Psychedelic research transforms global mental health treatment paradigms

Professor Gregor Hasler reveals breakthrough discoveries in neuroplasticity and rapid antidepressant mechanisms affecting millions worldwide

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Gregor Hasler, M.D., University of Fribourg, Switzerland

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Credit: Gregor Hasler

VILLARS-SUR-GLÂNE, SWITZERLAND, 2 September 2025 -- In a revealing Genomic Press Interview published today in Psychedelics, Professor Gregor Hasler unveils transformative discoveries that are fundamentally reshaping international approaches to mental health treatment through psychedelic research. As Chair of Psychiatry at the University of Fribourg and Director of the Molecular Psychiatry Lab, Professor Hasler stands at the vanguard of a scientific revolution that promises to alleviate suffering for millions worldwide who struggle with treatment-resistant psychiatric conditions. The interview, part of the Innovators & Ideas series, captures decades of pioneering research into how psychedelics rapidly enhance neuroplasticity and offer enduring therapeutic benefits that conventional treatments cannot match.

Revolutionary Mechanisms Transform Global Treatment Approaches

Professor Hasler explains in the interview how his research has uncovered remarkable mechanisms through which psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA fundamentally reorganize brain function. Unlike traditional antidepressants that require weeks to show effects and often provide only temporary relief, psychedelic-assisted therapies can produce profound improvements lasting months or even years after just a few carefully supervised sessions. His interdisciplinary team has demonstrated that these substances work by rapidly enhancing neuroplasticity, essentially allowing the brain to rewire itself and break free from the rigid patterns that characterize depression, PTSD, and addiction.

The interview reveals that Professor Hasler discovered mGluR5 as a biomarker for neuroplasticity and for nicotine dependence in particular. This breakthrough exemplifies his unique ability to translate complex molecular research into practical clinical applications that directly benefit patients worldwide. His work on glutamate and GABA neurotransmitter systems, which he considers his greatest scientific achievement, has fundamentally altered scientific understanding of mood disorders, opening entirely new therapeutic avenues for conditions previously considered untreatable.

Could these discoveries lead to a complete paradigm shift in how psychiatric disorders are conceptualized and treated globally? The evidence increasingly suggests they will, as international research teams build upon Professor Hasler findings to develop next-generation treatments.

From Swiss Innovation to Worldwide Impact

Switzerland has long been recognized as a crucible of psychiatric innovation, having given the world antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and even the original discovery of LSD. Professor Hasler continues this tradition while extending its reach far beyond national borders. As President of the Swiss Society for Drug Safety in Psychiatry and a member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, he ensures that emerging psychedelic therapies meet the highest safety standards for global implementation.

The interview traces his intellectual journey from early psychoanalytic training through rigorous neuroscience at the National Institute of Mental Health, where mentors Dennis Charney and Wayne Drevets encouraged him to pursue substances with rapid and robust effects. This unique combination of depth psychology and cutting-edge neuroscience positions Professor Hasler to bridge different therapeutic traditions in ways that benefit the entire international psychiatric community.

His book, Higher Self: Psychedelics in Psychotherapy, synthesizes years of clinical experience and research wisdom, proposing bold visions for the future of mental healthcare that resonate with practitioners worldwide. Recognized with prestigious honors including the NARSAD Independent Investigator Award and the Robert Bing Award from the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences, Professor Hasler demonstrates how rigorous science can coexist with compassionate clinical practice.

Ensuring Safe Integration into Global Healthcare Systems

Perhaps most crucially, the interview addresses how psychedelic therapies can be safely integrated into mainstream medicine worldwide. Professor Hasler emphasizes the critical distinction between scientific research and wholesale legalization, advocating for careful, evidence-based approaches that maximize therapeutic benefit while minimizing potential harm. His current research focuses on clinical applications for depression, trauma-related disorders, and even post-stroke neurorehabilitation, expanding the potential impact of these treatments across multiple medical disciplines.

The Genomic Press platform, accessible at https://genomicpress.kglmeridian.com/, provides open-access dissemination of such groundbreaking research, ensuring that scientific advances reach researchers and clinicians globally regardless of geographic or economic barriers. This commitment to open science accelerates the translation of discoveries into practical treatments that can benefit patients everywhere.

