About us
APRA is an interdisciplinary academic association for university students and researchers based in Amsterdam, focusing on psychedelic substances (e.g. LSD, psilocybin) for their therapeutic effects and scientific value.
Although evidence for the research value of these substances is now abundant, they have suffered an impaired research development due to their legal status or psychoactive effects. Anecdotal beliefs and stigma regarding psychedelics remain persistent. Moreover, there is currently an absence of dedicated research efforts within this field in the Amsterdam institutions (UvA, VU).
Considering the recent advancements in cognitive sciences, natural sciences and artificial intelligence, the lack of research in this promising and relatively unexplored field appeared as a lapse in long-term research planning, especially in a city that can boast cutting-edge biomedical and neuroimaging technologies. Therefore, the Amsterdam Psychedelic Research Association was formed in 2018 to fill in this niche.
In practice, we aim to:
- Provide information to students and researchers about developments in academic research on psychedelics through lectures, journal clubs and symposia
- Diminish unscientific stigma within academia and help normalize the status of education and research in this field
- Form an academic community and promote the start of an interdisciplinary research effort in this direction within the Amsterdam institutions
APRA does not encourage illegal drug use outside controlled research and medical contexts, and promotes all available harm-reduction strategies.
University students, researchers or faculty based at Amsterdam institutions that are interested in actively collaborating are particularly encouraged to become members and contact us by using our contact form.
We encourage students and researchers from other cities and countries to start similar initiatives, and get in touch with us to move together towards a collaborative network of psychedelic research associations.