22 Dec Heffter’s Plans for Future Research
With Phase 2 studies on cancer-related depression and anxiety now complete, Heffter is excited to investigate other conditions that might be successfully treated with psilocybin.
Drawing on the scientific expertise and longstanding partnership of the world’s leading investigators of psychedelics, Heffter mentors the next generation of psilocybin researchers and therapists, vets new approaches, supports proof-of-concept studies, and gathers the evidence base for therapeutic treatments that, pending FDA approval, will be available to patients in need.
Heffter is vetting new approaches for unmet treatment needs, including:
• Emotional distress accompanying life-threatening diagnoses such as cancer, AIDS, and Alzheimer’s disease
• Addictions to cocaine, alcohol, and tobacco
• Depression that is not being successfully treated
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder and eating disorders
• Criminal recidivism
Heffter also envisions basic science research to understand how psilocybin and similar drugs affect consciousness and behavior. Specific questions of interest in this area include the following:
• What is the relationship between brain processes and subjective experience, including cognition, emotion, and spiritual experience?
• When psychedelic-assisted therapy produces enduring healing, what changes in brain function and neurochemistry have occurred?
• What effects can these drugs have on personality structure, creative problem solving, and pro-social behavior?
• How do other types of psychedelic drugs such as mescaline or LSD, and their methods of administration, compare with each other?
• Does microdosing with LSD have quantifiable cognitive effects?
Heffter is currently reviewing proposals to conduct this important research and will continue to refine its research agenda to support work being carried out by leading investigators. Your generous support makes all of this possible. Learn more about how to make a tax-deductible contribution to Heffter at https://heffter.org/donate/