Psychedelic research: science, therapy and future directions in mental health

The European College of Neuropsychopharmacology built this free, self-paced course as a structured entry point into the science of psychedelics: how these compounds act on the brain, where the clinical evidence currently stands, and what still needs to be resolved before they reach routine mental health care.

Twelve 30-minute video lectures run across six modules, moving from history, key concepts and legal-ethical context through pharmacology, neuroimaging, neuroplasticity and preclinical models, into therapeutic applications, trial design and questions of precision psychiatry. Each lecture carries embedded knowledge tests, and a post-course assessment leads to an ECNP Certificate of completion (awarded to participants who watch at least 10 of the 12 lectures).

It is organised by the ECNP Psychedelic Research Network, with Kim Kuypers (Maastricht University) as principal organiser, and taught by a European faculty that includes David Nutt, Gitte Moos Knudsen, Gerhard Gruender and Friederike Holze. The course is pitched at early-career clinicians and researchers who already have a grounding in psychiatry and clinical research, rather than a general introduction for newcomers.

Access is free with a myECNP account. Modules are released on a schedule from 14 September 2026, though you can register at any point in the year.