What safeguards must be established as psychedelic therapies move from research settings to clinical practice worldwide? Professor Hasler addresses this crucial question, drawing on his extensive experience to outline frameworks that protect patients while preserving therapeutic innovation.

Personal Insights Illuminate Scientific Vision

The interview reveals personal dimensions that humanize this scientific pioneer. Professor Hasler credits his father, a mathematician-economist who recognized depression as the primary cause of human suffering and economic burden, with inspiring his career trajectory. This early influence instilled a conviction that improving mental health treatments represents one of the most meaningful contributions to human welfare.

His current research centers on understanding how psychedelics influence consciousness, neuroplasticity, and brain function through advanced neuroimaging techniques. By combining molecular psychiatry with clinical observation, his teams are decoding the mechanisms that make psychedelic therapy uniquely effective for conditions that have resisted conventional treatment approaches.

When asked about his hopes for the field, Professor Hasler envisions treatments that do not merely suppress symptoms but open pathways for personal growth, recovery, and development. This perspective could make psychiatry more appealing to young doctors and researchers while improving its public image and attracting crucial research funding. As he notes, the psychedelic renaissance coinciding with the peak of his career offers a rare opportunity to participate in a transformative moment that will reshape mental healthcare for generations.

Professor Gregor Hasler's Genomic Press interview is part of a larger series called Innovators & Ideas that highlights the people behind today's most influential scientific breakthroughs. Each interview in the series offers a blend of cutting-edge research and personal reflections, providing readers with a comprehensive view of the scientists shaping the future. By combining a focus on professional achievements with personal insights, this interview style invites a richer narrative that both engages and educates readers. This format provides an ideal starting point for profiles that explore the scientist's impact on the field, while also touching on broader human themes. More information on the research leaders and rising stars featured in our Innovators & Ideas – Genomic Press Interview series can be found on our publications website: https://genomicpress.kglmeridian.com/.

The Genomic Press Interview in Psychedelics titled “Gregor Hasler: Three Guiding Questions—How do psychedelics shape the brain? How can they heal psychiatric disorders such as depression and PTSD? How can we ensure their safe and responsible use?”  How can we ensure their safe and responsible use?," is freely available via Open Access on 2 September 2025 in Psychedelics at the following hyperlink: https://doi.org/10.61373/pp025k.0032.

About Psychedelics: Psychedelics: The Journal of Psychedelic and Psychoactive Drug Research (ISSN: 2997-2671, online and 2997-268X, print) is a peer-reviewed medical research journal published by Genomic Press, New York. Psychedelics is dedicated to advancing knowledge across the full spectrum of consciousness altering substances, from classical psychedelics to stimulants, cannabinoids, entactogens, dissociatives, plant derived compounds, and novel compounds including drug discovery approaches. Our multidisciplinary approach encompasses molecular mechanisms, therapeutic applications, neuroscientific discoveries, and sociocultural analyses. We welcome diverse methodologies and perspectives from fundamental pharmacology and clinical studies to psychological investigations and societal-historical contexts that enhance our understanding of how these substances interact with human biology, psychology, and society.

Visit the Genomic Press Virtual Library: https://issues.genomicpress.com/bookcase/gtvov/

Our full website is at: https://genomicpress.kglmeridian.com/

---

Journal

Psychedelics

DOI

10.61373/pp025k.0032 

Method of Research

News article

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Gregor Hasler: Three Guiding Questions—How do psychedelics shape the brain? How can they heal psychiatric disorders such as depression and PTSD? How can we ensure their safe and responsible use?

Article Publication Date

2-Sep-2025

 

Higher Self: Psychedelics in Psychotherapy by Gregor Hasler – To be realeased on November 4, 2025.

 

Gregor Hasler: Three Guiding Questions—How do psychedelics shape the brain? How can they heal psychiatric disorders such as depression and PTSD? How can we ensure their safe and responsible use?

Credit

Gregor Hasler

WAIT, WHAT?!

EU Considers 10-Year Tax Holiday for Aviation, Shipping Fuels

DIRTY FUELS

By Charles Kennedy - Sep 01, 2025

The European Union is considering a 10-year exemption from energy taxes on aviation and shipping fuels, according to a draft proposal obtained by Reuters. The move would postpone taxation until 2035 and extend the long-standing tax breaks enjoyed by these sectors.

