Events

Psychedelics such as MDMA and psilocybin are showing promising results in clinical trials for the treatment of mental health disorders, including PTSD, addiction, and treatment-resistant depression. FDA approval is likely on the horizon. Yet little is known about how these treatments will move from tightly controlled clinical trials to routine clinical care. This session will explore challenges to the clinical integration of psychedelics and potential risks associated with alternative pathways to access.

Amy McGuire, JD, PhD, is the Leon Jaworski Professor of Biomedical Ethics and Director of the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). She researches ethical and policy issues related to emerging technologies and innovative therapeutics, with a particular focus on genetics and genomics, neuropsychology, and the clinical integration of novel neurological devices. Dr. McGuire is the founding director of the Ethical Legal Implications of Psychedelics In Society (ELIPSIS) program, which conducts research to inform responsible policy translation for psychedelic medicines. She has received numerous teaching awards at BCM, was recognized by the Texas Executive Women as a Woman on the Move in 2016, and has been invited to givea TEDMed talk titled “There is no Genome for the Human Spirit” in 2014 and a TEDx talk titled “Can Creating Moments of Meaning Improve Mental Health?” in 2022. Dr. McGuire has served as a member of the National Advisory Council for Human Genome Research and subject matter expert for the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and StrokeCouncil. She is co-chair of the BRAIN Initiative Neuroethics Working Group, on the board of the Greenwall Foundation, is a Hasting’s Center Fellow, and is an advisor to Geisinger Research and The Morgridge Institute for Research.