Our Approach
Acknowledging the potential risk of using psychedelics to treat addictions, we are taking a deliberately cautious approach to our research. There is still limited scientific evidence for the use of psychedelics in this area and our research will attempt to ‘fill this gap’ in a rigorous, systematic way. Our research is conducted under controlled circumstances, with a strong focus on safety and without undue influence by funding sources. We currently do not use psychedelic drugs outside of clinical research protocols that have been reviewed and approved by UW’s Institutional Review Board. We aim to:
- Improve our understanding of the safety and efficacy of psychedelic compounds for individuals with addiction and other mental health problems.
- Conduct clinical trials to identify the best pairings of novel compounds and behavioral interventions to treat a variety of substance use disorders.
- Develop a standardized training program for clinicians and therapists who want to incorporate the safe and effective use of these treatments into practice.
Education/Training
As the use of psychedelics and other novel compounds becomes more prevalent, we aim to develop a standardized training program for clinicians and therapists who want to incorporate the safe and effective use of these treatments into their practices.
Pre-Clinical Trials
We will engage key investigators in psychiatry, neuroscience, psychology, anesthesiology, toxicology and pharmacology to leverage shared resources and improve our understanding of how to best use substances like psilocybin, ketamine, MDMA and other compounds safely in a clinical application.
Clinical Trials
We will work to develop a range of clinical trials to identify the best pairings of novel compounds and behavioral interventions to treat a variety of substance use disorders.
Please note: The Center for Novel Therapeutics in Addiction Psychiatry does not provide direct clinical services and does not have any active clinical trials at this time.