63. The Psychedelic Renaissance Turns 25 ⎸ Dr. Keith Heinzerling

by Anthony Effinger

The Think Neuro podcast from Pacific Neuroscience Institute takes you into the clinic, operating room and laboratory with doctors and surgeons who are tackling the most challenging brain diseases and disorders. Host: Anthony Effinger

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63. The Psychedelic Renaissance Turns 25 ⎸ Dr. Keith Heinzerling

To say that the medical world’s view of psychedelics has changed would be a vast understatement. Until about two decades ago, drugs like LSD and psilocybin—the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms—were considered dangerous party drugs. Then, a small group of scientists began reconsidering the therapeutic value of the compounds, known for centuries in many non-industrial cultures. In 2000, doctors at Johns Hopkins got regulatory approval to study the drugs. Since then, doctors there and elsewhere have shown that psychedelics can help people quit smoking, quit drinking, ease anxiety, and lift depression. PNI started its Treatment & Research In Psychedelics (TRIP) program in 2019, under the direction of Dr. Keith Heinzerling. So far, TRIP has completed three studies of psychedelics which are difficult to do because the drugs are still illegal under federal law. More studies particularly focusing on depression are underway. Working on those trials has made Dr. Heinzerling one of the foremost experts on psychedelics. Listen to the episode to learn more about the “psychedelic renaissance,” now in its 25th year, from a practitioner who has a thoughtful take on the promise of these once-shunned compounds.

About Dr. Keith Heinzerling

Dr. Keith Heinzerling practices internal medicine and is an addiction medicine specialist at the Pacific Brain Health Center, Pacific Neuroscience Institute. His clinical and research focuses are on the treatment of alcohol, drug and substance use problems, with anti-addiction medications. As director of the Treatment & Research In Psychedelics (TRIP) program, he is involved in the development of psychedelic-assisted therapies for those suffering with addiction, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Dr. Heinzerling is a trained psychedelic guide and holds a Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research (CPTR) from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS).

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Anthony Effinger

Think Neuro's host is Anthony Effinger, an award-winning journalist who is fascinated with neuroscience and the workings of the brain. Anthony spent 24 years at Bloomberg News, where he covered all aspects of finance, with forays into science and health. In 2006, the Association of Health Care Journalists awarded him first prize for Playing the Odds, an in-depth piece on the changing strategies used to treat prostate cancer. These days, he is a staff writer at Willamette Week, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife and two children.

Last updated: April 2nd, 2025