A Superficial Deep Dive into Psychedelic Science

Over the past decade, psychedelics have moved from the fringes of research back into the scientific spotlight. Headlines promise breakthroughs in mental health, but what is actually happening inside the labs and clinics? In this talk, we will take a “superficial deep dive” into the emerging field of psychedelic science. I will introduce the current state of research, share some of the most interesting recent clinical trials, and explore the open questions that still remain. Along the way, we will also look critically at the challenges facing the field, ranging from methodological issues to the pressures of publishing in a hype-driven environment. The goal is not only to show what psychedelics might offer, but also to understand the limits of what we know so far.

Clinical Pharmacology of Classical Psychedelics and MDMA

Classic psychedelics and entactogens are promising candidates for treating psychiatric and neurological disorders, driving renewed research into their pharmacology, mechanisms, and safety. Classic psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD, DMT, mescaline) primarily act as 5-HT2A receptor agonists but differ in secondary receptor interactions. Entactogens like MDMA act mainly through serotonin transporter inhibition and neurotransmitter release. Despite clinical interest, the relationship between receptor binding and behavioral effects remains unclear. Understanding dose equivalence, drug interactions, pharmacokinetics, and safety is essential for therapeutic application. This talk will examine key aspects of the clinical pharmacology of psychedelics and entactogens, emphasizing dosing, comparative effects, and implications for individualized treatment.

Jan Valenta: The Bench After the Bedside: Pharmaceutical Research on Psychedelics

In conventional drug development, no compound reaches a human before its pharmacological properties are characterized: which receptors it binds to, whether it is toxic, how it is metabolized, how it can be measured and at which dose it should be given. For psychedelics, this sequence runs in reverse. Classic psychedelics such as LSD, psilocybin and mescaline have been used by humans for decades to centuries and are only now returning to clinical trials, while new psychoactive substances (NPS) are consumed before any systematic characterization exists. Because these compounds are largely unpatentable and controlled, this foundational work rarely happens in industry and falls to academic labs like the Psychopharmacology Research Group. In this talk, I will show how standard pharmaceutical methods are applied to psychedelic compounds. Using Ethocybin as an example, I will follow one compound through in vitro metabolism studies and the development of an LC-MS/MS method, as it is done in our lab. Finally, I will give an outlook on a proposed project using brain organoids as a human-derived model between cell assays and clinical studies.

Livio Erne: Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and acute analgesic effects of intravenous N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT)

N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a classic serotonergic psychedelic with a short plasma elimination half-life. This dissertation investigated the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of intravenous DMT in healthy participants using continuous infusion, bolus administration, and an experimental pain model.

During 120-minute continuous infusion, DMT showed approximately dose-proportional pharmacokinetics. Subjective effects reached a plateau after about 30 minutes while plasma concentrations continued to rise, resulting in a clockwise concentration–effect relationship consistent with acute pharmacodynamic tolerance. In a separate self-guided titration session, participants adjusted the infusion to a mean rate of 1.9 mg/min.

Intravenous bolus administration produced rapidly rising effects that peaked within the first two minutes and resolved within approximately 12–30 minutes. Peak subjective intensity showed an apparent ceiling at higher doses, whereas increasing the dose mainly prolonged the overall response. No decrease in acute effects was observed with repeated hourly bolus administration.

In the experimental pain model, DMT significantly reduced electrically evoked pain, pinprick hyperalgesia during infusion, and sensory pain ratings compared with placebo, whereas effects on allodynia and affective pain were not significant. DMT and ketamine did not differ significantly on any pain endpoint at the tested infusion rates.

Overall, the findings show that the acute pharmacology of intravenous DMT depends strongly on the mode and duration of administration. Prolonged infusion revealed evidence of acute pharmacodynamic tolerance, whereas repeated bolus administration did not. In addition, DMT showed acute effects on experimental pain processing.

Hector Taylor: What Counts as “Me”? Exploring the Boundaries of the Bodily Self with Psilocybin and Virtual Reality

Feeling that our body belongs to us seems immediate and effortless. Yet this experience depends on bringing together what we see, how we move, and where we feel our body to be. In this talk, I’ll describe our study investigating whether psilocybin changes how these signals are combined.

Using immersive virtual reality, we introduce controlled mismatches between the body’s seen and felt position, and compare how participants respond under psilocybin and placebo. Through movement tasks and reports of subjective experience, we examine how these mismatches affect body perception and the feeling that a virtual body is part of oneself.

Additional measures explore accompanying changes in pain, bodily physiology, and brain blood oxygenation. I’ll also discuss how computational models could help distinguish different explanations for any changes we observe. Together, these approaches offer a way to investigate how sensory information contributes to what feels like “me”; and whether psilocybin changes the boundaries of that experience.

Beyond Stigma and Hype - The History of Psychedelic Research and its Lessons for Today

This presentation provides an overview of the history of psychedelic research, focusing on key developments in Switzerland and the United States, including the “War on Drugs.” It examines how these developments shaped public perceptions and the societal status of psychedelics, while comparing past and present research approaches. Drawing on lessons from the past, it highlights the importance of rigorous and critical research in advancing the field today.

Psychedelics change the brain: Drug-induced neuroplasticity

Clinical studies have shown that psychedelics such as psilocybin can improve symptoms of depression already after a single dose. What are the underlying mechanisms? The current state of knowledge suggests that drug-induced neuroplasticity occur in brain circuits involved in the pathophysiology of depression. In this presentation, I will discuss current evidence on long-lasting synaptic and neuronal changes induced by psychedelics.

The Fundamental Domains of Psychedelic Experience

Research on psychedelically induced expansive experiences has emphasized diminished or dissolved self-boundaries (“ego dissolution/disintegration”), while comparatively neglecting profound shifts within the personal/autobiographical self. This talk proposes that psychedelic experiential expansion can be organized into two fundamental psychological domains: self-retention, in which experience expands within the self-boundary, and self-transcendence, in which experience extends beyond this boundary. Self-retentive experiences can, for instance, involve profound personal insights, vivid re-experiencing of formative life events, or symbolic encounters with an important aspect of one’s personal history. Self-transcendent experiences may, for instance, involve merging with the surrounding world, dissolution of the body or everyday self, and immersion in otherworldly phenomenological realms. Drawing on the scientific literature and our qualitative research from controlled psychedelic studies, the talk will examine the phenomenology of these two domains, their coverage by current psychometric instruments, and how a more precise mapping of these potentially profound experiential pathways may also help us to increase our understanding of which forms of psychedelic experience foster psychological well-being and beneficial change.

Is this Real-World? Insights from therapy with psilocybin in clinical settings

How does psilocybin treatment translate from clinical trials into everyday psychiatric care? Drawing on clinical experience and real-world research at the Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, this talk presents the practical application of psilocybin in patients with treatment-resistant depression, including patient selection, preparation, dosing sessions, and follow-up. Particular attention will be given to the role of psychotherapy: what are the theories and hard facts behind psychotherapeutic mechanisms. The talk will also examine potential predictors of treatment response, including setting. Findings from routine care will serve as a starting point to discuss what we currently know, what remains uncertain, and how treatment might be better adapted to individual patients.

Title to be announced

Prof. Dr. Manvir Singh will present current perspectives from his research. Detailed lecture information will be added here.

Title to be announced

PhD candidate Moritz Spangermacher will present his work. Detailed lecture information will be added here.

Student presentation

Student presentations are mandatory for students seeking credits. Detailed information about the presentations will be added here.

Student presentation, second chance

This flexible date is the second chance for student presentations. Detailed information will be added here.