The impact of psychedelics on memory processing and neuroplasticity Maria Balaet

Talk
This event has now finished.
  • Date and time: Tuesday 28 February 2023, 6.30pm to 8pm
  • Location: In-person only
    Room P/L/002, School of Physics, Engineering and Technology Building, Campus West, University of York (Map)
  • Audience: Open to alumni, staff, students, the public
  • Admission: Free admission, booking required

Event details

Psychedelics in Medicine Society and Biosciences Society talk

Memory plays an essential role in the human experience – it is a fundamental adaptive feature that allows us to carry out daily activities and plan for the future, based on previously acquired information. It has been shown that psychedelic drugs have important acute and also long term effects on memory and brain plasticity.

This presentation aims to collate and critically review the most recent evidence from neuroscientific research and introduce a novel theoretical framework for understanding the action of psychedelic drugs on the human brain, through their interaction with memory processing. This touches on the importance of psychedelics in therapeutic contexts and their potential role in understanding the basis of human consciousness.

About the speaker

Maria Balaet is a computational neuroscientist at Imperial College London. She specialises in using super scale cognitive testing and advanced artificial intelligence algorithms to understand how cognitive processes such as memory, attention, problem solving and language differ from the general population in those who use drugs (such as psychedelics) recreationally or suffer with either neurological or psychiatric conditions. Outside of her research work, she is passionate about public engagement with science, and has delivered dozens of public lectures across the UK as well as abroad. She shares updates about her work on Twitter @emmsskyyy

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