This webinar was recorded on Thursday 10th Nov 2022 and hosted by Anya Oleksiuk, as part of the Psychedelic Science and Harm Reduction team at the Psychedelic Society. In March 2024, a portion of that team became PsyAware. Please note that in the introduction, we refer to ourselves as the Psychedelic Society.

Psychedelics can profoundly alter someone’s state of consciousness - bringing about significant shifts in perception of self and reality.

So, as these substances increasingly make their way into mainstream therapy, understanding the biological blueprint of such unique and powerful experiences is a growing area of neuroscientific research today.

On November 10th, we  hosted the legendary psychedelic neuroscientist David E Nichols. Having conducted pivotal psychedelic science research for over 40 years, publishing over 200 scientific reports on their molecular effects, David will be sharing his expertise to unravel the question:

“What happens to the brain on psychedelics?”

You will discover some of the fundamental scientific theories behind the effects and therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelics.

Moreover, as a leading psychedelic chemist, David will also be talking about novel synthesised substances, and how they compare to classical psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin. Both molecularly and in the context of psychedelic therapy.

So if you’re interested in science, consciousness, and mental health, be sure to watch this talk where we delve into the complex and fascinating world of psychedelic neuroscience.

David E. Nichols, PhD is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the Purdue University College of Pharmacy and was the Robert C. and Charlotte P. Anderson Distinguished Chair in Pharmacology, where he taught and did research for 38 years. He is also Director of Molecular Pharmacology at Eleusis Therapeutics.

In 2004 he was named the Irvine H. Page Lecturer by the International Society for Serotonin Research, received the first Purdue Provost’s Outstanding Graduate Mentor award in 2006 and was named a Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy in 2012. He began studying psychedelics as a graduate student in 1969.

His lab synthesised DMT for Dr. Rick Strassman, the MDMA for MAPS Phase I and II clinical trials, and the psilocybin used for human clinical studies conducted at Johns Hopkins University. In 1993 he founded the Heffter Research Institute (HRI), which funded the first groundbreaking Phase I and II studies of psilocybin for the treatment of depression, and pilot studies for treating alcohol use disorder, and tobacco addiction.

If you're feeling generous, any donation you can offer would greatly support our harm reduction efforts.

Neuroscience of Psychedelics with Prof David Nichols