Translating Insights about Psychedelic-assisted Therapy from Clinical Research to Practice

Abstract

This talk presents insights from a randomized controlled trial with psilocybin in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) conducted at the Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich. Findings highlight potential predictive markers and phenotypic patterns associated with treatment response, underscoring the relevance of precision psychiatry and patient stratification in psychedelic research. Challenges in establishing a clear dose-response relationship—central to drug development—are discussed using data from a factorial dose-escalation study in healthy participants with DMT and Harmine (Phase 1 trial). Together, the presented results bridge basic neurobiological research and clinical application, offering a framework for individualized psychedelic-assisted interventions.

Biography

"Robin von Rotz is a psychologist by training with a strong foundation in psychopharmacology. He has gathered scientific experience across the fields of clinical pathology (schizophrenia and depression), neuroimaging (EEG, fMRI), neurobiology, sleep research, and machine-learning-based predictive modeling. During his PhD, he investigated the clinical effects of psilocybin  in patients with depression. Subsequently, he co-founded Reconnect Labs, a start-up developing DMT+Harmine as a novel psychiatric medication, , with a focus on translating insights from basic research into clinical practice."