Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Paul is Head of the Clinical Psychedelic Lab, and Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at Monash University. He has played a central role in establishing the field of clinical psychedelic research in Australia, and is the principal investigator on a program of psychedelic trials. He leads the country’s largest and most experienced group of psychedelic researchers and clinicians, is involved in numerous psychedelic studies across the country, and collaborates with many international experts and organisations in the field. He has led several world-first studies, including the first trial to use psilocybin in the treatment of a primary anxiety condition, the first study testing the utility of psilocybin as a therapist training tool, and the first trial testing a psychedelic-augmented virtual-reality treatment. In Australia, he established the first psychedelic lab, coordinated the first applied psychedelic therapist training program, and obtained the first industry funding for psychedelic research. Together with clinical and industry colleagues, he co-founded Australia’s first purpose-built psychedelic-assisted therapy clinic. He is regularly invited to speak on psychedelic science for academia, medical peak bodies, industry, and government. His work is focused on investigating novel applications for psychedelic therapies, translating evidence into best clinical practice, exploring under-examined risks, delivering next-generation therapist training, and improving access and affordability.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Neuroscience, BSc (Hons), In pursuit of the engram: methodology optimization and brain analysis using fear conditioning in FTL mice, University of Melbourne
Psychological Sciences, PhD, The Hyper-ordinary Depression Hypothesis and mechanisms of cognitive rigidity in depression, University of Melbourne
Neuroscience, BSc, Majors in Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Western Australia
External positions
Honorary Research Fellow, Swinburne University of Technology
Honorary Research Fellow, University of Melbourne
Research area keywords
- Psychedelic medicine
- Mood Disorders
- Addiction
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Depressive cognition
- Transdiagnostic mechanisms of psychopathology
- psychedelics
- psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
- psilocybin
- mdma
- dmt
- 5meo-dmt
- therapist training
- hallucinogens
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Asia-Pacific Consortium for Advancing Clinical Psychedelic Medicine
Ogawa, S., Thurairajasingam, S., Liknaitzky, P. & Sundram, S.
1/01/25 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
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A randomised, double-blind, controlled trial of MDMA-assisted exposure therapy for alcohol use disorder and comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder
Morley, K. C., Mills, K., Haber, P. S., Lubman, D., Teesson, M., Arunogiri, S., Baillie, A., Lee, Y. Y., Morse, A., Back, S. & Liknaitzky, P.
1/01/22 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
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Can psychedelics treat anorexia nervosa? Insights into the therapeutic effects of psilocybin in an animal model
Foldi, C., Oldfield, B., Andrews, Z., Liknaitzky, P., Hohwy, J., Razi, A. & Kaye, W. H.
1/01/22 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
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Lost in translation? Qualitative interviews with Australian psychedelic-assisted therapy trial clinicians: Qualitative interviews with Australian psychedelic-assisted therapy trial clinicians
Barber, M. E. M., Gardner, J., Liknaitzky, P. & Carter, A., Dec 2024, In: Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. 97, 4, p. 626-644 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Can old drugs learn new tricks? Achieving registration and public subsidy listing for off-patent medicines with novel therapeutic applications
Brett, J., Bahceci, D., Lipworth, W., Liknaitzky, P., Day, R. O. & Rodgers, A., Jul 2023, In: Internal Medicine Journal. 53, 7, p. 1284-1287 4 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Other › peer-review
Open Access3 Citations (Scopus) -
Exploring psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of methamphetamine use disorder
Brett, J., Knock, E., Korthuis, P. T., Liknaitzky, P., Murnane, K. S., Nicholas, C. R., Patterson, J. C. & Stauffer, C. S., 2023, In: Frontiers in Psychiatry. 14, 7 p., 1123424.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Other › peer-review
Open Access2 Citations (Scopus) -
How psychedelic-assisted therapy works for depression: expert views and practical implications from an exploratory Delphi study
Johansen, L., Liknaitzky, P., Nedeljkovic, M. & Murray, G., 28 Sept 2023, In: Frontiers in Psychiatry. 14, 12 p., 1265910.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Advancing elite athlete mental health treatment with psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
Walton, C. C. & Liknaitzky, P., 2022, In: Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. 34, 3, p. 605-623 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
2 Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
Press/Media
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Psychedelic therapies for mental illness draw closer
8/12/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Profile/Interview
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Preparing for psychedelic therapies in Australia
5/11/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Can psychedelics help treat anxiety?
19/08/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs, Podcasts and Social Media › Podcasts
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Inside the underground world of psychedelic therapy and the controversial charity pushing hard to bring the treatment into the mainstream.
25/07/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
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