Research Focus

Clinical Pharmacology

Area of Research

Examination of the effects of psychoactive substances in humans

I. Swiss National Science Foundation & other Federal grants

• Swiss National Science Foundation: “Differential effects of classic serotonergic hallucinogens: pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics, pharmaco-fMRI, and role of 5-HT2 receptors”
• “Swiss and European Drug Emergency Network” Support for the Basel center. Swiss Center for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT).
• „Effects of psychoactive substances on emotion processing in humans: role of serotonin, dopamine and 5-HT2A receptors“. National Science Foundation
• “Charakterisierung der Pharmakologie und von Vergiftungen mit neuen psychoaktiven Substanzen (Designerdrogen)“, Federal Office of Public Health (BAG)
• “The role of the dopamine/norepinephrine transporters (SLC6A3/2) and of genetic polymorphisms in the effects of MDMA (ecstasy)”

II. International Foundations

• European Drug Emergency Network associated centre co-applicant (with 15 other investigators, Main applicant P. Dargan/D.Wood, London) for an European Commission DPIP grant

III. University Hospital, University & Foundations

• “Gertrud Thalmann Foundation University Hospital of Psychiatry. LSD therapy for persons suffering from major depression: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II study. LAD-Study. Co-Applicant
• “Safety and efficacy of LSD as treatment for cluster headache: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 study, Co-applicant, study PI and mentor of main applicant: Yasmin Schmid. Spezialprogramm Nachwuchsförderung Klinische Forschung, University of Basel.
• “LSD-assisted psychotherapy in persons suffering from anxiety symptoms in severe somatic diseases or in psychiatric anxiety disorders: a double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled phase-II-study” Swiss Society for Psycholytic Therapy (SAPT).

National Collaborations

Prof. Jörg Huwyler, University of Basel
Prof. Stephan Borgwardt, University of Basel
Dr. Marius Höner, Hoffman-La Roche, Basel
Prof. Boris Quednow, University of Zurich
Prof. Alex Odermatt, University of Basel
Prof. Thomas Kraemer, University of Zurich
Prof. Markus Heinrichs, University of Freiburg i.B., Germany
Prof. Edna Gruenblatt, University of Zurich
Prof. Henriette Meyer zu Schwabedissen, University of Basel
Dr. Peter Gasser, Solothurn

International Collaborations

Prof. Bruno Mégabane, University of Paris
Prof. Harald H Sitte, Universität Wien, A.
Prof. Baumann, NIDA, Bethestha, MY, USA

• Pharmacokinetics of LSD, psilocybin and other psychedelics (phase 1)
• Dose-Response studies of LSD (phase 1)
• Fear-extinction study with MDMA (phase 1)
• Interaction of SSRIs and psilocybin (phase 1)
• Comparison of the acute effects of LSD and psilocybin (phase 1)
• Metabolism of psilocybin (laboratory)
• pharmacological profiling of NPS and boosters (laboratory)
• effects of LSD-assisted psychotherapy in patients with anxiety disorder (phase 2)
• effects of LSD on cluster headache (phase 2)
• effects of LSD in patients with major depression (phase 2)
• differential effects of LSD, psilocybin, and mescalin on emotion processing (fMRI), phase 1
• dose-response and PK of microdoses