Auckland Neuro- Psycho- Pharmacology Research Group

Auckland Neuro- Psycho- Pharmacology Research Group Our group assesses the therapeutic influence of pharmaceuticals on the brain Want to sign up to our database for participating in trials about depression?

sign up here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/fmhs/research/research-study-recruitment/research-study-recruitment-a-l-fmhs/are-you-interested-in-being-a-participant-for-research-on-depres.html?fbclid=IwAR3Ct3B0Pl2OgCcYp-goiU43ze78mjnpPP1ds64kdbAWrNVr5UcAqr2uZY0

Meet the team here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.779213685553847.1073741830.768068563335026&type=1&l=517fe1a1f6

The Auckland

Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group is based at the University of Auckland. We are currently investigating new approaches to understanding and treating depression. Our aim is to improve health outcomes for people with mental health disorders by using cutting edge science. We are focused on developing and applying methods for measuring therapeutic drug action (bio-markers) in the central nervous system, particularly regarding the treatments of mood disorders such as depression. We use a combination of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Electroencephalography (EEG), and blood bio-markers to attempt to measure drug action, with the hope that these measures may help to improve treatments.

27/05/2026

Menstrual Health Week 2026 is officially underway at University of Auckland!

We’re so excited to have a PMDD Aotearoa stand and the opportunity to introduce more people to PMDD and the impact it can have on daily life.

Our new flyers are out in the world for their very first public event, alongside some fantastic information sheets helping raise awareness of a condition that is still too often misunderstood or overlooked.

It’s been fantastic seeing so many conversations happening around menstrual health, awareness, education, and support — and we’re only halfway through the week!

A huge thank you to the organisers of Menstrual Health Week and to everyone who has stopped by the stand to chat, ask questions, or learn more. These conversations matter. 🩸✨🧠

21/05/2026
21/05/2026

The fantastic Dr Rachael Sumner will be speaking next week during Menstrual Health Week 2026 at University of Auckland!

Her talk, “The brain on reproductive steroids: mental health and premenstrual dysphoric disorder”, will explore the critical role hormones such as progesterone and oestradiol play in brain health for all people.

She will also discuss what happens in the brain for those living with PMDD — a severe menstrual cycle-related mood disorder that remains widely misunderstood and under-recognised.

Dr Sumner will be presenting as part of the Menstrual Health Matters Symposium on Thursday 28 May.

Conversations like these are vital. Greater awareness and understanding of PMDD can help reduce stigma, improve recognition, and support earlier access to care for those affected.

A huge thank you to everyone helping bring menstrual health into the spotlight this week. 🩸🧠✨

Cheers RNZ for hosting our PI Prof. Suresh Muthukumaraswamy to discuss why the interest in psychedelic medicines
22/04/2026

Cheers RNZ for hosting our PI Prof. Suresh Muthukumaraswamy to discuss why the interest in psychedelic medicines

Eighty-three years after the first L*D trip, psychedelics are again being explored for their potential therapeutic benefits.

Our PhD student, Carina Donegan, has recently published her work analysing the participant interviews in our microdosing...
25/03/2026

Our PhD student, Carina Donegan, has recently published her work analysing the participant interviews in our microdosing trial, to find out "What it is like to microdose L*D for depression"! Read more here:

Background: Depressive disorders affect approximately 280 million globally, with many finding treatments ineffective or limited by side effects. Growing evidenc...

Our PhD student Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno has been busy with his international collaborations developing Brazilian Portugue...
18/03/2026

Our PhD student Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno has been busy with his international collaborations developing Brazilian Portuguese versions of common questionnaire scales used in psychedelic research. Outcome measures that can be run in different languages helps ensure research is representative of more cultures!

Background: This study aimed to validate and culturally adapt the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (OAV) and Five Dimensional—Altered States of Cons...

Ben Moloney, recently completed his PhD in our lab looking at whether low-dose naltrexone (LDN) could help manage the sy...
18/03/2026

Ben Moloney, recently completed his PhD in our lab looking at whether low-dose naltrexone (LDN) could help manage the symptoms of depression. This was based on the hypothesis that neuroinflammation may be an underlying of this disorder and therefore represents a novel target for drug therapy. Although he found many interesting results about neuroinflammation and LDN in the brain imaging part of his thesis (more to come later!), he found that LDN did not appear to alter depressive symptoms in moderate depression. Null results are very important and often underreported - this is a promising area of research that can use the information Ben found to develop further studies into possible treatments. Take a read of his main outcome paper:

IntroductionMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of global disability. Current treatments are limited by poor efficacy in approximately one-thi...

Our PhD student, Samuel Lasham, shares some wisdom on kiwis habits around foraging for psilocybin-containing mushrooms
16/03/2026

Our PhD student, Samuel Lasham, shares some wisdom on kiwis habits around foraging for psilocybin-containing mushrooms

Fungi-hunters share stories of life-changing trips and a rise in underground retreats.

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