Introduction to Psychedelics: a Scientific Trip

Elijahu Berkovich, IMIO Life Ltd., Ness Ziona, Israel (elib@nxtg.co.il)

Psychedelic plants and fungi have been used in indigenous medicinal traditions for millennia. The term “psychedelics”, defined broadly, refers to psychoactive compounds that produce characteristic alterations in cognition, perception, and emotion. Substances that qualify as “psychedelics”, includes serotonergic hallucinogens (ex. psilocybin, LSD, DMT, mescaline), dissociative anaesthetics (ex. ketamine), empathogen (ex. MDMA), and atypical hallucinogens (ex. Ibogaine). Psychedelic drugs profoundly alter human behaviour, acting primarily via agonism at the 5-HT_2A receptor in the brain. Research into the mechanisms of psychedelic drugs is experiencing a renaissance after years of stagnation. Preclinical research of psychedelics complements human neuroimaging studies and pilot clinical trials, suggesting these compounds as promising treatments for neurological and psychiatric conditions. However, many questions regarding the mechanisms of action, safety, and efficacy of psychedelics remain to be explored.

This introductory lecture provides some background on psychedelics, spanning history and pharmacology up to recent clinical data in this field, with a goal of outlining the potential benefits of translational psychedelic biomedicine research to patients.

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Short Biography of Presenting Author

Dr. Elijahu Berkovich is a scientist with over 10 years of pharmaceutical industry experience. Elijahu brings the unique ability to identify and explore medical unmet needs, propose novel therapeutic solutions, develop concepts and test them in preclinical models and in human. His wide experience spans across R&D (from idea to commercial), Pre-clinical, Clinical, Marketing and Medical/Scientific Affairs. Prior to his current position as Chief Scientific Officer at IMIO Life, Elijahu served as the Head of Emerging Science and Innovation at Clexio Biosciences where he was responsible for ideation, scouting and pipeline creation. Before that, Elijahu was a Senior Director at Teva Pharmaceuticals, holding various positions within Global R&D and Medical Affairs. Elijahu holds a bachelor degree in Biochemistry and Food Science (with highest distinction) from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a M.Sc. and Ph.D. (with distinction) in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the Weizmann Institute of Science. Elijahu completed his Post-doctoral fellowship in the Hematology/Oncology Department at St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Memphis, TN, where he focused his research on Oncology and DNA damage response and published peer-reviewed articles in top tier journals.