ICPR features world-leading experts from many academic disciplines, including psychiatry, psychology, neuroscience, anthropology, ethnobotany, and philosophy who come together to give a scientific conference for academics, therapists, researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and members of the public. The OPEN Foundation has been organising 6 large and international conferences since 2010.
ICPR is a scientific conference for academics, researchers, clinicians, therapists, healthcare providers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and members of the public.
ICPR features world’s leading experts in psychedelic research and therapies from across many fields, including psychiatry, neuroscience, psychology, and anthropology.
ICPR is a podium for a wide variety of ideas, disciplines, perspectives, localities, individuals, and communities involved in advancing psychedelic research and therapies.
From touching talks to insightful perspectives, and profound new ways of thinking about reality to practical tips about doing therapy or research: ICPR 2022 has been an inspiring, thought-provoking, educational, and uplifting experience. Thanks to you all so much from the bottom of our hearts, whether you were a visitor, volunteer, speaker, presenter, digital visitor, or fan from afar: you made this conference what it was.
Wow, we’re already on the final day of ICPR 2022! We’ll hear from Roland Griffiths (virtually), trial participants, Rick Doblin, Gitte Moos Knudsen, Bernardo Kastrup and others on topics such as MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, indigenous medicine, business, microdosing, and critical perspectives on the quality of psychedelic research.
On day two of ICPR 2022, we’ll get the chance to hear from Bill Richards, David Nutt and Amanda Fielding and others on everything from palliative care and Deleuzian theory to cognition and perception, therapeutic models and cultural competency in psychedelic care.
After many months of planning, ICPR 2022 is finally here! In this post, we’d like to look ahead to the first day of ICPR: Thursday. Here are some highlights, to help you with your planning for the three days of psychedelic science.
We are extremely happy to be able to socialise with all of you soon at ICPR 2022. Yet we are fully aware of multiple ongoing crises right now. Out of care and concern for our living environment and other species, we decided to reduce ICPR’s ecological footprint per person compared to earlier conferences.
As you start to plan your trip, we wanted to fill you in on a few important things to know about luggage and travel, as there have been plenty of crisis plaguing the world recently and the Netherlands is no exception.
Dr. Katrin Preller (PhD) received her M.Sc. (Neuropsychology and Clinical Psychology) from University of Konstanz, Germany. She joined the University of Zurich where she investigated the neurobiological long-term effects of cocaine, MDMA, and heroin use. After completing her PhD, she investigated the effects of psychedelics on self-perception and social cognition at the Neuropsychopharmacology and Brain Imaging Lab. She received a SNSF PostDoc mobility fellowship and worked at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, UCL, London, and Yale University, New Haven. Subsequently, she was appointed as Junior Group Leader at the University of Zurich, and holds a position as Visiting Assistant Professor at Yale University.
David E. Nichols is considered the world’s expert on LSD and the chemistry of psychedelics. He has studied the biochemistry of classical psychedelics and serotonin receptors since 1969. He is one of the few who did this work during the 1970s until the 1990s, laying foundational knowledge of the structure-activity relationship of psychedelics.
Dr. Nichols synthesised the psychedelics used in many of the early psychedelic renaissance work: Strassman’s DMT studies in the 90s, Griffiths psilocybin studies in the 00s, and MAPS MDMA trials. Though technically retired, he continues to do outstanding work including being part of elucidating the structures of 5HT2A and 5HT2B, and developing new psychedelic therapeutics.
Kim Kuypers (PhD), appointed as Associate Professor at Maastricht University, at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience.
My main topics of interest are MDMA and psychedelics, and their effects on (social) cognition, creativity, hormones, and underlying brain mechanisms.
Rick Doblin’s organisation MAPS has been pivotal in advancing psychedelic research during a time where this seemed wholly impossible. He was the first to conduct a randomised controlled study into MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD and addiction and was pivotal in advancing psychedelic research in the 21st century. Rick Doblin will discuss the status of the latest studies MAPS is involved in.
Amanda Feilding is the Founder and Executive Director of the Beckley Foundation. She has been called the ‘hidden hand’ behind the Renaissance of Psychedelic Science, and her contribution to the advancement of psychedelic research and global drug policy has been pivotal and widely acknowledged.
