Molecular Biologist
Dr. Attila Szabo is a Research Fellow at the Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), University of Oslo, Norway. He holds two Master’s degrees in Biochemistry (MSc) and in Philosophy (MA). He received his first PhD degree in medicine with a focus on cellular and molecular immunology, and a second PhD in modern philosophy focusing on phenomenology and the philosophy of consciousness. His research interest involves psychoneuroimmunology, immunopsychiatry, biological psychiatry and the molecular biology of inflammation. He is also interested in the philosophical questions of mind-body interaction, psychosomatic phenomenon and the phenomenology of altered states of consciousness.
His current research focuses on immune-brain interactions in severe mental disorders, as well as serotonin and sigma receptors, their physiological activity and modulatory role on immune responses and cellular functions. In this context, he is specifically interested in the regulatory potential of serotonergic tryptamines (e.g. DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, psilocybin, etc.) on human immune, glial, and neuronal cell functions under various conditions. As an invited speaker he has given many lectures at conferences and workshops emphasizing the emerging medical importance of naturally occuring tryptamines as potent therapeutic agents.
Besides academia, Attila is a founding member of the Norwegian Association for Psychedelic Science (Norsk Forening for Psykedelisk Vitenskap, NFPV), a non-profit organization that aims to educate the general public as well as researchers, and mental health practitioners in Norway about psychedelics. He is also Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Psychedelic Studies.