EPISODE 14 - Dr Suresh Muthukumaraswamy

“Hopefully we will start to transition into more traditional funding models…”

In this episode I spoke with Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, a pioneer in the field of psychedelic research in New Zealand. His research team are embarking on the first government-sanctioned LSD micro-dosing trial in the history of his home country.

In a space where many activists hide in scientists clothing, it is good to know when you are talking with the real thing - someone who seems to be in search of truth before tenure.

The perennial problem of ‘blinding’ in psychedelic research is circumnavigated at sub-perceptual doses of LSD, and what we will learn from such studies might just be the island of signal in an ocean of noise. It was a pleasure to talk to him.

We Discuss;

  • His previous research and road to psychedelics

  • The rapid development of the tools he uses to measure neuropharmacological impacts and fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

  • Multimodality in psychedelic neuroscience

  • MEG (Magnetoencephalography)

  • EEG (Electroencephalography)

  • The difference between methodological and applicational scientists in his professional space

  • Suresh’s work investigating the feasibility of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of depressive disorder

  • His new work researching LSD micro-dosing

  • the Fadiman protocol

  • How the advertising of recruitment and exclusion criteria must be ‘subtle’ to stop people gaming the system

  • The Placebo effect in psychedelic research

  • The Cochrane system and why the evidence for the efficacy of psychedelics is still low by this metric

  • How researching sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics is a workaround to the ongoing issue of double-blinding

  • Qualitative evidence of motivation to microdose and systematic self-reporting into its effects

  • How the Kiwi legislative misuse of drugs regulation act allows the prescription of schedule A - and how this allowed provided the legislative basis for this research to proceed

  • How the placebo effect can act as an ‘efficacy amplifier’

  • The expectancy effect

  • Mobile directly observed therapy

  • The scope for ‘physical technology’ in future prescription models

  • How the LSD micro-dosing study has set a precedent and lessened regulatory resistance in New Zealand

  • The Challenge of funding and how Governmental approval does not mean Governmental support

  • The need for a diversity of funding models in the psychedelic space

  • The Research group’s crowdfunding page

Dr Suresh Muthukumaraswamy

Neuropsychopharmacologist, Psychedelic Researcher

Dr Suresh Muthukumaraswamy Image NZ Herald

Dr Suresh Muthukumaraswamy Image NZ Herald

Dr Suresh Muthukumaraswamy completed his PhD in psychology at the University of Auckland in 200,5 after which he joined the newly established Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre as a post-doctoral fellow. In 2014 Suresh received a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship and returned to Auckland where he works in The School of Pharmacy (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences).

Suresh is a Principal Investigator in the Centre for Brain Research and the Auckland Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group

Suresh’s main research interests are in understanding how therapies alter brain activity and in developing methodologies to measure these changes in both healthy individuals and patient groups. He is the lead investigator in the first-ever government-sanctioned LSD micro-dosing trial to happen in New Zealand.

Niall Campbell