Etheridge and ShineMaker Foundations Fund UBC Psilocybin Therapy Study
The Etheridge Foundation and the ShineMaker Foundation are delighted to announce that we have combined matching grants to fund an open-label feasibility study on psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy at the University of British Columbia (UBC) - Okanagan.
This trial was well along the path to initiation, but was deactivated in late 2022 due to a shortage of funding. The Etheridge Foundation and ShineMaker are honored to make possible the resumption of this important and innovative research.
“We are beyond thrilled about being able to help with this study,” said ShineMaker Co-Founder Scott Schumaker.
The total gift is $85,000 to UBC Okanagan, plus a 5% Root Relationship Contribution (RRC) of $4,250 to the Indigenous Medicine Conservation (IMC) Fund towards projects supporting mushroom biocultural conservation.
Led by noted researchers Dr. Zach Walsh and Dr. Francois Louw along with Clinical Psychology doctoral candidate Tashia Petker, the study team will assess the feasibility and safety of a novel 6-week standardized natural psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy intervention for opioid tapering in patients with chronic pain.
An award-winning scholar, Tashia has worked over the past 10 years as a peer mentor, addiction counselor, and researcher. Her passion for her research comes from her lived experience with addiction and facing the challenges of navigating the health care system.
Through Tashia’s personal and professional experiences, her view is that to solve the addiction and opioid crises, we need to shift the way we approach substance use treatment.
“I was 17 when I received life-saving treatment that helped me turn my life around at a young age; however, most are not so lucky,” said Tashia. “Sadly, the current model of addiction treatment is not effective for many people, and there is an urgent need to discover treatment approaches that fill this gap.”
Other members of the team who will likely be involved in the study include Jordyn Cates and Michelle St. Pierre.
“Empowering Indigenous voices and perspectives in psychedelics is a priority in our work, and the study will provide training and support for the Indigenous scientists on our team,” added Dr. Walsh.
We are overjoyed to see this study go forward!
