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.
View All Studies
Our Scientists
Henry Whitfeld, MSc
Psilocybin, Psychotherapy, Ideography
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.
Johannes Reckweg, MSc
5-MeO-DMT, Neuropsychopharmacology, Therapy
I am Johannes, a PhD candidate from Germany. After receiving my Bachelor’s degree from the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, I came to Maastricht for my Master in Neuropsychology.
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...
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.
Dr. Peter van Ruitenbeek
My name is Dr. Peter van Ruitenbeek and I work as an assistant professor. That means I teach and do research at the faculty of psychology and neuroscience.
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. 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
Lorena Guerra, MSc
I am Lorena, a PhD candidate from Brazil with experience working on preclinical and clinical research.
Psychedelic Research
Microdosing with psychedelics to self-medicate for ADHD symptoms in adults: A prospective naturalistic study
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Psilocybin induces acute and persisting alterations in immune status and the stress response in healthy volunteers
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Microdosing psychedelics: More questions than answers? An overview and suggestions for future research
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Cannabis Research
Comparison of Cannabinoid Pharmacokinetic Properties in Occasional and Heavy Users Smoking a Marijuana or Placebo Joint
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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.