DC16 – Clinical development of psychedelic-assisted therapy: transdiagnostic mechanisms and contextual factors
Description Psychedelic therapies (PT) are emerging as a promising treatment paradigm across a range of mental health conditions. While early clinical studies demonstrate encouraging efficacy, there remains a need to better understand transdiagnostic mechanisms of therapeutic change and to systematically investigate contextual factors such as set and setting, preparation, and integration to optimize therapeutic delivery. […]
DC15 – Evaluating the impact of controlled self-experience with psychedelics in therapist training. A clinical trial.
Description For this project, the doctoral candidate will be involved in a clinical trial investigating the impact of controlled personal experiences with psychedelics in physicians and psychotherapists within a therapist training context. The study examines the subjective risks and benefits of personal psychedelic experiences in this professional population, specifically for the purpose of therapists’ training. […]
DC14 – Harmonising Ethical Regulation of Psychedelic Therapy with Broader Medical Practices
Description In addition to questions on clinical efficacy and safety of psychedelic therapy, ethical concerns have been raised both in clinical trials and (limited) pre-approval access programs. Ethical aspects will be crucial in the further research and implementation of psychedelic therapy. The objective of this project is to explore ethical considerations within psychedelic therapy regulation. […]
DC13 – Identifying ethical, legal and societal challenges and opportunities for applying psychedelic therapy
Description Psychedelic therapy has the potential to revolutionize mental disorder treatments. Yet it also raises questions about the position of the patients who are (potentially) undergoing the treatment, especially when considered in light of their human right to mental health as recognised in international human rights law. Questions arise regarding equitable access to these therapies, […]
DC12 – Analysing the obstacles and opportunities of different regulatory pathways to patient access for psychedelic therapies
Description The development of psychedelic therapies in Europe must operate within the established regulatory framework for medicinal products, with centralised marketing authorisation via the European Medicines Agency as the primary route. However, existing regulatory structures were not designed for treatments that combine psychoactive compounds with structured psychotherapeutic interventions, creating challenges related to an unbiased trial […]
DC11 – Health economics of psychedelic therapy
Description This doctoral project focuses on generating robust, policy-relevant evidence on the economic value of psychedelic therapy (PT) across different mental health conditions. While clinical evidence on PT is rapidly expanding, systematic economic evidence remains scarce, limiting informed decision-making regarding its implementation and reimbursement. This project will address this gap by synthesising existing economic evidence, […]
DC10 – Methodological challenges in clinical psychedelic research
Description This DC project addresses key methodological challenges in clinical and experimental psychedelic research, including expectancy and placebo effects, the breaking-blind problem, and limited mechanistic insight. The project aims to empirically evaluate methodological solutions using controlled laboratory studies and complementary naturalistic designs in healthy volunteers. The doctoral candidate will integrate methods from cognitive neuroscience and […]
DC9 – Psychotherapy process and psychological intervention techniques in psychedelic therapy: safety and efficacy
Description Psychedelic therapies have re-emerged as a promising treatment for several neuropsychiatric disorders, but wide variation in practice leaves open questions about the role of psychotherapy and optimal treatment procedures. This project aims to address concerns regarding the delivery of psychotherapy in psychedelic treatments that may hinder regulatory approval and clinical implementation. Better defined and […]
DC8 – Set and Setting in Psychedelic Therapy: An Anthropological and Clinical Perspective
Description Psychedelic therapies have shown promising results in the treatment of mental health conditions, yet growing evidence suggests that their effects cannot be understood solely through pharmacology. Extra-pharmacological factors – often referred to as set and setting – play a crucial role in shaping both therapeutic outcomes and risks, but remain insufficiently theorised, measured, and […]
DC7 – The role of music and psychotherapeutic support in psychedelic therapy
Description This DC project investigates the role of music and therapist behaviours in psychedelic treatments (PT). The doctoral candidate will contribute to analyses of a music-based preparatory intervention administered prior to psilocybin dosing, as well as the effects of a novel music program played during psilocybin sessions. These data have been collected as part of […]