#211 Psychedelics and the new era of Psychiatry with Professor David Nutt
29th Aug 2023
I’m thrilled to have Professor David Nutt on the podcast, an expert on drugs, and how they work on the brain. He trained as a psychiatrist, and for almost 50 years his research has focused on new drug treatments for anxiety, depression and addiction.
Today we’re going to be diving into the world of psychedelics such as LSD, Psilocybin and Ketamine. We discuss the history of psychedelics and why they were banned in the first place, despite having a relatively good safety profile, how these drugs work and the mechanism on the brain, the default mode network (DMN) and the latest research looking at its efficacy and role in a multitude of conditions.
You can check out his latest book “Psychedelics” and try his revolutionary alternative to alcohol that we mention on the podcast, sentia spirits, online.
I’m really excited for you to hear this podcast, it’s rare that he has the time to dedicate a whole hour in his packed schedule, so please enjoy my conversation with Professor Nutt.
Episode guests
Psychiatrist and the Edmond J. Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology in Imperial College London and Chief Research Officer of Awaknlifesciences
David Nutt is a psychiatrist and the Edmond J. Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology in Imperial College London and Chief Research Officer of Awaknlifesciences. He is currently Founding Chair of the charity DrugScience.org.uk and has been president of the European Brain Council, the BAP, BNA, and ECNP. David has published 35 books and over 1000 research papers that define his many landmark contributions to psychopharmacology including GABA and noradrenaline receptor function in anxiety disorders, serotonin function in depression, endorphin and dopamine function in addiction and the neuroscience and clinical utility of psychedelics. Some of this has been made into films e.g.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8661404 on Netflix and https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000w7bq on the BBC and a play https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43887749-all-you-need-is-lsd .
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