Featured on the Guardian’s list of the Bravest Men and Women in the History of Science, Amanda has personally co-authored over 80 peer-reviewed scientific publications on psychoactive substances, many with ground-breaking results. By establishing key Research Programmes at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, she has propelled the field forward over the last 20+ years, conducting landmark studies, such as the world’s first psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression study, the world’s first LSD, MDMA and DMT brain imaging studies, plus the initiation and collaboration with Johns Hopkins on the first study using psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to overcome nicotine addiction.
Since its inception in 1998, the Beckley Foundation has been at the forefront of exploratory research into psychedelics and cannabis, and evidence-based global drug policies. Through a series of pivotal international seminars at the House of Lords (starting in 2000) with leading figures from around the world in different fields, from science to politics, plus over 60 much-cited books, reports and papers, and numerous meetings with thought-leaders, academics, and policy-makers at the UN and governments around the world, Amanda has ensured that the Beckley Foundation has been at the forefront of global drug policy reform, particularly in the field of cannabis and the psychedelics.
Through her work with the Beckley Foundation, Amanda is bridging the gap between science and policy, creating a positive feedback loop, with the aim of building and harnessing our knowledge of the benefits of currently prohibited compounds to optimise human health, wellbeing and potential.
David Nutt (MD, FRCP, FRCPsych, FMedSci, DLaws) is a psychiatrist and professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London. His work has culminated in a wealth of research papers, reviews, government reports and books, for which he’s received multiple awards and invited some political controversy when he stuck with scientific fact in the face of a government requesting - and then rejecting - his expertise.
David Nutt has presided over multiple national and European organisations including the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology. He launched Drug Science in 2010 and is currently its founding chair. He was appointed as chairman of the scientific advisory board for AWAKN Life Sciences Inc., and is part of the Scientific Advisory Network for Compass Pathways.
Erika Dyck is a Canadian historian, professor and author of several books in the history of psychedelic research and other health topics. Her work has been published in medical, legal, economic, literary, philosophical, anthropological and historical venues.
Some of her work includes Psychedelic Psychiatry: LSD from Clinic to Campus (2008) and co-edited A Culture’s Catalyst: Historical Encounters with the Native American Church in Canada and Peyote (2016) Erika is also a Board Member of Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plants, and Associate Director of Chacruna Canada.
Roland Griffiths (PhD) is a Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology of Consciousness, and Director of the Centre for Psychedelic and Consciousness research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, U.S. His research has focused on the behavioural pharmacology of mood-altering drugs including caffeine, sedative hypnotics, and for the last 20 years, psilocybin. His landmark study: Psilocybin can occasion mystical experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance, had a significant impact on subsequent investigations into the effects of psilocybin, as well as on raising awareness around psychedelic research.
Gitte Moos Knudsen (MD, DMSc) is one of the leading figures in the neurosciences, assisting various European Union nations to prioritize research and grants. In addition, her research into the brain and its chemistry during depression, Alzheimer's disease, and states induced by drugs such as GHB and ecstasy (MDMA) is at the forefront of world knowledge, and she is a noted scholar in these areas, publishing many papers on each topic.
Paul Stamets (ScD) is an author, speaker, biodiversity and biology researcher, and entrepreneur interested in fungi and their role as potential medicines and bioremediators.
He’s written six books about mycelium and psilocybin mushrooms, has discovered and named four species of the latter, and is recognized as the leading mycologist of the Western hemisphere. Stamets has received multiple awards for his pioneering research on biodiversity and currently holds more than 25 patents, including Integrative Fungal Solutions for Protecting Bees.
Stamets is an advocate of fungal intelligence. He first posited that mycelium was a conscious organism in 2005 in his book Mycelium running : How mushrooms can help save the world.
Dr Friederike Holze’s main research focus is the pharmacology of psychoactive substances, particularly psychedelics. She conducted several Phase I studies investigating the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of LSD and established a dose-effect relationship in doses from 5-200 µg.
Additionally, she described the distinct, acute pharmacological effects of LSD, MDMA and d-amphetamine, facilitating over 200 psychedelic experiences in healthy subjects. Currently, she is involved in a Phase II study investigating the potential therapeutic effects of LSD in patients with anxiety disorders, which she will talk about at ICPR 2022.
She completed a MSc in Pharmacy in 2016 and a PhD in Psychopharmacology in 2021 under professor Matthias Liechti at the University of Basel, where she is currently a postdoctoral researcher.
