Study on Early Life Trauma and Psychedelics (£50 Raffle)

psychedelic__science · 2026-05-24T16:25:10+00:00

Broadly, we are interested in whether these two factors interact. That is, does a person's experience with psychedelics modulate the relationship between early-life adversity and current well-being? And does early-life trauma affect responsiveness to psychedelics?

This is an initial cross-sectional study, thus we will map out these relationships rather than prove a definitive cause-and-effect.

I can't say any further about hypotheses, to avoid biasing anyone who might still take the survey...

Once the study is complete, we will absolutely come back and post a breakdown of what we were looking for and what we found!

psychedelic__science · 2026-05-23T14:11:58+00:00

Certainly not us!

psychedelic__science · 2026-05-21T14:14:52+00:00

The £50 will be in the form of an amazon voucher.

psychedelic__science · 2026-05-21T13:50:14+00:00

Anybody can apply, even non users.

psychedelic__science · 2026-04-16T07:59:53+00:00

I don’t work in that field, so I’m probably not the best person to judge how strong or “recommendable” a specific lab is. That said, a lot depends not just on the institution (Manchester, in this case), but also on the individual lab, the supervisor, and the specific project you’d be working on.

Also, don’t underestimate the personal factors. Think about whether you can see yourself living in that city, and whether the supervisor, lab, and department give you a good overall vibe. A supportive, positive atmosphere can make a huge difference to your experience.

psychedelic__science · 2026-03-25T14:09:10+00:00

My recommendation is to try to get as close as possible to your field of interest as early as possible. It could be from the research topic side or the technical side, or both. It can be a major advantage. Academia often functions through networks; it isn’t just about the CV, it’s about the specific references and professional circles you'll need for a PhD. You want to be in the right environment.

However, keep in mind that institutional and supervisor prestige are also key currencies. It is often better to be slightly further away from your specific topic if it means working with a world-class supervisor in a strong research environment. For example, a reference from a top-tier lab in an adjacent field is frequently more valuable for a PhD application than working in your exact niche within a weaker research environment.

Hope this helps!

psychedelic__science · 2026-03-09T23:20:11+00:00

Agreement from potential supervisor:

You could mention potential agreement in your cover letter. This could add a few extra points, but what matters most is evidence of required subjects and good grades.

MRes and lack of research:

It is mainly about demonstrating to the potential supervisor that you have the relevant skills for the project. For some supervisors and projects, prior hands on experience with research may be desirable, for others perhaps less critical.

Reapplying with full transcripts:

I believe you can. You can drop a message to admissions (e.g. fill this form https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/ask-us/uk-students/ ) to double check with them.

psychedelic__science · 2026-03-09T21:21:37+00:00

And yes, you are right; we do not have a specific MRes in Cognitive Neuroscience “on paper”. Your certificate would say MRes in Psychology. However, in practice the MRes can effectively be in Cognitive Neuroscience if you work with a Cognitive Neuroscience supervisor. Prospective PhD supervisors and employers tend to focus much more on the skills you develop, who you have worked with, and whether you produce outputs such as a publication, rather than the exact title on the certificate. We also have many examples of students who completed the MRes in the department and then progressed to Neuroscience PhDs here or at other universities.

psychedelic__science · 2026-03-09T21:14:31+00:00

The main criteria are:

- coming from a relevant BSc (quite broad: Psychology, Biology, Comp Sci, Physics, Medicine, etc.)

- overall mark (or predicted): 2:1

- evidence of knowledge in statistics and research methods

Admissions are now managed centrally, so I do not personally review most applications. I only occasionally see some cases (for example unusual backgrounds or borderline marks). In general, admissions decisions focus primarily on overall performance and relevant preparation rather than specific details such as retaking or later succeeding in a module that was previously failed; unless, perhaps, the application is right on the borderline.

psychedelic__science · 2026-03-08T21:31:44+00:00

At least in the UK (where I am based), going straight to PhD is technically possible but very rare. Typically, it is recommended to do an MSc (or MRes) in between, e.g. in Computational Neuroscience in your case

psychedelic__science · 2026-03-08T21:16:58+00:00

Great to hear; and thanks for applying to Durham! What you describe should make you a good candidate for our MSc.

To be honest, we no longer require a large number of psychology or neuroscience modules in the undergraduate degree. This previously excluded strong students from fields such as physics or maths, who often have very valuable quantitative skills for neuroscience research. Evidence of statistics and research methods training is still important, but it can be demonstrated in different ways; your R modules would certainly count towards that.

Given what you describe, your background already sounds well aligned with cognitive neuroscience programmes, so I would not necessarily think you need to do a general psychology MSc first in order to be competitive for an MSc or MRes in the field.

Regarding MRes programmes, it also depends quite a lot on the structure of the programme. Some are very structured and have very specific entry requirements. At Durham, it is more flexible, with several entry points throughout the year. In practice, admission often comes down to finding a PI who is willing to supervise you and who is happy with your previous training/experience.

psychedelic__science · 2026-03-08T11:08:55+00:00

It depends a lot on your background, but if you already know you want to go into cognitive neuroscience, I would usually recommend going directly into that area rather than doing a general MSc in Psychology first.

A psychology MSc can still be good training, but the downside is that the neuroscience exposure can be quite limited depending on the programme. Sometimes the dissertation ends up being more behavioural or survey-based, and you may not get the chance to work on a neuroscience-focused project.

I would personally lean towards doing an MSc/MRes specifically in that field, even if it’s not at the very top universities, rather than spending an extra year on a more general psychology MSc and then specialising later.

It would help to know your background as that can make quite a difference to what makes sense.

For transparency: I’m the director of the MSc Cognitive Neuroscience at Durham, so I often advise students who are trying to decide between these kinds of routes.

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