Professor Bernard Lerer: Pioneering psychedelic research for psychiatric disorders

Jerusalem, Israel - From Biological Psychiatry to Psychedelic Research: Professor Bernard Lerer's Scientific Journey

In a captivating Genomic Press Interview published in Psychedelics, Professor Bernard Lerer, Director of the Center for Psychedelic Research at Hadassah Medical Center and Faculty member at Hebrew University, Jerusalem, shares his remarkable journey from South Africa to becoming a leading researcher in psychedelic therapeutics for psychiatric disorders.

Professor Lerer's passion for biological psychiatry was ignited in the late 1970s during a series of seminars by renowned psychiatrist Herman Van Praag. "Van Praag's seminars opened an entirely new direction for me—understanding the workings of the mind, and its maladies, through biology," he recalls. This pivotal moment set the stage for a career dedicated to unraveling the complexities of mental health disorders. How might such transformative educational experiences shape the future of psychiatric research and treatment?

Throughout his career, Professor Lerer has embraced diverse research approaches, from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to genetics, and now psychedelics. His current focus on psychedelic compounds for treating psychiatric disorders represents a significant shift in the field. "I work on psychedelic drugs that are known to have important therapeutic potential and I look for novel variants and treatment combinations," Professor Lerer explains. This innovative approach raises intriguing questions: How might psychedelic research revolutionize our understanding and treatment of long-standing psychiatric conditions?

Professor Lerer's research uniquely bridges preclinical, translational, and clinical studies, exploring the pharmacology of classical psychedelic compounds and their therapeutic mechanisms. His team is particularly interested in naturally derived psychedelics, specifically mushroom extracts, and the role of additional components besides psilocybin in their therapeutic effects. This comprehensive approach prompts us to consider: Could the synergistic effects of multiple compounds in natural psychedelics offer superior therapeutic benefits compared to isolated substances?

The interview also sheds light on Professor Lerer's commitment to fostering the next generation of researchers. "What I enjoy most is working with students. I am astonished at how smart many of them are, how insightful, how many new ideas they have and how much they are able to accomplish in a short space of time," he shares. This emphasis on mentorship raises an important question: How can we better nurture and support emerging talent in the rapidly evolving field of psychedelic research?

Professor Lerer's journey from a young doctor in South Africa to a leading psychedelic researcher in Israel is inspiring. He reflects on the challenges and rewards of changing research focus throughout his career: "Changing focus, as I have done more than once, means learning a lot of new information and skills. It's been a challenge but it keeps up my hopes that eventually I will find what I am looking for." His adaptability and continuous pursuit of knowledge prompt us to ask: How can the scientific community foster an environment that encourages researchers to explore new directions and take calculated risks in their work?

The interview also touches on Professor Lerer's perspectives on the cultural aspects of psychiatric disorders. While acknowledging cultural differences in symptom presentation, he notes the striking similarities in core clinical manifestations across diverse populations. This observation raises a crucial question: How can psychedelic research contribute to our understanding of the universal biological underpinnings of psychiatric disorders while respecting cultural variations in their expression?

Professor Lerer's work exemplifies the potential of interdisciplinary approaches in psychiatry and neuroscience. By applying his diverse background to the study of psychedelic compounds, he is opening new frontiers in treatment possibilities for conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. His research not only promises hope for those suffering from these conditions but also challenges our understanding of brain function and the nature of consciousness.

The full Genomic Press Interview with Professor Bernard Lerer, titled "Pre-clinical, translational and clinical research focused on the use of psychedelic drugs and their derivatives to treat psychiatric disorders," was published on January 25, 2024, in Psychedelics. It is freely available online at https://pp.genomicpress.com/aop/.

About Psychedelics – Psychedelics: The Journal of Psychedelic Pharmacology (ISSN: 2997-2671) is a peer-reviewed journal published by Genomic Press, New York. The journal is exclusively dedicated to the latest advancements in the realm of psychedelic substances and their potential therapeutic uses. Psychedelics embraces the full spectrum of research, from fundamental investigations to cutting-edge clinical studies and welcomes diverse perspectives and contributions, advancing the understanding of psychedelic compounds.