Dr. Peter Gasser is a Swiss physician known for his work on psychedelic-assisted therapy. In 2007 he conducted the first clinical study investigating LSD-assisted psychotherapy since the substance was banned in the 1970s. He currently holds individual treatment permissions issued by the Swiss Federal Office for Public Health, which enable him to provide LSD and MDMA-assisted therapy. He has been president of the Swiss Medical Society for Psycholytic Therapy since 1997.
From 2008 to 2012 he conducted a randomized controlled trial with LSD assisted treatment in patients suffering from life-threatening diseases. The study found that LSD administered in a medically supervised psychotherapeutic setting can be safe and generate lasting benefits in patients with a life-threatening disease. A second study with the same study questions is running from 2017 to 2021.
Dr. Janis Phelps (PhD) received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Connecticut. She has been a professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies for the past 21 years. She is the former dean of the School of Consciousness and Transformation at CIIS. She is now the Director of the CIIS Center for Psychedelic Therapies and Research. As the Center's founder, she developed the first academically accredited, professional certificate training program for legal psychedelic-assisted therapy and research.
The Center also provides harm reduction workshops, webinars on psychedelic research and public educational programs. A licensed clinical psychologist and LMFT, she has held faculty positions in the East-West Psychology and Clinical Psychology doctoral programs. Her theoretical orientations include transpersonal and wellness therapy models; Buddhism and Eastern disciplines; and phenomenology/existential philosophies. Her research and scholarly writing has focused on psychedelic therapy, entheogens, and mind-body wellness. Dr. Phelps teaches graduate courses in quantitative and qualitative research methods, mindfulness, Buddhism and psychotherapy, spiritual counseling, and principles of healing. Janis serves on the board of the Holos Institute and maintains a private practice.
Mendel Kaelen is the founder and CEO of Wavepaths, a startup providing music both for and as psychedelic therapy. Prior to this, he worked as a PhD and postdoctoral neuroscientist at Imperial College London since 2012, where his research was the first to demonstrate music’s central role in psychedelic therapies. He is a thought leader on the therapeutic use of music and publishes and speaks frequently on this topic. He has been featured in Nature News, the San Francisco Chronicle, Vice Motherboard, Rolling Stone and TEDx. Mendel lives and works on planet Earth, and in his spare time likes to get into nature, and out of his mind with his musical instruments.
Dr. Monica Williams is a clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychology at the University of Ottawa, where she is the research chair for mental health disparities.
Her work focuses on African-American mental health, culture and psychopathology, and specifically the assessment of race-based trauma - and has published over a hundred scientific articles on these topics. She is currently working as a PI in a multisite study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD.
Bernardo Kastrup’s work has been leading the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism, the notion that reality is essentially mental.
He has a PhD in philosophy (ontology and philosophy of mind) and another PhD in computer engineering (reconfigurable computing, artificial intelligence). Formulated in detail in many academic papers and books, his ideas have been featured on Scientific American and Big Think, among others. Bernardo's most recent book is Science Ideated: The fall of matter and the contours of the next mainstream scientific worldview.
At ICPR 2022, he will be presenting on what neuroscience actually shows about consciousness.
Dr. Sonya Faber (PhD) is an experienced scientist and pharmaceutical professional specializing in bench-to-bedside (translational) clinical development. Having studied at top universities, she has worked in research institutes, biotech firms, and clinical operations for several leading pharmaceutical companies. Her work in protocol design, medical writing, and project management has included pre-clinical and clinical activities for Phase II and III trials across multiple indications. She is highly knowledgeable in scientific product development, particularly for neuroscience applications.
Dr. Faber has an interest in clinical pharmacology of psychoactive and psychedelic pharmaceuticals, with a specific interest in issues related to equity and access of psychedelic drugs as they are completing clinical trials establishing efficacy, clearing regulatory hurdles, and moving to market. She serves on the Board of Directors of the non-profit Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, which focuses on the indigenous roots and cultural issues related to these substances. She also served on the steering committee for the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association, where she played a key role in its organizational development.
She has co-authored over 26 papers in fields ranging from psychology to genetics.
She is a partner in the Biotech consulting company Bioville Gmbh and she is currently employed by Angelini Pharma as a Medical Science Liaison in Epilepsy Research. These affiliations are not associated with her interest in social justice or her interest in the psychology of psychedelics. Her presentation reflects her own opinions and is not associated with her employment with Angelini Pharma.
