The Drug Science Podcast returns on March 29th 2023.
This season, Drug Science has been interviewing some of the brightest minds in mental health research, European policy, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, to bring you the most up-to-date insights and discoveries in the field of drug science.
With a backlog of episodes ready to go, Drug Science is committed to providing fortnightly episodes without interruption. Plus, we’re excited to welcome two new co-hosts to the show:
Professor Joanna Neill – Jo Neill is a Professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Manchester. She is Chair of the Medical Psychedelics Working Group at Drug Science, a Trustee for Heroic Hearts UK, and a scientific advisor for the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group. She is co-founder of b-neuro, a University based Contract Research Organisation developing new treatments for mental illness through animal models and past President of the British Association for Psychopharmacology (President 2016-2018).
Dr Hannah Thurgur – Completed a Neuroscience PhD at the University of Manchester, which investigated the role of inflammation and the extracellular matrix in repair after stroke. After her PhD, Hannah was an Executive Officer at the British Neuroscience Association. Hannah now applies her research skills within the areas of medical cannabis and medical psychedelics for Drug Science.
Join Prof David Nutt, Prof Jo Neill and Dr Hannah Thurgur, as they delve into the latest research, explore the history of drug use, and interview experts in the field to provide you with insights that will challenge your preconceptions about various drugs.
Each episode of the podcast is packed with informative and engaging content, covering a range of topics such as the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs, the impact of drug policy on society, and the role of addiction in mental health.
To celebrate the new season of the podcast, we spoke to the three essential parts of the podcast, a host, a guest and a listener. Starting with one of the new hosts –
Dr Hannah Thurgur:
“I never thought I would be behind the mic of a podcast let alone the Drug Science podcast! It’s been an absolute pleasure to join David and Jo as a co-host – albeit slightly nerve-wracking once we press the record button. It’s such a privilege to talk to the incredible guests from the world of drugs who join us on the show. I’m looking forward to being able to delve deep into the science of psychoactive substances, ask experts the burning questions and hear first-hand our guests’ stories of how they ended up working in drug science. Get ready to feel inspired by our guests!”
We also caught up with one of our previous podcast guests and a member of the Drug Science Student Society Network – Ben Clayden:
“Given the renewed interest in psychedelic and psychoactive research, the field of drug science is an incredibly fascinating one to be engrossed in. Listening to the Drug Science podcast has been a really enjoyable way to learn about new advancements, ideas and research currently occurring in this area. Captivating topics, with experts from all over the world and David Nutt himself as the interviewer, what more could you ask for! Additionally I had the privilege of featuring as a guest for a special episode on the Student Society Network, a new branch of Drug Science aimed at producing a community of students interested in drug science and policy. I had such a fantastic time and couldn’t tell you how ecstatic I was when I was told I’d get to feature on the show. Keep an eye out for the new season of the Drug Science Podcast!”
Finally, we spoke to a listener of the show (Michael) who had this to say:
“It’s incredibly refreshing to witness psychoactive substances, and their therapeutic potential, being analyzed in a scientifically accurate and informative manner. The discussion avoids the typical hyperbole, moral judgments, political biases, and personal opinions that often obscure the topic, enabling a clear and objective perspective.“
At Drug Science we hope you’re as excited as we are about the next season of the podcast as we are. We have some exciting installments of the podcast coming up this summer, including:
A live podcast recording in London – Details are being finalised for this as we speak and you can be notified about how to get tickets to this event by signing up to the Drug Science newsletter.
An exclusive ‘Ask Me Anything’ with all three of our podcast hosts – This session will be recorded and we invite you to come on the show to ask Dave, Jo and Hannah, whatever you’d like to know about drugs. This will take place over Zoom and is exclusively for our Drug Science community members. If you would like to come on the podcast, sign up as a community member here.
With over 75 episodes, there’s a huge backlog of interesting conversations to listen to before the 29th of March. You can find all of our podcast episodes here.