 started by 2021

Browse trials→

Don't read as total research effort: only registered trials with a recorded start date are counted (10 of 10 tracked). Recent years under-count because of registration lag; striped bars are still filling in or are planned starts.

What's live right now, and what stopped?

Sourced

Registry status of all 10 Stanford University trials Blossom tracks. Orange marks trials recruiting or opening.

Recruiting or opening
330%
Underway, not recruiting
110%
Completed
660%
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.

Which conditions does Stanford University run trials on?

Sourced

Trials per primary indication. Orange marks the largest research focus.

Depressive Disorders
6
Chronic Pain
1
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
1
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
1

Don't read shares as adding to 100%: a trial with several primary indications counts once per indication. Trial volume signals research attention, not evidence quality.

Which compounds appear in Stanford University trials?

Sourced

Trials per compound. Orange marks the most-studied compound.

Ketamine
7
Psilocybin
1
Ibogaine
1
MDMA
1

Don't read shares as adding to 100%: a trial testing several compounds counts once per compound, and placebo comparator arms are not shown. Trial volume signals research attention, not evidence quality.

Sponsored Trials

9
Not yet recruiting

Outcomes Registry After Ketamine Infusions for Chronic Pain: A Longitudinal Evaluation

Start Date
Compounds
Ketamine
Not yet recruitingII

Anesthesia-Masked Psilocybin Therapy for Major Depression

Start Date
Compounds
Psilocybin, Placebo
Active not recruitingIV

Propofol-Enhanced Assessment of Ketamine for Chronic Pain and Depression (PEAK)

Start Date
Compounds
Ketamine, Placebo
RecruitingII

Examining Mu Opioid Mechanisms of Ketamine’s Rapid Effects in OCD (MKET2) (MKET2)

Start Date
Compounds
Ketamine, Placebo
CompletedNA

Pre-post Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of Ibogaine-Magnesium Therapy in Veterans With Repeated Blast Exposure

Start Date
Compounds
Ibogaine
CompletedNA

Stanford Reward Circuits of the Brain Study – MDMA

Start Date
Compounds
MDMA, Placebo
CompletedIII

Opiate Suicide Study in Patients With Major Depression

Start Date
Compounds
Ketamine, Placebo
CompletedIV

Intraoperative Ketamine Versus Saline in Depressed Patients Undergoing Anesthesia for Non-cardiac Surgery

Start Date
Compounds
Ketamine, Placebo
CompletedI

Double-Blind Trial of Ketamine Therapy Plus or Minus Naltrexone in Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD)

Start Date
Compounds
Ketamine, Placebo

Where this pipeline sits in the field

Stanford University runs late-stage trials that Blossom ranks by how soon a catalyst is expected, alongside every other Phase 2 and Phase 3 study in the field.

Open the forecast →

Collaborated Trials

1
CompletedII

Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Ketamine Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)

Start Date
Compounds
Ketamine, Placebo

Research Papers

3
Paywallindividual

General Anesthesia and Discrete Components of Ketamine Neurophysiology

This cohort study (n=52) examined how general anaesthesia changes ketamine’s brain activity patterns in healthy volunteers, surgical patients and people with depression. Ketamine given during general anaesthesia kept its beta-gamma effects but lost the usual theta increase, suggesting these neurophysiological components can be separated.

Published
Journal
JAMA Psychiatry
Authors
Deverett, B., Li, D., Lii, T. R., Vlisides, P. E., Tarnal, V., Forsyth, A., Sumner, R., Sikka, P., Schatzberg, A. F., Muthukumaraswamy, S., Mashour, G. A., Heifets, B. D.
Open AccessindividualPrimary

Increased cortical thickness and decreased brain age among special operations veterans with blast TBI after a magnesium-ibogaine protocol

This secondary analysis of an observational study (n=30) - named MISTIC - of Special Operations Forces veterans with blast-related traumatic brain injury, examined ibogaine given with magnesium and found increased cortical thickness, larger subcortical volumes and a lower estimated brain age one month later. The authors note that the MRI changes could reflect neuroplastic effects, although the scans may also be influenced by non-structural factors.

Published
Journal
iScience
Authors
Geoly, A. D., Coetzee, J. P., Buchanan, D. M., Struckmann, W., Kim, B., Sridhar, M., Azeez, A., Lissemore, J. I., Cherian, K., Faerman, A., Keynan, J. N., Singal, P., Shanbour, A., Bandeira, I. D., Kratter, I. H., Adamson, M. M., Saggar, M., Rolle, C., Williams, N. R.
Open AccessindividualLong-term follow-up

Magnesium-ibogaine therapy in veterans with traumatic brain injuries

This observational study (n=30) evaluates ibogaine (up to 980mg/70kg) in combination with magnesium (1-2 hours before and 12 hours later) in male Special Operations Forces veterans with predominantly mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The study assessed changes in disability, PTSD, depression, and anxiety immediately and one month after treatment using various scales. Results show significant improvements in functioning and psychological symptoms with no serious adverse events.

Published
Journal
Nature Medicine
Authors
Cherian, K. N., Keynan, J. N., Anker, L., Faerman, A., Brown, R. E., Shamma, A., Keynan, O., Coetzee, J. P., Batail, J. M., Phillips, A., Bassa, N. J., Sahlem, G. L., Inzunza, J., Millar, T., Dickinson, J., Rol, C. E., Keller, J., Adamson, M., Kratter, I. H., Williams, N. R.

Recent activity