Charles Raison (MD) is the Director of Clinical and Translational Research at Usona Institute. He is also the Mary Sue and Mike Shannon Chair for Healthy Minds, Children + Families and Professor, School of Human Ecology, and Professor, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Raison has an undergraduate degree in anthropology from Stanford University and a Master’s degree in English literature from the University of Denver.
Dr. Raison received his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO and did his residency training in psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, where he later served as Director of Emergency Psychiatry Services. He is internationally recognized for his studies examining novel mechanisms involved in the development and treatment of major depression and other stress-related emotional and physical conditions, as well as for his work examining the physical and behavioral effects of compassion training.
Leonie Schneider co-founded the Psychedelic Participant Advocacy Network (PsyPAN) after accessing psychedelic assisted psychotherapy in clinical trials. Participating in the Psilocybin for Depression clinical trial at Imperial College (2019) and Small Pharma’s DMT for Depression trial (2022) provided Leonie with a new path to improved mental health and enabled focused professional action. She had not found long-term relief with antidepressant medication or from conventional talking therapies prior to that.
Leonie has since spoken publicly to raise awareness of the possibilities and pitfalls of psychedelic medicine and the importance of integration, including for Women in Psychedelics (Drug Science), BBC Science Focus, Scientific American and the upcoming documentary The Psychedelic Renaissance. She actively represents patient interests on Drug Science’s industry-wide Medical Psychedelics Working Group, supports the delivery of world-class psychedelic retreats in the Netherlands with Alalaho and is a circle facilitator on the ACER Integration programme.
Leonie offers a holistic overview of the clinical trial experience from a participant perspective and across different psychedelics. She aims to expand access to these treatments by advocating for the safe, intentional and integrated use of psychedelics which led to her founding PsyPAN with Ian Roullier in 2021. PsyPAN aims to pool participants’ lived experiences and, through consultancy and accreditation, help organisations create more effective treatment models, maximise positive outcomes and create a sector-wide model of best practice with participant wellbeing at its heart.
Matthias Liechti investigates the pharmacology of psychoactive substances both in vitro and in humans. His group at University Hospital Basel is known for their work on the acute effects of MDMA (ecstasy) and LSD in humans, and also clinical pharmacology research into psilocybin and mescaline.
Torsten Passie (MD, PhD) studied philosophy and sociology at Leibniz University Hannover and medicine at Hannover Medical School. Medical dissertation on existential psychiatry. Education at Zürich Psychiatric University Clinic and with Prof. Hanscarl Leuner (1921-1996), the leading European authority on psychedelics and psycholytic therapy. 1997-2010 scientist, psychiatrist and psychotherapist at Hannover Medical School, where he lead the Laboratory for Consciousness and Neurocognition. Professorship thesis about “Psychophysical correlates of altered states of consciousness”. Clinical research on altered states of consciousness, including studies with breathwork, cannabis, MDMA, laughing gas, ketamine and psilocybin. Special expertise on ecstatic states, addictions, and the pharmacology of psychedelics. 2012-2015 Visiting Professor at the Department of Psychiatry of the Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA).
Torsten is also the Author of several books, such as “The Science of Microdosing Psychedelics”, “Healing with Entactogens”, and “The Pharmacology of LSD”.
William A. Richards (Bill), a psychologist in the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research in Baltimore, has been implementing research studies with psilocybin within the psychiatry department of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine since 1999. He also is associated with the Program in Psychedelic Therapies and Research at the California Institute of Integral Studies and psychedelic research and with Sunstone Therapies at the Aquilino Cancer Center in Rockville Maryland.
His graduate degrees include M.Div. (Yale), S.T.M. in the
psychology of religion (Andover-Newton) and Ph.D. (Catholic University). He studied with Abraham Maslow at Brandeis University and with Hanscarl Leuner at
Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany, where his involvement with psychedelic research originated in 1963. From 1967 to 1977, he implemented projects of psychotherapy research with LSD, DPT, MDA and psilocybin at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, including protocols designed to investigate the promise of psychedelics in the treatment of alcoholism, depression, narcotic addiction and the psychological distress associated with terminal cancer, and also their use in the training of religious and mental-health professionals.
