Message from the Director
On behalf of our center members and leadership, welcome to the UW–Madison Center for Psychedelic Research and Education website. Whether you are a patient, healthcare provider, scientist, scholar, student, policymaker, journalist, artist, or any public stakeholder, we are excited to engage with your questions and interests regarding psychedelic substances.
If you’re a repeat visitor already aware that UW–Madison has been one of the leading institutions in the field of psychedelic science in the 21st century, you’ll find plenty of our latest developments and news to read and share. And if you’re just becoming aware of our center for the first time, I can’t wait for you to find out about the amazing things we’ve been able to accomplish here since 2012. In either case, I strongly encourage you to sign up for our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss out on UW–Madison’s next big contributions to psychedelic research and education.
As you explore, you’ll see that over the last decade and more, our transdisciplinary faculty have been making major impacts in our understanding of compounds like psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, ketamine, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, ibogaine, mescaline, THC, and beyond. Specifically, our work has:
- identified critical neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms that can induce both acute and long-term changes in mental health and well-being,
- generated important efficacy and safety data for clinical application of these compounds,
- created novel psychedelic drug formulations and dosing approaches,
- enhanced our understanding of historical views and uses of ‘dangerous drugs’ by humanity,
- provided expertise regarding proposed legislative and rule changes for handling of controlled substances,
- developed foundational, innovative educational curricula for pharmacists, physicians, nurses, social workers, historians, pharmaceutical scientists, and all members of the public.
Thanks again for coming here to connect with us! If you’re wondering where to go next, I’ve got some friendly pointers, but ultimately the choice is yours. Enjoy the journey:
- View our Research to see active clinical studies that are currently enrolling participants.
- Read our Publications and recent Press to dive deeper into the critical knowledge, applications, and insights our research has generated.
- Advance your Education through our first-in-class Masters of Science Degree (and Certificate Program) in Psychoactive Pharmaceutical investigation.
- Register to join us at our outreach Events, including our internationally-attended annual Psychedelic Symposium
- Donate to our Psychedelic Research and Education fund to support our mission, our students, our participants, and open innovate new initiatives
- (Universities of Wisconsin Employees and Students) Apply for Funding Opportunities to support research, travel, outreach events, and invited speakers
Cody J Wenthur, PharmD, PhD
Director, UW–Madison Center for Psychedelic Research and Education
Watch Dr. Cody Wenthur’s presentation “Psychedelics and Mental Health” for PBS Wisconsin
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About
On the forefront of research and education in psychedelic drugs and related compounds
The mission of the UW–Madison Center for Psychedelic Research and Education is to support research and educational activities regarding psychedelic drugs and related compounds. The Center supports the UW–Madison campus and the Wisconsin community with research infrastructure, such as drug dosing rooms, treatment facilitator training, and education.
Although some work focuses on drugs with a clear psychedelic effect, related substances may have clinical effects on mood or behavior without the psychedelic experience, thus the use of the term “psychoactive.”
The Center supports the Master of Science in Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation.
The Center also seeks to establish relationships with commercial entities that would benefit from various screening tests or early stage clinical trials.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison Center for Psychedelic Research and Education recognizes that research on psychedelics to date has disproportionately included white adults. We actively seek to improve the accessibility of the research on psychedelics and psychoactive agents for persons in marginalized groups, those with lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and with barriers that include transportation, inflexible job schedules, and child care. This outreach is intended to include both urban and rural communities, and will require attentive understanding of the concerns of the respective communities regarding this area of research.
Equity in Psychedelic Therapies
As psychoactive substances gain therapeutic evidence, School of Pharmacy Assistant Professor Cody Wenthur aims to reverse underrepresentation of minorities in clinical studies.
CPRE to Focus on Underserved Communities in Psychedelic Research
Building on its ongoing psychedelic studies, UW–Madison has launched a program to explore the “science, history, and cultural impact of psychedelic agents” with a focus on expanding participation from research subjects of diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.