The draft, prepared under Denmark’s rotating EU presidency, would only impose minimum taxation before 2035 on small aircraft with up to 19 seats and on private pleasure boats. Larger airlines and shipping companies would remain exempt during the decade-long transition. Negotiators are scheduled to debate the text in Brussels on Friday, with the presidency aiming for a deal by November.

The overhaul is part of the stalled revision of the Energy Taxation Directive, first adopted in 2003 to set EU-wide minimum excise rates. The European Commission’s Green Deal proposal in 2021 sought to phase in fuel taxation across transport sectors, but repeated pushback from governments has delayed progress.

Industry groups have mounted intensive lobbying campaigns. Airlines argue that without tax relief, uptake of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will remain minimal because it currently costs two to five times more than conventional kerosene. Shipping operators make a similar case for renewable marine fuels, citing both high production costs and supply bottlenecks, according to Euractiv.

The Commission’s own assessments note that ending exemptions could generate billions in revenue while providing incentives for cleaner fuels. Still, countries heavily dependent on tourism and maritime trade remain cautious, warning that higher transport costs could weaken growth.

Because EU tax policy requires unanimous approval, any one member state could block the draft. Diplomats involved in the talks told Reuters that northern states are more inclined to support taxation, while southern tourism economies remain strongly resistant.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

 

TotalEnergies Wins Oil and Gas Exploration Permit Offshore Congo

By Charles Kennedy - Sep 01, 2025

TotalEnergies has been awarded a massive new exploration permit offshore the Republic of Congo, which could ultimately boost oil and gas supply from West Africa.

TotalEnergies and its minority partners QatarEnergy and Congo’s national company SNPC have been awarded the Nzombo exploration permit, close to the Moho production facilities operated by TotalEnergies, the French supermajor said on Monday.  

TotalEnergies holds 50% and is the operator of the 1,000 square kilometer (386 square miles) Nzombo exploration permit. QatarEnergy has a 35% stake and SNPC holds the remaining 15%.

Nzombo is located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) off the coast of Pointe-Noire, close to the Moho production facilities. Via two Floating Production Units (FPU), Alima and Likouf, production at Moho is around 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d).

The work program for the Nzombo exploration permit includes the drilling of one exploration well, which is expected to spud before the end of 2025, TotalEnergies said today.

“This award of a promising Exploration permit, with the material Nzombo prospect, reflects our continued strategy of expanding our Exploration portfolio with high impact prospects, which can be developed leveraging our existing facilities, and confirms our longstanding partnership with the Republic of the Congo,” said Kevin McLachlan, Senior Vice-President Exploration at TotalEnergies.

The French supermajor has been active in exploration efforts globally and in West and southwest Africa.

TotalEnergies “reloaded the exploration portfolio by acquiring exploration permits in the U.S. Gulf, in Malaysia, in Indonesia and Algeria” in the second quarter, CEO Patrick Pouyanné said on the Q2 earnings call in July.

TotalEnergies has recently made a large discovery in the Orange Basin offshore Namibia.

Earlier this year, a senior official said that Namibia expects TotalEnergies and Norway’s BW Energy to take final investment decisions on oil projects in late 2026.

TotalEnergies is expected to submit this summer a field development plan for the Venus project, said Maggy Shino, Petroleum Commissioner at the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy.

The Orange Basin extends to South African waters to the south and the majors are now looking to tap into these areas hoping to find huge resources similar to the ones in Namibian waters. However, a court in South Africa has reportedly halted a TotalEnergies-led exploration project, saying the environmental assessment for the project was “deeply flawed, failing to address key risks, legal requirements, and public participation.”

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

Guyana Begins Pivotal Election as Oil Boom Dominates Campaign

By Charles Kennedy - Sep 01, 2025

Guyana is holding general elections today that will determine who governs one of the world’s fastest-growing oil economies as ExxonMobil, Hess, and China’s CNOOC continue rapid development of the Stabroek block, which has transformed Guyana into a top emerging offshore producer.

The election pits the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) against the opposition coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), with both parties pledging to maintain oil investment, but differing over revenue management and transparency. Policy direction from the next government could shape billions in future production spending and state income. 

With voting stations opened on Monday morning, ABC News reported high voter turnout in coastal regions where oil revenue promises loom large.