His recent research at Johns Hopkins has focused on the potential value of psilocybin in the continuing education of professional religious leaders from different world religions. His book, Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences has been released by Columbia University Press, and now translated into six
additional languages (including Dutch).
My interests lie in the phenomenological, epistemic and sociopolitical character of extreme experiences, and how these are made sense of across different 'consciousness cultures'. Currently, I am writing a monograph tracing the renewed scientific and therapeutic interest in psychedelic experiences in the global North, exploring implications for thoeries of psychopathology and approaches to mental health care. Weaving together scientific, medical, spiritual and aesthetic registers, this research is situated in the context of medicalisation and the ongoing 'war on drugs'.
Dr. Winston De La Haye is a Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus and a Consultant General and Addiction Psychiatrist at the University Hospital of the West Indies. He's a former Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Medical Sciences, UWI, Mona and former Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness in Jamaica.
He completed his MD at the University of Pecs in Hungary, his Postgraduate Degree in Psychiatry at the UWI, his Masters in Public Health and a Fulbright Fellowship in Substance Abuse at the Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. De La Haye is a Member of the Medical Council of Jamaica, Past President of the Medical Association of Jamaica, Past President of the Jamaica Fulbright Alumni Association, Past President of the Jamaica Psychiatric Association.
Dr. De La Haye established the Medicinal Cannabis Unit in the Ministry of Health in July 2017, supervising the registration of 82 medicinal cannabis products in Jamaica. He is the Chairman and Founding Member.
The Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelics Research (ICPR), sponsored by the OPEN Foundation, is a tremendous gathering of psychedelic researchers, pioneers, thought-leaders, therapists, and others, with knowledgeable and sophisticated attendees, gathering in a context that facilitates in-depth discussions of the ideas at the cutting-edge of the psychedelic renaissance. It’s one of the most important psychedelic conferences in the world.
ICPR is the oldest, more solid and sincere platform of psychedelic science in the Netherlands and Europe. Not only does it combine scientific knowledge and humanism, but it's composed of an awesome team of young, vibrant and dedicated people. At the Chacruna Institute, we are very aligned with their work and hold long ties of friendship.
As the psychedelic field seems to expand exponentially, it is easy to get lost. I'd encourage folks to appreciate that ICPR is a longstanding and extremely credible psychedelic-focused conference. They have consistently hosted top quality conferences throughout much of the modern psychedelic medical renaissance, and I have no doubt they will continue to do so. I've had outstanding experiences attending ICPR.
The ICPR 2020 presented a breadth and depth of themes and speakers that would be difficult to match elsewhere, on- or offline. From indigenous roots to the latest in science, it was a celebration of what psychedelics and psychedelic research have to offer. Being able to ask Michael Mithoefer direct questions was a personal highlight.
In the past I have attended the ICPR event as an invited speaker twice. It is a fabulous conference, with the perfect mixture of speakers and attendees; those who are leading the world with their scientific expertise in the field of psychedelic research, and also those leading the fascinating and essential cultural, artistic and exploratory aspects of psychedelics. The conference setting is beautiful and the staff and infrastructure of ICPR events is second to none. ICPR is an excellent place to meet people, network in the field of psychedelics and come away having learned the latest cutting edge research. Totally recommended!
The Beckley Foundation is proud to have supported this fantastic conference over the years, which brings together leading thinkers to advance our shared understanding of the wonder and potential of psychedelics. I have had the great pleasure of speaking at ICPR twice, and I am delighted that this year’s conference will be going ahead in person as we are at an absolutely crucial stage in the journey of psychedelics from taboo, criminalized drugs to respected, regulated compounds. ICPR 2022 will provide an important hub for discussion and collaboration as we work to support this process.
ICPR 2020 connected me to a world of research on psychedelics. Not only was I able to learn about the latest psychedelic trials, but I could also put these in a much wider context. With such a diverse speaker list, the conference was truly interdisciplinary.
What I appreciate about ICPR is that it facilitates a psychedelic research family gathering. I had this feeling when attending, that nearly everybody working in the field attends this event, which makes for a really nice conference.
ICPR is, to my eyes, the most informative and well-organized conference on psychedelic research. It is serious in its focus on science and all-encompassing by including the humanities and other academic disciplines.
Really looking forward to this year’s ICPR edition. For me it will be a chance again to meet old and new faces within the psychedelic science and to explore scientific areas that lay beyond my expertise.
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