Researchers pipetting in the cell lab

Research

Psychopharmacology Research

Prof. Matthias Liechti, MD, MAS
Department of Biomedicine, Department of Clinical Research
University Hospital Basel
Schanzenstrasse 55
4056 Basel
Switzerland
Phone: +41 61 328 68 68
matthias.liechti@usb.ch

Research interests

  • Psychopharmacology
  • Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions of psychoactive drugs
  • Pharmacology of psychedelic substances
  • Pharmacogenetics
  • CNS drug development
  • Novel psychoactive substances
  • Pharmaco-fMRI
  • dose optimization and personalization for psychotropic substances


Research projects


The group investigates the pharmacology of psychoactive substances both in vitro and in humans. The group is best known for the work on the acute effects psychoactive substances including MDMA (ecstasy), methylphenidate (Ritalin) and LSD in humans. In experimental clinical studies the group described the acute effects of psychoactive substances on social cognition (mood recognition, empathy, social behavior), endocrine responses, pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics, and pharmacogenetics. Pharmaco-fMRI studies are conducted in collaboration with the Psychiatric University Clinic. The team also characterizes the pharmacological profiles of the constantly emerging novel psychoactive substances (designer drugs) using in vitro methods in the laboratory at the Department of Biomedicine.


Head of the group

  • Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Liechti


Group members

  • Patrick Vizeli
  • Frederike Holze
  • Laura Ley
  • Anna Becker
  • Isabelle Straumann
  • Dr. Yasmin Schmid
  • Dr. Dino Lüthi
  • Dr. Deborah Rudin
  • Jan Thomann
  • Aaron Klaiber
  • Denis Arikci
  • PD Dr. Kurt Stocker
  • Livio Erne
  • Oliver Stöckmann
  • Joyce Santos de Jesus


Former group members

  • Patrick Dolder
  • Cédric Hysek
  • Karolina Kolaczynska
  • Linda Simmler
  • Anna Rickli

links

Publications

Drug safety

Laboratory Analytics & Profiling

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Dr. Dino Lüthi

Leiter Analytik

DBM FG Psychopharmacology Research

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Dr. Deborah Rudin

Leiterin Profiling

DBM FG Clinical Immunology / DBM FG Psychopharmacology Research

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