Northwell Invests in Mental Health, Opens Center for Psychedelics Research and Treatment

The clinical research Feinstein Family Human Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory will feature a driving simulator and interactive controlled social environments, including a bar and living room to study MDMA, alcohol, psilocybin, cannabis and more.

MANHASSET, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To address a pressing scientific and public need focused on the therapeutic potential and potential impairing effects of compounds like Δ⁹-THC (cannabis), psilocybin (mushrooms), MDMA (ecstasy) and ketamine, Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research today announced the official opening of the Center for Psychedelics Research and Treatment (CPRT) at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks. The Center will feature a state-of-the-art clinical lab, the Feinstein Family Human Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory, that will include a driving simulator, modular bar and living room spaces to mimic real-world social environments.

This initiative, led by recognized behavioral health researchers John Kane, MD and Nehal Vadhan, PhD, aims to significantly advance the understanding and application of psychedelic agents for severe mental health and substance use disorders. The CPRT’s mission is to oversee and conduct rigorous research across Northwell’s 28-hospital footprint and its diverse patient population, working to develop new treatments for difficult-to-treat conditions such as social anxiety, schizophrenia and alcohol and opioid use disorders. The CPRT will also serve as a vital resource for education, support and collaboration, working to increase public knowledge and reduce the stigma surrounding these therapies, with the goal of offering advanced, evidence-based clinical care as regulatory approvals are achieved.

“This new facility and planned research are crucial for uncovering novel treatments for difficult-to-treat disorders and symptoms, impacting patients who suffer from conditions in desperate need of effective therapies,” said Dr. Vadhan, assistant professor in the Institute of Behavioral Science at the Feinstein Institutes, co-director of the CPRT, and director of the Feinstein Family Human Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory. “We are committed to conducting careful and meaningful studies that will ultimately help educate patients on the pros and cons of these substances, their families and the public to increase knowledge and reduce stigma.”

The Feinstein Family Human Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory was built at Zucker Hillside thanks to philanthropy from the Feinstein Health Fund as well as support from the Feinstein Institutes and Northwell’s Department of Psychiatry. It is designed for the safe, ethical and comprehensive assessment of the direct and long-term effects of psychedelics and other drugs, including these initial projects:

• Psilocybin for the treatment of social anxiety disorder: A clinical trial assessing the efficacy of psilocybin in individuals with social and generalized anxiety disorders, utilizing active and inactive controls for robust methodology.
• Tolerability of MDMA in patients with schizophrenia: A novel study, in collaboration with University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), to assess the safety and tolerability of MDMA for designing future trials to treat the debilitating negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
• Ecological momentary assessment of naturalistic psychedelics use: A study exploring the impact and motivations behind naturalistic psychedelic use among psychiatric outpatients and healthy controls.

“The establishment of the Center for Psychedelics Research and Treatment represents a significant step in our commitment to explore and develop innovative approaches for mental health care,” said Anil K. Malhotra, MD, co-director of the Institute of Behavioral Science at the Feinstein Institutes. “The work led by Dr. Vadhan and his lab will be important to expand our understanding of the impact of these therapies for psychiatric and substance use disorders.”

Within five years, the CPRT envisions completing its initial research and initiating larger studies with federal support, alongside launching its clinical treatment program. For environmental considerations and to preserve funds for study costs, much of the lab equipment, furniture and decor has been repurposed or donated from surplus. Looking ahead 10 years, plans include expanding the facility, establishing satellite programs across Northwell’s campuses, hiring basic researchers to develop new therapeutics and hosting regional and national conferences to further psychedelic science.

To support the CPRT and its research, donations can be made at https://support.northwell.edu/CenterforPsychedelics.

About the Feinstein Institutes

The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the home of the research institutes of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Encompassing 50+ research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raises the standard of medical innovation through its six institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, molecular medicine, and translational research. We are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – an innovative field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. The Feinstein Institutes publishes two open-access, international peer-reviewed journals Molecular Medicine and Bioelectronic Medicine. Through the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, we offer an accelerated PhD program. For more information about how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit http://feinstein.northwell.edu and follow us on LinkedIn.