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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Natasha Mason and Zeus Tipado will be presenting at ICPR 2024 in Haarlem, Netherlands this June!
Maastricht Psychedelic Symposium
On May 24, the Maastricht Psychedelic Research Team will organize a mini-symposium on psychedelics. We will welcome two international speakers: Prof. dos Santos and Prof. Bouso from Brazil and Spain to discuss their ayahuasca and ibogaine research. We also have several internal speakers: presenting on mystical vs. autobiographical psychedelic experiences (Dr Kangaslampi), microdosing (Ms. Haijen), and 5-MeO-DMT (Mr. Reckweg). All students and staff with an interest in this topic are welcome to join us in the Maastrichtzaal in UNS40 between 13:30-15:30.
If you can’t make it, a live stream will be available at the link below!
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.
View All Studies
Our Scientists
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.
Dr. Malin Vedøy Uthaug
Ayahuasca, 5-MeO-DMT, Consciousness
I am an altered states of consciousness researcher from Norway and one of the world leading experts on 5-MeO-DMT.
Eline Haijen, MSc
ADHD, Microdosing, Psychedelics
I am a PhD candidate in the Psychopharmacology in Maastricht research group at the Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology at Maastricht University. I am from a little village close to Maastricht.
Giordano Rossi, MSc
Ayahuasca, Esketamine, Depression
We are also evaluating subjective effects, safety, tolerability, and possible changes in personality, social cognition and well-being.
Aedan O’Shea, MSc
I have a long standing interest in unravelling the therapeutic mechanisms of Psychedelics, and in this project I will investigate the effect of Psychedelic drug exposure in humans on miRNA’s transported in neuron-derived Extracellular Vesicles...
Dr. Samuli Kangaslampi
Most of my previous research has focused on psychological trauma, trauma-related disorders, trauma-focused psychotherapies, as well as autobiographical memory.
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.
Dr. Pim Heckman
Memory recovery, Sleep loss, Neuroplasticity
My academic training and research experience have provided me with an excellent background in multiple psychological disciplines including neurobiology, neuropsychology, and neuropsychopharmacology.
Dr. C. Rob Markus
I became an expert on the relation between stress, brain (gene) vulnerability and the development of cognitive-affective complaints/disorders as well as in testing (claims about) dietary treatment/assessment methods.
Psychedelic Research
Ayahuasca enhances creative divergent thinking while decreasing conventional convergent thinking
Ayahuasca, creativity, divergent thinking, convergent thinking
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Visual hallucinations originating in the retinofugal pathway under clinical and psychedelic conditions
vision, retinofugal, tripping, Psychedelics, hallucinations, visual
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Cannabis Research
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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Cannabis induced increase in striatal glutamate associated with loss of functional corticostriatal connectivity
Functional Connectivity, Cannabis, Glutamate
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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.