Ruairi J Mackenzie
Senior Science Writer
Ruairi started with Technology Networks in January 2018 after completing an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh and a Master’s in Clinical Neuroscience from the University of Cambridge. As a senior science writer, Ruairi covers a range of scientific news and articles, with a focus on the complexities and curiosities of the brain. Ruairi also looks after search engine optimization efforts on Technology Networks and created the site’s podcast, Opinionated Science, in 2020.
Latest content from Ruairi J Mackenzie
Psilocybin Compared to Antidepressant in Breakthrough Trial
A new trial has directly compared the antidepressant effects of psilocybin with a more classical antidepressant, and found that the two are matched in their mood-altering potential.
VIEW
Could a Chemical Flip Produce a More Effective Ketamine-based Antidepressant?
Drug developers say that R-ketamine could potentially deliver a more targeted action with fewer side effects than its more popular chemical twin.
VIEW
Could the “Spirit Molecule” DMT Assist in Stroke Recovery?
N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a psychedelic compound under investigation for a range of therapeutic uses. One avenue of research is being pursued by Algernon Pharmaceuticals, who are investigating whether sub-hallucinogenic DMT doses could help to protect and repair the brain in the hours after a stroke.
VIEW
Behind the World-First Export of Jamaican Psilocybin Mushrooms
The biotech and life sciences company Mydecine Innovations Group recently announced it had completed its first commercial export of legal psychedelic psilocybin mushrooms from Jamaica to Canada. Technology Networks caught up with the company's chief scientific officer, Rob Roscow, to find out more.
VIEW
Making Mushrooms: How Psilocybin Is Extracted and Used in Mental Health Research
Psilocybin’s emergence as a valuable tool for mental health research has been a huge breakthrough for the field. But how do researchers get their hands on this heavily regulated substance? We talked to Tim Moore, CEO of Havn Life Sciences, a company that produces psychoactive compounds from plants and fungi, to find out more.
VIEW
Could DMT-Assisted Therapy Help Treat Mental Health Disorders?
The role that psychedelic therapeutics could play in tackling many intractable mental health conditions has finally been recognized by mainstream medicine. To find out more, we spoke to Carol Routledge, chief medical and scientific officer at Small Pharma.
VIEW
The Startup Turning Yeast Into Psychedelics
We spoke with Nick Milne, co-founder and CSO at Octarine to learn more about what science says on the therapeutic benefits of psychedelic compounds, why a bio-based approach for manufacturing is advantageous and the challenges associated.
VIEW
Your Brain on Psilocybin, With Frederick Streeter Barrett
Fred Barrett is an assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. In this interview, we discuss his work with the active component of magic mushrooms, psilocybin. Fred explains how this compound affects the brain, its potential to combat visceral pain, and its links to so-called mystical experiences.
Ending Psychedelic Myths With Professor David Nutt
Professor David Nutt has never been afraid to stick his head above the parapet on the topic of drugs. His repeated calling-out of the failures of contemporary drug policy has seen him butt heads with academics and politicians alike. In this interview with Professor Nutt, we discuss pot, policy and the potential of psilocybin.
VIEW
The Neuroscience of Psychedelics: Can LSD Microdosing Make You Happier? With Johannes Ramaekers
How does LSD affects a person's mood? And how can mushrooms could boost creativity? We ask Maastricht University's Professor Johannes Ramaekers, who recently collaborated with the UK-based Beckley foundation to examine the effects of microdosing.