Guyana’s oil boom has been staggering. Production has risen from near zero in 2019 to more than 600,000 barrels per day this year. Output is expected to exceed 1 million bpd by 2027 as additional floating production units come online. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts Guyana will post some of the world’s fastest GDP growth over the next decade, underpinned by hydrocarbons.

Since ExxonMobil’s first Stabroek discovery in 2015, more than 11 billion barrels of recoverable reserves have been booked, putting the country on track to become the second-largest offshore producer in the Americas after Brazil. Oil revenues now account for a growing share of the national budget, intensifying debates over whether spending should prioritize infrastructure and social programs or be constrained to safeguard long-term stability. Oil revenues have already swelled Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund, which surpassed $2.5 billion earlier this year, according to the Ministry of Finance. The fund has become a focal point in the campaign, with the opposition promising tighter oversight and the PPP arguing that rapid infrastructure investment is essential.

Investors and regional analysts are closely watching for any shift in fiscal terms or contract renegotiations. While neither major party has signaled an immediate overhaul, the outcome will set the tone for Guyana’s management of its most valuable resource at a time when global oil demand remains strong and competition for new barrels is intense.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

India Dismisses U.S. Criticism of Profiteering from Russian Oil Imports

By Charles Kennedy - Sep 01, 2025

India is not profiteering from importing Russian crude, it actually helps keep global oil prices in check, Indian Hardeep Singh Puri wrote in a column in The Hindu newspaper on Monday, amid growing criticism from the United States that the world’s third-largest crude importer is profiteering from Russia’s oil.  

“India's adherence to all international norms prevented a catastrophic $200 per barrel shock,” Puri wrote in the column. 

“Some critics allege that India has become a ‘laundromat’ for Russian oil. Nothing could be further from the truth,” the minister said. 

Peter Navarro, White House senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, told Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures that India is “nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin”, referring to New Delhi importing cheap Russian oil and selling the refined fuels at higher prices in Europe and Asia. 

“Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people,” Navarro told Fox News, defending the Trump Administration’s now-hiked 50% tariff on Indian goods, 25% of which is due to India’s continued imports of Russian crude.

In response to the “profiteering” claim, India’s Puri wrote that “Russian oil has never been sanctioned like Iranian or Venezuelan crude; it is under a G-7/European Union price cap system deliberately designed to keep oil flowing while capping revenues.” 

India hasn’t broken any rules on Russian oil, the Indian minister said, adding that it has “stabilized markets and kept global prices from spiraling.” 

“The truth is that there is no substitute for the world’s second-largest producer supplying nearly 10% of global oil,” Puri wrote. 

“Those who are pointing fingers ignore this fact.” 

The heated remarks over India’s role in Russian oil trade come as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a security summit in China.  

Meanwhile, India’s refiners are expected to import more Russian crude in September compared to August levels as discounts are deepening amid Russia’s constrained refining capacity due to Ukrainian drone strikes, traders told Reuters last week. 

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

India’s Defiance Could Reshape the Oil Chessboard

By Neil Crosby - Sep 01, 2025

• India has only modestly trimmed Russian crude purchases and signals it will keep buying discounted barrels, prioritizing growth and domestic politics over U.S. pressure.
• 
  
• Tougher tariffs or sanctions on India risk lifting global oil prices, stoking U.S. inflation and market volatility.
• 
  
• China is filling some gaps, underscoring the limits of Western energy sanctions and the shifting oil order toward BRICS alignment.

Washington’s standoff with New Delhi over Russian crude imports has become a telling measure of the effectiveness and limits of Western sanctions. India has eased back slightly on purchases of Urals barrels, trimming perhaps three to five hundred thousand barrels per day, but the overall message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been firm. Cheap Russian oil remains too valuable to give up, and the political mood at home rewards defiance rather than retreat.

For the United States, the dilemma is clear. A threatened rise in tariffs on Indian exports to America would not just squeeze New Delhi. It would also feed directly into US inflation at a time when domestic prices are already a sensitive political issue. Indian refiners are still importing more than one and a half million barrels per day of Russian crude. If those volumes were forced out of the market overnight, replacement barrels would come at a higher cost, pushing up fuel prices worldwide. Punishment for India could quickly turn into pain for American consumers.

