PRESS RELEASE: Global Scientists Convene in California to Explore Breakthroughs in Psychedelic Science and Medicine
Psychedelic Science 2017 to feature over 175 presenters at six-day gathering
To celebrate the historic advances now being made in psychedelic research and therapy, The Beckley Foundation and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) will co-host Psychedelic Science 2017 in Oakland, California, from April 19-24. As the largest international gathering of psychedelic researchers, Psychedelic Science 2017 will present the latest findings from leading and up-and-coming researchers exploring how psychedelics—such as LSD, MDMA, psilocybin, ayahuasca, ibogaine, ketamine, and peyote—as well as cannabis can alter human consciousness, ignite creativity, and enhance the effectiveness of therapy for a wide variety of mental health conditions.
The last year has seen several milestones for psychedelic research. The Beckley/Imperial Research Programme published the world’s first images of the human brain on LSD, along with remarkable results from their new study investigating the potential of psilocybin to treat chronic depression. MAPS received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Phase 3 clinical trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), following their very successful results with sexual assault survivors, war veterans, and others. Johns Hopkins University and New York University also revealed that psilocybin can alleviate anxiety associated with a diagnosis of terminal cancer, and the Beckley/Sant Pau Research Programme showed ayahuasca alkaloids stimulating the birth of new neurons in hippocampal cells.
As the evidence mounts for the therapeutic value of psychedelics and cannabis, we are witnessing a dramatic shift in scientific and public opinion. A fast-growing field of medical practitioners supports this new wave of research, and for the first time since the 1950s and 1960s, psychedelic treatments for common psychiatric conditions are being re-considered. At the same time, advances in brain imaging technology are revealing psychedelics as indispensable tools for neuroscience and consciousness research.
At Psychedelic Science 2017, Amanda Feilding and David Nutt will present their breakthrough LSD and psilocybin findings, and discuss the opportunities and challenges ahead. Rick Doblin and Stanislav Grof will discuss the exciting future of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Roland Griffiths will give an overview of the much-praised Johns Hopkins psilocybin research project, and Anthony P. Bossis will report on NYU’s clinical trial on the effects of psilocybin in religious leaders. James Fadiman will also share the preliminary results from the world’s first survey of psychedelic microdosing.
Psychedelic Science 2017 includes an entire track of presentations on ayahuasca, ibogaine, and other plant medicines, including ground-breaking research on the effects of ayahuasca on neurogenesis, psychiatric distress and depression, as well as on the legal, regulatory, scientific, and ethical issues surrounding ayahuasca churches in the U.S. and internationally. At a time when many countries are facing an escalating opioid epidemic, Psychedelic Science 2017 will feature highly relevant research into ibogaine and kratom as treatments for opioid dependence, cannabis as a substitute for opiate-based pain medication, and more.
Psychedelic Science 2017 will feature presentations from leading researchers at Yale University (USA), Imperial College of London (UK), Federal University of São Paulo (Brazil), the University of British Columbia (Canada), Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Spain), University of Saskatchewan (Canada), The New School for Social Research (USA), University of Queensland (Australia), The Ohio State University (USA), University of Zurich (Switzerland), University of California, Los Angeles (USA), Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (USA), The Brain Institute (Brazil), University of Florida (USA), Universidad de la República (Uruguay), University of Southern Maine (USA), University of Idaho (USA), Simon Fraser University (Canada), Central Washington University (USA), University of Campinas (Brazil), Stanford University (USA), University of Otago (New Zealand), University of Alabama at Birmingham (USA), University of California, San Diego (USA), National Autonomous University of Mexico, University of Minnesota (USA), University of California, San Francisco (USA), The Citadel (USA), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), University of California, Berkeley (USA), Ecole Normale Supérieure, Lyon (France), the Institute for Social Science Research (Netherlands), California State University (USA), University of Colorado-Denver (USA), and more.
With three full days of workshops, an extensive art gallery and exhibitor marketplace, scientific poster sessions, a Psychedelic Comedy Banquet (sold out), and a Sunset Cruise on the San Francisco Bay hosted by The Beckley Foundation (also sold out), Psychedelic Science 2017 will be an unforgettable celebration of what has been achieved so far, and a comprehensive look at what lies ahead.
CONTACT:
Sasha Frost, The Beckley Foundation (UK)
sasha@beckleyfoundation.org
+44 1865 351209
Brad Burge, MAPS (US)
Media Requests:
Press Resources:
More information at psychedelicscience.org.
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