Robin Carhart-Harris is a British psychopharmacologist and neuroscientist known for his research into psychedelics and mental health. He founded and led the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London, and since 2021 he has been Ralph Metzner Distinguished Professor of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco.
Brian Rose has interviewed Carhart-Harris twice on London Real, in 2013 and 2019. They talked about the effects of psilocybin, LSD and MDMA on the brain, their possible use for depression and addiction, and how the research is done.
Both interviews are listed below with a short summary.
The Science of Psychedelics (2019). Recorded as Imperial opened its Centre for Psychedelic Research, it gives the fullest picture of his work.
Carhart-Harris argues that psilocybin, given in a controlled setting with psychological support, could help people with depression and addiction. He said this in 2013, before the clinical trials that later made his name.
His team was the first to image the brain on LSD using modern brain imaging. He says psychedelics loosen the activity of networks linked to our sense of self, including the default mode network.
In 2013 he said he chose not to take psychedelics so he could stay objective about his research.
Speaking in 2019, he said the findings so far were promising and that alternative treatments could play a larger role in mental health, provided they are tested properly.
Robin Carhart-Harris is a British psychopharmacologist and neuroscientist. He founded and led the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London and since 2021 has been Ralph Metzner Distinguished Professor of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco.
In 2013 and 2019 he talked about research into psilocybin, LSD and MDMA, how these drugs affect the brain, their possible use in treating depression and addiction, and how to keep the research objective.
Start with The Science of Psychedelics from 2019, recorded after Imperial opened its Centre for Psychedelic Research. The 2013 episode shows where the research stood in its early days.
Twice: Psychedelics as Medicine in February 2013 and The Science of Psychedelics in September 2019.
Not in the UK. Psilocybin is still being tested in clinical trials, including studies led by Carhart-Harris, and is not an approved medicine for depression. It should only be used in a research or clinical setting.
Speaking in 2013, he said he refrained from taking psychedelics so that he could stay objective about his research.
Official site: carhartharrislab.com
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