COHEN PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH & HEALTH INITIATIVE

Identifying therapies for diseases such as addiction, PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

Millions of Americans suffer from depression, anxiety, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Alzheimer’s, and other mental health conditions.  Unfortunately, too often the current treatment approaches have limited effectiveness resulting in lifetimes of unbearable symptoms, lowered quality of life, and high rates of mortality.

However, psychedelic compounds present a new opportunity for addressing these treatment-resistant conditions.  Based on early studies, psilocybin, the active ingredient of “magic mushrooms”, has positive and long-lasting effects on some of the most debilitating and chronic medical conditions, including addiction, anxiety, and major depression.  Similarly, in a study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, approximately two-thirds of patients with treatment-resistant PTSD no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD at the one-year follow-up.

Research on these psychedelic compounds has been postponed for decades while millions of Americans have profoundly suffered.  It’s time to unlock the potential of psychedelic medicine and improve the lives of patients and their families.

Currently, the Foundation is one of the largest private funders of psychedelic research in the country as we push to fund ground-breaking projects and bring hope to patients with these devastating conditions.

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Given to Psychedelic Projects

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Featured Grantees

  • USONA Institute

    Supporting Since: 2020

    To-date Funding: $7.4 million

    Projects:

    • Optimization and validation of the psilocybin manufacturing process to ensure quality and reproducibility.  Establishing current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) is critical for Phase 3 studies of psilocybin and the FDA approval process.
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  • Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)

    Supporting Since: 2020

    To-date Funding: $5.2 million

    Project:

    • Completion of Phase 3 clinical trials on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  In 2017, FDA designated MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD as a Breakthrough Therapy, which means it is one of the most promising treatments under development.
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  • University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

    Supporting Since: 2020

    To-date Funding: $1.8 million

    Project:

    • Conduct a clinical trial to evaluate the effects and brain mechanisms of psilocybin-assisted therapy for phantom limb pain among amputees.
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  • California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS)

    Supporting Since: 2020

    To-date Funding: $507 thousand

    Project:

    • Expand the certificate training program of therapists to administer psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy by adding new US locations and improving virtual content.
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