The Drug Science Podcast

Join us in this episode of the Drug Science Podcast, where Prof Jo Neil speaks with Dr Maria Balaet, a computational neuroscientist based at King’s College London. She speaks on her research into cognition, highlighting her Great British Intelligence Test project and its longitudinal findings with regards to drug use. Maria explains the relationship between mental health and drug use during the pandemic, laying out her own interpretations of the data. She goes on to discuss her growing research focus on psychedelics and how the unmedicated childbirth experience may mimic the psychedelic experience in profound ways. Links●      Dr Maria Balaet●      Great British Intelligence Test●      Recreational Drug Use During the Pandemic●      Recreational Drug Use and Mental Health●      MDMA●      Psilocybin ★ Support this podcast ★

Join Prof David Nutt and Prof Rod Flower for a captivating journey into the history of pharmacology.Rod is emeritus professor of biochemical pharmacology at Queen Mary University of London and co-author of Rang and Dale's Pharmacology, the textbook that has shaped the understanding of generations of medical and science students. His work was pivotal in advancing the knowledge of anti-inflammatory treatments, and his new book, Drugs: The Story of Pharmacology, looks back at the discoveries that built the foundations of modern medicine.He recounts how a misread job advert landed him in Sir John Vane's lab, and traces his path from smoking chymograph traces to co-founding the William Harvey Research Institute at Queen Mary. The conversation covers the ethics of self-experimentation in the early days of drug development, the lineage of plant medicines from ancient civilisations to the everyday drugs in your medicine cabinet, the separate mechanisms behind aspirin and salicylic acid, and the discovery of curare and how it shaped our understanding of receptors. Rod also shares his views on the value of genetic understanding to the development of treatments, and why the Human Genome Project's early promises to pharmacology fell short.Professor Roderick FlowerDrugs: The Story of PharmacologyBecome a Drug Science community memberWilliam Harvey Research InstituteJohn VaneFelix HoffmannCurareHuman Genome ProjectAspirin mechanism of action HeroinLSDKetamineAlcohol ★ Support this podcast ★

Wendi Rees, author and retreat leader who integrates Christian faith with psychedelic-assisted healing. She recounts a preacher’s kid upbringing, traumatic injury and suicidal crisis. She discusses using psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine and a transformative ibogaine encounter that restored a sense of God. Conversation covers creating faith-centered retreats and why many church communities resist these medicines.

In this episode, we speak with Dr Dixon Chibanda, a psychiatrist and professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He shares how losing a patient to suicide drove him towards community-based mental health care in Zimbabwe. Chibanda discusses the Friendship Bench, a model he built around grandmothers as custodians of local culture, and how listening and storytelling became its foundation. He explores how the approach was proven through research, its expansion across the world, and why he sees grandmothers, who also gain from the intergenerational connection, as the gold standard for this kind of care. LinksDr Dixon ChibandaThe Friendship BenchFriendship Bench in a BoxThe Friendship Bench Book ★ Support this podcast ★

Justin Garson, philosophy professor at CUNY and author of The Madness Pill, traces how ideas about schizophrenia shifted toward biological models. He explores 1960s psychedelic research, the turn to amphetamines and dopamine, and how treatments outpaced understanding. He also highlights alternative, person-centered approaches to psychosis.

Dr Andy Barker, senior psychiatrist and co-founder of This Native Mind, explains how clinicians become medical cannabis prescribers and run virtual clinics. He contrasts real-world patient outcomes with academic criticism. They explore psychedelic-like effects of high-dose cannabis, the role of set and setting, and how intentional, supervised use may reduce harms and support therapeutic goals.

Sarah Tilley, couples therapist and founder of Beautiful Space, blends psilocybin, mindfulness and intimacy exercises to help partners rebuild connection after trauma and separation. She explains preparation, dosing ceremonies in the Netherlands, therapist roles, integration practices and why she favors psilocybin over MDMA. Practical retreat formats, safety screening and long-term relationship outcomes are explored.

David Hillier, journalist and creator of Substack WHAT ARE YOU ON, reports on drug culture and harm reduction. He uncovers cocaethylene — the compound formed when cocaine and alcohol are combined — and explores why it is underresearched. The conversation covers misattributed deaths, toxicology gaps, outreach strategies and advocacy efforts to raise awareness and push for more research.

In this episode, we speak to Prof Matthew Cobb, professor of zoology at the University of Manchester and author of Crick: A Mind in Motion, which profiles Francis Crick. Matthew shares insights into his own academic background in neurobiology and evolution, explaining the motivation behind his latest book. He delves into the collaborative approaches that fueled Crick's work and explains the complex dynamics between Crick, James Watson, and Rosalind Franklin during their pursuit of the double helix structure. Finally, Matthew touches on Crick’s cannabis and psychedelic use. Links●      Prof Matt Cob●      Crick: A Mind in Motion●      What and how do maggots smell?●      The Double Helix●      Beatles Letter●      Mescaline Poem ★ Support this podcast ★

Join us in this episode of the Drug Science Podcast as Prof Jo Neill speaks with David Orren, CEO of GABA Labs, which has pioneered functional drinks with SENTIA Spirits. David recounts his initial communication with David Nutt and emphasises their shared mission to speak to younger generations’ desires for less harmful alternatives to alcohol. He touches on the neurological underpinnings of the drink and explores the future for the company as it expands and partners with other drink producers.GABA Labs SENTIA Spirits Alcohol Background on GABA Scientific Overview of Functional Drinks  ★ Support this podcast ★