Events in Ukraine have only sharpened the tension. Attacks on Russian refineries and ports continue, disrupting product flows and forcing Moscow to ship more crude abroad. The market is already unsettled, and any sudden shift in Indian buying habits risks aggravating the volatility. Washington knows this. The memory of 2022, when emergency stock releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve were needed to cool oil prices, still hangs heavy.

China complicates the picture. As India trims a fraction of its purchases, Chinese buyers appear to have stepped in, though their capacity to absorb further volumes remains a key question mark. Beijing has the advantage of shadow financial channels that allow it to skirt sanctions more easily. India lacks such networks, leaving its refiners more exposed to pressure. The precedent is important: during the previous Trump administration, India halted Iranian imports entirely once secondary sanctions were imposed. That history gives the United States a measure of confidence that firm action could eventually force Modi’s hand.

Critics argue that India has profited handsomely from discounted Russian oil. That is partly true, but it is far from unique. China, Turkey and Brazil have also secured cheaper barrels and products. India’s refiners have not dramatically expanded exports, since domestic demand has risen strongly and absorbed much of the supply. What has changed is the structure of global oil trade. Asian buyers now find themselves in a position to dictate terms, something that would have been unthinkable before the invasion of Ukraine.

The risk for Washington lies in overplaying its hand. Should tariffs and related sanctions be raised further and Indian purchases curtailed sharply, global prices could surge well beyond the $100 mark. Few Western leaders are prepared for that scenario. Meanwhile, Modi and Xi met in late August to improve broader relations, a sign that BRICS nations are only aligning more closely as this saga continues, at least in the oil world.

On the other hand, stepping back would send an equally powerful message: that sanctions on Russian energy have hard limits which Moscow can exploit. The balance between domestic politics, foreign policy and energy security is becoming harder to maintain.

For New Delhi, the calculation is equally fraught. Continued access to cheap crude underpins rapid economic growth and offers a shield against inflationary pressures at home. Yet reliance on Moscow leaves India open to charges of undermining the West’s wider sanctions regime. A modest reduction in volumes seems to be the compromise for now: enough to signal some flexibility, not enough to threaten growth. The trouble is that such half-measures satisfy neither side.

Energy is no longer just a commodity. It is the currency of global power, traded in barrels and measured in diplomatic concessions. India’s stance has highlighted the fragility of Western sanctions, China’s opportunism, and the uncomfortable reality that cheap Russian oil continues to find willing buyers. The next US move will carry consequences far beyond New Delhi. Whether Washington escalates or retreats, the oil market will be shaped not by technical supply balances but by the politics of defiance, nationalism and geopolitical rivalry.

By Neil Crosby via Sparta Commodities

Saudi Arabia and Iraq Cease Oil Shipments to This Sanctioned Indian Refiner

By Charles Kennedy - Sep 01, 2025

According to a report by Reuters, Saudi Aramco and Iraq’s SOMO have stopped supplying crude to Nayara Energy’s refinery in Gujarat after the European Union sanctioned the Indian company in July, citing its 49% ownership by Russia’s Rosneft. People familiar with the matter said Aramco halted sales over payment complications tied to the sanctions, while Nayara received no Iraqi cargoes in August.

Kpler data show the refinery’s last non-Russian deliveries were Arab Light on July 18 and Basrah Heavy on July 29, leaving the plant reliant on Russian Urals. In August, Nayara imported an average of 242,000 barrels per day—the lowest since November 2022—against nameplate capacity of 400,000 b/d, as it cut runs and increasingly tapped “dark-fleet” tankers to keep barrels moving. All August imports were Urals; by comparison, roughly 29% of Nayara’s 2024 intake had come from the Middle East.

The EU measures aim to further restrict Kremlin oil revenues, much of which now flows via discounted sales to Asia. Nayara has asked New Delhi for help securing compliant banking channels and shipping for both crude and products. The Modi government, however, is facing intensifying U.S. pressure to curb purchases of Russian oil, including a new 50% tariff on Indian goods headed to the American market.

Despite the squeeze, Nayara’s August buying helped lift India’s total Russian crude intake by 88,000 b/d to 1.69 million b/d. A Nayara spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. Saudi Aramco and SOMO did not immediately comment.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com