LSD trials and next gen sunglasses: News from the College

Here’s a batch of fresh news and announcements from across Imperial.

From a study of psychedelics microdosing, to spectacles that transform to sunglasses with a single tap, here is some quick-read news from across the College.

Ground-breaking microdosing project launches

Some Silicon Valley creatives are vocal proponents of small daily doses of psychedelics to boost creativity and mental health. But can microdosing with LSD really live up to the claims?

David Erritzoe from the Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology has launched a new project with the Beckley Foundation to investigate (see video above). The trial will see participants use their own supplies of LSD, making up low dose capsules along with placebos and randomizing the pills, as part of a self-blinding study.

Participants will take the capsules over a short period, fill out questionnaires and conduct cognitive tests online during the course of the trial.

“The most exciting part of this is the trial’s design, developed by a collaborator in the US,” explained Dr Erritzoe. “Due to the nature of the design, we’re not expecting the findings to be as robust as a large-scale lab-based clinical trials, but if people follow the manual, we should see some interesting results.”

Egyptian medical students return home with new knowledge of NHS

Students from the Armed Forces College of Medicine in Egypt celebrated the end of their summer placements at Imperial with a reception at the Egyptian Bureau for Cultural and Educational Affairs.

The ten cadets spent four weeks gaining their first clinical experience at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust hospitals. 

Professor Desmond Johnston, Vice Dean (Education) from the Faculty of Medicine, praised the students for their work ethic and urged them to share the knowledge and expertise that they gathered during their placements.

The reception was hosted by Egypt’s Cultural Counsellor & Director Professor Reem Bahgat who spoke about the promising new bond between Imperial and AFCM.

Imperial alumnus develops next generation sunglasses

An Imperial alumnus has been named a runner up in the 2018 James Dyson Award for developing glasses that can transform to sunglasses with a single tap.

Bukki Adedapo, who graduated from the Department of Chemical Engineering in 2015, came up with the idea after he became frustrated with his photochromic lenses taking too long to return to normal after coming back indoors.

He developed glass that can change from clear to tinted by passing a current through the lens, therefore allowing the sunglasses to be switched on and off with ease.

Bukki is now working with an eyewear designer to create fashionable frames that are fit to storm the high street

Bukki participated in the 2017 White City Innovator’s Programme, the Imperial Incubator’s flagship pre-accelerator programme.

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