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Maastricht University

Data updated

Netherlands
7 Trials4 Papers

While Maastricht University may not have a single dedicated psychedelic research group, various researchers at the university are investigating the effects of psychedelics. Early research exploring psychedelics at Maastricht focused on the dangers of MDMA. Now, research into the effects of microdosing is being led by Dr Kim Kuypers. Other research ongoing at the university is investigating cannabis as well as novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Maastricht is collaborating on research with the Beckley Foundation as well as Silo Pharma.

AdvancedHybridMid costAcademic programmeContinuing educationOtherResearchersLicensed cliniciansAspiring practitionersOther

Blossom’s read

Maastricht University is not, from the evidence available, a dedicated psychedelic training provider in the way some specialist institutes are. Rather, it is a serious research university with a well-established psychopharmacology and neuropsychology base, and its psychedelic work sits inside that broader scientific frame, especially around microdosing, psilocybin, MDMA and related substance effects. It will likely suit people looking for academically grounded study rather than practitioner training; the strongest lineage here is research-led, with Dr Kim Kuypers prominently associated with the area. The reputation signal is more 'credible university research environment' than 'certificate brand'.

Who Maastricht University is for

Best for students, researchers, and clinicians who want an academic grounding in psychedelic science within a wider psychopharmacology curriculum. It is less obviously aimed at people seeking a standalone facilitator or therapist qualification.

Prerequisites

No dedicated psychedelic course prerequisites were found on the public sources reviewed. For the university’s taught degree programmes, standard university entry requirements apply; one research master route in Drug Development and Neurohealth is part of the broader educational offer.

Accreditation & recognition

Maastricht University states that all of its bachelor’s and master’s programmes have been approved by the NVAO, the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation. No source reviewed showed a dedicated psychedelic certificate, CME, CE credit, or separate accreditation for a psychedelics-specific training.

Cost

No psychedelics-specific tuition or pricing was found. The public sources reviewed indicate that psychedelic content appears within existing university teaching and research programmes, rather than as a separately priced standalone course.

What you walk away with

Learners appear to gain academic knowledge of psychedelics, microdosing, psychopharmacology, and drug effects on cognition and behaviour, rather than a distinct external credential. In programme contexts, outcomes are likely to be research literacy, methodological understanding, and pathways into neuroscience, psychopharmacology, or related postgraduate study.

Academic Research

4 papers

Published Papers

4

Trial Involvement

7

Distinct Focus Topics

0

Latest Publication

Apr 8, 2026

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Quick Facts

Type
academic
HQ
Netherlands
Website
Visit

Sponsored Trials

6
RecruitingNA

The Impact of Psilocybin on Pain in Fibromyalgia Patients (PsiloFM)

Start Date
Compounds
Psilocybin, Placebo
Unknown statusI, II

The Effect of LSD on Neural Synchrony, Prosocial Behavior, and Relationship Quality

Start Date
Compounds
LSD, Placebo
CompletedNA

Sub(acute) Profiling of 2C-B Versus Psilocybin

Start Date
Compounds
2C-X, Psilocybin, Placebo
CompletedNA

Acute and delayed effects of MDMA intoxication on false memories in a legal context

Start Date
Compounds
MDMA, Placebo
RecruitingNA

MDMA and prosocial behavior: The role of the 2a-serotonin receptor

Start Date
Compounds
MDMA, Placebo
CompletedNA

The role of the 5-HT2a receptor in MDMA-induced effects on social cognition and prosocial behaviour

Start Date
Compounds
MDMA, Placebo

Collaborated Trials

1
Unknown statusNA

Personality and Drug Use (PDU)

Start Date

Research Papers

4
Open Accessmeta

Subjective and neurocognitive profiling of clinical doses of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in healthy volunteers: implications for therapeutic use

This narrative review (2026) examines placebo-controlled single-dose studies of MDMA (75 to 125 mg) in healthy volunteers and finds that it acutely increases mood, empathy, trust and prosocial feelings, while causing temporary memory impairment and modest declines in motor coordination and cognitive flexibility. It also notes that post-acute fatigue and low mood can occur, and that MDMA may complicate trial blinding and expectancy in psychotherapy studies.

Published
Journal
Molecular Psychiatry
Authors
Ramaekers, J. G., Kuypers, K. P. C., Vollenweider, F. X.
Open AccessindividualSecondary analysis

The forgotten psychedelic: Spatiotemporal mapping of brain organisation following the administration of 2C-B and psilocybin

Using 7T resting-state fMRI in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, the authors show that acute 2C-B and psilocybin both reduce intra-network static connectivity while increasing between-network and subcortical–cortical coupling and brain complexity, but 2C-B causes less between-network desynchronisation and relative elevations in transmodal connectivity compared with psilocybin. These spatially divergent effects align with monoaminergic transporter and serotonergic receptor distributions and link transmodal-axis desynchronisation to behavioural measures, highlighting 2C-B as a distinct tool for psychedelic neuroscience and potential pharmacotherapies.

Published
Journal
Molecular Psychiatry
Authors
Mallaroni, P., Singleton, P., Mason, N. L., Satterthwaite, T. D., Ramaekers, J. G.
Open Accessindividual

Shared functional connectome fingerprints following ritualistic ayahuasca intake

This fMRI study (n=21) of people who regularly use ayahuasca within the Santo Daime church finds that during the experience, changes in functional connectivity (FC, how brain areas communicate) indicate on the scans more similarity between them (so less 'unique' FC). The authors use an analogy that each person still has their own hairstyle, but instead of wearing different coloured t-shirts, all are now wearing the same shirt.

Published
Journal
NeuroImage
Authors
Mallaroni, P., Mason, N. L., Kloft, L., Reckweg, J. T., Van Oorsouw, K., Toennes, S. W., Tolle, H. M., Amico, E., Ramaekers, J. G.
Open AccessindividualPrimary

Assessment of the acute effects of 2C-B vs psilocybin on subjective experience, mood and cognition

In a within‑subjects, double‑blind, placebo‑controlled study (n=22) of psychedelic‑experienced volunteers, 20 mg 2C‑B produced acute psychedelic alterations of moderate experiential depth but elicited less dysphoria, subjective impairment, auditory changes and ego‑dissolution than 15 mg psilocybin. Both drugs produced comparable psychomotor slowing, spatial memory impairments and transient pressor effects, while 2C‑B’s subjective effects were shorter in duration (largely resolving within ~6 hours).

Published
Journal
Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Authors
Mallaroni, P., Mason, N. L., Reckweg, J. T., Paci, R., Toennes, S. W., Theunissen, E. L., Kuypers, K. P. C., Ramaekers, J. G.