Forschende im Zell-Labor beim Pipettieren

Forschung

Psychopharmacology Research

Prof. Matthias Liechti, MD, MAS
Departement of Biomedicine, Deparment of Clinical Research
University Hospital Basel
Schanzenstrasse 55
4056 Basel
Switzerland
Tel.: +41 61 328 68 68
matthias.liechti@usb.ch

Psychopharmacology Research Group

Research interests

Psychopharmacology
Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions of psychoactive drugs
Pharmacology of psychedelic substances
Pharmacogenetics
CNS drug development
Novel psychoactive substances
Pharmaco-fMRI
dose optimization and personalisation for psychotropi substances

Research projects

The group investigates the pharmacology of psychoactive substances both in vitro and in humans. The group is best known for the work on the acute effects psychoactive substances including MDMA (ecstasy), methylphenidate (Ritalin) and LSD in humans. In experimental clinical studies the group described the acute effects of psychoactive substances on social cognition (mood recognition, empathy, social behavior), endocrine responses, pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics, and pharmacogenetics. Pharmaco-fMRI studies are conducted in collaboration with the Psychiatric University Clinic. The team also characterizes the pharmacological profiles of the constantly emerging novel psychoactive substances (designer drugs) using in vitro methods in the laboratory at the Department of Biomedicine.

Head of the group