Imperial College Centre for Psychedelic Research
Represented by the Chair of the Science and Research Working Group - Dr Rayyan Zafar
The Imperial Centre for Psychedelic Research and the CIPPRes Clinic are leading psychedelic research in the United Kingdom, building on over a decade of pioneering work in this area carried out at Imperial College London, including a clinical trial that has kick-started global efforts to develop psilocybin therapy into a licensed treatment for depression.
Led by Dr David Nutt and Dr David Erritzoe, the Centre focuses on two main research themes: the use of psychedelics in mental health care; and as tools to probe the brain’s basis of consciousness. After promising results in the treatment of depression, the Centre is now focusing on anorexia, chronic pain and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The CIPPRes (CNWL-Imperial Psychopharmacology & Psychedelic Research) Clinic, a collaboration between Imperial College London and CNWL, is a ground-breaking research initiative led by Dr. David Erritzoe that aims to unlock new therapies for mental health and neuroscience. Launched in 2021 at St Charles' Hospital, the clinic is focused on experimental psychopharmacology, specifically investigating the effects of classic psychedelics and ketamine in healthy and psychiatric populations. By using cutting-edge imaging methods such as PET, MRI, and EEG, the researchers hope to uncover the compounds' therapeutic potential and mechanisms, including brain plasticity and psychological flexibility.
The Centre for Psychedelic Research and the CIPPRes Clinic are staffed by researchers, data analysts, therapists, and support staff from Imperial and clinical CNWL staff/trainees who work together on multiple projects. Moreover, CIPPRes' collaborative activities allow for unique research training opportunities for trainees and other staff in CNWL and an important exchange of knowledge between academics and clinicians.
The CIPPRes Clinic aims to develop a research knowledge that could help to gather additional clinical evidence on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and become a prototype for the licensed psychedelic care facilities of the future. It represents a watershed moment for psychedelic science, symbolic of its now mainstream recognition.