Alexandra Leinonen

I began as a yoga teacher and meditator, fascinated by the mind and consciousness. When I read about the effects of psychedelics—both as a potential treatment and as a way to explore and understand the mind—I decided to get involved in research. Inspired by Griffiths, Carhart-Harris, and others, I began studying medicine and eventually specialized in psychiatry.

I’ve been fortunate to work at a clinic that has been open to my ideas and has allowed me to stay engaged in research through my clinical work. At the same time, I’ve volunteered in psychedelic emergency care as part of harm reduction work at various events.

A few years ago, our clinic was preparing to start ketamine treatment for depression, and I began to study the field in depth. At the time, I thought ketamine was mostly an addictive anesthetic, but I came to understand that it can have consciousness-altering effects similar to psychedelics. After reviewing the literature and speaking with colleagues around the world and listening to presentations focused on ketamine for depression at conferences, I realized it had potential—but also risks.

For the past year, I’ve been a registered PhD student, conducting research on our psychedelic-informed ketamine treatment and working as a study physician in a clinical psilocybin trial. Consciousness still fascinates me, but right now, the patients are my priority, and my research is clinical. That is what I will present here at the conference.