Dr. Javier González Maeso, Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the School of Medicine at the Virginia Commonwealth University, will present: "Psychedelic medicine: Does the trip matter?"

Ceremonial and medicinal use of psychedelics has been part of our cultures since ancient times. Psilocybin is the main active compound in “magic” mushrooms, mescaline is found in the peyote cactus, and LSD became a popular recreational drug in the middle part of the past century. During the past few years, we are starting to discover that psychedelics can cause lasting effects in the brain. They have very recently been shown to produce beneficial effects in people with depression, anxiety and addiction. Our neurons are very plastic: just a single dose of psilocybin can spur neurons to grow new functional contacts called dendritic branches with other neurons. This brain rewiring is most likely one of the main reasons behind the clinical effects of psychedelics – it can happen almost immediately after the psychedelic experience, and the benefits last for months. In this talk, I will present what we know about the molecular mechanisms behind psychedelic effects, and how we study whether we can take the trip out of psychedelics (do we want to?).

When: Tuesday, April 11, 2023, 6:00pm - 7:00pm.

Where: Heartbreak Coffee, 265 North Lamar Boulevard Suite G, Oxford, Mississippi 38655

or you can join virtually via: https://olemiss.zoom.us/j/99989536748

Cost: Free!

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