ND alumnus Dr. Matthew Hicks leads pilot study testing outcomes of psychedelic treatment in low-income participants.  

Researchers at the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) have received a $30,000 grant from the Sheri Eckert Foundation to evaluate the treatment of depression in low-income adults using psilocybin-assisted therapy.  

NUNM alumnus Dr. Matthew Hicks will run the Low-Income Group Psilocybin Assisted Therapy for Depression (LIGPATD) study. The study will be the first to conduct research within the Oregon Psilocybin Services model, following the state act which licenses and regulates psilocybin services.  

Hicks, who earned his Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine and Master of Science in Clinical Research degrees in 2018, said it is also the first psychedelic therapy study of any kind to test the feasibility of working specifically with low-income populations, and among one of the first few to use a group model.  

“This project is attempting to address one of the big issues within psychedelic therapy, which is affordability,” said Hicks. “For all the hype that’s been created, it’s still not very accessible to most people. Research is a way to address that in the long run.”  

The LIGPATD study is free and open to applicants who qualify as financially disadvantaged Oregon residents. 

Participants will join a small cohort of other research subjects over the course of one month, beginning with two initial virtual preparation sessions.

They will later attend two in-person psilocybin administration sessions at a licensed service center in Northwest Portland, followed by another two group integration sessions where participants will process study experiences.  

Hicks said those who may not be eligible for the study may consider applying to the Psilocybin Access Fund (PAF), a similar initiative by the Sheri Eckert Foundation, which will offer scholarships to broaden accessibility for psilocybin services. He added that Satori Farms, a licensed psilocybin mushroom grower, had graciously donated psilocybin mushrooms to both the LIGPATD study and PAF program. 

Since the LIGPATD study will serve as a pilot study and cannot claim whether treatment is effective, Hicks said, the study will instead look for positive outcomes to demonstrate the feasibility of using this particular research approach and methodology. 

Hicks said this would enable researchers to conduct a larger study in the future that might claim not only effectiveness, but also a cost benefit when compared to conventional treatments.  

In the long run, Hicks said he hoped this line of research might help drive nationwide policy change to include legal access to psychedelic therapies—and perhaps even insurance coverage.  

“To get there,” he said, “we’ll need data that demonstrates that it’s safe, effective, and cheaper than current leading therapies.” 

Written by Ashley Villarreal, Marketing Content Specialist