-Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. announces the appointment of Professors Charles Nichols, PhD and Peter Hendricks, PhD as co-Editors-in-Chief of Psychedelic Medicine, a new peer-reviewed hybrid journal launching in early 2023.
Publishing online and in print with open access options, Psychedelic Medicine will provide an authoritative, high-profile forum for groundbreaking original research papers in both the basic and clinical sciences, review articles, debate, and commentary. A preview issue of the Journal is planned for late 2022.
Charles Nichols, PhD is a Professor of Pharmacology at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and has been researching psychedelics for 25 years. He earned his bachelor's degree at Purdue University and received his PhD at Carnegie Mellon University studying the developmental genetics of fruit fly eye and retina development. He performed his postdoctoral work at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in the Department of Pharmacology researching serotonin 5-HT2 receptor neuropharmacology and psychedelics under the mentorship of Dr. Elaine Sanders-Bush.
Dr. Nichols's research centers on the pharmacology of serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, and he and his laboratory have made several key discoveries throughout the years. These include the first study of the effects of psychedelics on gene expression in brain, identification of specific populations of cell types within the brain that directly respond to psychedelics, the development of animal experimental systems that recapitulate the long-lasting antidepressant effects of psilocybin for mechanistic study, and discovery of the potent and profound anti-inflammatory effects of psychedelics for potential treatment of diseases like asthma and cardiovascular disease, among others. His research comprises three main areas. 1) The receptor pharmacology of ligand interactions with the 5-HT2A receptor, and drug discovery and design, 2) the study of psychedelics and their effects in the CNS ranging from molecular/genetics to behavioral models in rodents and Drosophila, and 3) elucidation of the mechanisms of action of the potent anti-inflammatory effects of psychedelics in models of human inflammatory disease.
Professor Nichols is a founding member of the International Society for Research on Psychedelics (ISRP), and serves as the society's current President-Elect, and North American Councilor for the International Society of Serotonin Research (ISSR).
"I am honored and very excited to serve as co-Editor-in-Chief alongside Dr. Hendricks," says Professor Charles (Chuck) Nichols. "The time is right for a rigorous, peer reviewed journal devoted exclusively to psychedelic research."
Peter Hendricks, PhD, is Professor and Director of Research in the Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). A clinical psychologist by training, Dr. Hendricks earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and received his PhD from the University of South Florida studying tobacco dependence and interventions for smoking cessation. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship on drug abuse treatment and services research at the University of California, San Francisco before joining UAB in 2010.
Dr. Hendricks' research centers on the development of novel and potentially more effective treatments for substance use disorders and comorbid conditions, with specific areas of focus on tobacco, cocaine, cannabis, opiate, and polysubstance dependence in vulnerable populations, including individuals in the criminal justice system. He has been an active researcher in the psychedelic field since 2014, publishing population studies suggesting psychedelics may be effective in preventing and treating substance use, criminal recidivism, and psychological distress, among other outcomes, as well as a number of systemic reviews and theoretical pieces. He is currently Principal Investigator of a pilot trial of psilocybin-facilitated psychotherapy in the treatment cocaine dependence, psilocybin-facilitated psychotherapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia, and low doses or "microdoses" of psilocybin in the treatment of demoralization. Dr. Hendricks is also site PI of a NIDA-funded study of psilocybin for smoking cessation.
"Psychedelic Medicine will serve to elevate and advance the field of psychedelic science," says Professor Hendricks. "I am honored to serve as co-Editor-in-Chief alongside Dr. Nichols."
Psychedelic substances, which primarily act as serotonin 2A receptor agonists, are rapidly moving into the mainstream as clinical research programs and legalization/decriminalization measures accelerate in the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe. Psychedelic substances undergoing research in preclinical and clinical studies include psilocybin, ayahuasca, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, LSD, and mescaline/peyote. Patients and clinicians are increasingly optimistic about the potential efficacy of psychedelic drugs as an alternative or supplement to traditionally manufactured pharmaceuticals to treat depression, anxiety, addiction, demoralization, and other mental health conditions. Preliminary clinical studies indicate that, when administered responsibly, psychedelic agents may be safe and effective therapeutics with intriguing effects on the CNS, brain function, and inflammation.
Psychedelic Medicine will provide rapid, fair peer-review, and welcomes original research papers on every aspect of psychedelic medicine including basic science, clinical, and translational research, as well as medical applications.
About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, The CRISPR Journal, Human Gene Therapy, Stem Cells and Development, and Cellular Reprogramming. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firms more than 100 journals, books, and trade publications is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website.
