Classical psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and LSD stimulate the serotonin 2A receptor and are being investigated for clinical effects in brain disorders. Experts at the ECNP 'New Frontiers meeting' in March 2023 identified key knowledge gaps in psychedelic mechanisms, including the need for appropriate behavioral models, dose optimization, molecular mechanisms, sex differences, and effects on neurotransmitter release and brain activity. The meeting highlighted the importance of preclinical and neuroimaging research to address these gaps.
Psychedelic therapies face layered complexity from interactions between pharmacological and extra-pharmacological factors, and their embeddedness in societal, legal, and regulatory systems. This is compounded by epistemic fragmentation: dominant biomedical paradigms often clash with knowledge from social sciences, humanities, or Indigenous traditions. Though interdisciplinary engagement is increasingly recognized as necessary, existing calls rarely specify structural or pedagogical conditions for operationalizing it. Addressing these complexities requires moving beyond superficial collaboration; genuine interdisciplinary progress needs researchers capable of productive friction across epistemic cultures. The authors propose cultivating T-shaped competencies and intersectoral training as a structural response to these systemic challenges.