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Psychedelic Research Centers Lack Diversity in Leadership According To Publish Health Study

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An extensive body of bench, clinical, and neuroscience research is ushering in what’s been called the “psychedelic renaissance”—an increase in usage and interest in psychedelics, a group that includes both natural and manmade substance including LSD, psilocybin, ketamin, and MDMA, among others.


A recent paper—published in the Journal of Social Science & Medicine and coauthored by Marlena Robbins, UC Berkeley School of Public Health doctor of public health student and Indigenous Science Student Fellow at the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics—is the first to look at how the burgeoning field of psychedelics intersects with the field of public health.


After reviewing the websites of 228 universities and their schools and programs of public health, along with those of 59 US and global psychedelic research centers, the paper authors found low levels of public health participation or collaboration in psychedelic research, education, training, or information dissemination.


The psychedelic research center review showed that only 10% indicated an affiliation with a public health school or program; 5% had a leader or co-leader with a public health degree; and 3% of affiliated faculty, students, or staff held public health degrees.


The authors made the case that schools and programs of public health should fill gaps in current psychedelic science and practice for community and population-level health and equity.


“Public health needs to be engaged and help people, including youth, to be safe while also optimizing the wellness possibilities of these wider contexts,” said Robbins. “While psychedelics for decades have been considered a risk factor, they may have relevance to several major, historically intractable public health challenges such as the mental health crisis, addiction, smoking, and chronic disease. This suggests that public health should reconsider its traditional perspective on psychedelics and focus on developing research, educational, and practical tools to explore their potential benefits.”

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“Bridges need to be built between the outstanding psychedelic work underway and the complementary but distinct expertise public health offers. It would be beneficial for the various players to meet and envision how to collaborate, learning from those already making the connection,” said lead author Heather Kuiper, director of the Center for Psychedelic Public Health. Kuiper received her DrPH from UC Berkeley School of Public Health in 2009.


“Public health is the field specifically developed to promote health, prevent illness and injury, and protect against harm at community and population levels. So these findings…indicate that there is significant opportunity to amplify the potential benefits and minimize risks of psychedelics through studied application of public health precepts and practices,” said co-author Chris Alley of the New York University School of Global Public Health.


The researchers also determined that psychedelic research centers had leadership that lacked diversity: 92% had white leadership; 88% were led or co-led by men.


The study found that only one psychedelic research center (0.02%) had top leadership that was Native/Indigenous while 20% to 25% of centers or public health programs/schools referenced indigeneity in their psychedelic pursuits, such as a land acknowledgment, scholarship, or research.


“Indigenous peoples have long dedicated their lives to nurturing relationships with sacred plant medicines. Unfortunately, their underrepresentation in the field of psychedelic science is concerning,” says Robbins.


The review identified only five settings in which Indigenous people or communities were directly engaged as leaders, researchers, and/or participants in psychedelic research. “Sovereign Tribal Nations must be consulted and actively involved in developing access to both the scientific advancements and healing modalities enabled by these medicines. Integrating restorative justice as a component can enhance the equity that is fundamental to psychedelic public health,” Robbins said.


“We hope this paper is an invitation to public health and psychedelic professionals, communities, and public and private funders to meet and collaborate in a multi-disciplinary fashion that addresses and extends beyond regulatory and harm reduction roles for public health,” said Robbins.


Reference: Kuiper H, Alley C, Harris Z, et al. Psychedelic public health: State of the field and implications for equity. Soc Sci Med. 2024;357:117134. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117134


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