HEFFTER BLOG

On September 25, 2023 we celebrated Heffter’s 30th birthday.  You can see the list of the 156 research projects that have received Heffter funding since then here.  As of 2020, Heffter-affiliated researchers accounted for 63% (17 of 27) of the top-cited articles on classic psychedelics. We...

Here is our annual report of our progress this past year and future plans. Heffter’s largest supported study was recently completed, “Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy vs Placebo in the Treatment of Adult Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial.”...

August 30, 2022  Dear Dr. Greer,  It is my pleasure to thank you for the Heffter Research Institute’s recent gift of $138,405 to support Dr. Yvan Beaussant’s PATH study for patients receiving hospice care. Thanks to your ongoing support, the first PATH study participant has successfully completed...

First, there have been changes at Heffter since our last newsletter. Carey Turnbull has succeeded George Greer as President. George has retired as Medical Director and is now Board Chair. Dave Nichols is Vice-President, and all three make up the Heffter Executive Committee....

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The Heffter Research Institute is celebrating 25 years of progress this year, having been incorporated in 1993!  We are hearing from more and more scientists who are becoming interested in the therapeutic potential of psilocybin-assisted therapy, and 2018 has been an exciting year of expansion, with new projects starting and in development.

Yale University, Department of Psychiatry

 

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Purpose:

This study will investigate neurobiological and psychological effects of psilocybin-assisted therapy in people with major depressive disorder. The primary hypothesis is that psilocybin administered in a therapeutic context will result in neuroplastic changes that parallel improvement in symptoms of depression.

2018 is bringing new opportunities for Heffter's research mission.  As the FDA Phase 3 work on psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression proceeds at the Usona Institute, Heffter is moving forward with its agenda to support research to test psilocybin's healing potential for other conditions, such as addictions, eating disorders, and Alzheimer's disease. The work ahead is only possible because of the decades of work by scientists and supporters alike who are dedicated to psychedelic research and have been working together to bring a dream into reality.

Recently there has been increased interest in microdosing LSD, that is, using doses of LSD that are not psychoactive (typically 10 micrograms).  A standard recommendation is microdosing every three days. The basic idea derives from earlier studies of psychoactive doses of LSD or other psychedelics such as mescaline, where suggestions were made that the doses helped improve creativity. For years, we at Heffter have been interested in and have helped develop the scientific evidence related to the value of psychedelics. Given the increased interest in microdosing, it is worth exploring what we know and don't know on the topic, particularly given that LSD is a Schedule 1 drug and that possession even of a microdose is illegal.