Research in 60 Seconds: How Taking Psychedelics Can Be Therapeutic – UCF

Whether its solving the worlds biggest problems or investigating the potential of novel discoveries, researchers at UCF are on the edge scientific breakthroughs that aim to make an impact. Through the Research in 60 Seconds series, student and faculty researchers condense their complex studies into bite-sized summaries so you can know how and why Knights plan to improve our world.

Name: Shana HarrisPositions: Assistant professor of anthropology in theCollege of Sciences with a secondary joint appointment as an assistant professor of internal medicine in the College of Medicine.

Why are you interested in this research?Over the last two decades, there has been a marked increase in research into the therapeutic possibilities of psychedelics. We are also seeing more and more people, especially in the global North, seeking out these substances for all kinds of reasons, including to treat drug problems.

As someone who has researched drug use practices, policies and interventions for over 20 years, I am fascinated by the growing uptake in using psychedelics for drug treatment. It raises so many questions for me as an anthropologist: How and where is such treatment being offered? Who is seeking it out? Who is providing it? What does it look like? Why are people interested in psychedelic-based drug treatment instead of more mainstream treatments? All of these questions (and more) are challenging my assumptions about drug treatment and what counts as therapeutic in this context, and that is exciting.

Who inspires you to conduct your research?Above all, I am inspired by my research participants. Their willingness to speak so openly with me and to allow me into their space is invaluable as a researcher. But it also incredibly meaningful and heartening that they feel comfortable enough to tell me about their lives and to share their experiences with me (good, bad and everything in between). They teach me so much just by being themselves and letting me tag along for the ride.

Are you a faculty member or student conducting research at UCF? We want to hear from you! Tell us about your research at bit.ly/ucf-research-60-form.

How does UCF empower you to do your research?I have benefited greatly from many opportunities offered at UCF to support my research. I have received significant mentoring from senior and other women faculty, as well as financial and technical support from my departments, college and the university. As an assistant professor,

I also had the rare pre-tenure opportunity to conduct fieldwork in Mexico for a year, which was essential for advancing my research.

What major grants and honors have you earned to support your research?I am very lucky to have received research grants from several institutions (public, private and nonprofit). Most recently, I have been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research and the Florida Education Fund. Without their generous support, my research would not be possible.

Why is this research important?My research is important because people are using and providing psychedelics for therapeutic reasons, whether we like it or not. They believe these substances can help, and perhaps they provide people with something that mainstream treatments do not. I want my work to be a platform for conversation about this complicated phenomenon and the people engaged in it. I believe [psychedelics for therapeutic reasons] deserve consideration, not condemnation.

Are you a faculty member or student conducting research at UCF? We want to hear from you! Tell us about your research at bit.ly/ucf-research-60-form.

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Research in 60 Seconds: How Taking Psychedelics Can Be Therapeutic - UCF