Psychopharmacology Maastricht
The psychopharmacology department at Maastricht University focuses on the cognitive, behavioral, and biological effects of various substances, ranging from pharmaceutical to recreational drugs.
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Maastricht Psychedelic Symposium
On May 24, the Maastricht Psychedelic Research Team organized a mini-symposium on psychedelics. We welcomed two international speakers: Prof. dos Santos and Prof. Bouso from Brazil and Spain to discuss their ayahuasca and ibogaine research. We also had several internal speakers: presenting on mystical vs. autobiographical psychedelic experiences (Dr Kangaslampi), microdosing (Ms. Haijen), and 5-MeO-DMT (Mr. Reckweg).
Click below to watch the entire symposium
Read about our new paper on the neurological origins of a visual psychedelic hallucination
Congratulations to Zeus Tipado on his newly published paper that introduces a new theory as to why a person experiences a visual trip on psychedelics.
Read The PaperParticipate in our studies!
We're always conducting research in our department and we're frequently looking for participants to be a part of science! If you're interested, look at the studies that we are currently conducting.
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Our Scientists
Katharina Lege, MSc
Cannabinoids, Neuroimaging, Consciousness
Coming from a background of psychology and clinical neuroscience, I developed a strong interest in altered states of the mind as in mediation or yoga practices.
Dr. Eef Theunissen
Cognition, Synthetic Cannabinoids, Drugs and Driving
I began my Ph.D. journey in 2001 at the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Maastricht. My research focused on investigating the sedating and stimulating effects of antihistamines, with a particular emphasis on their...
Henry Whitfeld, MSc
Psychotherapy, Ideography, Psilocybin
After being a psychological therapist with 20years experience in trauma work and mindfulness-informed approaches, I am now a researcher investigating how psychedelic experiences and psychotherapeutic protocols interact.
Dr. Rudy Schreiber
CNS Drug Discovery, Research Domain Criteria
I started my career in central nervous system drug discovery in 1993 and subsequently progressed from bench scientist to senior leadership roles at global pharmaceutical companies
Hongyu Zhao, MSc
My name is Hongyu, and I am a researcher from China. After completing my undergraduate degree in anesthesiology and obtaining a master's degree in psychiatry from a prestigious medical university in China.
Prof. Arjan Blokland
Cognition, Learning & Memory, Acetylcholine
I studied Psychology at the Radboud University (Nijmegen, NL). After receiving my PhD in Maastricht in 1992, I did a post doc at the University of Cambridge in 1992.
Sarah Roche, MSc
Psilocybin, Sustainability, Environment
My PhD research focuses on psychedelic drugs as a tool to investigate the cognitive mechanisms underlying changes in sustainable behavior.
Dr. Conny Quaedflieg
Stress Resilience, Intentional Forgetting, EEG
Through my extensive research experience, I have built expertise in various disciplines (psychology, psychophysiology, neurosciences) and I have become enthusiastic about bridging them.
Dr. Lilian Kloft
Cognition, Drugs, False Memory
I am a postdoctoral researcher in the fields of psychopharmacology and forensic psychology with an international education from various high-class universities.
Psychedelic Research
Ayahuasca enhances creative divergent thinking while decreasing conventional convergent thinking
creativity, divergent thinking, Ayahuasca, convergent thinking
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Spontaneous and deliberate creative cognition during and after psilocybin exposure
creativity, Psilocybin, Cognition
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Sub-acute and long-term effects of ayahuasca on affect and cognitive thinking style and their association with ego dissolution
Ayahuasca, ego dissolution, cognitive
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Improving cognitive functioning in major depressive disorder with psychedelics: A dimensional approach
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Trait mindfulness and personality characteristics in a microdosing ADHD sample: a naturalistic prospective survey study
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The use patterns of novel psychedelics: experiential fingerprints of substituted phenethylamines, tryptamines and lysergamides
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Cannabis Research
Rivastigmine but not vardenafil reverses cannabis-induced impairment of verbal memory in healthy humans
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Medicinal Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (dronabinol) impairs on-the-road driving performance of occasional and heavy cannabis users but is not detected in Standard Field Sobriety Tests
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Get in Touch
We are always up for communicating with people that have interesting ideas or questions. If you want to contact our department, please reach out using this form below.